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little singular, that her total loss, in killed and wounded, was, in both actions, 62*. At Trafalgar, besides engaging the Intrepide, 74, the Africa had attempted to take possession of the Santissima Trinidada, thinking she had struck; and the Spaniards permitted Lieutenant Smith and his boat's-crew to return to the Africa after an éclaircissement! But this ill-fated and unwieldy four-decker was apparently doomed to be insulted by little vessels. Off Cape St. Vincent, in 1797, some small 74's teazed her almost to death; and escaping from them and the formidable Blenheim, disabled and full of killed and wounded, she fell in with the British frigate Terpsichore, of thirty-two 12-pounders, commanded by the courageous Richard Bowen. "At 10 л. м.," says James, "the Terpsichore brought-to and began engaging the Spanish first-rate, and so manœuvred as to keep tolerably clear of the broadside of the latter, who had, therefore, no guns but her chasers wherewith to requite the temerity of her pigmy foe. At half-past midnight the Terpsichore ceased firing, and commenced making new wads and filling powder, as well as repairing her running rigging and sails, which had been much cut away by the four-decker's shot." The frigate kept undesired company with the Spaniard till the noon of the next day, when twelve sail of Admiral Cordova's fleet heaving in sight, she made sail for Tangier, having killed nine of the Santissima's men, and wounded several more.

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TERPSICHORE ATTACKING THE SANTISSIMA TRINIDADA.

The use of steam witnesses a daily increase, and the intelligence and activity of our countrymen promise fairly to keep a preponderance of the naval appliances, so exerted, in favour of Great Britain. But we must beware of sapping the seaman's spirit by disuse. Much of the former routine labour of a ship is now done away with, by the use of water-tanks, chain-cables, and other recent introductions; and such

• That rough diamond Scarth, the boatswain of the Africa, finding that one of the gun-boats had got so closely under the bows as to be in comparative impunity, slung a carronade on the forecastle, and fired it vertically downwards; discharging it with a round of expletives, such as gentle boatswains are prone to emit. This, though the reverse of Carnot's rule, was more effective.

ameliorations of naval life we are glad to perceive. But even these facilities must not be overdone, or our power will be weakened. On obvious grounds we question the policy of towing ships in and out of port by steam-tugs, except in cases of urgent necessity. Sailing-vessels should always be managed with their own power, in every case where it can be done without detriment to the public; and skill and seamanship ought never to be lost sight of, until steam shall wholly have superseded canvas. The results of this new introduction are already vast, multifarious, and of paramount importance. A French writer in La Presse seems greatly elated with the change, asserting that, "henceforth the power of a nation will be measured by the number and the force of the steamers which can be set in motion." In this, under certain conditions, we quite agree with him, for assuredly it promises advantages in our favour, superior to any we have yet possessed. It is indulging a preposterous delusion to suppose, as doth our author, that purely military resources with the assistance of steam, can supply the want of real naval force. The English Admiralty, we trust, will never rely exclusively on that energetic power to maintain our maritime ascendancy. The French Admiral-Prince, and his friend Bouét, Capitaine de Corvette, labour under a strange hallucination in this respect, if they think we must infallibly succomb to their éblouissants dévises: they should profit by Marshal Soult's sensible observation, that "Nations are not subdued by chanting the Marseillaise hymn in the theatres."

Meantime we are actively investigating and applying every improvement, which is properly suggested, in steam equipment; but the grand point still in agitation is the merits of propulsion by the stern screw, of some form or other, and the paddle-wheels. It is a little better than a couple of years ago, that we gave our opinion upon the great superiority of the Archimedean screw, as shown in the different voyages made by the Archimedes across the Channel, and round the whole coast of Great Britain. Shortly afterwards-15th March, 1843-we received a letter from Mr. F. P. Smith, the inventor of the application and manager of the Ship-propeller Company, in which he says-" In consequence of the very favourable remarks you were pleased to make on the subject of the screw-propeller in the leading article of the United Service Journal for January last, I have been instructed by the Directors of the Ship-propeller Company to forward to you the inclosed copy of a letter which has recently been addressed to their Chairman by Capt. Edward Chappell, R.N. (February 12th, 1843), as it evidently tends to confirm the opinions you have already expressed on the matter." From the document thus forwarded, it appears that Capt. Chappell considers the question as absolutely connected with the naval interests of the country; and is anxious, after making a voyage of five thousand miles in the Archimedes, to see a principle carried out which he asserts "must ultimately triumph." After discussing the several particulars, seriatim, he thus sums up:

