whose total weight is 770 tons, is in all respects an efficient ship for an armament of 28 guns; it cannot be proper that the Imogene should have been constructed with a displacement of 103 tons more than the Sapphire; or that the Challenger should have been under any ordinary circumstance immersed so much as 170 tons more than the same ship. The calculations of the effects of the water on these vessels, in causing them to pitch and scend, show the Sapphire to be the most easy ship.

A comparison may now be made of the calculations of the Rover and Columbine, built on the system of Captain Symonds; the Orestes, constructed by Professor Inman; and the Champion, from the draught of Commodore Hayes. Between these vessels there is a very wide difference in the distances of their centres of gravity of displacement, from the middle of the load water line. The greatest discrepancy is between the Columbine and the Champion. The tendencies to pitch and scend in the Champion, arising from the form of her bottom, are very nearly alike; much more so than in either of the other corvettes. But, owing to her centre of gravity being so very small a distance before the middle of her length, the effect of the weights in her might alone cause her to pitch and scend with considerable violence. In the Columbine, on the other hand, where the centre of gravity is a very great distance before the middle, the tendency to pitch, arising from the form of her bottom, is very much greater than her tendency to scend. The Rover and Orestes have their centres of gravity in a mean position, nearly between those of the Columbine and Champion; and the tendencies of the former vessels to pitch and scend must, if similarly stowed, be pretty nearly alike.

Nothing, it is thought, can display in a more clear and striking manner the present imperfect state of the practice of Naval architecture, than that four vessels constructed to carry the same armament should be so extremely dissimilar to each other in so many respects; in the forms of their bottoms, in their volumes of displacement, in the positions of their centres of gravity, and in the relative fulness of their fore and after bodies. Some fundamental principle is plainly wanting as a legitimate foundation for the practice of constructing ships. And that essential element is considered to be the best position for the centre of gravity through which the axes of rotation pass.

Those who construct ships by merely practical methods, virtually reject and condemn as useless calculations made on scientific principles. It has indeed been declared, that nothing relating to the performance of a ship at sea can be predicted from the results of calculations. With just as much propriety might any one assert that he will not believe that the time of an eclipse of the sun or moon can be found by astronomical computation.

It remains merely at present to take a passing notice of the Waterwitch, lately purchased into the Navy, and which appears to possess very superior sailing qualities. The points in this vessel, which distinguish her from others, and perhaps especially from those with which she has been placed in competition, are the proximity of her centre of gravity to the middle of her length, and the very near equality of her tendencies to pitch and scend.

The calculations thus briefly illustrated are a specimen of part of those which ought to be made by a Naval architect, to ensure that, before the expense of building a ship is incurred, the structure shall possess all its desirable qualities. It is only by means of such computations, together with accurate accounts of the stowage, that the remarkable discrepancies which have been observed in the sailing of different vessels, and of the same vessels at different periods, can be satisfactorily accounted for.

These calculations also show, that if ships were to be constructed according to the system propounded in my former paper in this work, they would be distinguishable from ships hitherto built, in the same manner as a just balance is distinguished from a false one; the axis of rotation would be placed where it ought to be, in the one case, which it never has been in the other. And thus it is plain, that all vessels heretofore built, and which are

uniformly balanced on the principle of the just balance breadthways, are balanced like a false balance, or a steelyard lengthways; and that, in fact, all ships, (with possibly a few accidental exceptions,) though not lop-sidedwhich they would be if both sides were not made exactly alike, are nevertheless lop-ended, in consequence of the want of a method of determining the best position for the axis of rotation.

For the sake of illustrating these observations, it may be remarked respecting the Pique, one of the latest constructions of the Surveyor of the Navy, that, as I have been led to believe, the ballast, stores, and other weights were originally stowed on board of her in the usual way, according to the discretion of some one of her officers,-either her captain, her master, or the mate of her hold; and thus this ship, like others, when equipped for sea, became the joint production of the Surveyor of the Navy and the individual who directed the operation of stowing her. The Pique, when at sea, appears to have been found to pitch somewhat more heavily than ships in general; and in order to diminish the violence of her pitching motion, and thereby to improve her sailing, it seems to have been necessary to discharge a large portion of her sea-store of fresh water, and to remove part of her ballast, guns, &c., towards her after end, and by such means to immerse the ship about 18 inches more by the stern, and less by the head, than her constructor intended, and of course expected her to swim. So great an alteration made in the stowage and trim of a ship must in any instance be regarded as a very untoward circumstance; all the endeavours of the Naval architect to produce a perfect ship being thus completely frustrated, and tacitly condemned.

In conclusion, I observe, that one of the great advantages which would result from the mode of construction I have thus endeavoured to elucidate would be, that a simple and uniform mode of stowing ships would thereby be supplied. The stowage of every ship would be performed according to the mode prescribed by her constructor, who would first mark the vertical and transverse plane of the centre of gravity of displacement of the vessel, and then dispose of an equal weight on the fore and after sides of this plane, in such a manner, that whilst the whole of the stowage, and the heaviest articles especially, would be placed as near to midships as practicable, the common centre of gravity of the weights afore and abaft the centre of gravity of displacement, would be at an equal distance from this point, and from the centre of gravity of the ship, or axis of rotation.

