W R E 



As it is reafonable and neceffary that the time of the under- 

 writer's refponfibility fhould be limited, this limit is fixed in 

 fome maritime ftates on the continent, within which period 

 after the lofs the infured may abandon. In France, Spain, 

 and Holland, the times are limited by law, according to 

 the diitance of the place where the lofs happens, within 

 which the abandonment mull be made. In England there 

 is no time, limited by law, for abandoning : but the courts 

 have adopted a rule better luited to the promotion of com- 

 merce, and more hkely to prevent frauds, which is this : 

 that as foon as the infured receives advice of a total lofs, he 

 muft make his eleftion vi'hether he will abandon or not : if 

 he determines to abandon, he muft give the underwriters 

 notice of this " within a reafonable time" after the intelli- 

 gence arrives ; and any unneceflary delay in giving this 

 notice will amount to a waver of his right to abandon ; for 

 unlefs the waver does fome aft (ignifying his intention to 

 abandon, it will be only a partial lofs, whatever may be the 

 nature of the cafe, or the extent of the damage. If by any 

 interference of the underwriters the infured be aftually pre- 

 vented from abandoning, the underwriters are liable for all 

 the lofs fullained by the infured to the extent of the fum 

 infured. If the infured determine to abandon, aud demand 

 as for a total lofs, he is not obliged, as in fome foreign 

 countries, to make a formal protell, but merely to give 

 notice of the lofs to the underwriters, and of his determin- 

 ation to abandon. The notice of abandonment may be 

 given, either to the underwriter himfelf, or to the agent 

 who has fubfcribed for him : and the abandonment ought to 

 be made for the whole of the effefts infured, and not for a 

 particular part. The abandonment muft be alfo fimple and 

 unconditional ; otherwife it will not transfer the entire pro- 

 perty to the infurers, which is of the effence of the aban- 

 donment. By the abandonment, the infured yields up to the 

 infurers all his riglit, title, and intereft in the fhip or goods 

 infured, or what maybe faved of them, which, from the 

 notice of abandonment, become the property of the in- 

 furers ; but the abandonment of the (hip does not, as in 

 France, transfer to the infurer the freight ihe has earned. 

 The abandonment not only intitles the underwriters to all 

 that can be faved of the effefts infured ; but if compenfa- 

 tion be made to the infured for the injury from which the 

 lofs arofe, this compenfation (liall go to the underwriters ; 

 for when they have paid the lofs, they, and not the infured, 

 are the real fuftorers. If tlie fhip, after abandonment, arrive 

 fafe, the infurers fliall have all the profit of the voyage. 

 Nor (hall they, on account of the fafe arrival of the fliip, 

 refufe to pay the fum infured. So if the fhip or goods in- 

 fured happen to be recovered undamaged, after tlie infurer 

 has paid a total lofs, the infurer cannot compel the infured 

 to refund the money, and take back the fliip or goods, but 

 the infurer (hall ftand in his place, and fliall have the benefit 

 of falvage. An abandonment once properly made, on 

 fufBcient ground, and accepted by the infurers, is abfolute 

 and binding upon both parties, and cannot be revoked 

 unlefs by mutual confent ; but if the ground be infufficient, 

 it will be void. In cafe of Ihipwreck or other misfortune, 

 the effefts that are faved continue, till abandonment, the 

 property of the infured, who is bound in juilice, honour, 

 and confcience, to ufe his utmoft endeavours to make the 

 moft of what may be refcued from deftruftion ; in order, as 

 much as poflible, to lighten the burden of the infurers. To 

 enable him to do this, without prejudice to his right of 

 abandonment, our policies provide, that in cafe of any lofs 

 or misfortune to the infured, their faftors, fervants, or afligns, 

 fliall be at liberty to fue, and labour about the defence, fafe- 

 guard, and recovery of the goods a.id merchandizes, and 



AV R E 



fhip, &c. without prejudice to the infurance ; " to the 

 charges whereof, the infurers agree to contribute, each 

 according to the rate and quantity of his fubfcription." 

