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LIFE-BOAT MODELS, NAUTICAL INSTRUMENTS, &c.—AAV A RDS. [Class VIII.

Lieut . M. Rodger, R.N. (3.36, p. 361), for his veryremarkable improvements in the form and proportions ofanchors.

Mr. J. E. Saunders (Class XXIX.) for the model of asmack for fishing, fitted with an auxiliary screw pro-peller, being a new application to vessels of this descrip-tion.

Messrs. J. and T. M. Simmens (124, p. 340) for themodel of a “ Mount’s Bay ” fishing-boat, which is a veryfine description of boat for its purpose.

Mr. S. Smith (125, p. 340), for a model of a springmachine for modelling ships of any dimensions, otteringan ingenious and ready means for setting up a design inmodel.

Mr. G. Tutt (Class XXIX., 185), of Rye, for the mo-del of a “ Hastings” fishing-lugger, which is also a verygood description of boat for its purpose.

The following competitors for the prize of one hundredguineas, ottered by His Grace the Duke of Northumber-land, to mark our sense of the excellence of the modelsthey furnish:—

Mr. James Beeching (136, p. 342), Mr. Henry IIinks( 136, p. 343), Mr. Milliam Tkasdkl (136, p. 343), Mr.J. Plenty (p. 343), Mr. E. Pellkw (p. 342).

Pecuniary Rewards. —Mr. Joseph Both way, for im-provements in the construction of blocks combiningstrength with much less weight, and other advantages,50/.

Mr. David Harvey (159, p. 346) for the excellentexecution of the small model of the “ Victoria andAlbert,” royal yacht, 40/.

Mr. Alexander Birnie, of Peterhead, for nets, lines,and hooks, 50/.

Mr. II. Dempster (174, p. 348) for an ingenious sys-tem of signals for merchant ships, 20/.

Messrs. Thomas Bibbs and Co., of Rotherhithe, ex-hibit a model illustrative of a novel arrangement of theframe timbers, with a view to increase the strength ofthe fabric of merchant ships, and add materially to theirdurability.

Mr. Joseph Meld (186, p. 348), of Lulworth Castle,shows a model of a 12-gun brig of war, with a view toobtain, scientifically, the advantages of speed.

Messrs. J. and J. Long and Co. (71, p. 337), presentseveral plans of steering wheels of very simple construc-tion, giving to the helmsman a perfect control over therudder.

C. Nautical Instruments.

This Jury had but a part of the collection of “ Philo-sophical instruments in use for the navy,” left to its ex-amination, the other portion being retained by Jury X.

Me would particularly refer to an azimuth compass,coming from the Compass Department of the Admiralty(p. 344). This instrument, for making observations atsea, combines improvements in workmanship, suggestedby long experience; the centering and adjustments arevery good. This excellent piece of art merits a PrizeMedal, but being a Government instrument no award hasbeen made to it.

Me award a Prize Medal to Mr. E. J. Dent (Class X.55, pp. 413, 414\for his marine compass. It has long beena desideratum to construct a compass that should not bedisturbed by the motion of the ship, or by the firing of theguns. One of Mr. Dent’s compasses has been, by orderof the Admiralty, repeatedly tried at sea, and particu-larly on board the “ Excellent,” as to the effect of cannonupou it. Even during heavy weather, with the sea anywhere before the beam, the reports are highly favourable.The firing of heavy cannon within nine feet of the com-pass had no visible effect upon it; whilst the ordinarycompasses deviated several points. In boats, the sameinstrument lias also been found particularly steady.

The particulars of this instrument are— first, excellentworkmanship; its card is fixed upon a vertical spindle,instead of upon a pin resting in a cup, and it is retainedin its horizontal position by the bowl having a pendulumaction. The disturbing effect which both gravity anddip would have upon a magnet fixed on a spindle whenout of the perpendicular, lias been considered by Mr.

Dent, and a compensating power applied. A secondinstrument of similar construction, but with a doubleneedle upou gimbols in the centre of the spindle has beenalso presented by Mr. Dent, but it has not yet been triedat sea. Here the motion given to the needle, if dulybalanced, seems to be an improvement.

A third instrument of Mr. Dent’s, a portable azimuthcompass, is worthy of notice as an ingenious invention toovercome errors in the centering of the needle, and in thedirection of the magnetic axis as placed by the maker, bya method of inverting the box, not hitherto in use.

The Prize Medal is also given to Messrs. Napier andSon of Lambeth (Class VI., 158, p. 285), for an instru-ment for registering the magnetic course of a vessel asactually steered. The card, as usual, is placed upon acup centred in a brass pillar; but this pillar, instead ofbeing attached to the bottom of the bowl, protrudes, andis attached to machinery which partakes of the mo-tion of the bowl. Every three minutes the pillar carry-ing the card is raised by the machinery, and the cardreceives a puncture from a fine point placed above it, inthe direction of the ship’s head, and attached to the bowlinside the glass cover, after which it descends imme-diately to its former position. In the course of twenty-four hours the point is drawn from the circumference ofthe card towards its centre, passing over twenty-fourconcentric circles which mark the hours; so that uotonly is any alteration of the course detected, but the hourat which it occurred is also shown by the card. Thiscompass, with the aid of the log, may be said to form atraverse table of the ship’s route for the day.

Honourable Mention is given to Mr. Hughes (Class X.,691, p. 472*), for his compass in spirits. Such an instru-ment has been found valuable in heavy seas during thefiring of cannon, and especially in boats; but hithertothe necessity of leaving a space in the bowl (which has,until now, been of metal), lias produced an injuriouseffect upon the needle and upon the steadiness of thefluid. Mr. Hughes has overcome this evil of the air-bubble by an elastic bottom. His instrument is furtherrecommended by its cheapness.

American Department.

Mr. St. John* of Buffalo (95, p. 1439), deserves thePrize Medal for his compass, which, to the ordinary one,adds two small needles placed upon pivots over the eastand west points, with indices pointing towards the centreof the card, and each having a graduated circle markedK. and \V., on either side of their zero points. Thesesmall needles are called satellites; their object is to showthe presence of any disturbing force upon the needle,and also to indicate, by the mean of their readings, theamount of the deflection; but this last desideratum isnot yet obtained. The invention is, however, new andingenious, and if it could be improved in this respect, itwould become an instrument of great practical import-ance on board vessels, especially in those of iron.

D. Instruments for Measuring the Rate of a Ves-sel through the Mater.

One instrument of this kind is mentioned for an awardin the section of Naval Architecture, and belongs to theRev. E. L. Berthon.

Two other instruments for measuring the rate of avessel through the water are due to Mr. St. John (542,p. 1468), who received a Prize Medal for his compass.One of his instruments consists of a rotator, which actsupon a spindle protruding through the bottom of a vesselby means of a copper cylinder in the hold rising abovethe water-line of the ship. The other consists of a smallinstrument connected with and disengaged from theordinary log-line, by the turning of the glass which mea-sures the interval.

Messrs. Elliot and Sons, of the Strand, London (820,p. 443), exhibit two, small convenient instruments formeasuring the rate of running water. They are very

* This exhibitor has been awarded a Prize Medal by theJury of Class X., in whose list his name appears.