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for influential members of the House of Commons , and for members of thearistocracy. ‘ It is not the custom,’ and I quote the very phrase, to grantthese honors to scientific and literary men, to artists and engineers.” Headds, “so much for the worse for the peerage.” Well be it so. In ourhumble opinion, it is so much the better for the memory of Watt. Whathad such a man to do in a house that presses like an incubus on the ener-gies of his country, and the Claims to a seat in which, are too often suchas are disgraceful to our common nature 1 An infinitely higher honorawaits him; for both Watt and his illustrious eulogist are destined to oc-cupy distinguished stations in that Pantheon, which is yet to be erected,whose doors will be opened only to the BENEFACTORS OF MAN-KIND.
There are several interesting particulars mentionedby Atheneus, respect-ing the magnificent ship named the ‘ Syracusan, ’ which was built under thedirections of Archimedes , and to which we have alluded. From the follow-ing brief description, it will be perceived, that for richness of decoration;real conveniencies and luxuries, (for even that of a library was not over-looked,) she rivalled, if she did not excel, our justly admired packets andsteam ships.
Three hundred carpenters were employed in building this vessel, whichwas completed in one year. The timber for the planks and ribs wereobtained partly from Mount Etna , and partly from Italy ; other materialsfrom Spain , and hemp for cordage from the vicinity of the Rhone. Shewas every where secured with large copper nails, [bolts] each of whichweighed ten pounds and upwards. At equal distances all round the ex-terior were statues of Atlas, nine feet in height, supporting the upperdecks and triglyphs; besides which the whole outside was adorned withpaintings; and environed with ramparts or guards of iron, to prevent anenemy from boarding her. She had three masts ; for two of these, treessufficiently large were obtained without much difficulty, but a suitable onefor the mainmast, was not procured for some time. A swine-herd acci-dentally discovered one growing on the mountains of Bruttia. She waslaunched by a few hands, by means of a helix, or screw machine inventedby Archimedes for the purpose, and it appears that she was sheathed withsheet lead. a Twelve anchors were on board, four of which were of Wood,and eight of iron. G-rappling irons were disposed all round, which bymeans of suitable engines could be thrown into enemies’ ships. Uponeach side of this vessel were six hundred young men fully armed, and anequal number on the masts and attending the engines for throwing stones.Soldiers, [modern marines] were also employed on board, and they weresupplied with ammunition, i. e. stones and arrows, ‘by little boys thatwere below,’ [the powder monkies of a modern man of war,] who sentthem up in baskets by means of pulleys. She had twenty ranges of oars.Upon a rampart was an engine invented by Archimedes , which couldthrow arrows and stones of three hundred pounds, to the distance of aStadium, [a furlong] besides others for defence, and suspended in chainsof brass.
She seems to have been what is now called ‘ a three decker,’ for therewere ‘ three galleries or corridors,’ from the lowest of which, the sailorswent down by ladders to the hold. In the middle one, were thirty rooms,in each of which were four beds ; the floors were paved with small stones
“European ships were sheathed with sheet lead in the 17th Century, at which timealso wooden sheathing was in vogue. See Colliers’ Dict. Vol. i. Art. England.