and Proceedings of the late President of the Poyal Society. 25 1 



30 and 40 years before, had offended the President of the Royal 

 Society ! ! 



Poor Mr. Marrat's circumstances became so embarrassed bv 

 reason of Sir Joseph's hard treatment, that he was obliged to 

 quit England. He went over to New York, carrying with him 

 letters of recommendation from Dr. Hutton and Dr. Gregory; 

 and he is now a Professor of Mathematics in one of the colleges 

 of that State. 



Tired as I now am of recording examples of Sir Joseph's vexa- 

 tious, or indecorous, or malignant treatment of individuals; let 

 me proceed to alleviate my own fatigue, and probably that of 

 the reader, by adverting, as briefly as possible, to his illiberal 

 treatment of different Societies; after which I shall terminate 

 these remarks. 



About the year 1792 or 1793 was established the " Society 

 for improving Naval /Architecture." The very title of this So- 

 ciety declares the momentous nature of its objects, especially in 

 a country like ours, which owes so much to its commercial and 

 naval preeminence. The members of this Society were very nu- 

 merous, and highly respectable in character, consisting principally 

 of public-spirited noblemen, practical engineers, mathematicians, 

 naval officers, merchants, and ship-builders. Their attention 

 was directed to the variety of topics included in the theory and 

 practice of ship-building ; such as the strength and strain of 

 materials, their preservation, the resistance given by water to 

 bodies of different shapes moving in it, the structure of masts, 

 tlie shape and position of the sails, the form and operation of 

 the rudder, &;c. They made many experiments, and some of 

 them most useful in their tendency: every thing went on well, 

 till their operations began to be impeded by the jealousies of Sir 

 Joseph Banks. Not satisfied with being at the hetd of the Royal 

 Society, he was anxious to be at the head of this Society also. 

 Sir Joseph was Vice-President; but the President was the late 

 Earl Stanho|)e, a man of extraordinary talent (whatever his pe- 

 culiarities might be), and too inflexible to yield to the ambition 

 of one for whose abilities he entertained a most sovereign con- 

 tempt. Sir Joseph, however, .uniformly thwarted the plans pro- 

 posed by his lordship and the bulk of the Society, and soon 

 formed a party of his own for the purpose of systematic annoy- 

 ance. Tliis led to a determination on the part of the main ()ody 

 to free themselves from this source of vexation. A series of re- 

 solutions was framed, proposed by the late Mr. William Nichol- 

 soji (Editor of the Philosophical .tournal), and carried by a large 

 majority. In thc^e the .Society firmly declared their determina- 

 tior) to support their President, so long as he continued to aid 



I i 2 and 



