184].] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT S JOURNAL. 



19 



dividually remarkable : except we notice the ornaments over each pier 

 on the crowning blocking course ; and which directing the eye up- 

 wards forms for it a kind of imaginary pyramid witli each pier, whose 

 ideal base is level with the top of the upper window. Advancing to- 

 wards the wing, a part appears, contrasted with the void, from its 

 heavy masonry, and then again relieved by its columns and statues. 

 Here' again tlie eye is courted centrally — fas if afraid that it might 

 grow weary and fall) by its travel along the front. Four columns only 

 are crowned with statues; tlie central window only have buUusters, 

 whilst the roof slightly rises, to assist. Whilst here too the ornament, 

 appears more abundant, and the superficies more enriched. The win- 

 dows are richer, their dressings less plain. Trusses occur, breaks ob- 

 trude, and a buUustrade suimounts. Once more hasten on, and the 

 wing salutes vou, in its similarity to the centre, vou admire the contri- 

 vance of Inig'o Jones to protect the unity of this vast front. There 

 you encoun'er a principle of optics though dirt'erently applied. Tlie 

 increased distance of the wing from the centre, exacts and increased 

 importance in its composition, and proportionate to that distance, to 

 recover the unity. It is made somewhat to resemble the centre, in its 

 miniititE, and thus the link of harmony is connected. 



Looking back once more at the facade as a whole, we recognise a 

 hand overcoming, rather than overcome by, the materials of his art. 

 The perspective is also worthy of his notice, so that in whatever way 

 you regard the edifice, its vast proportions and its more elegant reliefs 

 are exposed to view. In the long and diflicult front it is, that Inigo 

 Jones is more marked and peculiar. That complication of parts, that 

 ever varying distribution of the features, are peculiarly his. I )thers 

 may appear on a smaller field equallv happy, and yet cannot approach 

 him ill the grand and more extended scale. Like true genius he 

 seems increasing in beauty and effect, with the increasing necessities; 

 and extended nature of the design. As spectator of the structure, you 

 are pleased as much by the intricacy unravelled as by the variety sub- 

 dued. Nature with liira is ever found under veil of art. But he is 

 the painter of its gayer effects, whilst others on the contrary, represent 

 its more sober appearances. If yon take a critical survey of his de- 

 signs vou discover first the sketch, the outline and the shadows ; and 

 in this only equal to his school. But as aWatteau and Ostade gather 

 a name from grouping the same figures, which otherwise exhibited 

 were poor and tame, so Inigo Jones, by a consummate skill in assorting 

 his, stamps his name upon the edifice. With the same cornice, archi- 

 trave, ballustrade, figures and pediment, as others employ, a very dif- 

 ferent arrangement appears. If his front be short, you see this more 

 particularly. He destroys the stift'ness of outline by the detail. His 

 decorations are sometimes sweeping and reclining in their form ; and 

 it was a desire to avoid the rigid line in ornament, that taught hira to 

 break the tympanum for the introduction of a wreath or a shield. If 

 the wings are raised (which with him is usual when the centre is much 

 depressed and the main body of the building long), he seeks to re- 

 lieve, by a depression of form (very frequently) in the decoration. 

 The architrave sometimes sweeps into width towards the base, as in 

 the wing of Wilton House. He seldom employs one uniform unbroken 

 ballustrade in the middle part, along the whole length, unless there 

 has been a paucity of reliefs below. In Wilton House too we see this. 

 If however the front be long, and the design a mansion, the various 

 parts assume the varied forms, and together with the detail unite their 

 effect ; the various points of the building in this case assume an in- 

 clination in form as they soar up and encounter the sky. That is, 

 they exhibit no harshness in their outline, or very little. He seems to 

 unite with Wren in opinion and taste, and to mould the figures into 

 spheres and sweeps as they stand against the sky. It is this which 

 regulates him even in the ballustrade vases and globes that crown the 

 cornice. It is something of this which directed a pediment on the 

 wings of Wilton House, for it leads the eye in breadth, as a balance to 

 the loftiness of the wing, and avoids the harshness of the horizontal. 

