298 SECTION MECHANICS. 



I regret to have to say that of these there is not a single English 

 private student in naval architecture, all have been sent by the 

 Admiralty, and there is but one private student in marine engineering. Of 

 foreign students there are at present ten at the College, viz. : three 

 Russians, two Italians, two Danes, one Spaniard, one Norwegian, and 

 one Brazilian. The total number of all classes trained between 1864 

 and 1876 has been 232, of which twenty-four have been foreign. These 

 foreign students have the full advantages of the Royal Naval College 

 in every particular. 



The PRESIDENT : In rising to propose a vote of thanks to Mr. 

 Barnaby for his most important and valuable communication on Naval 

 Architecture, I wish only to point out that it is perhaps the most 

 important branch of engineering. If you take it in a national point 

 of view, it may be said that the safety of the island depends upon it ; 

 in a commercial point of view it carries the treasures of the world to 

 and from these shores ; and in a humanitarian point of view it 

 involves the safety of thousands of men who work hard for the interests 

 of the country. It is encouraging to find that in naval architecture 

 perhaps the most rapid progress has been made that could well be 

 imagined, in fact a progress which leaves us every year ir.ore in 

 advance of what we understood was the newest and the best the year 

 previously. I am sure you will all agree with me that our best thanks 

 are due to Mr. Barnaby, the Chief Director of Naval Construction, 

 who by his earnestness, his impartiality, and devotion, has himself 

 done so much to advance that branch of engineering. 



I will now call on Mr. Froucle, who it is well known has worked 

 hand to hand wkh the authorities of the Admiralty in determining the 

 exact form of ships which gives the least resistance, and the greatest 

 form of safety and convenience. Mr. Froude's name has already 

 been mentioned by Mr. Barnaby very prominently, and his work is so 

 well known that I need make no furl her introduction, but will call 

 upon him to give us his communication. 



Mr. FROUDE, M.A., F.R.S. : Mr. Barnaby's allusicn to the experi- 

 ments which I am conducting for the Admiralty on this subject h.is 

 made this an appropriate occasion for my telling you something of the 

 nature of the work. I regret that I have not had time to put on 

 paper in a carefully prepared and more intelligible form that which 



