The salutary influence exerted by the Admiralty, in stipulating for increased sub-division of the hulls of all merchant vessels eligible for state employment in times of war, worthy of special recognition. A few years ago only thirty or forty large steamers in the merchant navy were so constructed, as regards sub-division, that they would have survived for a few minutes the effect of collision with other vessels or of grounding on rocks. Within recent years—greatly owing to the stipulations referred to, and to the desire f shipowners to comply with them for the reasons given—there are few, if any, of the many first-class mail steamers turned out, not so constructed. [Illustration: FIG. 7.] [Illustration: FIG. 8.] Much valuable information on the subject was given in a paper on “Bulkheads,” read before the Institution of Naval Architects in March, 1883, by Mr James Dunn, of the Admiralty, whose experience in matters relating to the qualification of merchant ships for State employment eminently entitles him to be considered an authority. From diagrams contained in the paper, the effects of good and of inefficient sub-division of vessels are well illustrated. Figs. 5 to 8 in the present work represent some of these. They are concerned with two vessels, in one of which—an actual case—the bulkheads were well placed and cared for, and carried to a reasonable height as shown in Fig. 5; the result of a collision proving that under such conditions they were of immeasurable value, while in the other vessel, although having the same number and a similar disposition of bulkheads, their presence is rendered valueless by their being stopped at or about the water-line, as indicated in Fig. 7. In the first case, a steamer of nearly 5,000 tons, during a fog, ran into the vessel represented by Fig. 5 and 6, striking her abreast of No. 3 bulkhead, and opening up two compartments to the sea. The bulkheads, however, as has been said, were carried to a reasonable height, and the water could not get beyond them—they stood the test—the vessel did not sink, but kept afloat at the trim shown in Fig. 6, and in this condition steamed 300 miles safely into port. The second case—though a suppositionary one merely, yet representative of not a few merchant steamers now afloat—would not be attended with like results should such an accident happen as has been described. In vessels so bulkheaded, the water not being confined to the two holds, numbered 2 and 3, as it was in the previous actual case, would pour over the top of the dwarf bulkhead into the foremost hold, and the ship would soon assume the position indicated in Fig, 8: one not at all favourable, as may be readily believed, for the completion of a voyage to port.