agreeable flavour. I promised compliance, and as the cheapest and least troublesome for a mere experiment, I made use of a metallic cone. The description quoted, in No. 631 of your Magazine, from the New York American (of which, by-the-bye, Mr. Beale, in his jealous protest, accuses me of being the author), is, on the whole, tolerably correct, though in several particulars erroneous. I never saw it till it was pointed out to me in your periodical, or I should have taken steps to set my friend, Mr. King, the editor, right upon a few points. So far as I am connected with the dispute, I can assure Mr. Beale that I have never claimed any of the merit of the inven tion; my object was accomplished in having gratified the curiosity of some of the kindest friends I was ever among,st and set their ingenuity at work in improving the rough idea I had given them. With respect to Mr. Hicks, allow me to inform Mr. Beale, that while in the United States, and especially while on a visit to Boston, I made repeated inquiries with the view of obtaining his address, and calling upon him. I had been given to understand that in consequence of pecuniary difficulties, he had gone to America (or was, in fact, as his friend states, "out of town"), and had located himself near Boston, intending to pursue his profession. My inquiries failed in their object; and the hope I had indulged of being able to put Mr. Hicks in communication with parties, where his talents might have met with encouragement, was frustrated.

But, to return to Mr. Beale's letter, it appears to me, that the only positive and tangible accusation is, that the gascooking apparatus in Mr. J. Barlow's house, though manufactured by Mr. J. Sharp, of Northampton, beats the name of another maker in London; so that, in fact, to avoid detection, recourse has been had to a most disreputable deception. Grave charges, made on weak grounds, are dangerous weapons to use, be your antagonist ever so guilty; for, if they fail in being established, or their fallacy detected, the blow intended for the accused recoils with fatal violence on the accuser. The fact is, that, in the kitchen to which Mr. Beale's spy obtained admission, there are two gascooking apparatus; one a roaster,

VOL. XXIV.

bearing the inscription on a brass plate, "Sharp's Improved," made by, and purchased of, Mr. James Sharp, of Northampton; the other is a steam-generator, bearing on a brass plate, the name and address quoted by Mr. Beale, "Josse, Regent-street." This latter apparatus seems to have been originally constructed for use over an oil lamp; and was purchased some months since, together with four steaming-pans, of Mr. Burnes, broker, City-road, for the sum of 31. Now, the truth seems to be, that Mr. Sharp's roaster differs so completely from Mr. Hicks's, that his agent's spy, a man sent with the express intention of procuring legal evidence, on which to ground an action for an infringement of his patent, passes it by unnoticed, although fixed within a few inches of the boiler, and selects an old lamp apparatus, which has been used for years, purchased at a broker's shop, on which he attempts to substantiate a charge, involving the moral character of several individuals, whose honour is as dear to them as is Mr. Beale's to himself. Really the mistake into which this trustworthy spy has fallen is so ludicrous, that I scarce know whether to deal with the charge seriously or in jest.

And now, as to the extent of the operation of Mr. Hicks's patent, which, perhaps, after all, is the only subject to which it was worth while to have alluded, I will, in a few words, state the result of the investigation I have made. Mr. Beale asserts boldly," that any one making or selling apparatus for cooking by gas, with an ENVELOPE, must be infringing on Hicks's patent." This information startled me; and it was some time before I could believe that a man, with any character to lose, would deliberately and publicly make such an assertion. I have been at the expense of procuring an office copy of the specification and drawing enrolled under this patent, from which I quote as follows:-" Now, know ye, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Robert Hicks, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to consist in adding to the ordinary culinary apparatus a range of gas flames, with a conical hood suspended over each, within which hood I dress meat, or other articles of food." Can Mr. Beale, or

G

any other sophist, by any latitude of reasoning, prove this to embrace all cooking by gas "within an envelope?" The supposition is absurd; and I believe that Mr. Beale, knowing, as he must have done, the terms of the specification, has asserted a deliberate untruth. But Mr. Sharp uses no conical hood, no burner, such as Mr. Hicks describes ; nor, indeed, am I aware of any other similarity between the two machines, than that gas is employed in both for the same purposes: an accordance which, I presume, Mr. Beale does not attack as an infringement of the patent.

