much it would facilitate their obfervations, affift and ftrengthen
their memories, and o f how tedious, and often unintelligible, a load
o f defeription it would rid them ; I cannot but wonder that any
perfon, who intends to vilit diftant countries, with a view o f informing
either himfelf or others, (hould be wanting in fo neceffary
a piece of Ikill. And, to inforce this argument {till further, I mull:
add, that, belides the ufes o f drawing already mentioned, there is
one, which, though not fo obvious, is yet perhaps of more confe-
quence than all that has been hitherto urged; I mean the ftrength
and diftinguifhing power it adds to fome of our faculties. This
appears from hence, that thofe, who are ufed to draw objects, ob-
ierve them with more accuracy than others, who are not habituated
to that praClice. For we may eafily find, by a little experience,
that when we view any objeCt, however fimple, our attention
or memory is fcarcely, at any time, fo ftrong as to enable us,
when we have turned our eyes away from it, to recoiled- exaCtly
every part it confifted of, and to recall all the circumftances o f its
appearance; fince, on examination, it will be difcovered, that in
fome we were miftaken, and others we had totally overlooked ;
but he, that is accuftomed to draw what he fees, is, at the fame
time, accuftomed to rectify this inattention; for, by confronting
his ideas, copied on the paper, with the objeCt he intends to repre-
fent, he finds out what circumftance has deceived him in its appearance
; and hence he, at length, acquires the habit of obferving
much more at one view, and retains what he fees with more cor-
re&nefs, than he could ever have done without his practice and
proficiency in drawing.
I f what has been faid merits the attention of Travellers of all
forts, it is, I think, more particularly applicable to the Gentlemen
of the Navy; fince, without drawing and planning, neither charts
nor views of land can be taken ; and, without thefe, it is fufficiently
evident, that navigation is at a full ftand. It is doubtlefs from a
perfuafionof the utility of thefe qualifications, that his Majeftyhas
eftablilhed a Drawing-mafter at Portfmouth, for the inftruCtion o f
thofe
thofe who are prefumed to be hereafter intrufted with the command
of his Royal Navy ; and though feme have been fo far miffed,
as to fuppofe, that the perfection of Sea-officers confifted in
a turn o f mind and temper refembling the boifterous element they
had to deal with, and have condemned all literature and fcience as
effeminate, and derogatory to that ferocity which, they would
falfely perfuade us, was the moft unerring characteriftic of courage.;,
yfet it is to be hoped, that fuch abfurdities as thefe have at no time
been authorized by the Public opinion, and that the belief of them
daily diminifhes. I f thofe who adhere to thefe mifchievous polirions
were capable o f being influenced by reafbu, or fwayed by
example, I fhould think it fufficient, for their conviction, to ob-
ferve, that the moft valuable drawings inferted in the following
work, though done with fuch a degree o f Ikill that even profeffed.
artifts can with difficulty imitate them, were takèn by Mr. Piercy
Brett? one o f Mr. Anfon's Lieutenants, and fince Captain of the
Lion man of war ; who, in his memorable engagement with the;
Elizabeth (for the importance o f the fervice, or the refolution,
with which it was conducted, inferior to none this age has feen),,
has given ample proof,, that a proficiency in the arts I have been,
here recommending is extremely confiftent with the moft exemplary
bravery, and the moft diftinguifhed Ikill in every function,
belonging to the duty of a. Sea-officer.. Indeed, when the many
branches of fcience are attended to, of which even the common
practice of navigation is compofed, and the many improvements-
which men of Ikill have added: to this practice within thefe few
years, it would indtice one to believe, that the advantages of reflection
and fpeculative knowledge were in no profeffion more-
eminent than in that of a Sea-officer; for, not to mention feme,
expertnefsin geography, geometry, and aftronomy, which it would,
be difhonourable for him to be- without' (as his journal and his.
eftimate of the daily pofition of the {hip are founded on particular.-
branches of thefe arts), it may be well fuppofed, that the management
and working of a fhip, the difeovery of her moft eligible
c 2. pofition.