HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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The resistance of the water, even when in a state of rest, requires no incon-siderable impulse from the wind on the machine requiring to be put in motion, erethat purpose can be properly effected. But if the elements were subject to thecontroul of man, so that each navigator should say, “ Be the wind favourable,”there would be little or no distinction in the contour or form of vessels, and, cer-tainly, no difficulty in the art of constructing them. Nature, however, refusingto yield so submissively beneath the chain of mortal frailty, the inventive facultyof the human mind has been most studiously and diligently directed to counteracther opposition, by endeavouring to render it, if not ineffectual, as little incon-venient as may be, when rising in opposition to human wishes.

The buoyant vessel, though passing with great swiftness over the deep,while favoured by the wind, becomes extremely distressed, if unprovidedwith some contrivance similar in its effects to that just described, whenever it isunfortunate enough to meet with a breeze or gale blowing contrary to its course.Driven out of the track it wished to keep, it is compelled, by various tacks andmanoeuvres, to attempt ultimately reaching the same point by an indirect andtraversing course, which a vessel having greater hold of the water, would haveless, or, perhaps, no necessity at all of making.

Independent of the foregoing considerations, it is necessary to have particular

the timber or cieling, it occasions a leak of a more dangerous nature, than if it went entirely through theship’s side or bottom ; because, in one case, the water running in can easily be discovered, and may bestopt from die inside ; but, in the other, it may come in at the midships, and running forward or aftamongst the timbers, it may make its appearance quite in a different place, as has been before mentioned. Invessels built on this solid construction, the shot sticking in the ship would make a plug for its own hole ;and the same observation will apply to accidents occasioned by rocks, sands, or other violence, which■ships meet with ; and wherever a leak may happen to be, the new-invented method to stop it, can,with more certainty, be applied with success than any other.”

This same gentleman has moreover been the contriver of a very ingenious, as well as easy, method,of equipping a flotilla for the defence of harbours; so that, in most cases, a force sufficient to opposeeven a powerful enemy, may be equipped for service in a very few hours, and at the most trivial expence.For the protection of ports superior in consequence, he has invented floating-batteries of the simplestconstruction; which may also be put together with every probable hope of their rendering effectualservice in less time, perhaps, than a foe would require to make his dispositions for attack. A represen-tation of this invention is subjoined, as is that of the Wolverene sloop of war; a vessel armed underhis direction, and nearly equalling in force, from the extraordinary calibre of the gurs, together withthe peculiar method of mounting them, a vessel, which, a few' years since, would have been considcieda frigate. Notwithstanding this invention may at first sight be considered, as not to be, strictly speaking,classable with marine architecture, yet it certainly bears it sufficient relation to warrant this notice.

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