Mr. Sharp has favoured me with a perusal of the correspondence which took place between himself, the patentee, and his deputy, at the time of his application for a license to manufacture Hicks's apparatus. Mr. Hicks required, in addition to a certain sum down, the payment of 2s. 6d. "upon the sale of either burner or cone, by way of royalty:" clearly indicating what the patentee considered as the legitimate extent of his patent. I suspect that, even had he "been in town," he could scarcely have "sanctioned, by his signature," Mr. Beale's arrogant assumption, that all cooking within an envelope was an infringement on his rights. It appears, however, by the correspondence, that Mr. Sharp had assented to Mr. Beale's terms, with one trifling exception, and his clerk promised his early reply, which, luckily for Mr. Sharp, was never received; and having, in the course of his experiments, demonstrated that a much more effective apparatus might be made without the aid of Mr. Hicks's 66 cone and burner," he saw no occasion to renew the application.

The whole matter thus resolves itself into a dispute between the inventors of two rival apparatus: let the public judge of their relative utility. If Mr. Beale, or any of his friends, his spy included, are anxious to satisfy themselves as to whether Mr. James Sharp is an infringer or not, he will be happy to see them at his house, at the Drapery, Northampton; where also, for the information of the unlearned in these matters, is deposited a copy of Hicks's specification and drawing, and the publie may there be supplied with Mr. Sharp's improved roaster and boiler.

THE SHIP-SINKING SYSTEM.

Kirkcaldy, Oct. 6, 1835. Sir,-In your July Part I observe an article on "The Ship-Sinking System," referred to in the Nautical Magazine of last month. I shall be obliged, if you will do me the favour, to publish a letter or two on the subject, in order to verify and prove to be fact, what your corre spondent, who is totally unknown to me, alleges. He says, "Much sinking of ships is indispensable to the driving of a brisk trade in sea-insurance; and, in order that Lloyd's may flourish, thousands of the best and bravest of our countrymen, and millions of property, are every year systematically sacrificed. We shall never, I am thoroughly convinced, have a safe merchant-ship in Great Britain as long as the worthies of Lloyd's can possibly prevent it. The insidious system of classification has been recently revised, and what is called a new system of registration adopted; but the new system is just as much in the shipwrecking interest as the old. The entire tendency of it is to take away all inducement from the shipowner to study strength of construction, by classifying ships according to their age, without any regard to their strength." Now, sir, I consider the above statement to be true to the very letter, and my reasons are as follows:-In September, 1834, I had it in contemplation to become part owner of a small ves sel, to be built on the construction adopted in the Royal dock-yards, and the advantages of which, in point of safety, are exemplified in the cases of the Lightning and Flamer, Government steamers, published in your correspondent's letter. Before ordering the vessel to be built, I wrote to the Society for conducting Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, to know whether any difference would be made in the classification of a vessel so built, and in the length of time she would be allowed to stand in the first class in the Register-book; and if so, what? The following is a copy of the

answer I received, and which, that I may not alter the spirit of it, I give verbatim:

"Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, London, 1st October, 1834, White Lion-court, Cornhill. Sir,-Having laid your letter, dated the 26th of September, before the Committee of this Society, I am directed to inform you, that they beg to decline pledging themselves to any particular classification for ships which, by your description, will prove an exception to the general printed Rules they have adopted as the basis upon which they will in future be governed in the classing of ships.

"All persons are at liberty to construct vessels in any manner their own judgments or pursuits may direct;* and, if they think proper, to submit them to the inspection and examination of the surveyors to this Society, the Committee will then, to the best of their judgment, assign such character and term of years, as a report of the materials used, and the description of the workmanship employed in their construction, in accordance with the principles set forth in the printed Rules, shall appear to justify, considering that they will then be in a more correct situation to do justice to the parties, than by now attempting to give a premature decision on that which is not yet in existence.+

"I am also instructed to refer you to page 14 of the printed Rules, and remain, Sir, &c.

