STATISTICS OF LIFE-BOATS AND FISHING-BOATS. 325 
‘compartments as there are spaces (usually eight) between the timbers. 
These air-cells fill themselves with air in the act of expansion, e. The 
Conveying Ships’ Life-boats at Davits. 
Berthon’s Collapsing Boat. 
_ mode of hanging is shown in the annexed diagram of life-boat ; p and k 
representing the lowering machine inside, and the boat in a collapsed state 
outside the bulwark of the ship, admitting of another boat being carried at 
the usual davits. 
_ The extension of this boat, which is instantaneous when its weight is 
allowed to fall upon certain slings or spans attached to its gunwales, requires 
ho exertion of manual strength, and it is kept permanently open by the 
thwarts, bottom boards, and certain gunwale stanchions. 
The space required to stow these boats (viz. outside the ship’s bulwarks 
_ with strong strappings) is about one-sixth of their width when open, so that 
“numerous boats can thus be carried in constant readiness, and when in 
_ action they are inferior to none in buoyancy, safety, general efficiency as 
__ life-boats, and speed under sail or oars. The cost is about the same as that 
of the best ships’ life-boats. 
____ These boats have been most favourably reported on by the officers of Her 
[ajesty’s Dockyard at Portsmouth, by order of the Admiralty, and some 
__ large pinnaces on this principle, now built for the Government, will be shortly 
under trial in the Royal Navy. 
