SEPARATE COMPARTMENTS AND THEIR USE. 



31 



Whether the Fijians derived this peculiar and beautiful curve 

 from the ribs of a fish I cannot say, but think it very likely. 



A still greater improvement in ship- building now comes 

 before us, and this also has been anticipated both in the animal 

 and vegetable kingdoms. There are so many examples of this 

 anticipation that I can only give one or two. 



The improvement to which I refer is that which is now almost 

 universally employed in the construction of iron ships, namely, 

 the making the outer shell double instead of single, and dividing 

 it into a number of separate compartments. Putting aside the 

 advantage that if the vessel were stove, only one compartment 

 would fill, we have the fact that the ship is at the same time 



TRANSVERSE SECTION OP IRON SHIP. 



STELLATE TISSUES. 



LONGITUDINAL SECTION OF IRON SHIP. 



enormously strengthened and very light in proportion to her 

 bulk. 



Perhaps the best, and certainly the most obvious, example of 

 this principle in the animal world is to be found in the skull 

 of the Elephant. The enormous tusks, with their powerful 

 leverage, the massive teeth, and the large and weighty pro- 



