The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 28, 1858.

B ANIt OF DEPOSIT,
Established A.D. 1844.
3, PALL MALL EAST, LONDON.
Parties desirous of Investing Money are requested to exa-
mine the Plan of The Bank of Deposit, by which a high rate
of interest may be 'obtained with ample security.
Deposits made by Special Agreement may be Withdrawn
without notice
The Interest is payable in January and/July.
PETER MORRISON, Managing Pirector.
Forms for Opening Accounts sent free on appli,tation.

VAST and WEST INDIA DOCK COMPANY.
-ILA —The Court of Directors of the EAST and WEST
INDIA DOCK .COMP,ANY Hereby Give Notice, That a
HALT-YEARLY, COURT, or General Meeting of the said
Company will be held, pursuant to the • Directions of the Act
lit and 2d William 4th, cap. 52, at the Dock Honse, No. 8,
Billiter-square, on FRIDAY, the 7th day of January, 1859, at
which Meeting a , Dividend will be declared on the Capital
Stock of the Company for the Half-year ending the 31st
instant. By Order of'the Court, -
GEORGE COLLIN, Secretary.
East and West India Dock House, 8, Billiter-
square, 17th December, 1858.
N.B.—The Chair will be taken at Two o'clock precisely.

THE OPERA COLONNADE .HOTEL
COMPANY (Limited).
Charles-street, Haymarket (late Feuillade's), London, S.W.
Capital, £25,000, in 5,000 shares of £5 each. Deposit 10s. per
Share on application, and £2 per share on allotment.

The alterations and furnishing are being proceeded with,
and the MOTEL will be OPENED in FEBRUARY.

Applications for the REMAINING SHARES, Prospectuses,
&c., may be made, for a LIMITED PERIOD to the secretary,
at the Hotel ; the solicitors, Messrs. Prichard and Collette, 57,
Lincoln's -Jun - fields, W.C.; to the brokers, Messrs. Samuel Hill
and Son, 3, Copthall-buildings, Bank, E.C. ; or at the tem-
porary offices of the Company, 15.?, Greshavi-house, Old
Brold-street, E.C. T. R. COMYN, Secretary.

CONTRACT 'FOR 13RITISH OAK, TIMBER, THICK
STUFF, PLANK, AND TREENAILS.

Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy,
. Somerset-place, 24th Dec., 1858.
'THE COMMISSIONERS for EXECUTING} the
-I- OFFICE of LORD HIGH ADMIRAL of the UNITED'
KINGDOM of- GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND, DO
HEREBY GIVE NOTICE, That on TUESDAY, the 25th
January next, at Two o'clock, they will be ready to treat
with such" Persons at -may be willing to CONTRACT for sup-
plying .
26,000 Loadi of BRITISH OAK. TIMBER (rough contents,
• but to.be delivered in a rough-or sicled state as the
said Commissioners shall direct),
9,000 Loads of BRITISH OAK, THICKSTUFF, and
PLANK, and
1,800,000 BRITISH OAK TREENAILS,
to be delivered at her Majesty's several Dockyards by the 31st
December; 1801, at prices including all carriage and other
expenses.
A tender may be made for the whole contract, or for the
quantities required at any one or more of the yards, but not
for less than the fhll'quantities of Timber, Thickstur, Plank,
and Treenails required for any one yard.
A form of the tender, showing- the distribution sidings and
dimensions of the Timber, Thickstuffi 'Plank, and Treenails,
and all other necessary particulars, may be had on application
to this office, by letter or. otherwise.
No tender will be received after Two o'clock on the day of
treaty, nor will any be noticed unless the party attends, or an
agent for him duly authorised in writing.
-Every. tender must be addreised to. the Secretary of the
Admiralty, and bear in the left-hand corner the words" Ten-
der for British Oak," and must be delivered at SOmerset-
place, accompanied by a letter-signed by-two reaponsible,Per-
sons, engaging to become bound with the person tendering, la
the sum of £20,000, for the due performance of the whole con-
tract, or in a due proportion for a part only.

