SOCIETY. 



has a prefident, vice-prefident, treafurer, and fecretary, fe- 

 deral fellows, and a printer. 



Society, Liniutan,'-w3s founded in 1788, and incorpo- 

 rated in 1802. Its prefident is fir James Edward Smith ; it 

 has a council, a treafurer, fecretary, and librarian. Its 

 houfe is in Gerard-ltreet, Soho. It has already (1816) 

 publilhed eleven volumes of its TranfaAions. 



Society, Mathematical, in Crifpin-itreet, Spitalfields, 

 was eftablifhed in 1 717. It is under the conduft of a prefi- 

 dent, treafurer, and fecretary. 



Society for the Improvement of Naval yfrchiteBure, was 

 founded in 1791- The objeft of it is to encourage every 

 ufeful invention and difcovery relating to naval archi- 

 tedure, as far as (hall be in their power, both by honorary 

 and pecuniary rewards. They have in view particularly to 

 improve the theories of floating bodies, and of the refinance 

 of fluids ; to procure drafts and models of different velfels, 

 together with calculations of their capacity, centre of gra- 

 vity, tonnage, &c. ; to make obfervations and experiments 

 themfelves, and to point out fuch obfervations and experi- 

 ments as appear belt calculated to further their defigns, and 

 moll delerving thofe premiums which the fociety can bellow. 

 But though the improvement of naval architefture in all its 

 branches be certainly the principal objeft of this inllitution, 

 yet the fociety do not by any means intend to confine them- 

 felves merely to the form and ftrufture of veflels. Every 

 fubordinate and collateral purfuit will claim a (hare of the 

 attention of the fociety, in proportion to its merits ; and 

 whatever may have any tendency to render navigation 

 more fafe, falutary, and even pleafant, will not be ne- 

 glefted. 



This inllitution owes its exiftence to the patriotic difpo- 

 fition and extraordinary attention of Mr. Sewell, a private 

 citizen of London, who (though engaged in a hue of bufi- 

 nefs totally oppofite to all concerns of this kind) has been 

 led, by mere accident, to take fuch ocular notice of, and 

 make fuch obfervations on, the aftual ftate of naval archi- 

 tecture in this country, as naturally occurred to a man of 

 plain underltanding, zealous for the honour and iatereil of 

 his country, and willing to beftovv a portion of that time for 

 the public good, which men of a different defcription would 

 rather have devoted to their own private advantage. His 

 attention was the more ferioufly excited, by finding that it 

 was the opinion of fome private (liip-builders, wlio, in a 

 debate on the failure of one of our naval engagements, pro- 

 nounced, that fuch " would ever be the cafe while that bu- 

 finefs (the conltruftion of our fiiips of war) was not iludied 

 as a fcience, but carried on merely by precedent ; that there 

 had not been one improvement in our navy that did not ori- 

 ginate with the French, who had naval fchools and femina- 

 ries for the fludy of it ; and that our fhips were not a 

 match for thofe of that nation, either finglv or in a fleet, 

 &c. &c." 



In a (hort time the fociety were enabled to offer very con- 

 fiderable premiums for particular improvements in the con- 

 ttruftion of our (hipping. Sec. &c. and alfo to encourage 

 cur philofophers, mathematicians, and mechanics, to make 

 fatisfaftory experiments, tending to afcertain the laws of 

 refinance of water to folids of different forms, in all varieties 

 of circumllances. On this head the reward is not lefs than 

 100/. or a gold medal. Other premiums of 50, 30, asd 

 20 guineas, according to the importance or difficulty of the 

 particular fubjeft or point of invefligation, are likewife 

 offered, for different difcoveries, inventions, or improve- 

 ments. The terms of admiflion into the fociety are a 

 fubfcription of two guineas annually, or twenty guineas 

 for life. 



Society of Civil Engineers. This fociety took its rife from 

 the following circumllances. Before or about the year 

 1760, a new era in all the arts and fciences commenced in 

 this country. Every thing which contributes to the com- 

 fort, the beauty, and the profperity of a country, moved 

 forward in improvement, fo rapidly and fo obvioufly, as to 

 mark that period with particular dillinftion. It was about 

 this time that manufaftures were extended on a new plan, 

 by the enterprize, the capital, and, above all, by the fcience 

 of the men of deep knowledge and perfevering induflry 

 engaged in them. It was feen that it would be better for 

 ellablifhments to be placed in new fituations, adapted to the 

 obtaining raw materials, and the labour of patient and re- 

 tired indullry, than to endure the vexations that perpetually 

 occur in corporate towns, and the wages of their extrava- 

 gant workmen. This produced a new demand, not thought 

 of till that period, in this country, — internal navigation. To 

 make communications from faftory to fatlory, and from 

 warehoufes to harbours, as well as to carry raw ma- 

 terials to and from fuch eftabliihments, became abfolutcly 

 neceflary. Hence arofe thofe works, not of pompous and 

 ufelefs magnificence, but 0/ real utility, which have been 

 carried on to a degree of extent and magnitude, to which as 

 yet there is no appearance of limitation. 



The ancient harbours of this ifland, it may be faid, have 

 ever been an example in the hiltory of mankind. The fea- 

 ports were fuch as nature had formed, and were but little 

 better, notwithllandiiig fome jettees and piers of defence, 

 which had been made and altered, without knowledge or 

 judgment, at municipal expence. This general fituation of 

 things gave rife to a new prnfefiion and order of men, de- 

 nominated " civil engineers." In almoll all other polifhed 

 nations of Europe this was a profeffion encouraged or inlti- 

 tuted by the governments of thofe countries, of itlelf, and 

 by itfelf ; but in this country, the formation of a body of 

 fuch men was left to chance ; there was no public eftablifh- 

 ment, except common fchools, for rudimental knowledge 

 neceflary to all arts, naval, military, mechanical, and others. 

 Civil engineers, then, are a felf-created fet of men, whofe 

 profeffion owes its origin, not to power or influence, but 

 to the encouragement of a great and powerful nation : — a 

 nation become fo from the perfevering indullry of its manu- 

 fafturing workmen, and their fuperior knowledge in che- 

 millry, mechanics, and natural philofophy. The fame pe- 

 riod gave rife to an affociation of a few gentlemen, of whom 

 Mr. Smeaton was one, who propofed that they might form 

 themfelves into a fociety for the advancement of the fcience 

 of civil engineering, and in March 1 77 1 it was eltablifhed, 

 and the members met on Friday evenings, at the Queen's 

 Head tavern, Holborn. It did not increafe rapidly, for in 

 twenty years the numbers were lefs than feventy, and of 

 thefe, there were only about fifteen who were real engineers, 

 employed in public works, or private undertakings of great 

 magnitude. The other members were either amateurs, or 

 ingenious workmen and artificers connedfed with, and em- 

 ployed in, works of engineering. A regiller was kept of 

 the names of its members ; and a communication of ideas 

 and knowledge, in tlie particular walks of each member, 

 were, at the fame time, the amufcment and the bufinefs of 

 the meetings. In this manner the fociety proceeded till 

 1 792, when it cealed to enifl, by mutual confent of the prin- 

 cipal members. This diflolution was occafioned by the ill- 

 treatment which Mr. Smeaton experienced from one of the 

 members, who was under very particular obhgations to him, 

 but whofe name is not mentioned ia connedlion with the aft 

 of flagrant ingratitude. See Engineers. 



An attempt was afterwards made to rebuild the fociety, 

 1 1 and 



