The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-11 00:00:00

THE NEW SYSTEM OF NAVIGATION

BEFORE the end of another week the Vander-
bilt, of huge dimensions, will have possibly
reached a European port, and Havre will in her
behold the completion of another experiment in
colossal shipbuilding. Before many months the
leviathan of the age, will introduce a new era of
still further advance in naval architecture, and
the Thames will exhibit to the wondering multi-

tude an increase in the list of the world's Wonders;
'and the great question of speedy transit will
'influence the whole commercial interest of this
great emporium of trade, either for better or for
worse. It is curious to speculate on the probable
events of the next ten years, as regards all things
connected with sea life and ocean traffic. Even
could the mind of man be still for a period,
enough is already announced to convince us of
the approach of certain enormous changes. But
the ever active workings of the human brain;
stimulated by success, produce new marvels, and
astonish us almost daily with really useful
novelties. How much we owe to the various
collectors of " Art Treasures" remains to be
determined ; plain it is, that at no period since
man's creation, or within man's records, have so
many and such important introductions and
improvements been perfected, as within the last
very few years. Science and Commerce seem
to he harnessed to the very car of Progress, and
thus wealth and talent have united in one great
struggle of advance.

Nor are the improvements thus produced
limited to machines and manuf'actures. The
mathematician, too, boasts his discoveries.
The astronomer wings his research through
further space, and his note-book tells of
newly discovered planets. The navigator also
marks the measured track ; he examines the
sounded deep, and scans the ocean bed; he now
evades the storm, and now avoids the calm ; he
maps the wild of waters for the seaman's path.

He stops not thus, but bends the very " spheres"

to his purpose. Hitherto, the wary mariner,
armed with his sextant and his compass, seemed
to span the earth, and enslave the heavens..
Celestial orbs, pressed into partial service, guided
his errrant bark, and led him in safety home.;

wards. His varied "Tables" and "Corrections"
by logarithimic aid, assured him of his coursei

and distance. But even this is found to have

been " wanting." Still more was needed. Time
to compute these could be ill afforded. The
clipper, under press of canvass, claimed the
captain's thought. Flow much the spars might
bear, or the bulky, courses suffer, short of mishap,

bespoke his master-care. Hence, to provide
him help was to provide for safety.

This, too, has been accomplished by a new
production already tested in the merchant service.*
To satisfy ourselves, and inform inquiring trade
we are enabled to acquaint 'the shipowner and

commander, that a total change from the presen

system of navigation appears most probable, from
an invention by Mr. SAXBY, of a most simple but
valuable instrument, called a " Spherograph."
We are not navigators, nor would we attempt-a
descriptioni„of it. It, however, seems destine-d -
to sUpplant':'64lculationly. iogarithrag at sett
altogether. Among its. Main features
ness, we may briefly notice the
,freeqom with
which a sailor may now choose his data—the
working of several important problems, such as
latitude, indepnedent of an obscured horizon—the
facilities afforded in using the stars; even to the
easily and rapidly discovering the name of any star
which a sailor requires to know when the clouds
abound in " patches; " the means of producing
results at any hour of day or night—the sim-
plicity dr a method of clearing a lunar distance
without logarithms, and even to the accuracy of
seconds, and probably with as much exactness,
as it can be done at sea by calculation. But to
us, the possibility of doing what, without the
Spherograph, is impracticable, viz., the " finding
the latitude at all hours from a single altitude,
or with or without the horizon,'' is scarcely
second in importance to the. facilities afforded by
the Spherpgraph in rendering an Iron Ship

totally independent and secure, with. regard to
change in local attraction. And one smiles with
agreeable surprise at the astonishing ease with
which a mariner now literally c• reads off "from a:
small tablet not a foot square, and in a second or

two, his true great circle track or computes—no,
not computes, for, on the Spherograph there is "no
'calculation "—or estimates his distance.