DINING TABLES, CHAIRS, and SIDE..
BOARDS of fine Spanish Mahogany, Walnut Tree,
and Oak, in_the greatest variety, are now on view at Messrs.
DRUCE and,Co.'s Extensive SHOW ROOMS, 68, 69,. and
58, BAKER-STREET. N.B.—Very superior Dining-room
Chairs, in Leather, 19s. 6d. each. 500 Easy Chairs to select
from. Down Quilts, from ss. 6d. each. -

WHO WILL PAY TIM CHINESE
INDEMNITY ? Why, the English themselves. An
export duty is to be leiied, and then not even the East India
Tea Company will be able,' as they now are, to a ell 61b. of
Black, Green, or Mixed Tea, at Is. 10d. per lb., and Coffee, in
the Berry, at 101—Warehouse, 9, Great St. Llelen's-church-
yard, City.

GLENFIELD. PATENT STARCH,
USED. IN THE• ROYAL LAUNDRY,.
AND PRONOUNCED DY HER MAJESTY'S LAUNDRESS to be
THE FINEST STARCH SHE EVER USED. '
Sold by all Chandjers, Grocers Are, &c.

BOAR") AND RESIDENCE. --- A Superior
Home.is offered to a Gentleman of steady habits, en-
raged during, the day, by a family residing near Regent's-
Park. For a young man coming to London for the first time
t'.'is would bb"found a desirable residence. Terms moderate.
Referenees to be exchanged. Address, J. P., Wright's
Dairy, Granby-street,, Hampstead-road, N.W.

•
DECAYED TEETH and TOOTHACHE.—
lIWARD'S ENAMEL for stopping Decayed Teeth,
however large the cavity. It is placed in the tooth in a soft
state, without any pressure, •or pain, and immediately
HARDENS INTO ENAMEL ; . it will remain• in• the tooth
many years, rendering extraction. unnecessary, and arresting
the further prbfr,ress of decay. Sold by all medicine vendors,
Price One'Shilling,. , .

HOUSE FURNISHING..--DRUCE and CO.'S
*SHOW ROOMS and GALLERIES are thelargest in
London. The, varied stock to select from is immense ; the
prices arc marked in plain figures, and a warranty is given.
Purchasers, before deciding, should visit this establishment,
Tui SPA M; of Otto third es. flt. Imam+ .I...l4ptieste of
Cabinet and Upholstery Goods. N.B.—Unequalled Dining-
room Chairs, 19s. each ; Iron Bedsteads, Bs. Gd. each ; Car-
pets, is per yard under the usual charge. 500 Easy Chairs and
Settees, also 100 Wardrobes to select from. Luxuriant
Down Quilts, from ss. Gd. each.
68, 69, and 58, Baker-street.

ORNAMENTS for the Drawing-room, Library.
and Dining-room, consisting of a new and elegant
assortment of VASES, Mures, Groups, Candlesticks, Obe-
lisks, Inkstands, beautiful inlaid Tables, Paperweights, &c.,
iu Italian Alabaster, Marble, Bronze, Derbyshire Spar, &c.
Imported and manufactured by JAMES TENNANT, Mine-
ralogist to her Majesty, 149, Strand, London.
Mr. Tennant arranges elementary collections of SHELLS,
MINERALS, and FOSSILS, which will greatly facilitate the
interesting study of MINERALOGY, CONCIIOLOGY, and
GEOLOGIgrat 2,5, 10, 20, 50, to 100 guineas each.
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION in-GEOLOGY and MINE-
RALOGY is given by Mr. TENNANT, at 149, Strand.

PURSUANT to .a Decree of the High Court of
Chancery, made in a cause " STAPLETON against
STAPLETON," the creditors ofWILLIAM STAPLF/rON,
late of Sunbury, in the county of Middlesex, fishmonger, who
died in or about the month of June, 1842, are, by their
solicitors, on or before the 20th day of January, 18.59, to
come in and prove their debts at the chambers of the Vice-
Chancellor Kindersley, at No. 3, Stone-buildings, Lin-
coln's-inn, Middlesex, or, in default thereof, they will be
peremptorily excluded from the benefit of the said Decree.
Monday, the 24th day of January, 1859, at one o'clock in the
afternoon, at the said chambers, is appointed for hearing and
adjudicating upon the claims.
Dated this 11th day of December, 1358.
KEIGHLEY and GET RING, 7, Ironmonger-lane,
City, Plaintiff's Solicitors.

