appointed to give counsel as to ‘applying lightning conductors to Her Majesty’s ships.’ Perhaps even this step in advance might not have favoured much the cause pleaded by Mr. Snow Harris, had he not had the good fortune of finding a powerful patron in Sir George Cockburn, one of the Lords of the Admiralty. Sir George, born in London, of Scottish parents, in 1772, had all his life long taken a great interest in scientific pursuits; and the application of conductors especially had interested him much, as he had himself been a witness to frequent damage done to ships under his command by lightning. The ‘Minerva,’ of which he was captain at the blockade of Leghorn, in 1796, had been so struck, and likewise two ships of the flotilla, reducing the French island of Martinique, in 1809, under his direction. Having taken a prominent part in the American War of 1813–14, especially the capture of Washington, Sir George Cockburn retired from active service, and in 1818 was made one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, immediately after being returned a Member of Parliament for Portsmouth. He henceforth devoted himself more than ever to scientific studies; and, having been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, got into acquaintance with many of its members, among them with Mr. Snow Harris, whom he came to like on account of his fervid enthusiasm in the cause he was advocating. The acquaintance proved of the highest advantage to the young Plymouth electrician. Before even the naval commission, nominated to give counsel upon the subject of lightning conductors, had given in its report, he was allowed to make trial, on board of several men-of-war, with a system designed by himself, and for which he had taken out a patent. It was not long afterwards that it was officially adopted for all the vessels of the Royal Navy, with, it is needless to say, the greatest pecuniary advantages to the designer.