small as 21 ft. long, and we give a view of a pair of compound engines of
a new design, which Messrs. Belliss are making for the boats of this
class. The cylinders are 4 in. and 7 in. in diameter by 5 in. stroke. The
general arrangement is well shown in the engraving. On a trial recently
made, a 25 ft. cutter with this type of engines reached a speed of 7.4
knots.

About three years ago the late Controller of the Navy, Admiral Sir W.
Houston Stewart, wished to ascertain the relative consumption of fuel in
various classes of small vessels. An order was accordingly sent to
Portsmouth, and a series of trials were made. From the official reports of
these we extract the information contained in tables F and G, and we think
the details cannot fail to be of interest to our readers. The run around
the island was made in company with other boats, without stopping, and
observations were taken every half hour. The power given out by the
engines was fairly constant throughout. The distance covered was 56 knots,
and the total amount of fuel consumed, including that required for raising
steam, was 1,218 lb. of coal and 84 lb. of wood. The time taken in raising
steam to 60 lb. pressure was forty-three minutes. The rate of consumption
of fuel is of course not the lowest that could be obtained, as a speed of
over 10 knots is higher than that at which the machinery could be worked
most economically.

[Illustration: STEAM WINCH FOR HOISTING AND LOWERING PINNACLES AND
TORPEDO BOATS.]

The trials afterward made to find the best results that could be obtained
in fuel consumption were rather spoiled by the roughness of the weather on
the day they were made. The same boat was run for 10 miles around the
measured mile buoys in Stokes Bay. The following are some of the results