11HE MADRAS IRRIGATION and CANAL
COMPANY.
(Incorporated by Special Act of Parliament.)
For Constructing, Maintaining, and Working (under the
sanction and with the support of the Government of India)
a comprehensive system of Irrigation Works and Navi-
gable Canals throughout the Presidency of Madras and
the neighbouring Territories of Berar, Cochin, Hyderabad,
Mysore, Nagpoor, Orissa, the South Mahratta Country,
and Travancore • and also throughout the Lower Pro-
vinces of Bengal, when the necessary powers. shall have
been obtained.
First Capital, £2,000,000 (with power to increase). First
Issue thereof, £1,000,000; in 50,000 Share& of £2O each,
upon which a perpetual Minimum Interest of £5 per
cent. has been guaranteed by the• Secretary of State for
India in Council, all surplus profits being divisible equally
between the Government and the Company : which
arrangement is subject to be determined only by the Go-
vernment purchasing the Works constructed within six
months after the expiration of each period of 25 years, at
a sum equal to the market value of the shares of the
company on an average of the three preceding years.
Deposit, £1 per Share, to bear Interest at the guaranteed
rate from the day on which the same shall be paid into
the Indian Treasury. •

DIRECTORS.
CHAIRMAN-JAMES THOMSON, Esq. (Messrs. Line
and Co., Madras), Deputy Governor of the Agra Bank,
and late Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Madras,
and President of the Madras Bank.
Colonel Philip Anstruther, C. 8., Madras Artillery.
The. Hon. Philip. Pleydell Bouverie, M.P. (Messrs. Ran-
som, Bouverie, and Co.)
Lieutenant-Colonel Grimes, Madras Army, Chairman of the
Oriental Inland Steam Company.
Colonel Atwell Lake, C. 8., late Superintending Engineer
of the Kistnah Irrigation Works.
Lieutenant-Colonel Onslow, late of the Commission for

_
governing Mysore.
Lieutenant-General Sir George Pollock, G.C.8., F.R.G.S.,

&c.
Major-General Westrow Watkins, Madras Army.

CONSULTING ENGINEER.
COl. J. T. Smith, Madras Engineers, F.R,.5.,
AUDITORS.—James Bonar, Esq. (Messrs. Small and Co.,
Old Jewry).
BANKERS.—Messrs. Ransom, Bouverie, and Co.,
1, Pall-Mall East.

SOLICITOR.—John Atackrell, Esq., 34, Cannon-street West.
SECIETA RY.--John Westwood, I;sq.
Offices-27, Cannon-street, London, E.C.

Full Prospectuses and Forms of applications for shares
may now be had on applicatiox at the Company's Offices,
27, Cannon-street, London, B.C. ; of the bankers, Messrs.
Ransom, Bouverie, and Co., 1, Pall-Mall East; and of the
solicitor, John Mackrell, Esq., 34, Cannon-street West,
8.C., London.; but no application will be considered unless
a deposit of D. on each share applied for is previously
made to Messrs. Ransom, Bouvene, and Co., bankers of
tho company. The deposit will be returned if the applica-
tion is not acceded to.

Extinct from Minutes of Consultation transmitted by the
Government of Madras, on the 15th May, 1858, to the
late Court of Directors of the East India Company :
The Government express their unanimous, strong, and
earnest advocacy that all irrigation works which, on a com-
prehensive view of the wants of the country, may be deemed
necessary to develop its undoubtedly great resources, be
commenced at once boldly and on a large scale, be pressed
forward throughout all times and under all circumstances,
and be looked on, and be practically treated, as in fact they
ritally are, as the most economical, because the most pro-
fitable, undertakings in which the Government could pos-
sibly enage. It is needless now again to bring forward
the innumerable instances in which money has in the Pre-
sidency been most advantageously invested in irrigation
works. The proceedings of Government have, in this re-
spect; been only too desultory and vacillating, and it is
confidently asserted that India could be placed in a
position to pay all her own expenses, and gradually dis-
charge her debt far more readily and speedily by a judicious
expenditure than by any scheme of retrenchment or reduc-
, tion.

