84 



♦ KNOW^LEDGK ♦ 



[February 1, 1888. 



deflection of the bow naturally deflects the stern also. 

 Then, again, has the -writer taken into account whethei- his 

 examples were paddle or screw steamers'! and if screw, 

 whether they were right or left handed, and whether in 

 either instance the engines were eased or reversed to facili- 

 tate the turning of the ship 1 For the subject of the 

 " action of the rudder upon steamei-s " can only be discussed 

 jointly with the action of the screw on the ships, and 

 in doing so it will be necessary to take an example where 

 the ship is not under the influence of any current. 



The next example given is the collision between the 

 German ironclads Grosser Kurfiirst and Koniy Wilhclm. I 

 refrain from commenting on this case, but would again add. 

 Is the writer sure that the engines in either of these ships 

 were not stopped or reversed ? My reason for passing no 

 remarks on this collision is because I do not recollect the 

 facts of the case. 



With reference to the collision between the Stoninyton 

 and Karragcmsett, it is .stated that both ships were approach- 

 ing head on at great speed, and that the rule of the road 

 was followed by both ships. Still they collided. 



It seems to me that if in this case the rules and regula- 

 tions were followed, it was done in a way not in strict 

 conformity to the above rules, insomuch that it must have 

 been left till too late, for we are told "there was notsufiicient 

 interval to allow for the stern deflection." 



The rule of the road allows every oflicer in charge of a 

 ship to exercise a certain amount of discretion, and this 

 would expect both ships to have altered their course in good 

 time, so as not to have had to put the helm hard over at 

 the last moment, which appears to have been done. Of 

 course this would be altered if it was thick weather, and the 

 putting of the helm hard over would perhaps be unavoid- 

 able ; on the other hand, if it was thick, they were most 

 emphatically di.sobeying all rules by going at " great speed " 

 in such weather. 



In the writer's last example of a collision in the Oregon, 

 he even goes so far as to show by diagrams that a collision 

 would have been avoided if the Oregon had starboarded. I 

 quite agree with this example of his ; but to say that it 

 would have been directly disobeying the rules and regula- 

 tions (tc. would be absurd. I can only think that if he 

 has read the rules for preventing collisions at sea now in use 

 he has not tlioroughly grasped their meaning, and has missed 

 Art. 23 altogether. 



Of the steamer leaving a wharf in Toronto Bay, which 

 was carefully lined by means of a stationary object, and 

 which was found to be bodily deflected to the left when the 

 helm was ported, I can only say that she, too, was most 

 probably brought under the influence of a broadside current 

 when her helm was being altered, and if not, will the writer 

 inform me how it is that if a right-handed screw steamer 

 is going full speed or any other uniform speed through the 

 water ahead, and the helm is put hard over either way, the 

 ship will describe a perfect circle, coming back to her former 

 position exactly, always providing there is no current? I 

 have seen this tested several times, and never known a ship 

 out half her breadth. 



I am sorry that any one should think that such able 

 regulations as those provided by Government, not only of 

 this country, but of all other civilised countries, and which 

 are called " The International Steering and Sailing Rules " 

 should require modification. 1 believe the writer is not 

 alone in thinking so, but I can only say that in fifteen 

 years' experience, ten of which have been in some of the 

 finest steamers of England's mercantile marine, I have had 

 cause to see these regulations well tried, and in cases where 

 collisions have almost been inevitable, and in collisions 

 themselves, I have never yet found the said regulations 



at fault, but always found, where used with discretion, that 

 any seaman, whoever he may be, can put his whole trust in 

 them. Of course, they cannot provide against the reckless 

 use of the helm (as it is too often used) through which so 

 many collisions occur; no regulations, whatever they might 

 be, could do so. At the same time I firmly believe that any 

 seaman who carefully carries out these rules, not thinking 

 only of one, but taking all into account (including 

 Art. 23), need never be afraid of losing his certificate 

 through a collision, and in most cases will save his ship and 

 all hands by adhering to them. 



DARWIN'S LIFE AND LETTERS. 



(Concluded.) 



ARWIN worked at his rough notes on the 

 variation of animals and plants under 

 domestication, adding facts collected by 

 " printed inquiries, by conversations with 

 skilful breeders and gardeners, and by 

 extensive re;iding," but still gi-oping in the 

 dark as to the application of selection to 

 organisms living in a state of nature, until, as we have 

 seen, the chance reading of Malthus suggested a working 

 theory. A brief sketch of this theory, written out in 

 pencil in 1842, was elaborated in 1844 into an essay of 

 230 pages, the importance attached to which is shown by a 

 letter which Darwin addressed to his wife, charging her, in 

 the event of his death, to apply 400^. to the expense of pub- 

 lication, and suggesting certain competent men from whom 

 an editor might be chosen, preference being given to Sir 

 Charles (then Mr.) Lyell, with whom he was on specially 

 intimate terms and under much indebtedness — indeed, his 

 acceptance of the uniformitarian theory of the " Principles" 

 put him on the right track. 



The correspondence between Darwin and Sir J. Hooker* 

 in the earlier part of the second volume throws a flood of 

 light on the collection and weighing of the materials for 

 the future book, especially those supplied by the facts of 

 geographical distribution ; but, passing this over as diffi- 

 cult of condensation, we find that, acting on Ly ell's advice, 

 Darwin began to write out his views on a scale three or 

 four times as extensive as that in which they appeared in 

 the " Origin of Species." Happily', their publication was 

 hastened by the well-known incident of the receipt of a 

 paper in June 1858 from Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, who was 

 then in the Malay Archipelago, which " contained exactly 

 the same theory," and which was accompanied by a request 

 to Darwin, if he thought well of the essay, to send it to 

 Lyell for perusal. This Darwin did forthwith, writing as 

 follows : — 



Your words have come true with a vengeance — that I should be 

 forestalled. ... I never saw a more striking coincidence ; if Wal- 

 lace had my MS. sketch written out in 1812, he could not have 

 made a better short abstract ! Even his terms now stand as heads 

 of my chapters. Please return me the MS., which he does not say 

 he wishes me to publish ; but I shall, of course, at once write and 

 offer to send to any journal. So all my originality, whatever it may 

 amount to, will be smashed, though my book, if it will ever have 

 an}- value, will not be deteriorated, as all the labour consists in the 

 application of the theory. 



Darwin, as subsequent letters show, came out well in this 

 business. For to have hit upon a theory which interprets 



* This extract is especially interesting as "marking time": "I 

 have read heaps of agricultural and horticultural books, and have 

 never ceased collecting facts. At last gleams of light have come, 

 and I am almost convinced (quite contrary to the opinion I started 

 with) that species are not (it is like confessing a murder) immutable." 

 Letter, January 11, 1844. Vol. II., p. 23. 



