Social and Archæological"-a volume full of interest,* as telling much of the varied experiences of his life, of the many notable persons with whom he had been associated, and of the archæological work in which he had been so long and so successfully engaged.

The Rev. John Wordsworth, eldest son of Bishop Christopher Wordsworth, and nephew of Bishop Charles Wordsworth of St. Andrews, was this year appointed Canon of Rochester Cathedral.+

Our local Institutions were active during the year. In February, a Co-operative Society was formed in connection with the Chatham Workmen's Club. Soon after, the New and Old Brompton Workmen's Club and Institute decided to hold an Industrial Exhibition, with the object of encouraging the working men and others of the neighbourhood to exhibit their handicraft in Painting in Oil and Water Colours, etc.; Drawings (Freehand, Mechanical, Architectural, etc.); Models of Ships, Engines, etc.; Cabinet-work, Needlework,

* This book contained an account of Mr. Smith's researches (extending over many years) on the site of the old Roman potteries on the Medway, and much other information.

It is interesting to notice, in connection with the Cathedral, that the seventh edition of Liddell and Scott's-Dean Scott-Greek-English Lexicon, which "brought that Lexicon to a degree of excellence which has the appearance of finality," was published in 1883.

Mr. Randle, of the Sheerness Society, and secretary to the societies in this part of Kent, said there were seven societies between Chatham and Dover, with 3,500 members, a capital of £29,000, sales amounting to £100,000 per year, and with divisible profits amounting to £7,500. To show the good such a society would do at Chatham, he might tell them what they were doing at Sheerness, where they had two societies. One of the societies started in 1849 with 44 members, and they now had one of the finest stores and halls in Kent, the premises being their own. They also went into the coal trade, and at the beginning of the winter had 3,500 tons of coal for distribution amongst the members. They were the owners of premises for carrying on a trade for grocery, drapery, furniture, tailoring, and butchering, and were the owners of their own ship which brought their coals. The second society in 1872 had 272 members, but they now numbered 580, and the trade in the bakery alone amounted to £10,000 per annum. They baked 3,500 gallons of flour per week, besides scaling twenty sacks of flour. At one time they used to purchase their flour, but they found there was a cheaper way of getting it than that, so they bought a mill at a cost of £2,000, and now purchased corn and ground it into flour. The mill was now putting out an average of 102 sacks per week. The total value of their buildings was £3,500, and the profits to the members last year amounted to 2s. 2d. per pound on the amount spent by the members, as well as 7d. in the pound for the trade done at the mill. These were pure facts, and what they had done at Sheerness they could do at Chatham.

Crochet Netting, Tatting, Knitting, Embroidery, etc.; Illuminated and Ornamental Writing; Maps; Artificial Flowers made in Paper, Wool, Leather, and Wax; Carvings in Wood, Stone, Marble, etc.; specimens of Turnery, Graining, Imitations of Wood, etc. The city of Rochester had a Workmen's Literary and Debating Society. The Rochester Naturalist's Club commenced the publication. of a Quarterly Journal. The people of Chatham had again the privilege of hearing my friend Mr. John De Fraine, who for the fourth time delivered a series of eloquent and humorous Free Lectures to crowded audiences, which were presided over on each occasion by the High Constable, or some other leading personage. Lectures were also given at the Soldiers' and Seamen's Home and Institute.

I had the privilege of attending on the 19th December the Unveiling, by Field-Marshal Lord Napier of Magdala, of the Memorial Windows erected in Rochester Cathedral, by the Royal Engineers, to the Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Men of that corps who were killed in action. or died from disease in the South African Campaigns of 1878-81, the Afghan Campaigns of 1878-80, and the Waziri Expedition of 1881. It was interesting to notice the reasons given by the donors for placing these Memorial Windows in Rochester Cathedral:

"In endeavouring to adorn this venerable building, we are associating the names of our comrades with a site that witnessed some of the earliest efforts of Christianity in this country, and with a church of which part was built in the early days of the Norman Conquest by a militant Bishop, who was also a distinguished military engineer. The whole structure is a history in stone inseparably connected with the glorious past of our country, for whose welfare our comrades have died."*

They add: "No one who knows Chatham will wonder that no suitable place could be found in its churches for corps memorials, while the Garrison Chapel-which is also a school and unconsecrated-was equally out of the question; and it is therefore a matter of congratulation that the neighbouring city of Rochester-which is so joined to Chatham that a stranger cannot tell when he leaves the one and enters the other-has afforded us, in its Cathedral Church, at once the most suitable place, and

I had the pleasure about this time of receiving a most interesting and cordial letter (which I regret that I cannot here reproduce) from Mr. James Nasmyth, the eminent engineer and astronomer, to whom I had written expressing the great enjoyment I had found in viewing, from time to time, the work done in the Yard by his famous Hammer, my admiration of his astronomical discoveries, and the gratification I had experienced in reading his Autobiography, which had that year been published.

