Folios 217-218: Malcom Cowan, 58 Gloucester Place, Portman Square. He is sending...

Folios 217-218: Malcom Cowan, 58 Gloucester Place, Portman Square. He is sending a number of reports concerning the adoption of new sails which will result in saving ships and seamen from many dangers, give superiority over the ships of the enemy and save public money. These have been before various Naval Boards over the last four and a half years and he can provide more proofs if necessary. He states that the proposed improvements have met with opposition from the Naval Department which he puts down to abuses in the department, which he comments is very disadvantageous considering they are dealing with an enemy who success is owed to"the encouragement given to improvements". He states that there appears to exist in the Naval Department a"secret mysterious power independent of their Lordships which oppose" all improvements. He wonders what would be the reaction if it became known that a deeply laden collier [with new type sails] survived awful weather when a Man of War was lost. New sails were requested but refused. He is appealing above the heads of the Naval Department to their Lordships for support for the improvements.

Folio 219: enclosure with folios 217-218. Printed summary of various reports on the advantages derived from the New Method of Making Sails. Includes conclusions of officers who have trialed the new sails on HMS Standard, HMS Thisbe, HMS Nautilus, HMS Minotaur and Captain Hornby of the Birna of Grimsby.

Folios 220-221: enclosure with folios 217-218. Copies of reports dated 10 February 1809 on sails with horizontal cloths, HMS Standard, Chatham. Report the superiority of these sails.

Folios 222-223: Extract from letters of captains praising the new sails. Captain Ekins, HMS Defence, Chatham. 7 December 1809. Recounts an incident in which 22 men were drowned because of the old style sails and further comments on the superiority of the new. Captain Fellowes HMS Apollo, Spithead. 3 October 1805. Endorses the new sails. Captain Alex Shippard, RN. London. 28 May 1806. Endorses the new sails. Likewise: Captain Mansfield of HMS Minotaur, off Ushant 6 April 1805, Captain Sheppeard, HMS Thisbe, Falmouth. 13 February 1805 and Captain Joyce of HMS Camel.