is deemed by underwriters equally hazardous with a voyage to Europe. But it is not alone the danger of the voyage, which deters them from the prosecution of the fisheries; it is the great loss of time they occasion, and the expense they create, as these render the adventure too often far from profit. able. A railway from Shediac to the port of St. John, which is open at all seasons of the year, would enable the various products of the fisheries to reach a port of shipment in four hours, and the necessity for the long voyage around Nova Scotia would be obviated. The fishing vessels could winter at any of the ports on the Gulf shore which they found most convenient; their stores and outfits could be sent up by railway, and they would, in such case, enjoy the advantage of being on the fishing-grounds at the earliest moment in spring, and the fisherman could protract his labours until the winter again had fairly set in. The fresh salmon packed in ice which were sent last season from St. John to Boston by the steamers, owing to the facilities of transport in the United States, in two days after they left St. John, appeared at table, in prime condition, at Albany, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, New York, and Philadelphia. If the salmon of the northern rivers could be transported by railway to St. John they would find a ready market in the numerous towns and villages of the United States, and the salmon fishery alone would prove a perfect mine of wealth to the northern part of the province. The immense products which might be obtained by a vigorous prosecution of the fisheries for herring, cod, and mackarel would not only furnish a fruitful source of a profit to a railway, but they would afford such an amount of remunerative employment to all the productive c'asses as almost to defy calculation. They would enable the province to open up and prosecute successful trade with several foreign countries, with which at present the merchants of New Brunswick have no connexion whatever. The farmer also would be greatly beneñted by the extension of the fisheries in connection with the railway, because he would not only find a more ready market for his surplus produce, but he would be furnished with wholesome and nutritious food, at all seasons of the year, on the most reasonable terms. Aided by railways the fisheries of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, now of so little importance and such limited value, would take rank as one of the highest privileges of New Brunswick-its unfailing source of wealth for ever here. after. And while the efforts of the people were successfully directed towards securing those bounties of Providence, lavished with such unsparing hand, they would rejoice in the goodness of an all-wise Creator, and offer up humble but earnest thanks to Almighty God for his exceeding goodness and mercy towards his erring and sinful creatures. ON THE COMBINED VAPOUR ENGINE OF M. DE TREMBLY.-By Com. L. G. Heath, R.N. 34, Montague Place, April 17th, 1849. SIR.-A method of increasing the power without proportionally increasing the expenditure of fuel is the greatest problem to be solved by the steam navigation engineers of the present day. Mons. de Trembly professes to have made a great step in this direction by the invention of the "combined vapour engine;" and the committee appointed by the French Government to report on its performance fully bear him out in his professions. The engine is thus described, "The apparatus consists of two engines of ten horse-power each, placed side by side, and coupled by an axle after the manner of marine engines: steam is furnished for one of the engines from a ten horse-power boiler; which, after exerting its force in the cylinder, passes into a condenser, in which a large number of thin copper tubes are ranged vertically. These tubes are charged with perchloride of formyle in a liquid state, which robs the steam of its caloric, and condensing it becomes itself vaporised. The perchloride vapor passes into a second cylinder of the same dimensions as the former, and, after having acted upon the piston escapes into a condenser similar to the preceding one, flowing into the copper tubes around which a pump continually supplies cold water. The perchloride is then returned in a liquid state by means of a pump to the condenser vaporiser, where it is again vaporised. This operation is kept up, and thus the perchloride produces a double action; being employed at one time in a state of liquid as a condenser, and at another in a state of vapour as a motive power." The commissioners made eight experiments, from which they drew up the accompanying table; each experiment had its corresponding pair of diagrams, but as they are all much alike in general form, I think it hardly worth while to take up your space by copying more than one. The engine worked one hour, and required about 4,200 gallons of water at a temperature of 71° Fahrenheit for condensing the perchloride. 8 28 3.0 3.0 23.5 19.6 195 10.55 5.68 7.28 12.96 1.28 Scale 24lbs. to an inch; revolutions 32; diameter of cylinder, 15.72 inches; stroke 2.95. On working out the diagrams I find that the numbers in the 9th, 10th and 11th columns should all be smaller than those in the table: it may be that the French and English definitions of horse-power are different. In the accompanying diagram I have taken my own figures, but I have left the French table unaltered. I will now point out what appear to me the relative advantages and disadvantages (deducible from the above diagrams) of the new invention as compared with the common condensing engine. The advantage gained is represented by the area of the perchloride diagram, or by the 10th column in the table. The disadvantages (which are not mentioned at all by the French com. missioners) are First, Loss of power by imperfect condensation of steam. Secondly, Waste of power in pumping out condensing water. Thirdly, Increased cost, weight, and space. I will consider these three heads separately. First. If the steam were condensed in the usual manner, the vacuum line of the diagram would be about where I have placed the dotted line, viz. at a pressure of 31b per square inch. This amended diagram will give a horsepower of 20, shewing a loss under this head of 4.8 horses. Secondly.