ON DRAUGHT. 425 



The resisiance to a body moving; in a fluid, arises principally fronn the 

 striking of the particles of the fluid against the front of the moving body, 

 so that if the speed of the vessel be increased, not only does it encounter a 

 proportionably greater number of particles, but also it is struck by each 

 with a force proportionate to the velocity, and consequently the resistance 

 is found to increase as the square of the velocity ; thus, if the speed of the 

 vessel be trebled, the number of particles, or the quantity of water which it 

 meets in its progress for a certain space of time, is trebled, and the resis- 

 tance of each particle being also three times as great, owing to the boats 

 striking it with treble the velocity, the united effect is nine times as o-reat; 

 therefore, if in the first instance it required one pound to draw the vessel, 

 it would now require nine, but nine times the weight or resistance, moved 

 at three times the velocity, will require twenty- seven times the quantity of 

 power in action ; consequently, we see that the resistance increases as the 

 square of the velocity, and the poM^er required to be exerted for a given 

 time increases as the cube of that velocity. 



There are some other causes of resistance, which do not vary in this 

 proportion, but at moderate velocities ; and in all ordinary cases this may 

 be considered as a tolerable approximation to the real law of the increase, 

 and shows at once the impossibility of using water conveyance where speed 

 is required. The draught of an ordinary canal boat, at the velocity of 2J 

 miles per hour, is about -^^q of its weight, that is to say, a canal boat, with 

 its load weighing 33 tons, or 73,920 lbs., is moved at the rate mentioned, 

 by a force equivalent to 801bs., being -^ part of the load. This is found 

 by Mr. Bevan to be the result upon the Grand Junction Canal, and a force 

 of traction of 80lbs., is here found to be equivalent to a horse power. The 

 average power of an ordinary horse is certainly rather more ; and in the 

 commencement of this paper, we mentioned this as an instance of a small 

 effect being produced, most probably owing to the peculiar application of 

 the power. We believe it to be the case, and think it likely, that if the 

 disadvantages before alluded to, arising from the mode of applying the 

 power, could be removed, the effect might be raised to 100 lbs. or 120 lbs. 

 of traction, and consequently the load moved would then be 40 or 50 tons • 

 this is an increase well worthy of consideration. 



We now come to the consideration of the means of transport employed 

 on land. These are sledges, rollers, and wheel carriages. The order in 

 which they are here mentioned, is probably that in which they were in- 

 vented or first employed. A sledge is certainly the rudest and most pri- 

 mitive form of vehicle ; the wheeled carriage, and even the placing the load 

 itself upon rollers, is the effect of a much more advanced state of the me- 

 chanical arts, and is probably of much later date than the sledge. 



When man first felt the necessity or the desire of transporting any arti- 

 cle from one spot to another, he doubtless endeavoured to hft or carry it : 

 if it proved too heavy for him to carry, he would naturally endeavour to 

 drag it. Here, frequent experiments would soon show him how much less 

 labour was required to drag a body with a smooth surface in contact with 

 the ground, than when the contrary was the case ; and if the body to be 

 moved did not itself present a smooth surface on any of its sides, but was 

 on the contrary, rough and angular in all directions, he would naturally be 

 led to interpose between it and the ground some plane surface which 

 should prevent the angles and projections of the body from entering the 

 ground and impeding the progress ; and we may presume that sledges were 

 thus very early brought into use. When attempting to transport still heavier 

 masses, the accidental pressure of round stones, or a piece of timber, may 



