men of invention and industry-第11节

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＇21＇　See　grant　S。P。O。；　29th　May；　1605。



＇22＇　An　engraving　of　this　remarkable　ship　is　given　in　Charnock's

History　of　Marine　Architecture；　ii。　p。　199。



＇23＇　The　story　of　the　Three；　or　rather　Two　Ravens；　is　as

follows：　The　body　of　St。　Vincent　was　originally　deposited　at

the　Cape；　which　still　bears　his　name；　on　the　Portuguese　coast；

and　his　tomb；　says　the　legend；　was　zealously　guarded　by　a　couple

of　ravens。　　When　it　was　determined；　in　the　12th　century；　to

transport　the　relics　of　the　Saint　to　the　Cathedral　of　Lisbon；　the

two　ravens　accompanied　the　ship　which　contained　them；　one　at　its

stem　and　the　other　at　its　stern。　　The　relics　were　deposited　in

the　Chapel　of　St。　Vincent；　within　the　Cathedral；　and　there　the

two　ravens　have　ever　since　remained。　　The　monks　continued　to

support　two　such　birds　in　the　cloisters；　and　till　very　lately　the

officials　gravely　informed　the　visitor　to　the　Cathedral　that　they

were　the　identical　ravens　which　accompanied　the　Saint's　relics　to

their　city。　　The　birds　figure　in　the　arms　of　Lisbon。



＇24＇　The　evidence　taken　by　the　Commissioners　is　embodied　in　a

voluminous　report。　　State　Paper　Office；　Dom。　James　I。；　vol。　xli。　

1608。



＇25＇　The　Earl　of　Northampton；　Privy　Seal；　was　Lord　Warden　of　the

Cinque　Ports；　hence　his　moving　in　the　matter。　　Pett　says　he　was

his　〃most　implacable　enemy。〃　　It　is　probable　that　the　earl　was

jealous　of　Pett；　because　he　had　received　his　commission　to　build

the　great　ship　directly　from　the　sovereign；　without　the

intervention　of　his　lordship



＇26＇　This　Royal　investigation　took　place　at　Woolwich　on　the　8th

May；　1609。　　The　State　Paper　Office　contains　a　report　of　the　same

date；　most　probably　the　one　presented　to　the　King；　signed　by　six

ship…builders　and　Captain　Waymouth；　and　counter　signed　by

Northampton　and　four　others。　　The　Report　is　headed　〃The　Prince

Royal：　imperfections　found　upon　view　of　the　new　work　begun　at

Woolwich。〃　　It　would　occupy　too　much　space　to　give　the　results

here。



＇27＇　Alas！　for　the　uncertainties　of　life！　　This　noble　young

princethe　hope　of　England　and　the　joy　of　his　parents；　from　whom

such　great　things　were　anticipatedfor　he　was　graceful；　frank；

brave；　active；　and　a　lover　of　the　sea；was　seized　with　a　serious

illness；　and　died　in　his　eighteenth　year；　on　the　16th　November；

1612。



＇28＇　Pett　says　she　was　to　be　500　tons；　but　when　he　turned　her　out

her　burthen　was　rated　at　700　tons。



＇29＇　This　conduct　of　Raleigh's　was　the　more　inexcusable；　as　there

is　in　the　State　Paper　Office　a　warrant　dated　16th　Nov。；　1617；　for

the　payment　to　Pett　of　700　crowns　〃for　building　the　new　ship；　the

Destiny　of　London；　of　700　tons　burthen。〃　　The　least　he　could　have

done　was　to　have　handed　over　to　the　builder　his　royal　and　usual

reward。　　In　the　above　warrant；　by　the　way；　the　title　〃our

well…beloved　subject；〃　the　ordinary　prefix　to　such　grants；　has

either　been　left　blank　or　erased　（it　is　difficult　to　say　which）；

but　was　very　significant　of　the　slippery　footing　of　Raleigh　at

Court。



＇30＇　Sir　Giles　Overreach；　in　the　play　of　〃A　new　way　to　pay　old

debts；〃　by　Philip　Massinger。　　It　was　difficult　for　the　poet；　or

any　other　person；　to　libel　such　a　personage　as　Mompesson。



＇31＇　Pett's　method　is　described　in　a　paper　contained　in　the

S。P。O。；　dated　21st　Oct。；　1626。　　The　Trinity　Corporation　adopted

his　method。



＇32＇　Memoirs　of　the　Life　and　Services　of　Rear…Admiral　Sir　William

Symonds；　Kt。；　p。　94。



＇33＇　Pett's　dwelling…house　at　Rochester　is　thus　described　in　an

anonymous　history　of　that　town　（p。　337；　ed。　l817）：　〃Beyond　the

Victualling　Office；　on　the　same　side　of　the　High　Street；　at

Rochester；　is　an　old　mansion；　now　occupied　by　a　Mr。　Morson；　an

attorney；　which　formerly　belonged　to　the　Petts；　the　celebrated

ship…builders。　　The　chimney…piece　in　the　principal　room　is　of

wood；　curiously　carved；　the　upper　part　being　divided　into

compartments　by　caryatydes。　　The　central　compartment　contains　the

family　arms；　viz。；　Or；　on　a　fesse；　gu。；　between　three　pellets；　a

lion　passant　gardant　of　the　field。　　On　the　back　of　the　grate　is　a

cast　of　Neptune；　standing　erect　in　his　car；　with　Triton　blowing

conches；　&c。；　and　the　date　1650。〃



＇34＇　Symonds；　Memoirs　of　Life　and　Services；　94。





CHAPTER　II。



FRANCIS　PETTIT　SMITH：　PRACTICAL　INTRODUCER　OF　THE　SCREW

PROPELLER。



〃The　spirit　of　Paley's　maxim　that　'he　alone　discovers　who

proves；'　is　applicable　to　the　history　of　inventions　and

