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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

might have been expected they would have acquired such strength as would haverendered them invincible. The case, however, was far otherwise; adopting, ingreat measure, and in a much more enlarged extent, than it was reasonabte tosuppose they would do, the ideas of the strangers who had introduced themselvesto their acquaintance, and associating, far as nature and circumstances wouldpermit, the practice of the European with their own, they soon rendered them-selves at least respectable as artists in the opinion of the new comers, and em-braced with avidity every imported contrivance that appeared in any degree likelyto tend towards the improvement and advantage of their former practice.

Perhaps, if it be safe or politic to make such an afl'ertion, it would have provedmaterially advantageous to the science of marine architecture, if the inha-bitants of India had, in the early ages of the world, embraced the spirit of enter-prize, of conquest, and distant colonization with the same eagerness which the.Greeks or the Romans manifested in every public measure they undertook.The greatest adepts in Europe have beheld with astonishment these novices in theart, not only embracing widi readiness, principles but a short time before, totally un-known to them, but actually improving on those very principles, more especiallyin those points to which mechanical operations extend, in a manner peculiar tothemselves, and in which, from the particular circumstances attending them,Europeans are unable to follow their example.

If the enquirer will pay but a slight attention to the nature of the science, the twobranches, philosophical and mechanical, into which it is divided, and compare themwith the opinions, that from self-evident facts may fairly be drawn, in respect to thehabits, the genius, and the perseverance of this industrious people, he will admit thatas it is by no means impossible for a person, totally unacquainted with the mechani-cal method of constructing a vessel, to prepare what is called a draught, containingfull instructions as to its form, contrived on philosophical and the most abstruse prin-ciples of science, with direct attention to the individual purpose or employment towhich it is built. The structure so imagined, will, in all human probability, befound to answer the, attention of the architect, if he be competent to hisemployment, perfectly well; on the other hand he will allow that, the ablestmechanic, the man who will be able to put the different parts of a vesseltogether with the utmost care, according to the form prescribed to him, mayprove but a very indifferent judge whether that form be adequate to, or pro-per, for the intended purpose. On this particul ar point, the science of marine

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