THE BRITISH NAVY,

The following remarks upon the British Navy,
and upon. the• proposals which have recently been
made respecting the introduction of iron-plated
ships, war and steam rams, are extracted from the
paper read at the last meeting of the Society of
Arts, by Mr. E. J. Reed, Admiral Sir Charles
Napier presiding on the occasion:—
" Our navy is now composed of the following
fighting vessels :—First, 201 sailing vessels of all
classes—but few of whieh, probably, will ever
again be commissioned. (Might not same of these
be sold with advantage ? Scores of them which
will not be used again as ships of war, would be
valuable for many mercantile purposes, and should
not, therefore, be permitted to rot in our harbours.)
Next we have 75 paddlewheel steamers,.most of
which, though not very effective for' fighting pur-
poses, will, while they last, be of considerable value
in times of peace, and of some service even in war,
Finally, we have a fleet of screw steam-ships and
vessels, to the constitution of which I desire to
draw particular attention. It consists of ,51 line-of-
battle ships, each armed with 8-inch shell guns
and 32-pounder solid shot guns, in various-propor-
tions, together with one, and in some cases two,
pivot 68-pounders; 9 block-ships also armed with
8-inch shell guns, and 32 pounders in Various- pro-
pertions, together with two- 68-pounders and four
10-inch shell guns to each ship ; 28 frigates most of
them powerfully and some °Mem very formidably
armed—the engines of 16 of the 28 being at least
of 600 nominal horse-power; 13 corvettes, each
carrying 20 8-inch shell guns, and at least one
68-pounder, or eine 10-inch shell gun • eight
other corvettes, armed with 32-pounders, and
at least one pivot gun each ; four mortar
frigates,' with 13-inch mortars, 68-pounders, and
32-pounders ; 8 floating batteries, entirely with 68-
pounders ; 27 sloops, mainly with 32-pounders ; 26
gun-vessels, with 68-pounders and 32-pounders ;
,and 163 gfin-boats, each with one 68-pounder and
one 32-pounder—in all 331, inclusive of a few_new
building and undergoing alterations. It is impos-
sible to examine these figures without observing
that the number of our frigates, corvettes, sloops,
and still smaller vessels, is very large as compared
with our ships of the line ; and it is, in my judg-
ment, equally impossible to point •out any very
glaring- defects in the principle upon which they
are armed. This, latter _statement cannot well be
tested otherwise than by a comparative reference
to foreign navies. The-only two of these to which
I need refer are those of France and America. As
to the former, I have carefully examined the official
records (which • .are published by Sir Howard
Douglas in his "Naval Gunnery"), and I find no
ground whatever for considering that the arma-
ments of French 'ships of war are in- any way
superior to our own. With regard to the American
navy, we_have, indeed, heard much that sounds for-
midable, recently, especially of the Niagara and the
Merrimac. Of the former of those vessels I need
say but, little, as the American Government itself
places small confidence in her. She is, it is true, a
gigantic vessel, but she carries only a dozen shell
guns ; and our own frigate Diadem, of about two-
thirds her size, would, as I have elsewhere shown,
speedily overpower her, either at short or at long
range. The Merrimac is certainly a very formid-
able vessel. Captain Dahlgren, in a recently pub-
lished work on " Shells and Shell Guns," draws a
'careful comparison between .her and our .own
Shannon, the name of which will be fresh
in every mind, as the last command of the
chivalrous and much-lamented Sir William
Peel. Captain Dahlgren very fairly decides
that the Merrimac is the more powerful ship of the
two ; but seeing that, as he admits, her tonnage is
one-fifth greater than the Shannon's, we might
well be 'astonished if she were not of superior power.
We have, however, other vessels- similar in size to
the Merrimac, one class of which is armed entirely
with heavy 68-pounders, from which, of course,
8-inch shells can be most effectively fired ; and
another class armed with a combination of 10-inch
shell-guns and 68-pounders. of 95 cwt. The vessels
of both these classes are fitted with engines of no
less than 1,000 horse-power, by virtue of which
they will probably attain a speed of twelve er four-
teen knots per hour, while the Merrimac makes
eight only/ The advantages of this superiority of
speed I need not dwell upon. Captain Dahlgren
has himself since said, in reference to these vessels,
" There can be little doubt that with any reason-
sm. CrIXOOOZI3 0611p1 tis.ex
must become the most formidable of ships of war."
Although I have thus pointed out the efficiency' of
our ships as compared with those of France and
America, I by no means wish to imply that the
