ON STEAMSHIP PERFORMANCE. 343 
carrying out of such experiments, which must necessarily occupy much time 
and entail considerable expense. 
*«T am at the same time to observe that some of the experiments proposed 
as to the stability of ships, and as to the time of their periodic ro!ling in 
still water, are now in progress, and will be communicated to the Committee. 
Others again are published from time to time in the tables of results of trials 
of ships, from which nearly all the practical information sought may readily 
be deduced. 
“T am, Gentlemen, 
«Your very humble Servant, 
“C, Pacer.” 
“To the Members of the Committee of the 
British Association on Steamship Performance.” 
The Royal Navy.—Although the Admiralty declined to accede to the re- 
quest of the Committee to obtain the valuable experimental information 
requested for the advancement of the science of naval architecture, they have 
continued to allow their officers to furnish the usual returns of performance 
of Her Majesty’s ships. Numerous scientific officers connected with H.M.’s 
steam department continue to furnish valuable returns, and the chief engineers 
of several of Her Majesty’s steamships have continued their interesting 
records ; a selection therefrom is appended to this Report, together with two 
sheets of Indicator Diagrams of Her Majesty’s steamship ‘ Victor Emmanuel.’ 
The Royal Mail Companies—The West India Mail Company, the Penin- 
sular and Oriental Company, the Pacific Royal Mail Company, the Dublin and 
Holyhead Company, all continue the system of recording their performances 
in the way recommended by the Committee; a selection from some of thesc 
records has been made by this Committee, and will be found in the Appendix. 
Foreign Mail Companies.—The large fleet of the Messageries Impériales 
continue to forward the record of their performances in the manner originally 
commenced by M. Behic, as managing director of this important Company, 
and now Minister of Public Works in France. The returns of this Company 
(in continuation of those given in the third Report) for the years 1861 and 
1862 are appended. The Austrian Lloyd’s Company also continue to forward 
the record of the performances of the vessels composing their fleet, through 
the kind offices of Col. Paradis and M. Otto Dingler. 
The Mercantile Marine Service—The Committee, to meet the wishes of 
certain steamship owners, issued a new form of steam log, to be kept by 
marine engineers (the name of each vessel being indicated by a letter of refer- 
ence, a corresponding list being kept by the owners, and the name of any 
vessel only to be given up by their consent). The Committee are happy to say 
that that issue has produced valuable records of eleven steamships, of which 
they now publish a systematic abstract. 
A continuation of the engineer’s logs of the ‘Great Eastern,’ as also a 
general summary thereof, will be found in the Appendix. 
Your Committee recommend that the thanks of the British Association be 
given to the various gentlemen who have contributed returns during the pre- 
sent year, for their services to science and their assistance to this Committee 
in organizing observations, and express a hope that some method may be 
devised of continuing the publication of the system of records now so well 
organized by this Committee ; and that some other body than our Admiralty 
may be found willing to afford those means of advancing the science of naval 
architecture, which they refuse. 
