238 



DOCKYARD ECONOMY. 



PART VII. 



provement of the machinery of the Waltham Powder 

 Mills, especially as to the more economical application of 

 the water power the fixing of moorings in the tideways 

 of the royal harbours the clearing of the Thames in 

 front of Woolwich Dockyard of its immense accumulation 

 of mud the erection of a quarantine establishment in 

 the Medway 1 the provision of wet docks for the Royal 

 Navy and the introduction of improved machinery at 

 the various dockyards ; on which last subject Mr. Rennie 

 was especially competent to give advice. 



A Commission of Civil Officers of the Navy was ap- 

 pointed, in 1806, to consider the best means of turning 

 out work from the dockyards with the greatest despatch 

 and economy. Private manufacturing establishments 

 were then a long way ahead of the Government yards, 

 where methods of working, long abandoned everywhere 

 else, still continued in practice ; and to call a mechanic 

 or labourer on the Thames "a regular dockyarder" was 

 to apply to him the lowest term of reproach that could 

 be used. Foreign governments were introducing steam- 

 engines and the most improved kinds of machinery, 

 whilst our Admiralty were standing still, notwithstanding 



1 The quarantine establishment of 

 the port of London was then situated 

 at Stangate Creek, which joins the 

 Medway about two miles above 

 Sheerness. It consisted of several 

 old two and three-decker hulks, into 

 which goods were placed. Passengers 

 while performing quarantine might 

 well fret and fume at their detention, 

 having before them a most uninterest- 

 ing prospect a wide extent of flat 

 marsh-land, with a fringe of mud at 

 low water. A small vessel of war 

 was stationed at the entrance of the 

 creek to prevent infringement of the 

 regulations. The annoyance caused 

 by this establishment was very great, 

 and it was complained of more and more 

 as our foreign commerce extended. 

 On several occasions, vessels filled with 

 passengers, having accidentally run 



foul of the ships performing quaran- 

 tine, were compelled at once to heave- 

 to, and undergo two or three days' 

 detention before they could be re- 

 leased. To diminish this evil, the 

 Government determined to erect a 

 permanent quarantine establishment 

 about three miles up Stangate Creek, 

 at a place called Chetney Hill, a 

 small rising ground situated in the 

 marshes. It was proposed to isolate 

 this hill by a canal, provided with a 

 lock ; and Mr. Ilennie was requested to 

 prepare the requisite plans, which he 

 did (in 1806), and the works were 

 executed at a heavy expense ; but we 

 believe they were never used, and 

 the old hulks continued to be em- 

 ployed until the final abandonment 

 of the quarantine system. 



