96 



Holer. 



BuAyancy of 

 •stslu. 



ship's LIFEftOAT* 



laid in the bottom of the boat, would serve for ballast ;i 

 though probably ballast in large boats would not be very 

 necessary. 



The holes to be struck through may be pierced with a 

 marling-spike and mallet betwixt the timbers. 



The power and effect of empty casks is well known, the 

 application of them being a common expedient, used almost 

 every day for the purpose of floating stranded or bilged ves-* 

 sels of great burden. How easy then it must be, by the 

 same means, to render a boat buoyant to any degree that 

 could be wished, may be abundantly evident to every per- 

 son not obstinately blind to undeniable fact. 



The thing is so self-evident as to require no proof, that, if 

 both ends of the "boat be tolerably filled with empty casks, 

 ishe will not only thereby be secured against upsetting or 

 sinking, but will be rendered extremely buoyant, provided 

 the casks be effectually secured in their places; ai^d in full 

 proof of this fact, the experiment hereafter to be narrated 

 was made almost entirely with empty casks. 



The inventor having little hope that the far better and 

 more eligible plan by timely preparation will be adopted, is 

 the more solicitous to gain attention to this third mode, by 

 means of casks only, because necessity, Vvhich is often the 

 mother of persuasion as well as of invention, may compel the 

 unfortunate mariner to have recourse to it. 



Seamen being above all others expert in the use of ropes, 

 and expeditious in making secure seizings, which is the 

 Ijreat and only thing wanted, the inventor begs leave confi- 

 dently to affirm, that whenever it shall be tried it will be 

 found perfectly safe and successful. 



Let therefore no scruple or hesitation be ma<le in striking 

 boles through the boat, any where, and of any number c: 

 size that may be found necessary for passing ropes for the 

 effectual confinement of the casks. This plan will apply not 

 to one boat onli/i but to every boat in the ship, provided there 

 be a sufficiency of casks on board. 



If then the two great points upon which 1 set out, 

 namely, the powerful buoyancy of casks, and the peculiar 

 expertness of seamen in every operation where ropes are to 

 be used, be duly considered, they will sufficiently vindicate 



and 



