ship's lifeboat. J 03 



t. — Several ringbolts might be put into the keel within- 

 $ide, and ropes, single, double, or treble, might be passed 

 through these rings before laying in the buoyant materials, 

 and then these ropes might be brought round the whole 

 contents and made fast. 



3. — It frequently happens that seamen, after they have 

 gained the shore, find they have only escaped one death to 

 perish by another still more miserable. "* '- 



Drenched in water, chilled to the heart with cold, worn Dry clothing 

 out with fatigue, and exposed to all the severity of inclc- 

 inent weather, without shelter or succour, it is impossible 

 but that the remains of life must soon be extinguished. 



In this situation, and it is far from being uncommon, dry 

 clothing would be as precious as life itself, and it might be 

 had by the following expedient: — 



Let a leathern bag be made for containing some shirts, a 

 waistcoat or two, and two pair of drawers, all of flannel. 



Let this bag be made of a length and size convenient for 

 the purpose, and for tying round under the arm-pits. 



This would serve the purpose of a cork-jacket in the n^a^^e toan- 

 water, and prove a second time as life from the dead, by af- p^se ©fa cork 

 fording dry and warm clothing upon gaining the shore. jacket. 



By this expedient every man may be made a swim- 

 mer, and sometimes one man by smimming has been the 

 means of saving the whole ship's company. 



It may be proper to observe, that the larger part of the 

 bag should be placed high upon the breast, and the other or 

 back part no higher than the armpits, as in the act of swim- 

 ming the back part of the shoulders is little more than just 

 covered with the water. 



The bag must be perfectly water-tight, and only mode- 

 rately filled; both ends of it may be left open to be closed 

 with a tight seizing of small line. 



The expense of this preparation would hardly be five 

 shillings. 



4. — If it were intended only for swimming, a neat and 

 commodious preparation might be made with cork covered 

 with thin leather*, to be applied in the manner which has 

 just been described. 



• 1 conceive flannel would be preferable. It would b« less cold, and 

 not SQ much affected by soaking ia water. C. 



It 



