Folios 268-269: George Cranfield Berkeley, Parliament Street, [London]. He was asked...

Folios 268-269: George Cranfield Berkeley, Parliament Street, [London]. He was asked to report on the utility of a machine for steering which was tried on HMS Marlborough by Mr Stark. Captain Berkeley had it fixed during the three days his ship was in action with Earl Howe in the year 1794, and as no damage was done to the wheel, tiller or steering ropes until the ship was dismasted, no use was made of the machine. It traversed easily and did not interfere with the conventional steering gear, or with the guns in the Wardroom where it was fitted. During cruises before that action he found the machine worked well, and thinks it could be very useful in the line of battle to prevent a temporary problem with the steering of one ship from throwing the whole line of battle into confusion. It was fitted to HMS Marlborough to deal with an accident of that kind, but he thinks that it takes up so little space in the Wardroom that it might be preferred to a spare tiller. He is happy to give his endorsement to Mr Stark for this and other useful improvements.