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the Stability of Ships. 2103 
observation have previously discovered ; distinguishing those 
which are founded in truth and right practice, from others 
which have been the offspring of vague and capricious opinion, 
misinterpretation of facts, and unfounded conjecture, by which, 
phenomena arising in the practice of navigation are often at- 
tributed to causes entirely different from those by which they 
are really governed. It is also the object of mechanic theory 
to investigate, from the consideration of any untried plans of 
construction, what will be the effect thereof on the motion of 
vessels at sea ; also to suggest new combinations, by which 
the approved qualities of vessels may be extended, their faults 
amended, or defects supplied. These several objects, and others 
connected with them, have employed the attention of many 
eminent theorists, by whose discoveries naval architecture has 
been greatly benefited ; yet the progress made toward esta- 
blishing a general theory, founded on the laws of motion, has 
not been adequate to what might be expected from the abi- 
lities of the writers on this subject, and the laborious attention 
they have bestowed upon it. Although all results deduced by 
strict geometrical inference from the laws of motion, are 
found, by actual experience, to be perfectly consistent with 
matter of fact, when subjected to the most decisive trials, yet, 
in the application of these laws to the subject in question, dif- 
ficulties often occur, either from the obscure nature of the 
conditions, or the intricate analytical operations arising from 
them, which either render it impracticable to obtain a solu- 
tion, or, if a result is obtained, it is expressed in terms so 
involved and complicated, as to become in a manner useless, 
as to any practical purpose. These imperfections in the theory 
of vessels, are amongst the causes which have contributed to 
Dd 9 
