27.

John Cox Stevens, of New York, North America, but now residing in New Bond-street, in the county of Middlesex, gentleman; for a new method of generating steam. Dated May 31.

Alexander Brodie, of Carey-street, in the liberty of the rolls, and county of Middlesex, iron master and founder; for an improved method of making steam-engine-boilers, and steam boilers, for various other purposes; and of constructing the flue for the conveying the heat to the same, whereby the consumption of fuel is considerably lessened. Dated May 31.

Malcolm Cowan, of Gloucesterplace, Portman-square, in the county of Middlesex, commander in the royal navy; for improvements in the construction of sails for ships and vessels of ail descriptions. Dated June 11.

Robert Barber, of Billborough, in the county of Nottingham, gentleman; for new and improved modes of making and shaping stockings and pieces, and also some new and improved kinds of stocking

stich and warp-work. Dated June

14.

Thomas James Plucknett, of Buttlane, Deptford, in the county of Kent, gentleman; for a method of mowing corn, grass, and other things, by means of a machine moving on wheels, which may be work. ed either by men or horses. Dated June 15.

William Collins, lieutenant in the royal navy; for a ventilator, upon a new or improved construction, for the purpose of ventilating tents and marquees of every description. Dated June 20.

James Noble, of Coggershall, in the county of Essex, worsted-spinner, for a machine for discharging a woolcomb or combs, by separating the tears from the noiles, and draw. ing what is commonly called a sliver or slivers from the comb or combs after or before the combs are worked, or the wool is combed upon the same. Dated June 29.

William Kent, of the borough of Plymouth, in the county of Devon, merchant and agent; for certain additions and improvements in a sort of candlestick, (in common use), which will be found to prevent accidental fires in the use of candles, by which so many valuable lives are lost, and such immense property consumed; and which will not be confined to chamber use, but being made on a larger scale, will be found equally useful in shops, warehouses, oil and spirit cellars, and other places where the use of a candle is found necessary. Dated July 2.

Arthur Woolf, of Wood-street, Spa-fields, in the county of Middlesex, engineer; for certain improvements in steam-engines. Dated July 2.

312

James

William Deverell, of Blackwall, in the county of Middlesex, engineer; for certain improvements on the steam-engine. Dated September 2.

Samuel Caldwall, of Hathern, in the county of Leicester, frame-smith; for machinery and apparatus to be attached or annexed to certain plain frames or machines called stockingframes, plain-piece-frames, or any other frames, for the purpose of working, making, or manufacturing silk, cotton, mohair, worsted, or any other sort of stuff whatsoever, into plain hose, or any plain sort of piece-work whatsoever, whereby these frames will work,make,or manufacture, all kinds of plain stockings and plain piece-work by mechanical machinery and motion. Dated September 21.

John Nyren, of Bromley, in the county of Middlesex, muslin-bleacher and tambour-worker; for a mode of printing fancy patterns on silk and cotton lace-net, instead of tambouring or working them in colours. Dated September 27.

Stephen Clubh, of Colchester, in the county of Essex, Millwright; for an improved mangle. Dated September 27.

James Macnaughtan, of Great Queen-street, Lincolns-inn-fields, in the county of Middlesex, ironmonger; for a stove or grate, and range, upon a new construction, by which rooms will be much more effectually warmed than they now are, and the chimnies prevented from smoaking. Dated September 27.

John Syeds, of Fountain-stairs, Rotherhithe-wall, in the county of Surrey, mathematical instrumentmaker; for a steering amplitude or azimuth-compass and scale for finding and working courses of ships. Dated October 7.

Daniel Desormeaux, of Barking, in the county of Essex, surgeon and apothecary, and Samuel Hutchings, of Ilford, in the said parish of Barking, weaver; for certain im provements in the making and manufacturing of wax, spermaceti and tallow candles. Dated October 22.

Bichard Rentish, late captain in the Cambridgeshire militia, but now of Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, esquire; for an armourwaistcoat, which is a sure defence against the bayonet, sword, pike, or any pointed instrument, and in many instances may prevent the wound from a musket-ball. Dated October 30.

Joseph Huddart, of Highburyterrace, in the parish of Islington, in the county of Middlesex; for sundry new improvements in the manufacture of large cables, and cordage in general. Dated October 30.

Samuel Miller, of Gresse-street, in the parish of Saint Pancras, in the county of Middlesex, engineer; for certain improvements on steamengines. Dated October 30.

John Hartop, of Brightside, in the parish of Shetfield, in the county of York, iron-master; for certain improvements in the method of preparing malleable iron for the purpose of making the same into bars, sheets, and slit rods, and manufac turing the same also into hoop-iron; and for certain improvements in the method of preparing all other malleable metals. Dated November 7.

John Trotter of Soho-square, in the county of Middlesex, esquire ; for a rotary engine, for applying the powers of fluids as first movers. Dated November 14.

