486 Anniversary Meeting. [Nov. 30, 



followed it, the absence of any proper provision for the instruction or 

 guidance of the builders, fitters, and navigators of the ships of our mer- 

 cantile marine was strongly dwelt upon. It is well known that the number 

 of iron ships recently constructed greatly exceeds that of wood-built ships. 

 In such vessels iron is now used, not only in the construction of the hull, 

 but in decks, deck-houses, masts, rigging, and many other parts of the 

 ship, for which wood was till recently used. The consequence has been a 

 great increase in the amount of the deviation of the compass, increased diffi- 

 culty in finding a suitable place for the compass, and an increased neces- 

 sity for, and difficulty in, applying to the deviation either mechanical or 

 tabular corrections. 



Many recent losses of iron steamers have taken place, in which there is 

 reason to believe that compass-error occasioned the loss. In most of these, 

 however, from the want of any record of the magnetic state of the ship, of 

 the amount of the original deviation, and of the mode of correction and 

 from the investigations into the causes of the loss having been conducted 

 by persons uninformed or not interested in the science, and who are neces- 

 sarily incompetent therefore either to elicit the facts from which a judg- 

 ment can be formed, or to form a judgment on those facts which are 

 elicited no certain conclusion as to the cause of the loss can be arrived at. 

 The investigations are, however, sufficient to show the want of a better 

 and more uniform system of compass-correction in the mercantile marine, 

 and of more knowledge of the subject on the part of those who are 

 entrusted with the fitting and navigation of these ships. 



- Acting in conformity with the opinions expressed in the discussion 

 which followed the reading of the paper by Commander Evans and Mr. 

 Smith, and availing themselves of the counsel of thosewho are justly regarded 

 as possessing the greatest practical experience on such subjects in this or 

 any other country, the President and Council addressed a letter to the 

 President of the Board of Trade, bringing under his consideration a sub- 

 ject which they have reason to believe is of pressing importance, requiring 

 that measures of a more stringent and effective character should be taken 

 in the direction already followed by Her Majesty's Government in such 

 legislative enactments as those contained in the Merchant Shipping Act of 

 1854 ; and, impelled by a strong conviction of the impending danger, they 

 have ventured to suggest the expediency of steps being taken for the mer- 

 cantile marine similar in character to those which have been found to work 

 so successfully in the Compass Department of the Royal Navy. 



The lamented decease of the late Admiral FitzRoy induced a desire on 

 the part of the Board of Trade to review the past proceedings and pre- 

 sent state of the department of that Board which had been placed under 

 Admiral FitzRoy's direction. Adverting to the fact that at the forma- 

 tion of that Department the Board of Trade had requested the opinion 

 of the Royal Society as to what might then be considered the great 