discoveries；　for　certainly　he　alone　invents　to　any　good　purpose；

who　satisfies　the　world　that　the　means　he　may　have　devised　have

been　found　competent　to　the　end　proposed。〃Dr。　Samuel　Brown。



〃Too　often　the　real　worker　and　discoverer　remains　unknown；　and　an

invention；　beautiful　but　useless　in　one　age　or　country；　can　be

applied　only　in　a　remote　generation；　or　in　a　distant　land。　

Mankind　hangs　together　from　generation　to　generation；　easy　labour

is　but　inherited　skill；　great　discoveries　and　inventions　are

worked　up　to　by　the　efforts　of　myriads　ere　the　goal　is

reached。〃H。　M。　Hyndman。



Though　a　long　period　elapsed　between　the　times　of　Phineas　Pett

and　〃Screw〃　Smith；　comparatively　little　improvement　had　been

effected　in　the　art　of　shipbuilding。　　The　Sovereign　of　the　Seas

had　not　been　excelled　by　any　ship　of　war　built　down　to　the　end　of

last　century。＇1＇　At　a　comparatively　recent　date；　ships　continued

to　be　built　of　timber　and　plank；　and　impelled　by　sails　and　oars；

as　they　had　been　for　thousands　of　years　before。



But　this　century　has　witnessed　many　marvellous　changes。　　A　new

material　of　construction　has　been　introduced　into　shipbuilding；

with　entirely　new　methods　of　propulsion。　　Old　things　have　been

displaced　by　new；　and　the　magnitude　of　the　results　has　been

extraordinary。　　The　most　important　changes　have　been　in　the　use

of　iron　and　steel　instead　of　wood；　and　in　the　employment　of　the

steam…engine　in　impelling　ships　by　the　paddle　or　the　screw。



So　long　as　timber　was　used　for　the　construction　of　ships；　the

number　of　vessels　built　annually；　especially　in　so　small　an

island　as　Britain；　must　necessarily　have　continued　very　limited。　

Indeed；　so　little　had　the　cultivation　of　oak　in　Great　Britain

been　attended　to；　that　all　the　royal　forests　could　not　have

supplied　sufficient　timber　to　build　one　line…of…battle　ship

annually；　while　for　the　mercantile　marine；　the　world　had　to　be

ransacked　for　wood；　often　of　a　very　inferior　quality。



Take；　for　instance；　the　seventy…eight　gun　ship；　the　Hindostan；

launched　a　few　years　ago。　　It　would　have　required　4200　loads　of

timber　to　build　a　ship　of　that　description；　and　the　growth　of　the

timber　would　have　occupied　seventy　acres　of　ground　during　eighty

years。＇2＇　　It　would　have　needed　something　like　800；000　acres　of

land　on　which　to　grow　the　timber　for　the　ships　annually　built　in

this　country　for　commercial　purposes。　　And　timber　ships　are　by　no

means　lasting。　　The　average　durability　of　ships　of　war　employed

in　active　service；　has　been　calculated　to　be　about　thirteen

years；　even　when　built　of　British　oak。



Indeed；　years　ago；　the　building　of　shipping　in　this　country　was

much　hindered　by　the　want　of　materials。



The　trade　was　being　rapidly　transferred　to　Canada　and　the　United

States。　　Some　years　since；　an　American　captain　said　to　an

Englishman；　Captain　Hall；　when　in　China；　〃You　will　soon　have　to

come　to　our　country　for　your　ships：　your　little　island　cannot

grow　wood　enough　for　a　large　marine。〃　　〃Oh！〃　said　the　Englishman；

〃we　can　build　ships　of　iron！〃　　〃Iron？〃　replied　the　American　in

surprise；　〃why；　iron　sinks；　only　wood　can　float！〃　　〃Well！　you

will　find　I　am　right。〃　　The　prophecy　was　correct。　　The　Englishman

in　question　has　now　a　fleet　of　splendid　iron　steamers　at　sea。



The　use　of　iron　in　shipbuilding　had　small　beginnings；　like

everything　else。　　The　established　prejudicethat　iron　must

necessarily　sink　in　waterlong　continued　to　prevail　against　its

employment。　　The　first　iron　vessel　was　built　and　launched　about　a

hundred　years　since　by　John　Wilkinson；　of　Bradley　Forge；　in

Staffordshire。　　In　a　letter　of　his；　dated　the　14th　July；　1787；

the　original　of　which　we　have　seen；　he　writes：　　〃Yesterday　week

my　iron　boat　was　launched。　　It　answers　all　my　expectations；　and

has　convinced　the　unbelievers；　who　were　999　in　1000。　　It　will　be

only　a　nine　days'　wonder；　and　afterwards　a　Columbus's　egg。〃　　It

was；　however；　more　than　a　nine　days'　wonder；　for　wood　long

continued　to　be　thought　the　only　material　capable　of　floating。



Although　Wilkinson's　iron　vessels　continued　to　ply　upon　the

Severn；　more　than　twenty　years　elapsed　before　another　shipbuilder

ventured　to　follow　his　example。　　But　in　1810；　Onions　and　Son；　of

Brosely；　built　several　iron　vessels；　also　for　use　upon　the

Severn。　　Then；　in　1815；　Mr。　Jervons；　of　Liverpool；　built　a　small

iron　boat　for　use　on　the　Mersey。　　Six　years　later；　in　1821；　Mr。

Aaron　Manby　designed　an　iron　steam　vessel；　which　was　built　at　the

Horsley　Compa