Abstract
THIS ought to be one of the most popular volumes of this instructive series, the contents are so varied, the subjects so generally interesting, and the amount of information conveyed so large. The various writers, moreover, have managed to treat their subjects in a manner that will be understood and enjoyed by even the most general readers. Capt. Pim is evidently quite at home in his subject, which he writes about in the spirit both of a sailor and a Member of Parliament. Of course only the merest sketch of so large a subject can be given in the space at his disposal, but in that space he contrives to convey a substantial amount of information, commencing with the log which conjecture makes the first form of boat, down to the latest armour-plated ship-of-war. He writes in rather a desponding tone of the present condition of British shipping, both in the merchant service and in the navy, and thinks our country behind others in modes of construction. Our navy is evidently far from perfect, and those who have its control, if they have also the welfare of our country at heart, would do well to weigh Capt. Pim's criticism. One of the surest remedies is undoubtedly the rigid application of scientifically-conducted experiment to shipbuilding. Mr. Sabine gives a very complete sketch of telegraphy as an industry, of the various forms of telegraph, their construction, the instruments in use, and the materials employed. He, too, indulges in some wholesome criticism, which those who provide the means for constructing telegraphs would do well to peruse. Prof. Wrightson (of Cirencester Agricultural College) gives a very instructive account of the multifarious machinery now used in the various operations by which agriculture is carried on, from clearing and ploughing the land to preparing crops and stock for market and consumption. Mr. Clark gives much valuable information on the construction and working of railways, showing the progress made since they were first started, describing some of the latest improvements and most important enterprises, and entering into details as to cost, revenue, and other points, which all who are interested in railways will find useful. His short notice of Tramways is also interesting; their cost of construction will surprise many, if not the large earnings which they make. Altogether, the volume is one of varied and genuine interest.
British Manufacturing Industries.
G. Phillips
Bevan
Edited by, F.G.S. Shipbuilding, by Capt. Bedford Pim, R.N., M.P.; Telegraphy, by Robert Sabine, C.E.; Agricultural Machinery, by Prof. Wrightson; Railways and Tramways, by D. Kinnear Clark, M.Inst.C.E. (London: Stanford, 1876.)
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Our Book Shelf . Nature 14, 423 (1876). https://doi.org/10.1038/014423a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/014423a0