The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-19 00:00:00

THE StTN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 19, 1853.

IMPROVEMENTS IN NA VIGATION.

Yesterday a public meeting was held, in the Mer-
chants'-room at Lloyd's, to which the attendance of mer-
chants, underwriters, shipowners, captains, officers, and
others interested in navigation was requested, through
the medium of a handbill which had been previously cir-
culated, and which was headed, "Lloyd's, August 15,
1853," which stated that " Lieutenant Maury, of the
United States Navy, superintendent of the National
Observatory at Washington, who has arrived in this
country on a mission from the government of the United
States, having consented, at the invitation of the com-
mittee for managing the affairs of Lloyd's and of the
committee of the General Shipowners' Society, to give
explanations of the system adopted by that government
for collecting and disseminating information relative to
the direction and force of winds and ocean currents in
all parts of the, world, and meteorological observations,"
and that the meeting would be held as above.
The room was densely crowded long before the hour
named (one o'clock) and the gallant officer was very
cordially welcomed. The chair was taken by J. Poole,
Esq., and after the secretary had read the notice con-
voking the meeting, expressed his regret that Mr. Baring,
the chairman of Lloyd's, should be absent on an occasion
of so much importance to the shipping and commercial
world, and briefly introduced to the meeting Lieutenant
Maury.
Lieut. MAURY then said that he was most happy in
having the opportunity of explaining to the meeting the
objects of his mission to this part of the world— objects
which were altogether connected with peace. He had
been 30 years engaged in a seafaring life, and was much
struck with the fact that the best routes were altogether
matter of tradition, and that books were altogether
silent upon the subject. It was true that they had
a work which gave them in detail the routes of
the Indian Ocean ; but that had no reference to
the whole ocean space. It then became with him
matter of inquiry to find what ships had pursued
the same routes at the same seasons, in order that he
might form an average of the results of their experience.
With this view he had sought out for the old log-books.
First, he obtained those of the men of war of the United
States, but as that country had not ships on every sta-
tion, he soon found that those leg-books were inadequate
to the object he had in view, They had, however, enabled
him to show the end he desired to arrive at, and thus
prepared the way for his obtaining additional informa-
tion. Furnished with these log-books he projected on
a chart of the North Atlantic the tracks of each ship,
the months of the year in which they made them, and
the force and direction of the winds. Having done
so, he observed that on looking at the chart, between
the tracks of the outward-bound and homeward-bound
vessels there was a large middle area of the ocean
altogether a blank, untraversed by any ship, and, if
he might use the expression, (in reference to the
sea) a ten a incognita. It had been usual for ships from
America bound for the southern hemisphere, to cross the
Atlantic to Cape Verd, in order to fall in with what was
called Cook's track, again to cross over to Cape St.
Hogue, and a third time to cross the same ocean, from
the coast of South America to the Cape of Good Hope.
Under these circumstances he had, under the impres-
sion that a vast saving of time might be effected, and
that the ships would likely meet with the winds which
they sought for on the old tracks, recommended to the
merchant marine of the United States, the propriety
and feasibility of making the voyage straight through
that middle apace to which he had adverted. The W. H.
C.Wright, of Baltimore, commanded by Capt. Jackson,
was the first ship which bad the courage to act upon his
suggestion ; and be was gratified to find that she bad by so
doing reduced the duration of her voyage to Rio Janeiro
from 41 days, which had been the average, to 24 days.
The gallant officer here called the attention of the
auditory to the charts which he had prepared ; and
explained how that having obtained the assistance
of 1,000 ships, the captains of which, every eight hours,,
noted in a special log-book the position of the ship, the
direction and force of the wind and ocean currents, the
height of the barometer, with the thermometer, and other
meteorological observations, he had, by co-ordinated in-
formation which they afforded him, been enabled, by
taking the averages, to note within every square of 5 de-
grees of ocean for each month of the year, the prevailing
winds and currents. He had now, on the authority of the
Secretary of the Navy of the United States, to announce
