We extract the following from a recent number of the London Mechanics Magazine. The Mr. Walker referred to, is an ingenious townsman of our own, and his model may be seen by any who are interested in, or curious about, inventions of the kind described:

"The present mode of propelling is an attempt to combine the now well tested power of the screw, with another power which has been often thought of, but never yet turned to any practical account, namely, that which is to be derived from the ejection of a column of water through a vessel in a direction opposite to that of a line of motion. It is original and ingenious, and, judging from several experiments which we have seen made with a model boat on this plan at the Polytechnic Institution, is likely to prove highly successful. Possibly greater rates of speed may not be realized by Mr. Walker's method than before; but this, at least, is certain, that vessels can be propelled by it, against wind and tide with more than the greatest velocity of ordinary sailing vessels, without any alteration of their external form, without any increase of midship section, without any exposure to view, or injury of the means, by which this propulsion is effected, and at much less cost than is attendant on any mode of propelling by paddle-wheels yet devised. And to have accomplished so much is a great deal."

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" Mr. Walker's claim is to the propelling of ships and boats, by means of a screw, or of a horizontal shaft with radial arms, which screw or shaft is caused to revolve in a horizontally inclined cylinder, or circular channel, placed inside of the vessel, (whether at bow or stern, or more or less near to the midship line,) and having two or more open passages communicating with the water before and behind the cylinder."

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