324 REPORT—1857. 
nary use at sea. Bearing in mind the necessity of their being light and 
strong, and the fittings such as can be easily repaired or renewed without. 
increasing the cost of the usual boats, I have designed her to be built of light 
pine, clench built, on eight angle-iron frames, riveted to an angle-iron keel 
on stem and stern plate, also to an angle-iron stringer under the thwarts, 
and an angle-iron gunwale piece. Bulkheads of pine are riveted athwart 
the frames, one-fourth the depth from keel and one-eighth the breadth under 
the thwarts. The disposition of planking and internal fittings are shown in 
the annexed diagram of the main breadth section of a medium-sized boat, 
28 feet long, 7 feet broad, and 3 feet 6 inches deep, having 10° rise of floor, 
with the little hollow near the keel; the sheer of gunwale an inch to a foot; 
the water-lines hollow forward, one straight aft; eight thwarts, 3 feet 6 inches 
apart. 
The buoyancy is comprised in side compartments, between a rising plank 
fore-and-aft under the thwarts (between the bulkheads, 1th of the breadth 
broad), and a fore-and-aft platform over the bulkhead at the bilge; the 
bow and stern partitions to be made up by a side plank, as shown on the 
section; between midship thwarts to be filled by six air-casks or water- 
breakers ; the bilge below the platform to be filled with cork: the plan will 
show the position of the air compartments in bow and stern. The weight 
of this boat is calculated at one ton, and it will displace about five tons, 
and when filled to the level of thwarts with water will have buoyancy suf- 
ficient to carry thirty men. 
The small diagram shows a zinc plug, of simple construction, intended 
to be screwed to the bottom plank, where the usual cork or wooden plug 
is placed ; but as the former gets lost, and the latter often splits the plank, 
the zine plug, which closes by turning a flat ridge over the faced collar or 
hole, secured by screw, and costs only 1s. 6d., is preferable. I am assured 
that the boats can be built for 18s. to 24s. a foot, by the boat-builders usually 
employed in building ships’ boats, on a plan and specification which have 
been lithographed and distributed, in the hope of inducing shipowners to 
make trial of such a combination of wood and iron as will give the greatest 
strength with the least weight. 
Lowering Ship's Boat.—With respect to this very important question, 
after much experience I am convinced that the mode adopted by whalers is 
the simplest and best. That mode consists in strong davits, a good purchase 
of two large threefold blocks, with swivel hooks, into a shackle at the top of 
the stem- and stern-post. The boat to hang, as will be seen in the annexed 
diagram of a ship’s side, with the usual iron davits and quarter-boats. 
Our large steamers, transports, and emigrant ships, might carry a sufficient 
number of these boats at davits, with the addition of a collapsing life-boat 
stowed outside the bulwark, with separate davits, as shown in the diagram 
annexed, to enable them to be provided with the means of saving all on 
board in case of wreck or fire. 
The Rev. J. S. Berthon, of Fareham, having for years devoted much time, 
labour, and money to the perfection of his invention, the following brief 
description is offered in explanation of the diagram of his collapsing life- 
boat, for providing abundant boat accommodation to all sea-going ships :— 
The framework, which is made of wood, with bands and fastenings of 
metal, is composed of longitudinal timbers running the whole length, and 
hinged at their ends to each other, and to the top of the stem- and stern- 
post, as in expanded boats. They are broad and deep, and extend two skins 
of a very strong flexible waterproof material, the outer skin being firmly 
attached to their outer edges, c, and the inner one to their inner edges. The 
whole body of the boat is thus divided into as many water-tight longitudinal 
