422 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



business. Sailors, by their education at sea, are naturally 

 submissive to any one having authority, and it remains 

 with ship-owners to give them that intellectual recreation 

 and direction, if they please. The merchants of Manches- 

 ter are themselves ship-owners, or have influence amongst 

 them. I am in hopes I am writing what will be read by 

 some such, and if there be some philanthropist who will 

 follow it up, he would find a harvest such as no other 

 scheme can offer to science. 



There is a " Mercantile Marine Association" in Liver- 

 pool well attended by ship-masters, so that they can be 

 reached as a body at once. I would propose that body 

 issuing diplomas or certificates, such as other Literary 

 Associations use, and giving them to all members who by 

 any industrious application to science or gathering of con- 

 tributions to scientific associations : — or who by keeping 

 a school on board their ships and bringing forward two or 

 more apprentices to pass an examination, as a proof of 

 their assiduity : — or by qualifying themselves in any lan- 

 guage other than their own : — or by a knowledge of Naval 

 Architecture : — or by any kind of industrious application, 

 tend to elevate the mercantile marine of England in the 

 social scale. 



It is obvious, however, that these diplomas would be of 

 no value unless countenanced by ship-owners. If they 

 would but say to their commanders, "We would give a 

 preference (other circumstances being equal) to men hold- 

 ing such certificates," I give it as my strong conviction, 

 that it would be largely responded to, and that they would 

 make better men of their ship-masters. A man with a 

 hobby is always safer both at sea and abroad, than a 

 thoroughly idle man. 



From the very nature of the duties required of a seaman, 

 by which he may hope to arrive at the position of com- 

 mander, that station is generally reached with no other 