that the government of that country was willing to place
British seamen on the same footing with their own, and to
supply them with these charts, on the condition of their
keeping a special log-book, such as that to which he had
alluded, and forwarding it to the observatory at Wash-
ington for collation with those of other nations. They
chiefly wanted more information with respect to the winds
and currents prevailing in the Pacific Ocean, which
could be supplied by the ships trading round either of
the Capes. Furnished With such information, he had no
doubt that they would be able to reduce the voyage from
either America or England to Australia to an average
certainty, even under canvas, of 70 to 75 days. The
Marco Polo had just made the run out from Liverpool
in 75 days ; in fact, for ships coming from Sydney, and
taking the Cape Horn route rather than that at present
pursued, the winds were as regular as the trade winds.
Before concluding this portion of his lecture, he had
to observe that information had been given to the
English minister in the United States (Mr. Crampton)
that the charts would be delivered by the American
government to whoever might be officially appointed
to demand them fur the use of British seamen.
In thus noting, as he had described, the me-
teorological observations on the face of the charts,
he thought he should have. been only half completing
his labours had he not also pointed out what he might
call the industrial resources of the sea. From co-ordi-
nating the journals kept by the American whalers, he
• had been enabled in squares of five degrees to set down
the average of the number of days employed in hunting
the whales—bow many " spermacetti whales," and how
many "right whales," 'were caught each season. Look-
ing at the chart compiled from these observations, they
would perceive that there was an equatorial belt of 2,500
miles in width, in which no " right whale" had, so far
as he had been able to learn, been ever caught.
It then became a question if? the " right whales"
found on the west coast of North America were
identical in species with those which were caught on the
east coast, and he had found out that they were.
Thus, catechising nature and taking her answers,
they were able to arrive at the conclusion that, inasmuch
as the whale on the one coast could not pass through the
equatorial belt which he had mentioned in order to double
Cape Horn, there must be a communication in the shape
of a north-west passage. In fact, relying on this cir-
cumstance, the Secretary of the American Navy had
instructed the American exploring expedition sent in
search of Sir John Franklin, after reaching Wellington
Bay, to look to the north-west for an open sea, and the
officer in charge of the expedition had obeyed that com-
mand, and had found that such open sea did exist. The
same was reported by Penny and others. The gallant
officer concluded his very interesting lecture by thanking
his auditory for the great attention with which they had
heard him.
Mr. DUNCAN DUNBAR moved the first resolution,
which was seconded by Mr. PHILLIPS :—" That this
meeting has heard with much gratification Lieutenant
Maury's very interesting detail of the measures that
have been adopted by the Government of the United
States for improving the science and practice of naviga-
tion, and the shipowners and their officers now present
pledge themselves to assist in the completion of the sys-
tem so ably commenced."
Mr. N. GOULD moved, and Mr. HARNETT seconded
the next resolution :--"That the thanks of this meeting
be conveyed, through the Minister of the United States,
to that Government, for the liberal offer now made by
Lieut. Maury, on its behalf, to furnish copies of his
valuable charts and sailing directions to masters of Bri-
tish merchant-ships, who shall undertake to furnish the
results of their observations in the prescribed form."
Mr. H. HARFORD moved, and Mr. MARSHALL se-
conded the third resolution—" That a letter be addressed
by the chairman to the First Lord of the Treasury, ex-
pressing the earnest hope of this meeting that her Ma-
jesty's Government will cordially co-operate with the
Government of the United States in an object so in-
teresting to the navigation of this country."
Mr. CARTER moved, and Lieutenant MAURY seconded
the fourth resolution—" That the thanks of this meet-
ing be given to the committee of Lloyd's for their readi-
ness in granting the use of their room on this occasion,
and to the chairman for his able conduct in the chair."
The CHAIRMAN moved, and Mr. GOULD seconded a
vote of thanks to Lieutenant Maury, who acknowledged
the compliment.
In the course of the proceedings a letter was read
from the Lord Mayor, strongly recommending Lieuten-
ant Maury to the meeting, and expressing his lordship's
regret that important civic business prevented his at-
tendance on this interesting occasion.

