MARITIME OBSERVATIONS. 31% 
this rope long enough to permit the kite’s defcending into 
the undertow, or if you pleate lower into {till water. It 
fhould be held by a haufer. To get it home eafily, a fmall 
loofe rope may be veered out with it, fixed to the keg. 
Hauling on that rope will bring the kite home with {mall 
force, the refiftance being {mall as it will then come endways. 
It feems probable that fuch a kite at the end of a long 
haufer would keep a fhip with her head’to the wind, and 
refifting every tug, would prevent her driving fo faft as 
when her fide is expofed to it, and nothing to hold her 
back. If only half the driving is prevented, fo as that 
fhe moves but fifty miles inftead of the hundred during a 
ftorm, it may be fome advantage, both in holding fo much 
diftance as is faved, and in keeping from a lee fhore. If 
fingle canvas fhould not be found ftrong enough to bear 
the. tug without fplitting, it may be doubled, or ftrength- 
ened by a netting behind it, reprefented by figure 20. 
The other machine for the fame purpofe, is to be made 
more in the form of an umbrella, as reprefented, figure 21. 
The ftem of the umbrella a fquare {par of proper length, 
with four moveable arms, of which two are reprefented 
C, C, figure 22. Thefe arms to be fixed in four joint 
cleats, as D, D, &c: one on each fide of the fpar, but fo 
as that the four arms may open by turning on a pin in 
the joint. When open they form a crofs, on which a 
four fquare canvas fail is to be extended, its corners faft-. 
ened to the ends of the four arms.. Thofe ends are alfo: 
to be fayed by ropes faftened to the {tem or fpar, fo as to 
keep them fhort of being at right angles with it: And to 
the end of one of the arms fhould be hung the {mall bag 
of ballaft, and to the end of the oppofite arm the empty 
keg. This on being thrown into the fea, would immedi- 
ately open; and when it had performed its funétion, and 
the ftorm over, a fmall rope from its other end being 
pulled on, would turn it, clofe it, and draw it eafily home: 
to the fhip. ‘This machine feems more fimple in its ope-- 
ration,, 
