ship's lifeboat. 99^ 



Ihereby more than a double advantage in favour of buoyancy 

 is gained by using them. 



There is but one objection to the use of casks, and that ^ 



is, that they may be stove in ; but if the great strength 

 which they possess from their construction be considered, 

 and at the same time that they are strongly defended by the 

 boat, this objection must appear of no moment at all. 



7. — Every boat, prepared as has been stated, is fit to carry Proportion of 

 men equal in weight to something more than one third of ™^^y* ** ^ 

 the boat's whole burden, and one of eighteen feet in length 

 can carry from fourteen to sixteen people, and have suffi- 

 cient room for working a pair of oars, which ought by all ^*"» '[*°J» 



. 3 * should be sh«it» 



means to be short ones. 



The disadvantage of working long oars upon a low gun- 

 wale, and in a high running sea, is too obvious to need any 

 thing more than to be just mentioned. 



8. — As all depends upon the points of fixture, too much The fixing 

 attention cannot be paid to their sufficiency, and though *^°"''* ^* ^•^ 

 those stated in the plan are judged to be perfectly adequate 

 to the purpose, yet any person, wishing for more, may add 

 them at pleasure, by rings of rope in the stem and stern- 

 posts, as in the Greenland boats; by more rings in the 

 keel ; or, in addition to the seizing ropes, a netting of small 

 rope may be made to cover the whole foreward, and another 

 such may be applied in the same manner aft, and by these 

 means every possible security that can be desired may be 

 obtained. 



9.— It is material to observe, that no dependence ought The thtrarts ft 



to be placed on seizintrs connected with the thwarts or g'jnYa'es ua- 



, , . ^ , . , , - . safe tor lb»«, 



gunwales, unless it were only as aids to the points of mam 



dependence. The gunwales, more than any other part 



of the boat, are liable to damage, and may very possibly 



be injured in hoisting out, or before getting clear of the 



vessel. 



The two auger bores in the keel are infallible holds ; The auge;^ 

 easy access may be had to them while the boat is on deck, jj^ ^" ^|^* 

 and a rope may be passed through them in a moment. 

 This seizing, beside the security it affords for confining 

 the buoyancy, adds considerably to the strength of th^ boat, 



H 2 %U 