(Signed) "NATH. W. SYMONDS,
"Secretary.

"James Ballingall, Esq., Kirkcaldy."

On receipt of Mr. Symonds's letter, I wrote him again as follows:

The Society not having it in its power to control them.-J. B.

+ I have put these words in italics, although they are not so in the original. It appears by them that a vessel will be classed in the Register-book only so far as she is built in accordance with the principles set forth in the printed Rules. This is directly taking away the inducement from a shipowner to build a safe ship, and it is evidently so intended.-J. B.

The superior method of construction adopted in the King's dock-yards is well known to the Society, as to all the world, to be "in existence." Besides, I submitted models of the proposed construction to the Society at a former period, and, as individuals, they highly approved of them, though they would not say so as a Society.-J. B.

upon which they will in future be governed in the classification of ships; because it not only does not hold out, but absolutely takes away, all inducement to construct ships of superior safety.

"Being, however, referred to p. 14 of the printed Rules, I observe that, The Rules herein set forth may at all times be altered by the presiding Committee, and especially to meet any acknowledged improvements which may be made in naval architecture, or in the materials used in ship-building.' Referring directly to this intimation, I beg leave, most respectfully, to ask, if the Committee are disposed to consider the merits or demerits of a plan for the improvement of naval architecture, and of consequence the condition of the commercial marine, should such be, as it is hereby offered to be, submitted to them unconditionally, and free of every expense whatever?§-I am, &c.

(Signed "JAMES BALLINGALL. "N. W. Symonds, Esq."

To this letter I received the following reply:

"Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, London, 15th October, 1834, White Lion-court, Cornhill. Sir,-Having laid before the Committee of this Society your letter, dated the 8th inst., I am directed by them to refer you to my last letter of the 1st inst., and to inform you, they adhere to the determination therein expressed.-I am, Sir, &c.

Signed) "NATH. W. SYMONDS,
"Secretary.

"James Ballingall, Esq., Kirkcaldy." To this letter I again replied as follows:

Kirkcaldy, 20th October, 1834. "Sir,-Although I am perfectly sensible that all attempts to improve the structure of the commercial marine, through the means of the Society for conducting Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, are visionary, yet being again referred by them to your letter of the 1st inst. on the subject, I beg leave to say there is one statement in it which I cannot allow to pass uncontradicted. It is stated (I quote the words), ' that they will then be in a more correct situation to do justice to the parties, than by now attempting to give a premature decision on that which is not yet in existence.' Now, I beg to say, that this is not correct. The plan I propose of solid bottoms and sides to vessels is in existence, and has been so in the Royal Navy for twenty-four years; and in every

This question and proposal, it will be observed, was testing the sincerity of the S iety in its proposal above set forth. --J. B.

It will be observed, this conveys no answer to my question.-J. B.

case, where it has been put to the proof, has been the means of saving the vessel; nor has it conduced less to durability than it has to safety. It is clear that the same means would produce the same effect, if adopted in merchant-ships. The plan is also in existence in the merchant steam-ship Royal Victoria, now building in Leith. I cannot look on the conduct of the Society in any other light than that of discouraging the building of strong, safe, and durable merchant-ships. -I am, Sir, &c.

(Signed)" JAMES BALLINGALL.

"N. W. Symonds, Esq."

I received acknowledgment of receipt of this letter. I presume I need hardly add that, finding I was to derive no advantage from additional safe construction of the vessel proposed to be built, I declined ordering her, and I leave to your readers, whether I have not proved your correspondent's assertion," that we never shall have a safe merchant-ship while the worthies at Lloyd's can prevent it," to be correct. I shall trouble you with one more letter on the subject,

And am, Mr. Editor,
Your most obedient servant,
JAMES BALLINGALL.

