Edward Cowper, King’s College, London, to [Joseph Angus],  Secretary of the Baptist Mission [London,] 12 January 1843.

To the Secretary of the Baptist Mission

King’s College London
Jany 12 1843

Sir

Having attentively considered your letter, & the letter of Mr Gurney Esq & also the letter of your Missionary at Fernando Po relative to the communication from the Island to the Continent I am of opinion, that the various desiderata of—Sailing Power—Internal Power—Ease of management —safety—comfortable dwelling for the missionary & 10 or 12 persons beside—& facility of removal form a hostile position—will be best attained by,

An Iron Steam Boat about 70 or so feet long—with small Paddle wheels, capable of being disconnected from the Engine—A high Pressure turbulated (ie locomotive) Boiler—& a Single Engine of 20 Horse Power—& the boat be rigged for sailing & the Steam Power subsidiary to the Sailing Power—

Such a Boat & Engine well made (& no other ought to be ventured) would cost from 1500 to 2000£—the “Locomotive” Steam boat on the Thames cost 2000£ but your boat would not require so much power but would have rigging, which the “Locomotive” has not—

The Engine would occupy about 20 Feet having a good Cabin at each end of 25 or 30 feet, to which the Missionary might not only retire in case of annoyance, but in which he might reside while sojourning at any particular place—An Iron Boat is preferable to wood in every respect, & I should strongly advise against a smaller boat, the missionary should have every physical comfort that the elasticity of his mind may be always ready for the great object of his heart, & for the same reason it might never to be his permanent duty to attend to the Engine although with instruction he might undertake the management occasionally—The Engine would require an Engineer & a Stoker—

Sincerely wishing success to the cause you have at heart

         I remain Sir  

                           Yours respectfully

Edwd Cowper

Text: Timothy Whelan, Baptist Autographs in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1741-1845 (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2009), pp. 291-92 (annotated version); also MAW, Box 39 (BMS 2361), John Rylands University Library of Manchester. Edward Shickle Cowper (1790-1852) served for many years as head of the Department of Engineering at King’s College, London. In cooperation with his brother-in-law, Augustus Applegath, he developed significant improvements in the newspaper printing press. His son, Edward Alfred Cowper (1819-1893), became one of the leading mechanical engineers of his day, supervising the redesigning of the Crystal Palace, 1852-1854. Cowper’s recommendations, given in this letter, mirror almost exactly the specifications and design of the original Dove, the schooner purchased by the BMS in 1843.