armaments of our steam fleets are not susceptible of
improvement with the means already at our dis-
posal. The very variety observable in the arma-
ments of ships of similar dimensions indicates
imperfection, and even evinces a sense of imperfecz
tion in the minds of the authorities who arrange
them. Moreover, Sir Howard Douglas
.and Capt.
Dahlgren have particularised one class of gun
which is much used by us, but which is too light
for its duty, namely, the 10-inch shell-gun of 86 cwt.
This gun has been superseded in the American navy
by one of 'lO7 Cwt., and should certainly occupy a
less prominent position in ours. Other desirable modi-
fications might be made, and the whole subject re-
quires still deeper study than appears to have been
bestowed upon it. . . . The floating batteries
built by the Admiralty are undeserving of that
utter condemnation which some have pronounced
against them. Sir Charles Napier, for instance,
committed a great error when, in a letter to the
Times, he mentioned "iron floating batteries which
could hardly swim, and if they could would have
been useless, for had they been placed within 400
yards of Sveaborg they would have been annihi-
lated, and at 800 yards they would, have done no
harm." Those batteries are armed, as before stated,
with 68-pounders, and -Sir Thomas Hasting's ex-
periments on the Prince George hulk twenty years
auo proved that at 1,200 yards 68-pounders are
highly destructive, and we all know that they .are
so at even much greater ranges. The true defects
of the batteries lie, not in any weakness of arma-
ment, but in their slowness of speed, their un-
manageableness at sea, and, as the late experiments
appear to show, the weakness of their frames. But
scant justice would be done to the designers of H.
M. ships if I were to omit to state that the diffi-
culty which besets this question of the construction
of iron-plated war ships—of which we have lately
heard so much—is far greater than amateur de-
signers appear to understand. Of the many scores
of propositions which have been made of late years
but extremely few will' bear the test of a practical
embodiment. The first, and, indeed, the only very
serious difficulty experienced in-designing ships to
be plated with iron four inches thick and upwards,
is that of supplying sufficient displacement to sustain
the imposed weight without resorting to great
draught of water or immoderate dimensions. Various
devices have been proposed for evading this diffi-
culty, the most notable of which is that of covering
a portion only of the vessel with armour plates—
the bow, according to others. These plans are for
the most part attended by too many and too great
disadvantages for them to be adopted. Proposi-
tions have likewise been made for covering ships
with strips of iron, filled in between with hard
wood ; for reducing the thickness of the iron plates
and backing them with india rubber; and for many
other modified arrangements. But hitherto expe-
riments have proved adverse to these plans. It has
been further suggested that the submerged portion
of the ship might be made much longer than the
portion above water. This plan has been adopted
to a limited extent (for a different purpose) in the
French gunboats ; and, although experienced naval
architects will discern several objections to this
mode of construction, it appears to me likely that
the displacement might in this way be increased
without the entailment of great drawbacks.
Another proposal which I have met with in several
quarters is that of reducing the thickness of the
iron armour and placing it at an inclination, in
order to reduce the effect of shot, which are sup-
posed to strike horizontally. The name of Mr.
George Rennie is most prominently associated with
this proposal, in consequence of his having read a
paper in advocacy of it at the 13ritish Association
in September last. Mr. Rennie prefers the use of
curved plates, but as a curved steam is but a sur-
face of varying inclination, the principle involved
is of course the same in both cases. It needs, I find
no appeal to experiment to show that the proposed
arrangement would not be attended by any advan-
tage. The simplest theoretical consideration shows
that, for a given height of bulwark, the same quantity
of metal will be required to resist a given blow,
whatever the inclination may be. If a shot moving
horizontally strikes an inclined plate, the crushing
force exerted upon the plate is equal to the crush-
ing force which would have been exerted upon it if
upright, multiplied by the sine of the angle between
the inclined plate and the horizontal. To keep the
crushing effect constant, therefore, the thickness of
the metal must also vary as the sine of that angle;
and since the length of the inclined section varies
inversely as that sine, the sectional area of the

