1824.] Copper Sheathing. 363 



given rise to several erroneous statements which have lately 

 appeared in some of the London papers; but the subject having 

 been revived, and as it appears to me in no very laudable spirit, 

 I am anxious at least to do away any false impressions that I 

 may have unintentionally occasioned, by putting our readers in 

 possession of such facts as have recently come to my knowledge, 

 and on the accuracy of which they may rely. 



But, first, a word or two as to the newspaper assertions. In 

 the Morning Chronicle of Oct. 10, an extract is given from a 

 weekly publication, called " The Chemist," which, after deny- 

 ing to Sir Humphry the merit of originality, concludes ; " There 

 is, however, a more serious objection to the method proposed. 

 It has been tried, and it has failed." This is a short way of 

 settling the question at all events, and when we are indifferent 

 whether the decision be just or not, is, perhaps, as good as 

 any other. Pretty much to the same purpose, and perfectly in 

 the same spirit, is an article in the Times newspaper, Oct. 16, 

 on the same subject. After stating Mr. Muschett's experiments, 

 it speaks thus of Sir Humphry's: — " The experiment so far suc- 

 ceeded as to protect the copper from decay, but it was soon 

 found out that vessels covered on this plan have returned after 

 short voyages perfectly foul; their bottoms covered with sea 

 weeds,, barnacles, and other worms. The remedy, therefore, is 

 worse than the disease." A little further, we have another 

 therefore. " The learned President's experiments may, therefore, 

 be regarded as a failure, so far as advantage, to navigation is 

 concerned, however useful they may be to chemical science, 

 and however pleasant they may have been to himself in procur- 

 ing a summer excursion at the public expense to the North Sea 

 and the Baltic." 



Whether these and similar attempts to prejudice the public 

 mind against an invention which there is every reason to believe 

 will afford an effectual remedy for a serious national evil, are to 

 be attributed to sheer ignorance, or a less venial origin, I know 

 not ; but whatever bears the impress of superior intelligence, is 

 sure to provoke the spleen of invidious sciolism. It was so 

 with another important discovery of Sir Humphry Davy's, for 

 even the precious boon of safety to thousands could not protect 

 his Lamp from the sneers of certain petty cavillers. Posterity 

 will be more just ! 



But to the facts, and by their evidence let our readers judge 

 of the accuracy mid justice of the newspaper statements, and 

 the bold assertion, that the experiments have failed. 



The two harbour boats which gave rise to the original exag- 

 gerated account, were purposely over defended by a surface of 

 zinc in the proportion of about l-25th of that of the copper, the 

 object of those preliminary experiments being solely to ascertain 

 the ejjkacy of the plan as a preservative of the copper, without 



