184. REPORT—1868. 
unfortunately the case that when we send a ship to sea we do not know how much 
she will roll. I am now speaking in the presence of great mathematicians, and I 
have no hesitation in saying that the laws which regulate the rolling of a ship are 
as well known and determined as any laws upon which we act. Therefore I say 
that the extent to which a ship will roll when sent to sea ought to be ascertained 
before we are put to the expense of building a new ship at a cost of a quarter of a 
million of money. I am, of course, aware that whatever may be the certainty 
with which science may determine the conditions of the rolling of a ship, and the 
degree of steadiness she may exhibit under canvas, another element will come in 
which will defy mathematics, and that is, the different form and action of the 
waves. Further than this, in specifying the conditions of the rolling of a ship, 
mathematics will not determine what may be the exact motion of any particular 
vessel. It cannot do this, but what it will do may be readily ascertained. For 
instance, if we compare one vessel with another of the same class, knowing the 
conditions of the two with regard to the distribution of weights and so on, we 
shall be able to determine whether one particular ship will roll more than an- 
other. If you have a vessel of 40 feet beam, or of 60 feet beam, she must be 
compared with another vessel of the same breadth of beam. There can be no 
doubt that any one seeing the ‘Great Eastern’ steaming down channel where there 
was not sufficient sea to cause her to roll, would imagine her to be incapable of that 
action; but in reality when she is subject to the heavy swell of the Atlantic her 
rolling is said to be “ a caution’’—in fact she will roll in the Atlantic Ocean to an 
extent that is almost intolerable. In short, what I mean is, that in all future ves- 
sels their rolling should be fixed in reference to some standard vessel of a similar 
class. 
Whilst on this subject I may mention a circumstance which occurred about two 
months since, and which I admit did much astonish me. I was talking to a friend 
about the experiments then making at Shoeburyness, when a third gentleman 
joined us, and the conversation turned upon ships. I expressed the opinion that it 
was not creditable to the Admiralty that, in the construction of the Navy, ships 
were sent to sea before it was known how much or how little they would roll; and 
I referred to a statement, which appeared in the ‘Times,’ as to the discreditable 
condition of the fleet during the cruize to Lisbon. The third gentleman I have 
mentioned emphatically denied the correctness of the reports that had appeared, 
in reference to the rolling of the ships; and he added, ‘‘I have letters from the 
captains of those vessels, stating that they were as firm as rocks, and that there 
had not been any occasion when they could not dine in the cabins without requi- 
ring any protection for the dishes.” I then said, “ Do you mean to say that the 
official statements which have appeared, and which have remained uncontradicted, 
are untrue?” The reply that I received was, “ What I have stated is what I have 
had from the captains themselves.” The gentleman who made this statement 
having quitted us, I inquired who he was, and was surprised to learn that I had been 
listening to Mr. E. J. Reed, the chief constructor of the Navy. Now if there are 
in existence private documents entirely at variance with those furnished for the 
information of Parliament and the public, either the Admiralty must be leaving the 
public in the dark, or they must have been themselves deluded. 
Now next to stability in a vessel is sea-worthiness, and the ability of a ship to 
eo easily through a very heavy head sea depends very much on the disposition of the 
weights near her head and stern. If you try the sailing qualities of two vessels in 
smooth water, you will probably find that vessel A may go two knots an hour faster 
than vessel B ; but if you tale them out into a head sea, you may possibly find that 
vessel B goes two knots an hour faster than vessel A. Lvyery time a vessel makes 
a plunge into the sea the amount of power taken out of her is immense; and I 
maintain that the trials of vessels which take place at Stokes Bay are pure delu- 
sions. The trials of all our iron ships ought to take place at sea, and I think they 
ought to be conducted by men of experience and of good scientific knowledge, who 
are altogether independent of the Government or any other influence ; and until 
this is done we shall not be able to apply that check to the constructive depart- 
ment of the Admiralty which I think the country ought to exercise. The next 
question with regard to ships is that of the amount of protection. In my opinion 
