Of the second kind of machine to which an allusion has been made, a very brief notice only seems necessary at present. Were machines to be constructed to act by the impetus of mechanical power, a much larger scale would probably be found advantageous. 'Ibis must involve the preliminary expence of a building adapted to the purpose, with a waterfall and wheel or steam engine for the moving power. The machinery we might then suppose sufficiently large to work at once 6 yards, or the whole depth of a net ; and were this done at an equal velocity with what has been assumed, the quantity pro duced would be immense indeed. The original capital sunk would however necessarily be very large, and, divested of every other impediment, much of the profit would necessarily depend upon the economy of manage ment, and internal regulation. As, besides this, many parts of the same general principles would be common to both machines, the latter seems more legitimately calculated to he brought into efficiency, as an extension and improvement of the former, founded upon practical experience and observation, than as the first effort of an infant and unascertained mechanical experiment.
\Vile!), according to the first plan, a sufficient quan tity of webs of netting, of the breadth of 36, 5.1., or 72 inches had been formed, they might easily he joined, by intercalary meshes formed in the common way, into nets of any requisite dimension ; and if a supply of net ting in webs, rolled up in a convenient form, were kept in the holds of fishing vessels, or in stores contiguous to the fishing stations, all accidents might be instantly repaired, all deficiencies supplied, and the stock of nets speedily increased, according to the exigencies which might occur.
Respecting the economy, or eventual reduction of expenee, in the fitting out of vessels for the fishery, it is also impossible to enter into any estimate with precision. From what has been said above, if three boys or girls could, by one twelvemonth's labour, supply 20,000 square yards of netting, being what is represented as the quan tity proper for a vessel of 80 tons, and if we suppose the labour of each of these to be estimated at four shillings per week, w hich in these districts is probably high, Ave have the whole quantity woven for 39/., or at the rate of little more than one half-penny per square yard. On the advantages resulting from the creation of such a source of emolument, in districts where labour is scarce, and habits of industry at an early age peculiarly desirable, with the correspondent increase of the necessaries of life, upon which it is fair to calculate, it will not be necessary to enlarge. If a quantity of nets can also be at all times procured at so low a rate as here specified, adding a fair profit to the intermediate dealers, it must also prove of the utmost consequence to those who embark capital in the prosecution of the fisheries. The benefit to the salmon, trout, and other inferior branches of the fishery, though less in national importance, arc also objects of attention to those immediately interested.
How far the plan detailed in the subsequent part of this article may conduce, either wholly or partially, to promote this great object, must be left to the considera tion of those particularly interested in the prosecution of the fisheries. The inventor has been formerly prac tically employed in superintending and consti acting mac, inert', novel in its principle, and vastly more com plicated in its various operations than what is here pro posed, and has consequently the less difficulty in estimat ing bot,i the attendant obstacles, and ultimate practica bility of his plan, subject to those variations, adaptations, and improvements of the particular parts, which ex perience alone will point out in their practical effects, and perseverance only will t emoye.
Of the general principle by which labour is to be ob viated, it may be proper to say something. previously to entering into the particular details of the various Firts of the proposed machine, and a description of the explana tory drawings which conclude the article.
Many species of reticulation, besides that exclusively adapted to the 'nautili( tore of fishing nets, have been already effected by the agency of machinery. Of these, the lace and stocking manufacture are, perhaps. the most prominent and extensive. That species of mental work called tamhouring, is also a branch of the same. For the construction of machinery adapted to this branch, the inventor of the present plan some years ago obtained his majesty's letters patent, and the business is still conducted by those with whom he was connected in the invention. These circumstances naturally led him to consider, with some attention, all these various branches of the art, the practical purposes for which they were intended, and the shades of difference which subsisted between them. This circumstance led to that tral of reflection which has produced this invention.
The great distinction between the imolai( tu•e of nets for the fisheries, and other branches of reticniation, it is Apprehended, consists chiefly in the manner of knotting; but the great requisite in fishing nets, is the complete fastening of the knots which connect the meshes, so that no lisp may be allowed to escape, whether enclosed by hauling, or seized by the gills, in attempting to force a passage through the intersections of a stationary net. III no other species of reticulation, hitherto attempted by the agency of machinery, has this particular ever been deemed of paramount importance ; and, cmiscquently, the inventors of all the others have been contented with adopting knots, or loops sufficiently adapted to the objects which they had in view, but by DO means so for the fisheries. The mesh knot, used in weaving fishing nets by the common operation, might certainly be tried by machinery, but it is by no means well adapted for dis patch ; and, were the machine to proceed by one mesh at a time, no benefit whatever could acct ue from the in vention. Presuming, therefore, that any other knot which is not liable to slip, might be substituted for the mesh knot, the inventor, in the first place, bent his attention to analyse the various kinds of fast knots in use, espe cially- those preferred by mariners, which he conceived to be the best adapted to his purpose. Among these he selected what is called the ring knot; both because it is equally East with the mesh knot, and is also better adapt ed to the weaving of nets by machinery, although by no means equally so, for working them by single meshes. The ring knot is called also the fisher's knot, and is that used for connecting lines of horse lair employed in ang ling. If, according to our former supposition, the webs from which nets arc afterwards to be formed, consist of meshes, the diagonals of which are two inches each, and the whole breadth of each web is to be 36 inches, or one English yard, it follows, that 18 meshes will be con tained in the breadth ; and it was premised, that, assum ing this for the scale of a first experiment, these 18 meshes are to be formed and knotted at one and the same time, by the operation of the machine. From the diago nal form in which the meshes succeed each other, that part which, for distinction's sake, may be called the mesh frame, may therefore consist of 18 compartments, one being allowed for each mesh, and these might be variously constructed. One mode, which seems suffi ciently w ell adapted for the purpose, is represented by Figures I and 2, Plate CXX XIX. as it appears in an elevated state; and its horizontal appearance, viewed from above, is given in Figures 3 and 4 of the same Plate. Perhaps, however, these may be better under stood after a cursory description of Fig. 5. which con tains a horizontal plan of the principal parts of the ma chinery, and of Fig. 6. which contains an elevation of the front part. It may here be premised, that the twine, or cordage, previously to the commencement of the process of weaving, is to be wound upon a certain number of bobbins of a particular coustruction ; and when the reti culation is completed, the finished net work is received upon a roller or beam, from which it may he cut in such lengths as are best adapted to the proposed dimensions of the intended nets, so as to avoid waste or remnants ; at AA, Fig. 5. appear the two side rails which compose the upper part of the framing of the machine. At 1313, is the receiving roller, or beam, upon which the net is to be received when finished ; and at CC arc two ratchet wheels to regulate its motion. At Dll is the mesh frame for forming the knots; and at F and C are cross rails of wood, which serve to legulate the motions of the twine w nix forming the meshes. In Fig. 6. AA arc two of the upright posts hich support the framing, and of which there are four. BB is a cross horizontal rail of wood, which serves as a framing for the bushes in which the spindles or axes which support the mesh frames revolve. The particulars of the construction of the mesh frames, or moulds, will be the subject of future description. In this plan, nine of them appear between F and F, which is the number required for a net of 18 inches in breadth, the diagonal measure of each mesh being supposed two inches when equally distended both ways in the form of a diamond. At C is another cross rail, perpendicularly under that at B, which supports the lower extremity of the spindles. At DD is a third cross rail, the use of which is to contain a number of sheaves or pullies, by which the cords or bands which move the spindles are directed ; and at EE appears the end of a vibrating frame, which communicates a rotatory motion to the spindles, by means to be afterwards explained. These form the principal parts necessary for the machine, the respective uses of which it may now be proper to explain at more length.