MARITIME OBSERVATIONS. 319 
‘ed, lying in a north and fouth direétion. If their needle is 
too heavy to float by itfelf, it may be fupported by little 
pieces of cork or wood. A man who can fwim, may be 
aided in a long traverfe by his handkerchief formed into 
a kite, by two crofs flicks extending to the four corners; 
which being raifed in the air, when the wind is fair and 
frefh, will tow him along while lying on his back. 
Where force is wanted to move a heavy body, and there 
are but few hands and no machines, a long and ftrong 
rope may make a powerful inftrument. Suppofe a boat 
is to be drawn up on a beach, that fhe may be out of the 
furf, a ftake drove into the beach where you would have 
the boat drawn; and another to faften the end of the rope 
to, which comes from the boat, and then applying what 
force you have to pull upon the middle of the rope at right 
angles with it, the power will be augmented in proporti- 
on to the length of rope between the pofts. The rope 
being faftened to the ftake A, and drawn upon in the di- 
rection C D, will flide over the ftake B; and when the 
rope is bent to the angle A D B, reprefented by the prick- 
ed line in figure 24, the boat will be at B. 
Some failors may think the writer has given himfelf un- 
neceflary trouble in pretending to advife them ; for they 
have a little repugnance to the advice of landmen, whom 
they efteem ignorant and incapable of giving any worth 
notice; though it is certain that moft of their inftruments 
were the invention of landmen. At leaft the firft veffel 
ever made to go on the water was certainly fuch. I will 
therefore add only a few words more, and they fhall be 
addrefled to paflengers. 
When you intend a long voyage, you may do well to 
keep your intention as much as poffible a fecret, or at leaft 
the time of your departure ; otherwife you will be conti- 
nually interrupted in your preparations by the vifits of 
friends and acquaintance, who will not only rob you of 
the time you want, but put things out of your mind, fo 
aS 2 that 
