humanity as his abilities, I went directly to his house; fhewed him Sir Charles's letter, and, by his appointment, the next morning came thither again, where I met the learned Martin Folkes, Efq; prefident of the royal fociety, whom the Doctor had defired to talk with me, together with himfelf, upon my propofal. They both expreffed their approbation of it, and most readily offered to do whatever was in their power, to encourage an invention which they judged must be of great fervice to the public. Accordingly Dr Mead immediately waited on the Lords of the Admiralty, and reprefented to them in a strong manner, the advantage of fuch a contrivance: whereupon they were pleased to order, that it fhould be tried as foon as poffible, on board any of his Majesty's fhips in the river.

Being now left at my own liberty, to chufe a proper place for my experiment, I fixed upon the hulk at Deptford, because that was immoveable, and could not, like a ship, be fent away: and upon this I directly went to Deptford, in order to make the neceffary preparations, I was foon acquainted there, that feveral of the workmen belonging to the King's yard were bufily employed in trying the usefulness of another machine, industriously set on foot to fupplant mine but, after the ftricteft inquiry I have fince been able to make, I cannot learn that they had any orders to that purpose from the Lords of the Admiralty.

:

This proceeding, together with the exceffive fhinefs and caution of the gentlemen of the yard, led me to conclude, that my fcheme, at laft, would be fet afide, in fpite of all the fteps I could take to prevent

pa

it; and I was confirmed in this opinion, when I found the pipes were made of wood, between five and fix inches wide, in fuch an unworkmanlike manner, that, to render them tight, I was forced to get fize and per from Deptford, to put over the joints; and that moreover many hands were employed in erecting wind-fails, in order to fhew, that they could thereby procure as much air as my scheme would afford.

At length, in September 1741, the day appointed for the trial of the experiment came; when the Lords of the Admiralty, the Commiffioners of the Navy, Dr Mead, Martin Folkes, Efq; and feveral other members of the royal fociety, being prefent on board the faid hulk; Sir Jacob Ackworth was pleafed to fay, in the hearing of them all: "I am forry that 'you are come to fee the trial of fuch a foolish experiment, that I tried myfelf yesterday, and it would 66 not shake a candle." To this I replied, "It "would be in good humour to-day, and the end of

66

tr

every one of the pipes would blow out a candle.” And accordingly, notwithstanding the forementioned obftructions, and that the tarpawlins were taken away, which I had ordered to be laid over the hatches, I was as good as my word; and all the lords and gentlemen aforefaid, upon the trial of my experiment, expressed their approbation of the performance,

In November following I was fent for by the meffenger to the Commiffioners of the Navy, and by them, pursuant to an order from the Lords of the Admiralty, fent down to Portfmouth, to prepare the Norwich man of war according to my fcheme; and, upon this occafion, Sir Charles Wager, in the prefence of the Lords of the Admiralty, honoured me with

the

the following letter to Commiffioner Hughes at Port(

mouth.

I

SIR,

Admiralty-fice, Nov. 24. 1741.

Send this by Mr Sutton, who has found out a way to draw bad air out of clofe places, particularly from wells of fhips, which you know are fometimes fo bad, as to ftife men before they can be drawn up; as happened on board the Lynn, while I was at Helvoet-Sluys; one man being killed by it, and two narrowly escaped. This contrivance is approved by much wifer men than I am in fuch things; and therefore I defire you would let Mr Sutton have all the encouragement and affiftance you can give him.

I take Mr Alleyn, your builder, to be an ingenious man; if you recommend Mr Sutton to his care, he will fee that he meets with no obstruction or discouragement from any body, that may think themfelves wifer. There is an order from this board to the navy, from whom you will have it, to have the Narwich, who is to go to the coaft of Guinea, to be fitted according to Mr Sutton's fcheme; which will be a very good experiment. I am,

SIR,

Your humble fervant,

CHARLES WAGER.

This letter I carried down to Portsmouth, and delivered to Commiffioner Hughes, who received me in a very friendly manner, and recommended me to Mr Alleyn the builder; who both of them (and indeed all

the

perfons belonging to the yard) exerted themselves to the utmost of their power, to forward my undertaking; and at length I completed it, agreeable to the plan I fhall hereafter exhibit.

Having finished this business, I waited fome days at Portsmouth, for a report figned by Admiral Leftock, and feveral commanders of fhips, which Captain Gregory gave me reafon to expect: but, at laft, (though to do the Captain justice, I must own, that he treated me, whilft at Portfmouth, in an obliging manner), I was acquainted, that no report could be made till the Norwich returned from its voyage; which was fent to Guinea, and from thence to the Weft Indies : which constrained me to repent of my journey.

Soon after my return to London, I found things in the utmost confufion, by the fudden change of the miniftry, which likewise occafioned a change in the admiralty. I petitioned however the commiffioners of the navy, humbly requesting them to make a report of what I had done, from time to time, from the roth of July to the 10th of December 1741, at Greenwich, Deptford, and Portsmouth, in compliance with the orders of the Lords of the Admiralty; in order that I might receive a suitable reward for my ufeful invention, and reasonable satisfaction for my trouble, lofs of time, to the neglect of my other affairs, and expenfes in the execution of the fame. But I received no answer, nor to many petitions I delivered to the Lords of the Admiralty themfelves; until at length, juftly moved at the cold and unkind treatment I met with, I freely expreffed my fenfe of their hard ufage, in the following petition.

VOL. II.

E e

To

To the Right Honourable the Lords of the Admiralty, The petition of Samuel Sutton,

Humbly fherveth,

Hat your Lordships petitioner, having invented

TH

an useful scheme, for the extracting foul air out of his Majefty's fhips, (which, in the month of September 1741, was tried before the then Lords of the Admiralty, who approved the performance), lately applied to your Lordships; but, to his extreme furprife, he finds, that he is not likely to receive any reward, either for the invention itself, or his lofs of time and expenfes : nor are his Majesty's failors and mariners likely to receive any benefit from his scheme; though it is univerfally acknowledged, that more of them have lately died in America, for want of good air, than by the Spaniards. That your Lordships petitioner cannot help remarking, that, though no invention ever met with more applause from the public than his, never was any man (himfelf excepted) employed by the Lords of the Admiralty, from time to time, at his own charges, as he has been, without a proper confideration. That your Lordfhips petitioner now defires, that you would be pleased to confider him on that account, and order him a fuitable fatisfaction; and as in duty bound for your Lordships, he will ever pray.

This petition was overlooked like the rest, nor was there any notice taken by the Lords, either of me or my scheme, till Captain Gregory returned to London; who, foon after his arrival, fent a letter to the then

Lords