To abridge, the work of clearing a lunar dis-
tance has occupied the labours of many eminent
mathematicians, especially during the last half
century ; but here in the spherograph the multi..
fliparroa by tcvn CITOIIIC to bo the
only work in clearing the distance from the
effects of parallax and refraction, without, we
repeat, a single logarithm. Nor is the simplicity
of the operation inimical to great accuracy, for
the very shortness of the mode of operating
avoids many chances of error ; and provided the
graduations are properly made (and of this any
one acquainted with the stereographic projection
may easily satisfy himself), as much correctness
is said to be attainable at sea as by any mode of
calculation. Nor must we withhold our gratifica-
tion in extenuating the effect which the new
system may have tifon the minds of seamen
generally. The veil of mystery is now raised
from their work, and the rationale of every step
is so evident, that henceforth the education of a
mariner must proceed upon more solid grounds,
to the great comfort of nautical tutors, whose
labours are likely to be still further called for-
while they will be sweetened by the satisfactory
results of their more agreeable duties. We
know of at least one commander who declares he
" never in his life worked so hard at nautical
astronomy as since he has during several months
used the spherograph;"—(he, of course, is a
man of considerable practical knowledge )
,‘ for," says he, " now I know what I am
doing; I see my way plainly in every step, and
find amusement which benefits me and my
owners too." To us it really , seems that the
rapidity of the work, were it only in checking
calculation, entitles the spherograph and its
persevering inventor to every public encourage-
ment.

Our space will only admit of a further remark
—that Mr. SAxBY devotes from twelve o'clock to
two, daily, to public and gratuitous explanation,
and we therefore leave it to our friends to hear
his own description at the nautical depository.

* See the Mercantile Marine Gazette.

Ltse or PASSENOERS.--Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Robinson
and two children ; Miss Rimmer, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh
Bark lir and maid, Miss Robinson, Miss Gemmel], Mr.
and Mrs. Ward, two children, and nurse ; Mr. and Mrs.
Argill, Mrs. Parvost, Miss Reeves, Miss Willis, XiEs
Ing ldsby, Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Willis, Baron and Baroness
mtid, and man servant ; Mr. and Mrs. J. M.
'isk, Mr. and Mrs. Von Sachs, two children, and nurse;
Air. arid Mrs. Arthur Kendall, Messrs. C Forrer,
Leopold, J. J. Goodwin, Morris Fish 4, Felix E.
O'R nuke, EL Levi, Mr. and Mrs. Lyon, De. and Mrs.
J. L. Banks, Mr. Eaerton, Mrs. Goodheart, Mr. and
„wirs James Zeiler, Mr. arid Mrs. Jacob Nether, t air
eh ldren, and nurse ; Miss Ro i ison, Miss Boulton, M ss
Robinson. Miss Loring, Miss Schreider, Miss Arnold,
Mr. Charles Robinson, Dr. J. Drayt, n Grimke, Mr.
Lorillard, Judge Boyd, Mr. Blumenthal, Rev. Dr.
Lyng and son, Mr. and Mrs. Cha les Wilson, chil I, and
nurse ; Mr. and Mrs. L. Haines and child, Mr. E.
Ritchie and two daughters, Mr. and dirs. A Stutberg,
M. and Mrs. J. G sedan, Mr. and Mrs. H. Franklin,
Mr. and Mrs. Bougneit and son, Mr. H. Cawthra,
Mr John Caw hra, Dr. and Mrs. Fellow, Messrs. J ,ha
Bstt, James Dancan, G. Gans and friend, Charles
Holzaphol, A. Coates, F. Butterfii 11, G. .'l).ger, Gram
Jackson, Osmead, A. Sherrard, Judge Rogers, Mr. E.
King. Mr. Ed.' Henriques, Rev. G. G. Field, Messrs.
Ellis Flannel, Smith, C. H. Townsend, F. E. Howe,
C. K. Browne, Mr. and Mrs. Page, child, and nurse ;
Mss Pane, Miss Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Ridour, Master
Ridout, Mr. and Mrs A. Muir, Mr. and Mrs. D. Musket,
two children, and servant ; Messrs. Rosenfeld, C H.
Soar, Wynn, Oscar, Maunny, A. Perrin, John B. Hall,
G. Simon, B. Ullman, Daniel Williams Doctor R. H.
Thomas, Rev. Sattern, Givins, Messrs. Isaac Coab, jun.,
Charles H. Sharpies, James H. Easter, J. Phillip, Jesse
Toon, Max Nathan, Leopold Block, W. P. Lewis,
Constable, Mr. and Mrs. Hays, child, ai.d two maids
and ni.i servant; Captain Shinn' M,'szirs. Henriquez,
C. C. Merchant. H. E Gillilan. J. M. B. J.
Whaley, J. P. Biker, Francis Wood. F. Hodges, Penrice,
Nesbitt, Levi, Conrad Witter, Booth, A. J. Brady, G. 8.
Byrm, N. Marshall, E. J. Marshall, F. H. Smith, L. Bark-
house, Enrich Knudson, R. Kennedy, F, K. Robinson; and
Mr. Brandison and nephew.

