ON STEAMSHIP PERFORMANCE. 341 
that it has ceased to cause either labour or occupation to the Committee. A 
single officer can readily perform the work of collection, and it seems that 
nothing further is required from the British Association for the future than 
such an annual grant as would serve to compensate the collecting officer and 
ensure the publication of the information obtained. 
Exact Records of Qualities and Performance of War Steamers.—It is well 
known to members of the British Association, that one of the chief objects in 
the original appointment of this Committee was to induce the Lords of the 
Admiralty to take the steps necessary to obtain such exact scientific data as 
should serve for the determination of true principles to be used in the design 
and construction of steam fleets. For this purpose exact observations are 
necessary to be made with fitting instruments, specially constructed, upon 
steamships of large size, in smooth water and rough, laden and light, towing 
and being towed, going slow and going quick, with clean bottoms and with 
foul, under predetermined varieties of condition. Such exact experiments 
are essential to the promotion of the science of naval construction, and can 
only be made by the naval service of the country, for whose special benefit 
they are designed. The British Association has freely, for many years, ex- 
pended its own funds for this great national purpose, and it only applied to 
the Admiralty when their own exertions could not accomplish anything fur- 
ther without aid. 
The Committee report, with deep regret, that all their exertions, repeated 
year by year, have failed to move their lordships to collect a systematic series 
of scientific data of this sort, either for the use of their own officers, who 
ardently desire such professional information, or for the use of science at 
large ; the only objection they state being that such knowledge would cost 
money, and that they do not think fit to authorize the necessary expenditure. 
The Committee have, therefore; to report that this portion of their mission 
has entirely failed, and they think they could render no service to science by 
any further communication with the Admiralty on a matter which seems 
hopeless. 
The annexed correspondence will show how they have done their duty, 
and how the Admiralty have met them :— 
“BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. COMMITTEE ON 
STEAMSHIP PERFORMANCE. 
“ Memorandum with reference to the third Resolution of the British Asso- 
ciation Committee on Steamship Performance, at a Meeting held at 
Stafford House, on the 5th June, 1863, his Grace the Duke of Sutherland 
im the Chair ; namely, 
“That the Chairman be requested to communicate to the First Lord of the 
Admiralty the strong desire which is felt by the members of the British 
Association for the Advancement of Science to obtain certain scientific data 
by exact experiments upon powerful and large steamships, and which it is 
impossible to obtain by other means than those at the command of the 
Admiralty.” 
The Committee, having now carried on their labours systematically during 
several years, have collected a large number of records of the practical per- 
formances of steamships at sea, which the British Association have pub- 
lished annually in their Transactions, and which have been acknowledged by 
many of the large steamship companies to be of material use to them in 
improving the service and economy of their ships. 
