gij ship's lifeboat. 



May be got 3.— It is of no consequence in what manner this boat it 



any hoV^^'^"^ ^^ ^^ S^^ '"^** *^^ water, whether after-end or side, by means 

 of handspikes or otherwise, as no water can hurt her. 

 though it might be more desirable, if it could be done 

 without tilling her in midships, as in that case she might 

 be conducted through very heavy seas without tilling at all, 

 or receiving more water than might be easily baled out. 

 No matter howr 4,^ — It is material to remark, as it may not generally be 

 are in water, attended to, that the plan always supposes the midships to 

 be full of water ; but that the requisite buoyancy of the 

 boat is not injured by that circumstance, nor will the addi- 

 tion of people, in so far as they are immersed in the water, 

 prove any additional burden; this will be perfectly clear to 

 all who understand this part of the subject, however impro- 

 bable it may appear to others, and the remark serves to 

 show, that it would be a good rule, in such circumstances, 

 for the men to keep themselves immersed in the water in 

 midships as far as possible. 



, The idea of placing men in the midships of the boat, 

 while at the same time it was full of water, would probably 

 gtfirtle a landsman not a little; such therefore may be told, 

 that every lifeboat is supposed full of water, and that to 

 ( imagine there could be any man in one with a dry thread 



aboi^t him would argue a total ignorance of the matter, 



5. — It is to be kept in mind, that the danger is always 

 supposed to be extreme, and that the present plan affords 

 th^,^ only possible chance of saving life; therefore whatever 

 hardship or difficulty there may be in putting it in execu- 

 tion is entirely out of the question ; any other view of the 

 subject is altogether foreign to the purpose. 

 Casks superior G. — If any are of opinion, that cork ought alone to be 

 t*cor . used for buoyancy, there can be no doubt of its answering 



the purpose perfectly; at the same time the author is of 

 opinion, that a combination of cork and casks would be 

 found more convenient, and in some respects preferable. 



Water casks would always be at hand, and, to save the 

 iexpense of cork, might on that account be preferred by 

 MHne ; but independent. of this consideration, casks are by 

 wat^re than one half lighter than their bulk of cork, and 

 '•'. I thereby 



