WHILE this Institution is endeavouring to supply our coasts with ample means for saving life on occasions of accident at sea, and whilst our sister institution, " The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society," is actively dispensing subscriptions from the humane which alleviate much suffering—the consequence of these accidents—there remains a third course of usefulness open to both, viz., to assist in the prevention of accidents on board ship ; and perhaps no persons can more consistently than ourselves bring before the public questions which attack the root of this evil and distress, which it is" our united aim and interest to alleviate.

To be sure, the direct object for which this Institution was founded in 1824, as both its original and its present titles import, was the preservation of life after shipwreck or other casualty at sea; and it accordingly has no funds at disposal for introducing and placing on ship-board such contrivances or improvements as would lead to their prevention, even if the owners of ships would brook the interference of a private body, such as a charitable institution, in such matters on board their vessels.

Yet, nevertheless, we may probably indirectly produce some result in that direction, by publishing and making more generally known alike the existence of acknowledged evils and imperfections as regards security to life at sea and the means which may be adopted to prevent them.

As one means of forwarding this end, we have introduced in our Journal a column for New Inventions. For although, undoubtedly, a large proportion of the inventions which are being constantly promulgated and patented fall jfar short of the standard of utility by which their sanguine originators have measured them, and that especially in nautical inventions by those who are not practically acquainted with the sea; yet we believe that very many valuable inventions which would advance the welfare of mankind are lost owing to the inability of their authors, from one cause or another, to bring them into notice or obtain for them a trial.

Probably one cause of the public indifference to new inventions, and the little encouragement afforded to.those who possess the inventive faculty—nay, the great discouragement, for they are constantly rained by them, is the want of a guarantee of their real value.

Such a guarantee or surety could perhaps only be found in a public board, to take general cognizance of new inventions, and one of whose especial offices it would be to select new inventions for trial whether patented or not, at the public expense, where they bore satisfactory evidence of their public utility.

We have been led to these remarks by having our attention directed to an address to the shipowners of Liverpool by Mr. S. M. SAXBY, himself an inventor and patentee of useful nautical and other inventions.

In his address Mr. SAXBY remarks, " Were there in Liverpool a committee composed of shipowners, engineers, marine surveyors, &c., under the patronage of the Admiralty, having at their disposal a fund to enable them to test" (or rather, we should say, countertest) " proposed and well-promising improvements for shipping, it seems probable that the monstrous machines of transit, which convey, daily, hundreds of our countrymen and countrywomen to their transatlantic homes, or to their adopted country at the earth's antipodes, might proceed with increased security." Such is probable, and it especially concerns us.

It may be supposed by many that a good and useful invention must sooner or later find due encouragement; but in many instances such is not the case, for after all, as a little inquiry and reflection wil suffice to inform us, it is not an innate lov( of improvement existing in the human mind at least in modern times, which has, alone or even chiefly raised the fabric of human knowledge of art and science, mechanism manufacture, and discovery to the colossa height which it has even now attained; bu that the great motive power, which, above all others, has worked the vast machine has been the desire of gain, the natural and justifiable wish to attain wealth or competence in return for the exercise of those faculties given by Providence for the advancement and gradual development of the human character.

As however the principal part of the class if inventions to which we would especially refer are not of a kind to promise large remuneration to their authors, and as the latter lave often insufficient means to cany them hrough the earliest stage of their existence, hey run serious risk of being lost to the world unless they receive some such extraneous aid as that which we advocate.

SAXBY's PATENT CHAIN-CABLE STOPPER.

Amongst other inventions patented by the scientific gentleman to whom we have above referred, Mr. S. M. Saxby, of Maentwrog, North Wales, are a deck chain-cable stopaer, and an improved chain-cable bitt and windlass. The first of these inventions we aropose to notice in our present Number, reserving the others for a future occasion.

We have already called attention to Berthon's collapsible life-boat, and to Cunningham's mode of reefing topsails from the deck, both of which we believe to be improvements of real value and interest to all maritime Europe; and which will doubtless, when more generally known and adopted, reduce very materially the frightful list of casualties at sea, which our reports announce.