plate, and consequently its weight, remain un-
changed. Hence, the side of a ship will requite the
same weight of metal upon it in order to resist hori-
zontal shot, whether it be upright or inclined. The
curving of the plates would render it necessary to
'hake them of a variable thickness throughout, if
the minimum amount of metal is to be used, and I
need hardly say that plates could not practically be
used in this manner. Another important objection
to Mr. 'Rennie's system is, that an inclined side
would be much more injuriously exposed than a
vertical side to the action of shot and shell fired
from long rane°es, and of a plunging fire like that
of the Wasp battery, from -which several ships
suffered so severely in the attack on the sea faces of
the fortresses of Sebastopol. Sir, Charles Napier's
plan of cutting a three-decked ship down to a
frigate, covering her with thick armour plates,
fitting her with a screw, and arming her with 10-
inch guns, as proposed by him in the House 'of
Cominons in April last, superficially appears a very
reasonable one. At the: same time it is one that
Sir Charles himself would 'probably, on mature
reflection, consider it, not prudent to adopt.
It would cost from £BO,OOO to £lOO,OOO to
alter a single ship in . this way, and when
altered she would be -deficient of some of those
excellent qualities which he has for many years
justly extolled. It is time that all those who con-
cern themselves with the_ great .question of how
iren, may be best rendered available for the defence
of ships' sides, should recur to• the circumstance
which gave rise to it, and to the.true end to be et
present attained. That circumstance, undoubtedly,
was the introduction of Paixhan s shells into naval
warfare ; and the end desired is the application of
means by which the entrance of those terrible
missiles through the side of a ship may be avoided.
The attarnment'of this end would leave us subject
only to the entrance of solid shot, to which all our
ships were exposed during the wars in which we
won our supremacy, and from which no practicable
system of iron plating can at present be expected
to save us. The attempt to build ships which shall
be proof to solid shot—at least, ,to wrought-iron
solid shot—is an altogether illusory one ; and such
ships are not uigently required. It is as a defence
against shells, and hollowcharged projectiles gene-
rally, and against these only, that iron
.plating can
yet be made available. By applying iron of very
great thickness between wind and water we may
reduce the liability to injury by shot at that im-
portant part, and it_ may be well to do this ; but if
the upper works are made shell proof we can expect
no more. These considerations 'reduce the question
to a form in. which it may be practically dealt
with, and I doubt not the solution.of it is not very
distant. The -only suggestion I have personally to
offer upon the point is one in which I find I have,
like many others, been altogether anticipated by
the gentlemen at Whitehall, but which I may
nevertheless mention. It will be evident that fifty
feet in - length of iron plating on ,the bow or
stern of a vessel, while they would_ weigh the
seine as fifty feet of similar plating near midships,
would cover and protect a much smaller volume of
the ship. I would propose, therefore, that the mid-
ship portion of the ship only be protected, *and that
it be separated from the forward and aft portions
by strong iron watertight compartments, so that,
however much. the extremities might suffer, the
ship would still be safe; and the men protected.
Means would, of course, have to be . provided for
extinguishing any fires which might be occasioned
by shells in the undefended portions of the ship.
This plan has been considered, I believe, but whe-
ther it is judged favourably or not .I am unable to
say—probably not, as it does not appear to afford
any defence against raking shot. I have yet to
notice a correspondence which has lately appeared
on the construction of. what are called " steam
rains," in mentioning which reference need only be
made to the designs of Mr. J. Nasmyth and Vice-
Admiral Sartorius. I have not taken the trouble
to inquire who first invented them, because I con-
sider little invention was necessary in the matter,
when the mind was once permitted to contemplate
the use of such agents-of destruction. Any merit
that may exist in relationto them must arise either
from the development of special adaptations, con-
trived so as to render the embodiment of the general
principle practicable, or from the setting forth of
arguments tending to show the possibility of em-
ploying such agents with undoubted advantage.
Neither Mr. Nasmyth nor 'Admiral Sartorius has
hitherto done either- of these things publicly.. Mr.
Nasmyth informed us, in the Times, that he sent
detailed plans of his proposed vessels to the Ad-
alla ui ,ars since. ; and, WOW% jib.
less occupied than it is just now by those scientific