 Marlhall on Infurance, vol. ii. See Perils of the Sea. 



Wreck, in Mdallurgy, a vefTel in which the third waft- 

 ing is given to the ores of metals. 



In Cornwall, when the tin-ore has been twice waflied, 

 they take the head tin, or that part of the tin-ore that lies 

 uppermoft, out of the huddle, and throwing it into this 

 veitel, they pour water on it, and work it about with wooden 

 rakes, till it is cleared from whatever other extraneous mat- 

 ter there may ftill have remained mixed with it, and is, after 

 this, fit for the blowing-houfe to be run into metal. 



Wreck, in Agriculture, a term fignifying the weeds 

 thrown up by the floods upon the fea-fliores ; alfo the dead 

 indigefted roots and ftems of grafs, and other plants in 

 ploughed lands. 



WREKIN, in Geography, a mountain of England, in 

 Shropfhirc ; about lo miles E. of Shrewfbury. 



WREME, a town of the duchy of Bremen : c miles 

 N.N.W. of Carlfburg. 



WREN, Sir Christopher, in Biography, an eminent 

 architeft and mathematician, was born in 1 63 2, at the living 

 of his father, who was reftor of Eaft Knoyle, in Wiltfhire, 

 and finilhed his education at Wadham college, Oxford, into 

 which he entered in 1646. Before this time, he had "iven 

 proofs of genius by the invention of aftronomical and pneu- 

 matic inftruments ; the former of which he dedicated to his 

 father, at the age of 13, in a copy of elegant Latin verfes, 

 together with an exercife " De Ortu Fluminum." He alfo 

 diltinguilhed himfelf by the conftruftion of other philofophi- 

 cal instruments ; and in 1647 he wrote a treatife on Spherical 

 Trigonometry upon a new plan. In 1650 he graduated 

 B.A., and in 1651 wrote an algebraical traft on the Julian 

 period. In 1653 he was elefted fellow of All-Souls' col- 

 lege, and graduated M.A. He was one of the firft mem- 

 bers of the Philolophical Society at Oxford, from which 

 proceeded the Royal Society, and contributed by his ex- 

 periments and inventions to the amufement and inftruftion it 

 afforded ; and in 1663 he was elefted a fellow of the Royal 

 Society. In 1657 he was chofen aftronomical profeffor at 

 Grefham college ; but upon being appointed Savilian pro- 

 feffor of aftronomy at Oxford, he refigned the former office, 

 and in 1661 returned to the univerfity, which created him 

 doftor of laws. Wren next prefents himfelf to our view as 

 a pre-eminent arehiteft ; and thus dillinguiftied, he received a 

 commifiion in 1663 to prepare deiigns for the repair of St. 

 Paul's cathedral ; and after his return from a tour to 

 France in 1665, with a view to his improvement in archi- 

 tefture, he finifhed thofe defigns ; but whilft they were 

 under confideration, the edifice was deftroyed by the fire of 

 London in j6C6. This cataflrophe afforded him an oppor- 

 tunity of defigning and conllrufting a building altogether 

 new. The contemporary deftrudtion of 50 parochial 

 churches and many public buildings furnifhed ample fcope 

 for the exercife of Wren's talents ; and he would have bad 

 the honour of refounding, as it were, a new city, if the 

 defign which he laid before the king and parhament could 

 have been accomplifhed without infringing on the rights of 

 private property. On the death of fir John Denham in 

 1667, he fucceeded to the office of furveyor of the works ; 

 and in order to obtain leifure for executing the various 

 works in which he was employed, and more particularly the 

 rebuilding of St. Paul's cathedral, lie refigned his Savilian 

 profefforftiip in 1673. In 1674 he received the honour of 

 knighthood, and in the following year the foundation of the 

 new cathedral was laid. For a particular account of this 



magnificent 