"One more point I must notice, as it is the only other objection I have heard; namely, that the stern projection creates an overhanging weight, and that the heavy ordnance usually carried abaft in the Govern

Our term steam describes the kind of vapour which sets the engine in motion exactly, which the Bâtimens à Vapeur of the French, and Barca di Vapore of the Italians, do not.

ment vessels would not work safely over such a projection. In the first place, I question the truth of this argument altogether: as I believe the foremost stern-post may be carried up and made a more powerful I pivot for the great gun than any support it has at present; but supposing the objection valid, my reply would be, 'I have certainly made a projection astern; but then I have removed two huge projections from the ship's sides, which obstructed the whole battery; so, though I deprive you of one gun aft, I give you the means of using a whole broadside; and instead of the misnomer of calling vessels like the Cyclops and Gorgon, steam-frigates-call them what they are, mere gun-boats; but in future apply a screw to steam ships of this description-arm them with forty, sixty, or one hundred guns if you will, and then call them steam-frigates, or line-of-battle ships, as the case may be.""”

The Admiralty, as usual, had been applied to on the subject, and their reply was-"When you have fully proved your invention in a competent vessel, then only can the Government attend to your representations." After a considerable lapse of time, however, and not till France had cast a sheep's-eye upon the invention, the Rattler, a steamer of 888 tons, was fitted at Sheerness with Mr. Smith's screw, adapted and improved by Mr. Lloyd, the active engineer of the dockyard. In this vessel it has fully realized all that could reasonably have been anticipated of its power. She was, it is true, tried against the royal yacht and the Black Eagle, both of which vessels are fitted with paddleboxes, and appeared to have no chance with them in a heavy sea, although she held way with them pretty well in smooth water. But when it is considered that the Rattler has only a 200 horse-power, and is nearly 900 tons burthen, while the yacht has 800 horses to about 1300 tons, and the Black Eagle 280 to about 700 tons, it is not very surprising that she should have lagged astern: and it admits of argument whether, under equivalent power, she would not have outstripped both those fine vessels. But she has since beaten the paddle-wheel Alecto, a steamer of her own horse-power and rather less tonnage; part of the trial was in a head sea, when the Rattler had none of the rolling motion at first complained of in her, and which the cavillers of the screw-principle contended that every vessel so propelled must invariably have. She has recently accompanied the Arctic Expedition, under Sir John Franklin, to the Orkney Islands, with Mr. Smith on board, when, on several occasions, she took the Erebus and Terror both in tow at one time, leading them along in calm weather at a speed of 64 knots, as shown by Massey's log on board of each ship.

Matters of this importance are seldom allowed a quiet walk over the course; and scarcely had the power of the screw been proven, when imitators and pirates started up in numbers, each with some novelty to propose in the form-big and little-endians, polythread screws, fans, blades, and segments. This induced disputes and suits, and it followed as a matter of course that the two-tongued lawyers cut in for a large share of the money: how much more satisfactory and cheap would it be to refer matters so completely beyond the law-ken, to an arbitration of men of experience and knowledge! In the case of Lowe v. Penn, 16th December, 1844, a verdict was found for one whose only discoverable claim consisted in his having made a model, and that upon principles already well known. The verdict was obtained upon one of those quibbles on which the glorious uncertainty of the law is based: in the objections made, several inventors were named, to whom the two words "and others" were added; but these words being struck out by order, no evidence was permitted to be given at the trial by Smith, Erickson, Rosen, or any of the known advancers of the invention. The verdict was received in triumph by the plaintiff and his solicitor, who, it appears, is also a partner; and they have published a manifesto that there is nothing like leather. This, however, is not all the mischief which that decision has occasioned: there are now upwards of a score of contrivers encouraged to make slight alterations under the term of inventions, and though many of these interlopers are only fit candidates for the roll which Menkenius drew up, de Charlataneria, yet are they capable of inflicting much injury on the public. It certainly becomes a serious question among ship-owners, to know who is to be paid as having the proper patent; and we think the reapers of the patent fees ought to be overhauled, for so recklessly admitting every Simon Pure.