 It may be admitted that this disrelish for harshness often led him into 

 extravagance in composition, and caused him to exhibit in his smaller 

 studies, a richness and exuberance more iitted for an interior. It may 

 be admitted too that a certain want of severity in taste and coolness 

 in adjustment, led him to trespass beyound what his more careful rival 

 Burlington dared to allow. Often he may appear omitting the neces- 

 sary members from a cornice, omitting the frieze, and introducing 

 double plinths ; still that richness of the artist, snatched from Italy is 

 a charm entirely his own. In conclusion, it must be allowed, that 

 Inigo Jones, gives a finish both picturesque and lively to the building, 

 and brings into his design not only the orders and sentiment of Palla- 

 dio, but the creations of an active fancy and the richest pictures of 

 ideal taste. 



Frederick East. 

 Dtctmber, 1840. 



ON THE RELATION OF HORSE POWER TO TONNAGE 

 IN STEAM VESSELS. 



Sir — It is a disputed question wdiether a large or small horse power 

 of engines, is best adapted for sea-going steam vessels. 



Without entering into the discussion, I will lay before your readers 

 the tonnage and power of some of the finest ocean steam ships vet built; 

 which table shows some curious contrarieties. 



In the above table I have endeavoured to place the vessels in the 

 order of speed — an average westerly passage across the Atlantic being 

 supposed to be the work performed. The " Oriental" and "Great 

 Western" are, I think, about equal — as also the "President" and 

 " Liverpool" (before alterations). 



It will be observed that though the proportion is the same both in 

 the "Oriental" and "British Queen," yet it cannot be questioned that 

 on every point, and most especially when the vessels are deep, the 

 "Oriental" has the advantage. 



It may also be mentioned that the " Liverpool" has had seven feet 

 more beam given her, and is now 393 tons larger than formerly ; the 

 proportion of power has, therefore, been dccreastd, wdiilst her speed 

 and vveatherly qualities have been materially increased. 



Also, the four first and best vessels, and which vary least in their 

 speed, in bad weather, have more beam (in proportion to their length) 

 than the other three. 



It appears to me that more depends on th form and construction of 

 the vessel, than on having a large engine power. 



I am, &c. 



E. 



Manchester, Xov. 30, 1840. 



TABLE OF PORTICOES. 



Sill — Mr. Dyer has pointed out what certainly looks like a very 

 stupid blunder in the Table of Porticoes from the Penny Cyclopsedia, 

 and I was at first rather alarmed by his note, for he says that the por- 

 tico of the Victoria Rooms is therein stated to have five intercolum- 

 niatioDs (intercolumns), although placed in the octastyle class. But, 

 on turning to the table itself, I find he has misconceived what is said 

 in regard to that portico in the column of remarks, wdiere it is further 

 described as being " unequal diprostyle, recessed, five intercolumns," 

 that is, recessed within for the space of five intercolumns, or corres- 

 ponding with five out of the seven intercolumns of the octastyle in 

 faont. Perhaps the sense would have been clearer had the comma 

 after " recessed," been omitted, or had " for " been substituted instead 

 of it. But brevity was indispensable; and, in fact, that portion of 

 the table was considerably abridged after being set up, in order to get 

 rid of many ^(;v(-OMrs, and reduce it almost entirely to single lines. 

 And thus it happened that the words "sculptured pediment," which 

 were in the first proof, were struck out in order to save a second line. 

 Other remarks underwent similar curtailment in several instances, for 

 else the table would have occupied an entire page of the Cyclopaedia. 

 So far, however, from complaining of this, [ rather feel grateful for 

 so much space, and so many illustiative wood-cuts, being afforded me 

 in that publication for such an article : because, although botli fell far 

 short of what I should have taken, had I been left entirely to myself, 

 they exceeded what I could reasonably expect. 



' In these five vessels the variaiion of horses' power is only 24 : the dif- 

 ference of tonnage 520 1 



1 The remarks on the " Acadia " equally apply to her sister vessels, the 

 ■• Britannia," -Caledonia," and "Columbia"; and constitute a good ex- 

 ample, as little dilierence is found in their performances, all the four being 

 remarkably speedy vessels. 



D 2 



