those defences and those asylums, on the
construction of which it is proposed to expend so many millions of the
public money; it might, therefore, have the effect of preventing such
useless expenditure, and of averting the obviously impending danger of
future parsimonious naval administration, abandonment of essential
measures of nautical improvement, and the national disgrace of maritime
degradation--all inseparable from an unnatural hermaphrodite union
between a distinguished service, which might still further be
immeasurably exalted, and the most extravagant, derogatory, inefficient,
and preposterous project that could be devised for the security and
protection of an insular, widely-extended, colonial and commercial
State."

A few months after that letter had been written, Lord Dundonald's hopes
that his secret plans would be accepted by the Government were revived.
In 1846, his friend Lord Auckland took office as First Lord of the
Admiralty; and by him, with very little delay, it was proposed to submit
the plans to the judgment of a competent committee of officers. This was
all that Lord Dundonald had asked for, and he gladly accepted the
proposal. The officers chosen were Sir Thomas Hastings, then Surveyor
General of the Ordnance, Sir J. F. Burgoyne, and Lieutenant-Colonel J. S.
Colquhoun. By them the project was carefully considered, and on the 16th
of January, 1847, they tendered their official report upon it. "These
plans," it was there said, "may be classed under three heads:--1st. One,
on which an opinion may be formed with experiment, for concealing or
masking offensive warlike operations; and we consider that, under many
particular circumstances, the method of his lordship may be made
available as well by land as by sea, and we therefore suggest that a
record of this part of Lord Dundonald's plans should be deposited with
the Admiralty, to be made use of when, in the judgment of their
lordships, the opportunity for employing it may occur. 2nd. One, on
which experiments would be required before a satisfactory conclusion
could be arrived at. 3rd. Nos. 1 and 2 combined for the purpose of
hostile operations. After mature consideration, we have resolved that it
is not desirable that any experiment should be made. We assume it to be
possible that the plan No. 2 contains power for producing the sweeping
destruction the inventor ascribes to it; but it is clear this power
could not be retained exclusively by this cou