The Extension Works at Chatham were spoken of as "virtually completed" this year. On the 27th October the water was allowed to flow into the basin for the purpose of floating into position the two immense caissons at the entrance. This having been successfully accomplished, the water was afterwards pumped out, and the work remaining to be done was directed to be completed as soon as possible. It was during this year M. Julius von Payer, the painter of the series of four great pictures of the Franklin Expedition already alluded to,* came to Chatham to examine some of the vessels of the Erebus and Terror type, and was breakfasted on one of the old ships which he visited. He afterwards dined with Admiral Superintendent Watson, and, on inquiring at dinner how Franklin's cabin in the Erebus was carpeted, Mrs. Watson rose and cut out a bit of the diningroom carpet, which she gave to Payer as being of exactly the same pattern. Every facility, indeed, was offered the great painter. He was shown models of the scientific instruments, patterns of the crews' uniforms, and portraits of the chief members of the expedition. Thus prepared, he set to work on the great picture of Starvation Cove,' which in the course of a year he completed.

The Calypso, steel corvette, was launched this year at Chatham, being the first steel ship built at this Yard. “The one which, from its age and architectural merit, is quite unrivalled for our purpose.

"In constituting Rochester Cathedral the place of honour for the memorials of our brave comrades now at rest, we have met with every facility from the Dean and Chapter, who have kindly ordered that officers, non-commissioned officers, and sappers of the Royal Engineers shall always have free access to all parts of the Cathedral where our memorials are or may be."

* P. 246, note.

Iris," says Captain Eardley-Wilmot, "was the first ship built in England (1875) in which soft steel was employed, and the first vessel of the Royal Navy wholly built of steel." Chief-Engineer King, of the United States Navy, observes that “it is fair to assume that the life of steel ships will considerably exceed that of iron ships. All things considered, it is highly probable that steel will at no distant date have almost entire possession of the field as a ship-building material, and, now that its claims are fairly recognised, will supersede iron as rapidly as that material has taken the place of wood."

There were also five ships sold out of the service at Chatham-the Curlew, Cameleon, Porcupine, Scylla, and Undaunted.

I have mentioned (p. 523) the Paper read at the Meeting of the British Association this year "On the Effect of Oil in Calming Waves." It is a very interesting and curious, and may be regarded as an important subject. The fact was known of old, but appears to have been strangely lost sight of. Doubts, however, have been thrown upon its reality. "To test this alleged property in oil," says Timbs,* "a Commission of the Royal Institute of the Pays Bas in 1844 experimented upon a portion of the North Sea, when several gallons of oil were poured upon the restless waves without the effect of diminishing their motion; indeed, the phrase was stated by the Commission to be only a poetical embellishment. On the other hand, Professor Horsford, by emptying a vial of oil upon the sea in a stiff breeze, stilled the surface; and Commodore Wilkes, in a violent storm off the Cape of Good Hope, witnessed the same effects from oil leaking out of a whale-ship." Pipes were laid down in the port of Aberdeen, and experiments with a Mr. Shields' apparatus made on 26th September, 1882, and successful results reported in the following December; and Scotch fishing vessels were provided with oil-tanks in November, 1883. Further experiments were to be male, but on the whole the effect of the oil appears to be conditional.

"Things not Generally Known."

CHAPTER XXXIX.

ABROAD AND AT HOME.

COMPLETION AND OPENING OF THE GREAT BASINS AND DOCKS AT CHATHAM.

TH

*

HE year 1884 will be memorable at Chatham as that in which the Chatham Dockyard Ship Construction Association made its first public appearance. A Lecture was delivered in the Chatham Lecture Hall early in the year before a crowded meeting of the members by ChiefConstructor Robinson (retired) on "The Early History of the Art and Science of Naval Architecture," in the course of which Mr. Robinson observed that England had now a School of Naval Architecture, which made her richer in this respect than any other country in the world, and yet that we were only on the very fringe of things pertaining to that art and science, and that it was impossible to say how much remained to be discovered. And he endeavoured to encourage the younger members of his audience to study and exertion by reminding them that the father of John Elder, who owned the large Shipbuilding Yard in Glasgow, formerly worked in Chatham Dockyard as a shipwright.

The Naval Estimates for 1884-85 referring to Chatham Dockyard provided £107,573 for 1,412 Established, and £170,482 for 2,809 Hired, Workmen; £2,512 for Teams; £1,806 for Yard-craft, with £780 for Victualling the same; and £9,452 for 107 Police. The number of men borne on the Yard books on or about the 1st April was 4,760.

The lecturer incidentally noticed that Homer must have seen and understood the construction of a sailing-raft, from his frequent mention of the same, and appeared to imagine that steam would eventually be used in navigation, as in the "Odyssey" he speaks of "ships self-moved." Mr. Robinson stated that he had himself seen a model raft made from Homer's description by a gentleman who was a profound Greek scholar.

VOL. II.

34