MEMOIRS OF GENERAL AND FLAG-OFFICERS RECENTLY DECEASED.

THE LATE ADMIRAL SIR CHARLES TYLER, G.C.B.

THE Veteran subject of this memoir was made a Commander previous to the termination of the war with America, and appointed to the Queen, armed ship, of 20 guns. He afterwards commanded the Trimmer, sloop, stationed at Milford for the suppression of smuggling. His Post Commission bears date September 21, 1790.

Early in 1793, on the breaking out of the war with France, hé obtained the command of the Meleager, 32 guns, and served in that ship at Toulon, and the reduction of Corsica, where his services were so distinguished, that when La Minerve, a prize frigate of 40 guns, that had been sunk, was, chiefly by his exertions, weighed again, the command of her was given to him. She acquired the name of the St. Fiorenzo, from the town and fortress so denominated. This took place about the month of March, 1794; and in the autumn of the same year, Captain Tyler was removed into the Diadem, 64

guns, forming part of Vice-Admiral Hotham's fleet, and was engaged in the partial action of March 14, 1795. He next was intrusted with the command of a small squadron stationed in the Adriatic; and subsequently employed under the orders of Commodore Nelson, on the coast of Italy. In 1796 he was appointed to L'Aigle, frigate, in which he cruised with considerable success, and captured several of the enemy's privateers; but in 1798, when conveying despatches to Sir Horatio Nelson, was wrecked near Tunis, and on that occasion lost all his personals, and had to sustain many severe privations and serious hardships.

Captain Tyler, on his return to England, obtained the command of the Warrior, 74, and served with the Channel fleet until the spring of 1801, at which period he accompanied Sir Hyde Parker on an expedition to the Baltic, where he continued till July; and during the remainder of the war was engaged in the blockade of Cadiz.

On the 20th of January, 1802, a squadron, consisting of the Warrior, Bellona, Zealous, and Defence, under the orders of Captain Tyler, sailed from Gibraltar for the West Indies, to watch the motions of an armament despatched thither immediately after the suspension of hostilities. Captain Tyler anchored at Port Royal, Jamaica, the 15th of February, and returned from thence to England in July following.

In 1803, on the renewal of hostilities against France, Captain Tyler was appointed to the superintendence of a district of Sea Fencibles, and remained on that service until appointed, in 1805, to the Tonnant, 80 guns. This ship formed part of the British fleet in the battle of Trafalgar, on which occasion she was warmly engaged, having 26 men killed, and 50, including her Commander, wounded. Captain Tyler was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, the 28th of April, 1808, and soon after hoisted his flag as second in command at Portsmouth.

He subsequently served under Sir Charles Cotton, off the Tagus, and was present at the surrender of the Russian Admiral Seniavin, the 3rd of September, 1808, the first division of whose fleet he escorted from Lisbon to Spithead, where they arrived on the 6th of the following month. In the autumn of 1812 Rear-Admiral Tyler was appointed Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope, where he continued until relieved by Sir G. Cockburn, in 1815. On the 2nd of January in the latter year he was nominated a K. C. B., and in January, 1833, advanced to the higher dignity of a Grand Cross.

Sir Charles was twice married; first to Miss Pike, of Portsmouth, and secondly to Miss Leach, of Pembroke, South Wales. He has left two sons; George, a Post-Captain, and a Knight of the Guelphic Order; and Charles, a Commander in the Royal Navy.

Sir Charles had been in delicate and declining health for some years, and his loss will be sincerely felt by his numerous friends, relations, and acquaintances.

THE LATE LIEUTENANT-GENERAL EDMUND REILLY COPE

Was the only son of William Cope, Esq., of Dublin, who rendered important services to his country by communicating to Government information which led to the discovery, and ultimately, to the suppression of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

The subject of this memoir obtained his first commission as Ensign, by purchase, in the 66th Foot, on the 19th of January, 1784; and having joined that regiment in Ireland, proceeded with it to the West Indies, where he was stationed for some years. He succeeded to a Lieutenancy, by

purchase, in 1787; and subsequently purchased a Company in the 4th, or King's Own. He served with that regiment in various parts of Nova Scotia and Canada, and accompanied it on an expedition against St. Pierre and Miquelon.

On the 3rd of December, 1794, he obtained the Majority of the late Royal Dublin Regiment, in the formation of which he took a most active part. He was afterwards appointed Major of the Loyal Irish Fencibles; and on the 1st of January, 1800, received the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel. He served with that corps, at Jersey, until 1803. In that year he proceeded to the Continent for the benefit of his health; and when on the point of embarking for England, he was detained as a prisoner of war in France.

During the eleven years that Colonel Cope remained in captivity at Verdun and Valenciennes, he was one of the most active members of the Committee for distributing money and clothing to the British soldiers and osailors whwere prisoners of war; and his late Royal Highness the Duke of York was graciously pleased to communicate to him his approbation of his exertions on that occasion.

On his return to England he was placed on the list of Major-Generals of the 4th of June, 1813; and was appointed Lieutenant-General on the 27th of May, 1825.