LORD PALM ERSTO;N''S, REVOIBI tBILL.
_ ,

We think it evident: from the rehrineriti`eVhfeh thw
Minister spoke, that even at the present moment the
cabinet does tiot'posessthe;Crudest notion of 'what sort,
of new " Before-1 " eiVgleb,4' proposed. We were"
that it would be inexpedient at the present time
to engage in " the large and-:eWeeeleg qnestion "
of a change in the parliamentarY repreSetittied ; Arid
the noble viscount proceeded to ebserVe that such ai
discussion could not by any possibility lead to e‘ any
conclusive result" itr . the e--.seet seseion. • Is it so
certain that the entire subjwA can be settled in the pea t
session ? These procrastinating words sounded in our
ears like the ,old Parliamentary formulae-."• Besides, sir i
this is 'not the time, &c.", Dur ng the revelutionary war;
Windham oPpe,ed reform on the common' seese principle
(as he plt it once)---"Would you unroof your house during
a hurricane'? " After the war some of Lord Castlereagh's
sueordieates (as L eel Palmerston remembers) took the
line of sayingL." No* Chat 'the reVolutienary stern had
ceased, we should recruit our energies, and rest upon 01111
labour." ,These thiegs were,breught, te,our recollectiort
,while Lord Palmerston was.sayireea,S littigies he could on
Teursdai, The manner in which he aliudel to the evil. of
unsettling the minds of men" was extremely peculiar
The conservative party has had just grounds in recent
years for blaming the policy of the whig party in brand -
ishing a Reform Bill before the constitueneiee, when It- 10
not so certain that any serious change was really con,em-
plated.r A monarchy with ancient -institutions; and a
people devoted to commercial purstiltS, Cannot afford to
hive " the minds of men unsettled." ,'4 subject like
"R-rotru". should_ not .be left: to the ' personal eons
venieeepof seriously raised, the
'cluee-fin,4141P‘?1,41 r;4F,9iAv* .;sq10; • if not meant
to be! settfledie 1.49..!*(, qsk,eraised. • It
worthy' of . note, I alseeetlhat eLerd Palmerston declared
an anxiety not to enibai*st-;" tee"se-,,,whe, on a future
occasion, might have to,. Pri)po4e;,kumouNsi,,, Does this
refer to 'the possibility that' other 13,tatesnieti, not
now "''le'. the .cableet;,' hie:" -to bits ted)insP cleord joivrt
-Russell W,nslint a 'member of Earl Grey'i' Cabinet whet'
the blit,ef '4l was intr;oliced into pa liatnent, and a dis-
tinction, has recently been made fetWeen " the Whigs?'
and " the known that for sonic months
past Lord John Reseell., been engaged on SOD/ S
special work,: vecepyieg„muche of his., attention. i 6
it meant to: invitq the ea-operation of the noble
member for London, ,or will Lord' Palmerston havei
nerve enough to 'undertake a Reform of his own ?
Nothing, indeed, can be more shifting, vague, and point.
less than Che language Orthe premier. Whethet he means
fetiCingeoi fighting ianotetear, and we must not be tod
confident- on his foil Having n'titittone His verbiage
requires translation into plain Elifglthi: • Tie professed
his' hope Of- proposing' to' parliainent:"'inaie 'measure
calculated to ineiSfy :the eispectatt,ozis' of any part
ties, and to correct any -defeeo which may exist in the
present Reform Act, as well as to admit to the
franchise those classes of persons who are at present
excluded from it What is the, meaning of this verbdsci
obscurity ? Does it signify-that the; onieter is vaccilate
ing between. East. Reisereiseo,,9r Chartism—between
a •little :Red Lion; or., ea large, lied; Lion? It simply
means that the:Prime .I%i-caster will rely upon—contin-
gency. His mindee ntii, yet tneele• up. • He drifts along
fhre6a.w'siell6-I,ihbatiii*e!?:etesUisijenis' and' it is quite possible that
of another kind at the
opening of the next. Conservatives; however, must
recoilect that' the premier himself is only a contingency,
and the liberal party stands committed to another measure
on reform. In the struggles; of 1831 2 the conservative
connection suffered from want. Of, preparation for the
violent struggle into wh;ch the conntry was precipitated 4
It will be of the last importance to take care that the
great sljtial interest which represents the idea of national
permanence and constitutional stability, be not damaged
by a measure dictated by partisanship, and inspired by
reckless innovation.—Press.