We need scarcely remind any of our readers, however unacquainted with nautical affairs, that another fruitful source of shipwreck, with its consequent loss of life, is the imperfection, insufficient strengh, or unskilful management of what is commonly termed the ground-tackling of a ship, viz., the anchors, and cables, and their appurtenances.

We may quote, in illustration, the wellknown recent case of the steamer Prince, which was totally lost with an invaluable cargo and many lives off the entrance ol Balaklava Harbour in the latter part of the past year, together with many other valuable vessels then ministering to the necessities of the French and British armiea before Sebastopol.

Had the Prince's anchors and cables, and their management been all that they ought to have been, that noble ship and gallan; crew might at this moment have been in existence, rendering the most important services to their country.

As our pages are not solely intended for the perusal of nautical men, with whom such subjects are familiar, we will briefly explain the uses and requisite qualities of the ground-tackling of a ship, by means of which she grapples with the solid earth beneath her, and boldly maintains her position despite the united efforts of the assailing waves, the rushing tide, and the furious gale.

1st. The anchors must be possessed of weight and strength, proportionate to the size and weight of the huge floating body of which they are, as it were, the hands; and, moreover, they should be always clear and ready for letting go at a moment's warning, yet anchors, like boats, are not invariably so.

2nd. The cables must also be of corresponding strength and of sufficient length; they should be severely tested before use, and should be carefully secured at either end, the one to the anchor and the other round the mainmast, or to some equally secure and immovable part of the ship.

Yet simple and self-evident as this last requirement appears, it is an unmistakable fact that very many vessels have gone on shore and been lost, through the inner end of a cable having been neglected to be made fast, and the anchor and cable being thus both lost together. Whether or not such was the case on board the Prince, as was commonly reported at the time, we are not aware; but it is a neglect not altogether uncommon in our merchant-ships, and we have known it to occur in our ships of war.

3rd. It is not, however, sufficient that a cable should be fastened at either end, outboard to the anchor and inboard to the ship; it is also necessary that it should be temporarily and securely fastened inboard at any required distance from the anchor, to enable the ship to ride by whatever scope of cable the varying depth of water or other circumstances might require. This is effected by means of bitts and stoppers. By the cable being passed round and encircling the former, the strain on the stoppers is diminished, and the velocity of the cable in running out is checked. Whilst by the proper application and management of the stoppers both before and abaft the bitts, the cable is confined at any required point, or is allowed to be veered or hauled in as may be deemed necessary.

It will be evident, therefore, to every one that they form an important part of the ground-tackling of a ship, indeed so important a one that the safety of a ship must often depend on them.

The ordinary kinds of rope-stoppers and hatchway-stoppers are familiar to our nautical readers, we need not therefore describe them, but will at once explain the character of Mr. SAXBY'S stopper in his own words:— " It is remarkably simple, and consists of an iron frame having suspended between two struts a ' cleat,' of a plain but peculiar form, and working eccentrically. The chaincable, near the hawse-pipe, passes between this cleat and the iron bed of the frame, so that, although the chain passes freely throngh the stopper in entering inboard, not a link can pass outward without the cleat being purposely raised, as in the case of veering.

Another striking superiority to all other contrivances appears to lie in its not exerting a pressure upon one link only, but nipping two or three alike, thus never injuring the chain ; and again, the stopper is so constructed that when the strain upon the cable is great and would endanger its safety, the stopper cleat, without any assistance, lifts and allows a small and repeated escape of cable, thus relieving all strain from chock forward, and giving time to add further security at the bitts. Moreover, a vessel fitted with this patent, if caught on a lee shore, can get her anchor without the present delay of ' claws' and ' fleetings.' It also affords additional security when a chain comes in muddy or slippery." These qualifications as described to us at our request by the patentee, and which are attested by high naval authorities, we consider of sufficient importance to merit our notice; and we trust that this invention, with others by the same gentleman which tend to facilitate the safe management of ground-tackle, may become as generally known and adopted as we believe they deserve to be.