THE LATE MAJOR-GENERAL FRANCIS HEPBURN.

MAJOR-GENERAL Francis Hepburn was born on the 19th of August, 1779; descended from an ancient and powerful family of the south of Scotland. He engaged very early in that profession in which many of his ancestors had honourably preceded him, amongst whom may be mentioned the gallant soldier of his name who bore so distinguished a part in the wars of Gustavus Adolphus. The paternal grandfather of General Hepburn, James Hepburn, of Brecarton and Keith Marshall, was an active, strenuous supporter of the Stuart family: in their service he spent the greater part of his fortune. His two sons served with distinction in the Royal Army: the eldest (Robert) was Lieutenant-Colonel in the Enniskillen Dragoons; the second (David) was a Colonel of Infantry, and distinguished himself on foreign service, particularly at the siege of Belleisle, in 1761. Bad health obliged him, at an early period, to retire from service, when he married Bertha Graham, of the family of Inchbrakie, a branch of the ancient House of Montrose, by whom he had two sons and two daughters. The eldest son (James) obtained an appointment in the Civil Service of the East India Company; the second, (Francis) the subject of this memoir, chose the military profession.

In 1794, at the age of fifteen, General Hepburn was appointed to an Ensigncy in the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards. In 1798 he served with his battalion in the Irish Rebellion; and in 1799 he accompanied the expedition to the Helder. From 1802 to 1805 he was upon the Home Staff with General Acland, at Chelmsford; and in 1805 he went to Malta with General Mackenzie Fraser and General Acland; and remained there with General Fox. From thence he went to Sicily, where he served under General Sir Edward Paget. When Sir John Stuart landed in Calabria and fought the battle of Maida, he was confined to bed with fever and ophthalmia. In 1809 he went to Cadiz, where he was stationed in the Isla de Leon. In 1811 he was present at the battle of Barrosa, where he acted as Major in the battalion of his regiment commanded by Major-General Dilkes, and where, in the charge, his leg was severely shattered by a musket-ball. Amputation was proposed, but knowing that he should thereby be disabled

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from future active service, he submitted to any risk rather than lose his leg. His sufferings from his wound were so severe, that he was obliged to return home; nor was he enabled to rejoin the Army in the Peninsula till the autumn of 1812. He was then appointed, very much to his satisfaction, to the command of a small corps of light troops or sharpshooters.

General Hepburn continued with the Army whilst they drove the French through 'Spain, distinguishing himself on many occasions, particularly at the battle of Victoria, at Nivelle, and the passage of the Nive.

In 1814 he was ordered home to take the command of the battalion of the 3rd Guards which was destined for the expedition to the Netherlands. Being detained by contrary winds, he did not arrive in England till after the expedition had sailed. He, however, proceeded to his destination, where he remained until the month of June in the following year; when his battalion was ordered to join the forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington, at Brussels. On the 16th of June, 1815, he was present at the action of Quatre-Bras. He was also engaged on the 17th; and on the memorable 18th he commanded the second battalion of the 3rd Guards, at the battle of Waterloo. At an early period of the action he was ordered to the important post of Hougomont, which had, until then, been bravely defended by Colonel Macdonnell and Lord Saltoun, with a very inferior force. Here, as superior officer, (Sir John Byng having taken the command of the division in consequence of Sir George Cooke being disabled by a severe wound,) he, of course, assumed the command, Colonel Woodford having occupied the chateau with his battalion of the Coldstream Regiment, and he (Colonel Hepburn) having to defend the orchard and wood,-where the loss of officers and men was very severe,-and where, in addition to his own battalion of the Guards, he had the command of several battalions of foreign troops, with which he had been reinforced during the action.

The Duke of Wellington's despatch will best show the importance of the post, and the sense entertained of the gallantry with which it was maintained during that arduous day; but owing to some unfortunate mistake, the name of Colonel Hepburn was not mentioned in the official account of the action, but that of Colonel Hume, who served under him, and who had no separate command, was substituted. This mistake was afterwards officially, but never publicly explained; and it is probably owing to this circumstance that the honours so hardly earned were never bestowed upon an officer who had maintained one of the most important points of the position, and upon the successful defence of which the safety of the army may, in some degree, be said to have depended.

As a proof of General Hepburn's love of the service and devotion to his professional duties, it may not be unworthy of observation that during the whole period of his services after he rejoined the army in the Peninsula, in 1812, his wound had never been healed: exfoliations were frequently occurring, and it was not till a late period that a part of the ball, with a portion of the cloth which it had carried into the wound, came away. From the severity of these sufferings, aggravated by a tendency to gout, his health was gradually undermined, and his constitution, which was naturally very robust, sunk under them. He died at Tunbridge Wells, where he had recently gone for change of air, on Sunday the 7th of June, 1835, decply lamented by all who knew and appreciated his high and generous principles, his sterling and unassuming worth.

In the year 1821 Major-General Hepburn married Henrietta, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Sir Henry Poole, Bart., of Poole Hall, in the county of Chester, and of Hooke, in the county of Sussex; by which lady, who survives him, he has left two sons, Henry Poole and Francis Robert, and one daughter.