William Milton, vicar of Heckfield, in the county of Southampton, M. A. for a mode of rendering car3 I 3 riages

riages in general, but particularly stage.coaches, more safe than at present, and various other improvements upon such carriages. Dated November 16.

John Curr, of Sheffield-park, in the parish of Sheffield, in the county of York, gentleman; for a method, different from any that has hitherto been invented or known, of laying a rope, or, in other words, of twisting and forming the strands together that compose the round rope. Dated November 16.

Andrew Flint, of Gee-street, Goswell-street, in the county of Middlesex, millwright; for a machine upon an improved construction, which may be used as a steam-engine. Dated November 16.

John De Lafons, of Threadneedlestreet, in the city of London, watchmaker; for a marine alarum chronometer, for ascertaining the time of a ship's log-line running out, the time of the watches on ship-board, and many other useful purposes. Dated November 19.

George Wyke, of Winsley, in the county of Wilts, esquire; for a method of working pumps of various descriptions, by machinery, whereby much manual labour will be spared. Dated November 19.

William Pocock, of the parish of St. Paul, Covent-garden, in the county of Middlesex, cabinet-maker and upholsterer; for improvements on tables for dining, and other use.. Dated November 19.

Archibald earl of Dundonald; for certain improvements in machinery or mill-spinning, for the spinning of cotton, wool, silk, hemp, and flax, and substitutes for hemp and flax;

communicated to him by Thomas Nelson, late of Lambeth, engineer, deceased. Dated November 19.

Richard Lumbert, of Wick Rissington, in the county of Gloucester, gentleman; for an improved threshing-machine; and also an improved portable windlass, to be worked by men, or one or more horses, particularly useful for drawing or hawling. Dated November 23.

Richard Brown, of the parish of St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, in the city of London, cabinet maker; for certain improvements in the construction of several parts of tables, and of various other articles of household furniture, which stand upon, or are supported by, legs or feet. Dated November 26.

James Ingram, of Castle-street, in the city of Bristol, grocer; for a method of manufacturing powdersugar from raw-sugar alone, and from syrrup of sugar alone, and from the mixtures of raw-sugar and syrrup of sugar. Dated November 26.

Samuel Amoss, of Red lion-place, in the parish of St. Sepulchre, is the city of London, china enamel. ler; for certain improved methods of preparing various enamel colours, and of applying the same so pre pared, to the ornamenting useful vessels of glass. Dated November 26.

Joseph Steel, of Stockport, in the county of Chester, for a species of cloths, fustians, callicoes, cambricks, lawns, striped cottons, and other articles, manufactured with cotton, wool, and flax, mixed and spun together. Dated December 17.

Accoun

Account of the double Boats built by the Direction of Sir Sydney Smith; the Nature and Properties of this Species of Vessels, Method of building larger of the Kind, with sufficient Strength, and of those of similar Construction formerly built. By Mr. J. W. Boswell.

The boats built by direction of Sir Sydney Smith have excited some curiosity; their construction is so different from what is usual in this part of the world, that a multitude of strange conjectures are every day formed of their use and design. It is therefore imagined, that the folJowing account of these boats, and their propertics, and of other vessels of a similar nature, will not be unacceptable to our readers.

The first double boat built for Sir Sydney Smith, consists of two of the common Thames-wherries, united by a stage or platform laid over them, of about twenty feet breadth. The wherries were raised one streak to receive this stage, which is formed of pieces of scant. ling, about six inches by three in thickness, laid across the boats, and firmly secured to them, upon which a deck is afterwards laid down. Beyond this stage the boats project about five feet at either end; which parts are also decked over, and the whole made water-tight above. Long narrow hatchways open into each wherry. Their heads and sterns are connected by cross pieces, and each is furnished with two masts, so that the double boat carries four masts in all; on which sprit-sails are used, for the greater convenience of reversing the direction of the vessel without putting about, either end being formed so

as to go foremost at pleasure with equal facility.

Two other vessels have been since built on this plan, on a larger scale, called the Gemini and the Cancer. The stages or platforms of these boats are not so broad in proportion as that of the first. The Gemini has also her two supporting boats formed with the internal side of each perpendicular, and straight, so that each resembles half of a boat, divided lengthways, vertically. The shear of the latter boats is also much greater than that of the first, their extremities being considerably higher than their decks. The Gemini has four masts, the Cancer it is said has not more than two. They are each furnished with a small gun, placed on the middle of the platform, and are fitted with a suitable number of oars, to be used in calm weather.

Sir Sydney's particular destination for these boats is not made public, nor would it be proper to investigate this subject; but the na ture and properties of vessels of this kind depending on their construction, require no communication of secret intelligence to point them out, and are as follows.

The chief advantages of doublehulled vessels are, first, the great velocity with which they may be made to sail. This arises from two circumstances: first, their great extension of breadth gives them such a bearing as removes all danger of oversetting from press of sail; and, secoudly, this same circumstance renders it unnecessary to carry any ballast, by which the vessel will be so much lighter, draw the less water, and of course make less resistance.