86 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



being no siich thing tlien as a steamer Laving liollow water 

 lines, and Mr. John Wood, who was to build the vessel, 

 being opposed to hollow lines, I advised Mr. Smith, in this 

 his first steam-yacht, which was to cost him a large sum, 

 not to run the risk of any failure, but to adopt Mr. Wood's 

 water lines, he being at that time justly esteemed for his 

 excellent taste, and for building the fastest steamers afloat. 

 Mr. Smith reluctantly consented to allow Mr. Wood to make 

 a model according to his own lines, with the proviso that 

 he should himself make such alterations in them as he might 

 judge best. This was done ; the line was modified by 

 Mr. Smith, and the vessel built otherwise wholly according 

 to his plans. 



"After using this steamer for some years, he wished to 

 encourage building vessels of iron, and ordered the Glowworm 

 with water lines approaching nearer to his long-cherished 

 plan of hollow lines, than the tvj^o Menais were. This 

 vessel succeeded so well that Le determined, cost him 

 what it might, he would have a sea-going vessel built 

 with his favourite hollow water lines. Accordingly the 

 Fire-king was built strictly in all respects according to 

 his own plans, with hollow lines and a flat bottom. 

 After the Fire-king all his other steamers were built with 

 these lines." 



In the very interesting account given by Mr. Napier, in 

 the foregoing letters, we find him fairly and honourably 

 acknowledging that, in planning these several vessels, he did 

 but carry out Mr. Assheton Smith's designs ; and this is 

 the more extraordinary as, even allowing that the latter had 

 taste and capacity theoretically for scientific pursuits, the 

 practical application of his knowledge to so intricate and 

 delicate a subject as the construction of steam-vessels and 

 their arrangements would seem to have been almost impos- 

 sible. It is certain that long previously to the building of 

 the Fire-kifig Mr. Smith had studied the question of resist- 

 tance to the waves by the prows and keels of vessels ; and 



