Observations in reply to the opinions of the Elder Brethren of the Trinity Houses of London, Newcastle, and Kingston-upon-Hull, contained in their several reports of the 8th February, 5th March, and 9th April, 1813 ... on the plan submitted to ascertain 'the real merits and benefits of a general establishment for the preservation from shipwreck' / [George William Manby].

  • Manby, George William, 1765-1854
Date:
[1814]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations in reply to the opinions of the Elder Brethren of the Trinity Houses of London, Newcastle, and Kingston-upon-Hull, contained in their several reports of the 8th February, 5th March, and 9th April, 1813 ... on the plan submitted to ascertain 'the real merits and benefits of a general establishment for the preservation from shipwreck' / [George William Manby]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Tn a subsequent part of their Report, the Brethren instance New-Biggin, as one of these few “particular parts” “ which appears, unquestionably, a proper place.” The propriety of New-Biggin, as a station for the apparatus, the Brethren allow on the evidence of my Report to Lord Sidmouth; and yet, rejecting the same evidence of no fewer than thirty- eight other places, in six counties alone, draw the conclusion, surely an arbitrary conclu¬ sion, that “ the situations, in which the apparatus would be applicable to afford relief are ■“ but few.” “ Here it may be proper tp remark, that the concurrence of many circumstances is “ requisite to the success of the means proposed, viz.—That the ship be stranded within Xi range of the mortar;—that the apparatus be near at hand, or, if not on the spot, there be “ ready means of transport and assistance for bringing it up;—that it be in proper order “ and condition ;—and that there be persons sufficiently skilled ready at hand to direct it’s “ application. All these circumstances must concur to ensure it’s success, and the absence ec of any one would render the rest unavailing.” It may be said of every useful instrument in life at all complicated, that the absence of any one of it’s own parts or adventitious cir¬ cumstances will render it useless. In conversible terms, then, what is this proposition of the Brethren ? but, that the ship must be within reach of the shot, or the shot will not reach it; —that the apparatus must be there, or it will not be present;—that it must be fit for use, or it cannot be used,—and that persons must know how to apply it,or it cannot be applied. In the same spirit, it might have been premised, that there must be water, before there can be navigation; and navigation, before there can be shipwreck: For, it is only in the romance of Don Bellianis, that a vessel can be cast ashore on Bohemia. After relating, in detail, all the concurrences necessaty to give operation to the apparatus, (a mode, by which am unfavourable idea of complexity is excited in the mind,) the Brethren should have shewn, that these concurrences were improbable; and, for th^kfpurpose, they would have shewn, ■that a very small extent of the coast is of a disposition to admit of shipwreck, within the ■range of the shot, carrying out a rope from a mortar;—they should have shewn, or at least .attempted to shew, that but few shipwrecks occur under these circumstances;—they should have shewn, that the apparatus is so heavy, as not to admit of transport from place to place with facility;—that it’s component materials were very liable to decay, and derangement;—it's -structure intricate, and it’s use unintelligible. But without attempting to establish any one of these positions, (the reverse of every one of which is the fact,) after repeating a list of requisite coincidences, not one of which on the face carries any appearance of improba¬ bility, they leap with a most violent elipsis to the conclusion,that “no national or public “ establishment can be formed with any prospect of advantage, relative to Capt. Manby’s plan of stationing mortars, at particular places, along a great extent of the coast, for the “ purposes proposed ip his Report.” And yet, immediately after, the Brethren declare, that they coincide with the Brethren of the Trinity House, at Newcastle, in the opinion, that “it* would be expedient to encourage local associations or communities of the inhabj- “ tants, in the neighbourhood, for the purpose of providing, preserving in good order, xe and managing such apparatus, as they may think adapted to their respective districts, xc and circumstances.” With great submission to the Brethren, there seems not to be the slightest difference in fact,between encouraging the adoptioW the apparatus by commu- jiities in the vicinities of the dangerous parts of the coast, and the institution by a public establishment; and, therefore, while they deprecate the latter in the term, they recommend it in the phrase. The Brethren proceed to observe, that “ it has been their object to gain imormation, of “ what success attended the trials hitherto: but, they do not find any authenticated cases, “ in which the project has proved successful, except the lew recorded by Capt. Manby “ in his Publication, being about six in number ; two of which appear to have been “ effected through the means of a boat being hauled off by a line. “ But the Brethren would beg to suggest the expediency of having a bona fide return made, as to the result of the trials in the several cases of shipwreck in which the appara- “ tus has been applied.” I most sinoerely rejoice, that the authenticity which the Brethren attribute to the six cases—(a less desultory perusal would have discovered seveu*)—which I have introduced in my Publication, saves me the pain of supposing, that the recommendation to Lord Sidmouth of a bond fide return of the number of successful cases, contains the most oblique insinuation of misrepresentation in me. Those cases are related and witnessed by the most respectable names;—by Capt. Curry, and Lieut. Dennis, of the Navy;—Mr. Reeve, junior, of Lowestoft, and the rescued Masters, and Crews of the vessels themselves. There would, indeed, have been something most Quixotic in the belief, that cases, thus attested, were fictitious ; and that my individual reputation, and interest was the object ol so wide a conspiracy. Most happy should I have felt myself, if to these cases I could have added that of the Sloop lately lost, with the whole Crew, near Wells, in Norfolkf; which (if it be just to argue from success in one instance to success in another, under exactly the same circumstances,) I might have done, had the place, which had been strongly * See Lecture, published by Asperne, Cornhill, pp. 16. 23, 24. 41. 45. f A mortar and stores were applied for, for this station, with others on the eastern coast, 25th Sept. 1813. jg recom-