Among other attempts, a patent was taken out by Edward Shorter, in 1802, for a perpetual sculling-machine, which is said to be of similar action with the screw; and in 1816, Mr. Millington proposed to work a like machine by steam; and he also suggested the fixing of one or two or more vanes at an angle of 45° to the plane of their motion, with spaces between them like the sails of a wind-mill. These were followed by slight variations of the same principle by James, Brown, Trevethick, Perkins, Cummerow, Woodcroft, and others; but the first who brought the primordial position to an unequivocal proof was Mr. Smith, whose spirit and continued perseverance were successful in placing the merits of the case before the public. Nearly cotemporaneously with him Capt. Erickson and Count Rosen, of the royal Swedish navy, zealously pursued their investigations, and, in July, 1836, obtained a patent for the same purpose: their invention consists of two wheels, each formed by a series of eight radiating heliacal plates, set at an angle of 45°, and rivetted to thin broad cylinders, which are connected by arms to the centre, the blades being surrounded by a narrow cylinder. These wheels are attached to shafts, the one to which the inner wheel is fixed being hollow, passing through the stern of the vessel, and revolving, by means of cogged wheels, at different speeds and in opposite directions, each series of plates being so rivetted on the cylinders. This differs from Smith's screw, which is complete, and the blades being in portions or sections, seems to be very generally approved of. Still opinions are not at all unanimous, since, though a whole screw may prove a waterdragger, there are advantages in it: and that excellent seaman, Capt. Chappell, after superintending steam squadrons for seventeen years, thus expresses himself:

"The great experience I had of the screw, as used in the Archimedes, and as subsequently tried in the Great Northern, induces me to give a decided preference to the screw over blades, &c. When at Bristol, the Archimedes came, with the screw in action, across a mooring chain, and ground over it in such a manner as led me to think it must greatly have damaged the propeller; but such is its amazing strength of construction, that even this violence did no damage. Going along shore, near Plymouth, in spite of all our care, we passed over a strong fishing-net, and I found afterwards that the screw had completely minced it, though the head-rope was at least 2-inch rope. Again, running full speed off Beachy Head, when I was not on board, and in the River Tyne, when I was on board,-the Archimedes struck the ground with the utmost violence, but the screw sustained no injury. Either of these occurrences would have utterly destroyed any blades or segments. The screw, being a smooth compact instrument, has a tendency to reject any rope or other entanglement, but the arms or blades catch everything, and are snapped in an instant. I believe many of the heavy seas we encountered off the west coast of Scotland would have destroyed any kind of blades, or fragmental portions of screw, though insufficient to injure it in its entire form. For these reasons alone I would prefer the Archimedean screw to any of its modificationsand still more to any kind of blade or projection."

Now we consider Smith's Archimedean screw and Erickson's propeller to constitute, in principle, the only two kinds of stern-wheels, helices, or whatever other designations may be given them, although numberless variations are now started*. Had the proprietors of those two united, instead of working on opposite tacks, and trying to run each other down, there can be no doubt that ere this they would have carried all before them; but the effect of their rivalry has been a disadvantage, both in a public and private view. The discontinuance of the unsightly and inconvenient paddle-wheels, however, is not far off. We think their days are numbered.

Feeling, as we do, that steam navigation is actually under reform, we are happy to find that the intelligent Count Rosen, who unites both the officer and engineer and who has served in our Navy-has laid before the Admiralty a plan whereby our present men-of-war may be fitted with auxiliary steam propulsion, -a locomotion termed Vapeur de Combat by the writer in La Presse. To carry out this desirable principle, the Count proposed to fix, in already built ships, steam-engines of his own construction, provided with Capt. Erickson's propeller; the latter of which can easily be shipped and unshipped at pleasure, and while it is out of gear, of course the fuel will be saved. These engines are extremely light and compact, and from working direct on the motiveshaft, without any intermediate cog-wheels or straps, they occupy so little room that they can be conveniently placed below the water-line, where they will act as ballast, and be protected against the enemy's shot. By this most convenient adaptation the gun-decks are unimpeded and complete, and the vessel is left in every respect as efficient for sailing and fighting as before. Struck with the great advantage of thus rendering all the existing line-of-battle ships and frigates bona fide war steamers, and the consequent vast saving to the public purse, "My Lords" wisely approved of the plan. Accordingly, they forthwith ordered that the Amphion, a frigate of 36 guns and 1284 tons, now at Woolwich, should be fitted with auxiliary engines of 300 horse-power. The Count has also determined to introduce a new galley, or cooking apparatus, by which, whilst the ship's company's food is prepared, a sufficient quantity of water is distilled for the use of the crew, without the expenditure of any additional fuel; so that he will gain the weight of water and tanks for his engines. This apparatus, however, is not wholly the Count's invention, as a similar scheme was brought forward a few years ago by some of our own friends; but although every public

* Mr. Steinman Steinman loudly boasts of his locomotive propeller; but, apparently, his only novelty consists in a band wherewith to work the screw, and that is no longer needed.

U. S. MAG., No. 201, AUG, 1845.

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