studies and labours for which he is 'so justly and
eminently distinguished, wo should have had
the satisfaction of examining similar plans
here this evening. In the absence of these, however,
it is impossible to say whether he has fully grappled
with the practical difficulties which have to be
overcome, and fully arranged those details in which
the whole question of practicability or impractica-
bility is reall, in such cases, involved. I have
some reason, however, for thinking that Mr. Na-
smyth has done much' in this respect ; for, on re-
questing him to inform me if he had made provi-
sion for enabling the engines of the ram to sustain
the shock of a collision, I found that, although ho
did not apprehend derangement from this cause,
yet he had anticipated it in his plans, and pro-
vided for it. This he did by placing the engine and
boiler on a slide bed, and furnishing it with suitable
elastic buffing material to admit of the slight run
forward, which might tend to take place at the
moment of collision. The screw propeller shaft
would, in like manner, have a suitable tube-socket
connection, which would allow the engine to slide
forward, and yet keep up the integrity of the con-
nection between itself and the screw shaft. Mr.
Nasmyth proposes to use no guns, but to content
himself with the effects of the collision, which he
enhances by the use of a powerful submerged per-
cussion shell, which should strike the enemy several
feet below water, and thus effect a ruinous breach,
leaving her no chance of escape. He asks the
Government to make experiments with such a
vessel, and believes that a " covey of such chicks"
would effectually preserve our coast from attack.
The scheme of Admiral Sartorius differs from that
of Mr. Nasmyth only in the addition of an arma-
ment of heavy guns to his vessel, and in the sup-
pression of the percussion shell. He would
of necessity require a large vessel ; indeed,
he himself proposes to cut down the Great
Eastern, cover her with shot-proof iron plates, fit
her with a screw at each end, arm her with heavy
guns, and make a ram of her. I should add that
he would build upon her towers, from which scald-
ing water might be
.pumped upon boarders. My
opinion is that there is not a steamship in our navy,
nor even a sailing ship, which, except in a dead
calm, would not evade the blow of such a vessel.
If a ship would lie at rest and wait for her, the
gallant admiral's scheme would answer perfectly,
b`ut no long ship—which must necessarily occupy
considerable time and space in turning—could be
expected to answer the end which he assigns to
her. Of the two schemes, Mr. Nasmyth's is by
far the most premising; since, by excluding the
armament, he could keep his vessel comparatively
light and short, so as to be easily steered; but
whether his percussion shell would be effective
against the iron plates which would, of course, be
carried down to resist it, and at the same time leave
his own craft unscathed, is a very doubtful matter.
Before quitting this branch of my subject, I ought
to add a word on Mr. Macintosh's system of war-
fare, which Lord Panmure for a time forcibly sup-
pressed. It consists' in surrounding fleets or for-
tresses by floating naphtha, firing the same with
potassium or otherwise, and thus enveloping the
enemy in a cloud of vapour which either destroys
him or drives him from his guns. This is not a
mere theoretical proposition, made without con-
sideration', the inventor having chartered a vessel
during the war, and proceeded to the Black Sea
with a cargo of naphtha for the purpose of attack-
in.' Sebastopol. His amiable intentions were frus-
trated by the indisposition of our admirals to adopt
so vast an improvement ! Having now hurriedly
reviewed the modern changes which our ships of
war having undergone, and glanced at those
floatingsuggestions which some are so eager to
urge upon the Government,
it will be well to con-
sider for a momont a few facts bearing upon the
immediate future of our navy. And, first, there
cannot be a doubt that the Government can, if they
please, hasten the introduction of great andradical
hanges. It is perfectly within their power to build
lips of wariof a far more destructive character than
those which this or any other nation now possesses.
But would it be politic for us to take the lead in
such innovations? A navy like that which we
possess involves, it should 13e remembered, the in-
vestment of an immense amount of capital. The
-cost of a ship of war when rigged and equipped may
be estimated at £35 per ton, exclusive of the cost
of her armament, and the engines involve a further
expense of, say £6O per nominal horse power. We
have in our navy at the present moment, 607 fight-
ing ships, of an aggregate burden of 665,220 tons,
and carrying engines of
_scarcely less than 100,000
horso power. Therefore our ships alone have cost
us nearly £22,000,000; and upon their engines' we