Mr. Needham—Madam, that may be very tragical,
but it is not very polite.
The Hon. Mrs. Norton—l am sorry not to be polite.
I am in a very tragical state.
Mr. Needham—From what time—up to what time
have you received 6001. a-year ?
The Hon. Mrs. Norton—You have icy banker's-book
at home.

Mr. Needham--Who paid it ?
The Hon. Mrs. Norton—Lady Palmerston ; I don't
know how it is paid.
Mr. Needham—When did you receive the last ?
The Hon. Mrs. Norton—lt was in June or July.
Lady Palmerston gave me something this year. No-
body is bound to give me anything.
Mr. Needham---Have you received 6001. a-year up to
July in the present year ?
The Hon. Mrs. Norton—I have not had 6001. a-year.
I don't know how much my income falls short of that ;
but I have not received that.
Mr. Needham—ln January, 1852, did you have 2911.
ss. on account of Lord Melbourne placed to your
account ?
The Hon. Mrs. Norton—l dare say I did. You have
the book,
Mr. Needham—Now, in July of the same year, per
Lord Melbourne, the sum of 291/. 6s. Did you have
that?

The Hon. Mrs. Norton—Yes. But Lord Melbourne
is dead. No one is bound to give me one farthing. We
are discussing simply whether my creditors are or are
not to be paid.
After a vast many questions bearing upon the domes-
tic relationship of the plaintiff and defendant, but which
involved no matters of interest to the public, the exami-
nation was thus continued—

Mr. Needham—lZl:3;u, madam, whether the 5001.
a-year allowed to you by Mr. Norton was not upon the
express condition that you should receive nothing from
Lord Melbourne

The Hon. Mrs. Norton (emphatically)—I did receive
nothing, and, therefore, that condition could not be
called into question. r. Lemon (a solicitor) drew up
the agreement of contract.
Mr. Needham—Was not the 5001. a-year allowed
upon the express condition that you should receive
nothing from Lord Melbourne ?

The Hon. Mrs. Norton—No.
A vast deal of correspondence between the Hon. Mrs.
Norton and Lord Melbourne was put in, the main
charges contained in it being that the Hon. Mrs. Norton
was "kept" by Lord Melbourne, and that the letters
produced in evidence were stolen. The lady declared
that all the letters found in her possession, and purport-
ing to be addressed to other persons, were addressed to
Lord Melbourne. The Hon. Mrs. Norton proceeded to
say that she corresponded with Lord Melbourne until
the day of his death, and that she believed she was the
last person who had communicated to him in writing.
The question of liability having been ably disputed,
The Hon. Mrs. Norton made a statement in the fol-
lowing words :—I told you to be aware of your ques-
tions, if you were afraid of my answers. For seventeen
years I have concealed these facts, but they came out to
day because you, bully me ; and I am ashamed for your
client if he does not feel ashamed of himself. My means
will perfectly suffice now that I know Mr. Norton can
cheat me, and I have no doubt that my friends will
assist me more than ever when they learn that the man
who calls himself a magistrate, a barrister, and a gentle-
man, can also cheat poor tradesmen, because I am called
his agent, and it is not binding upon him. Ido not ask
for my rights. I have no right—l have only wrongs.
I have no doubt I have had a very ample income ; upon
an ha that
my
know he averageh e
(Cheersc can form
in sdefraudcoouer mt
court.)
alrsw I snoootl.a
live abroad now t
with
Mr. Needham—What rent do you pay, madam ?
Mrs. Norton—l pay 1001. a year.
Some other witnesses having been examined,
The Hon. Mr. Norton prayed for his right to have
his saying in court.
The .Judge said, that at the present stage the case
was ex paste, and decreed for a nonsuit, upon which
Mr. Norton pressed for a hearing, in explanation of
the allegations made against him by his wife.
The learned Judge remarked that, as the whole case
was quite ex parte, the public could only attach such
weight as was due to any case under such circumstances.