ROYAL CORNWALL POLYTECHNIC

SOCIETY.

THIRD ANNUAL EXHIBITION.
(Abridged from the Falmouth Packet.)

On the 29th and 30th of September last, the third exhibition of this Society was held at Falmouth. The attendance was numerous beyond precedent, showing that the Society daily grows in public favour. Mr. Davies Gilbert took the chair amidst loud applause, and briefly addressed the company. He was highly gratified to find that the institution had continued to excite an increasing interest. As a Cornishman, he felt the highest gratification in considering how high his native county stood in the scale of scientific research. It was with peculiar gratification he felt himself able to state, that the institutions of Cornwall stood high in the estimation of scientific men throughout Europe; and that at the late meeting of the British Association in Dublin, the consideration had considerable influence in the fixing on Bristol as the next place of meeting, that the members of the Geological and Polytechnic Societies of Cornwall might have greater facilities for attending. It would be unpardonable in him, were he to omit to notice how much the Society was indebted to the ladies, who had contributed in so considerable a degree, to render

the exhibition both interesing and attractive The hon. gentleman next noticed those articles in the exhibition, which he considered to possess peculiar merit; after which he proceeded to deliver the prizes to the successful competitors, to each of whom he addressed a suitable compliment or an encouraging observation. The following is a list of the prizes :

MECHANICAL AND SCIENTIFIC INVETONS.

Judges-Messrs. G. S. Borlase, J. S. Enys, R. W. Fox, W. J. Henwood, N. Harvey, W. Petherick, and W. Richards.

New Air Pump, Mr. T. Jordan, PenzanceFirst silver medal.

Detached Lever Striking Watch, Mr. H.
Dobbs, Helston-Second silver medal.
Plan for Measuring the Length of the Stroke

of a Steam-Engine, Mr. Phillips, Halsetown-First bronze medal.

Motion for Raising Miners, Mr. M. Loam,
Consols-Second bronze medal.
Self-compensating Pendulum, Mr. Goffe,
Falmouth-Prize, value 17.

Portable Punching Press, Mr. R. Hosking,
Perran Foundry-Prize, value 17.
Improvement on Brass Burrs, Mr. John
Arthur, Perran Foundry-Prize, value 15s.
New Wheel Wrench, Mr. M. Loam, Consols
-Prize, value 10s. 6d.

Plan for Measuring the Stroke of the Engine,
Mr. R. Hosking-Prize, value 10s.
Models of Machinery, &c.

Dialling Instrument and Quadrant, Mr. W.
Wilton, St. Day-First bronze medal.
Two Models of Steam-Engines, W. Tresise,
St. Just-Second prize, value 17.
Model of Kitchen Range, R. H. Michell,
Redruth-Prize, value 5s.

The Premium of Ten Guineas, offered by John Buller, Esq., for the best Essay on the Natural History of the Pilchard, with a view to the Fisheries of the County, was awarded to Mr. J. Couche, of Polperro.

For the second best Essay, by Mr. H. Chester, Penzance, the Society awarded the first bronze medal.

The gentlemen to whom the two last essays were submitted, to consider whether the writers had fulfilled the conditions prescribed by Mr. Buller, made the following report:

"Two Treatises on the Natural History of the Pilchard have been submitted to us, which appear to fulfil the conditions prescribed bg John Buller, Esq. Both possess merit, but we are of the judg ment that the essay by J. C. has the superior claim to the premium of 10%. 108.

"In making this award, we exclude from our consideration some controversial comments, contained in this paper, relative to the comparative merits, antiquity, &c., of the two modes of conducting the pilchard fishery with seans and drift-nets. We recommend that the opinions of the author on these disputed points be omitted, if his treatise be published, and that there be introduced in the form of a note or supplement, some interesting exiracts from the other treatise.