-Suppose the condensing water has to be pumped up 20 feet; we 42000 X 20 4 for the horse-power required to do it. 33000 X 60 have Thirdly. The two engines used in the experiments were exactly alike; the first cost therefore of the new engine will be more than double that of the common one, because of the expense of the numerous copper tubes in the vaporiser. Neither the expense nor the expenditure of the perchloride are mentioned by the commissioners. Summary. With the proposed plan we have double the engine-room space, double the weight, and rather more than double the cost of the old engine, (the boiler and expenditure of fuel remaining unaltered.) We gain by perchloride whose real horse-power is 20. 11.8 horse-power. 5.2 6.6 horse-power on an engine Hoping the above may prove interesting to some of your readers, To the Editor N.M. L. G. HEATH, Com. R.N. (Continued from page 263.) THE SEA'S STORM OF FEB., 1847.-From Liverpool to New York. H. K. F. J14 4 314 41 4 N.W. upNWbN W.b S. off N.b.W. W.S.W. S.W. to 9 10 W.N.W. 11 5 S.E. 23456780 1122222256 8 2 12 6 18 Bar. Remarks, &c., Sunday 21st. 29-42 29 47 A.M. Hard gales, but moderating a little, and rather less sea on; ship under close reefed fore and main topsail. At 3. set mizen topsail, and single reefed fore course; 6h. let the close reef out of the fore and main topsails, set reefed main course and reefed span29.47 ker. 8h. light winds and thick hazy weather, with rain; heavy sea on from the 29-30 westward; let the second reefs out of 29.17 the topsails, reef out of courses and 28.93 spanker; set jib and top-gallant sails. 28.75 10h. 30m. furled jib, close reefed 28-60 main topsail; 11h. 30m. in fore and 28.55 mizen top-gallant sails; noon, strong 28.47 breeze and thick weather with rain, 28-35 and heavy westerly sea on. Lat. acct. 28-1852° 18′ N., long. 30° 33' W. 28.18 P.M. Strong gale and thick weather 28-20 with rain, close reefed the fore and 28-50 main topsails, furled the mainsails, in 28.71 first reef of the foresail and furled it; 28.75 2h. 33m. blowing a hard gale from S. E. furled the main topsail; 4h. hard gale and thick weather with continual heavy rain, the westerly sea nearly all knocked down, and the southerly sea making fast; 6h. more moderate, heavy sea from S.E. and raining very heavy; 7h. 30m. I kept off W.N.W., the wind being now quite moderate and the sea very dangerous, she went along beautifully, but though she shipped no sea she would roll her weather rail nearly under at times. At 7h. 50m. it had cleared off and ceased raining; and I observed it began to lift up quite bright to the westward, clewed the fore topsail up at once, but before the men got aloft it had burst out not a gale, but a young hurricane, and, they could not furl the sail. It was well we had leech lines round the sail else we should have lost it all altogether. The main yards were not braced up sharper than about eight points, but I durst not start any thing now; I expected the yards would go every minute though they were well secured with preventer braces. The sea appeared to be knocked down greatly, and all in a sheet of foam. I endeavoured to look to windward, but I could not see; the howling of No. 6.-VOL. XVIII. 2 T the wind was terrible: at 9h, the barometer had risen a little; at 11h. the fury of the storm was spent, and we got the fore topsail made fast. Midnight, violent storm and high sea. Winds. Bar. 1 2 S.W.b.W. 28.80 N.W. off N.b.W 3 4 2 5 4 upNWbW W.S.W. up WNW S.W.b.S. Remarks, &c. Monday 22nd. A.M. Violent gale and sea running very heavy, but the ship rides nobly, Ï am surprised at the wind hauling to the 29-00 S. W., again. I expected it would have gone to W.N. W., or N W., and I am glad now I had not time to wear ship. At 4h. it had moderated greatly, and 29.10 there was much less sea. At 8h. quite moderate, but the weather looks very unsettled, and the barometer keeps low, set close reefed fore 29.14 and mizen topsail, single reefed fore sail, 29.15 and reefed spanker, inspected the main yards and found them all right, tried the pumps, but find the ship has not made 29.10 spell of water the twenty-four hours. Noon, moderate breeze and cloudy weather, and sickly haze over the sun. Latitude observed 52° 23′ N. Long. 29.05 chron. 32° 08′ W., lat. acct. 52° 26' N., W.N.W. 29-03 long, acct. 31° 43′ W. 10 11 offNWbW 12 P.M. Light winds and cloudy wea 28.95 ther, the sun covered with a thick dirty 2S-95 haze; 1h. let the close reef out fore and aft; set reefed main sail and jib; 3h. the clouds began to gather very heavy in the westward, and strong flaws would strike us frequently; in jib and main sail, and close reefed the topsails. At 6h. moderate breeze and clear weather to the westward, but thick heavy clouds in the S. E., quarter, much less sea on. Through the first watch moderate winds and clear weather for the most part, at times it looked very threatening, the Aurora Borealis shining beautifully. THE MARMION'S STORM OF DEC. 1848.—From Liverpool to New York. A.M. from 1b. to 4h. strong gales and squally, the wind veering three or four 29.36 points very often in the squalls, with 29-34 hail and snow. At 5h. blowing strong and very angry aspect to the westward. Close reefed the topsails, reefed the Baffling 29 32 courses, and furled the mainsail, and at 6h. 30m, wore ship to the N.W., and set the fore course and main-try sail 29-32 and main top-staysail, but we had not been round long before the wind headed 29-30 us off to N.b.W. At 8h. strong gales, and the wind very unsteady. Through W. and |