"We think it desirable that a bronze medal be presented to the author of the last-mentioned essay. "We earnestly recommend that encouragement be afforded by the Society, te the further prosecution of inquiry into the history and habits of the pilchard-to the practical trial of various methods of attracting the fish to the shore-to the siscovery of some contrivance for catching shoals of pilchards in deep water with facility and safety-and of a simple plan for destroying or preventing the attacks of "skippers," with which these fish are occasionally infested in the cellars-and to the curing of pilchards as red-herriugs are cured-and in a cheaper and more expeditious manner for exportation; such, for insfance, as that practised on the coast of Spain.

"It will also be a matter of much interest, and perhaps of utilily, to trace the history of the pilchard fishery during the last 200 years or more, with a view to ascertain the various modes of catching pilchards adopted by our ancestors-the number of hogsheads taken annually-the quantity consumed in Cornwall and Devonshire-and the prices obtained at different periods, for the fish sold when fresh or when ready for shipment. Also the number of complete seans and of drift-nets employed, with a statement of their value, and the amount of capital and persons employed afloat and ashore, in the prosecution of this extremely interesting and beneficial pursuit.

"We trust that the gentleman who has so liberally offered the premium of 102. 10s. on the present occa-ion, will, at a future period, have the satisfaction of finding that he has conduced materially to the well-being and success of one of the most prominent interests of Cornwall."

One of the Lander prizes, offered by Charles Fox, Esq., Perran, was awarded to Mr. G. Wheatley, Falmouth, for a Map of Peru.

The prizes having been delivered, Mr. Gilbert announced that the Rev. Canon Rogers had offered a prize of 10. for the best_mode of lighting mines; after which Sir C. Lemon proposed that the thanks of the Meeting should be given to the Chairman

for the kindness and ability with which he had discharged the duties of that office. This motion was agreed to unanimously, and Mr. Gilbert returned thanks in a short speech.

On Wednesday, Sir C. Lemon in the chair, it was proposed and carried, that a silver Medal of the Society should be presented to the King, as a testimony of the gratitude felt by the Society for his Majesty's condescension in patronising the Institution; and that silver medals should also be presented to Davies Gilbert, Esq., the President, and Mr. Watt, the descendant of the celebrated James Watt, whose resemblance the medal bears.

Amongst the articles that attracted attention were the following:

An Air-Pump, by Mr. Jordan, on a new construction. Its merits consist in the application of a rotary motion, whereby the certainty of the piston's descending to the bottom of the cylinder is insured; and the mechanical movement of the valve effects a more perfect vacuum than has been hitherto obtained, so far as our knowledge extends.

Laocoon-The award of a silver medal for this piece of sculpture, in relief, on slate, elicited unusual approbation. It was copied from an engraving on wood in the Penny Magazine, by a youth of sixteen years of age, named Burnard, a mason, residing at Fowey, without any instruction in the art, and with tools made by himself, or by a blacksmith under his direction. Much curiosity was evinced by the company to see this extraordinary genius; who, under the fostering care of those disposed to assist and reward native talent, may one day shine in the annals of our county.

Model of a Machine for Measuring and Indicating the Length and Number of Strokes performed by the Steam-Engine, by Mr. M. Loam.-This machine consists of a notched cylinder connected by wheel-work with several dials, intended to register the work performed by the engine; the first dial registering every 10 feet of stroke, the second every 100, and so on in a geometrical series, whose ratio is 10 feet. These dials may be increased or decreased, to suit the views of those who use the machine. We believe there is a trifling error in the dials for the purpose intended, as they indicate the measure of the arc performed instead of its tangent; this, we suppose, can be rectified.There was another model exhibited, on the same principle, by Mr. Hosking, of Perran Wharf; and a plan by Mr. Phillips, of Halsetown; both of considerable merit, as the prize list indicates.

The premium for the best Plan and Model for Raising Miners out of the Mines was not awarded, but the bronze medal was given to Mr. M. Loam, for a model exhibited by him as possessing simplicity and merit. And on