4,96 



Fresh Water obtained Jr 6m the Sea. {^^^i U 



Several intaglio impressions are worthy 

 of an inspection. In fine, tliongli we 

 have not space to enumerate other able 

 artists in their several styles and ability, 

 we mnst be allowed to lament the un- 

 popularity of tlie present exhibition, and 

 the inutility of the word royal, appella- 

 tivcly coupled with the public institu- 

 tions of our country. The nerves of 

 each organ, being touched as they 

 ought, transmit to their members tiieir 

 different motions, whence such and such 

 an action is the result. We suspect the 

 Royal Academicians, by the success of 

 their rival British Artists, will reform 

 their abuses ere another campaign, and 

 benefit the progress of art by wiser 

 goverimiciit and more diligent pursuits. 

 The Royal Society of Literature, the 

 Royal Academy of Mnt^ic, the Royal 

 Tenth Dragoons, and the Royal Milk 

 Purveyors, all require reformation. 

 May 5, 1824. J. H. Prior. 



To the Editor of the Monthly 31agazine. 



SIR, 



"ANY years ago I was in tiie habit 

 of bathing every morning at 

 Bombay, with the amiable George 

 Wa(l(lell,andGeorgeBro\vn,(afterwards 

 member of council and acting governor 

 of that presidency ;) on which occasion 

 wc often passeii a well made by the 

 natives on the beach, above high-water 

 I'nark, which I observed to be aflected 

 by the tide. When it w as high water, 

 about six o'clock, the well was nearly 

 full, being level with the sea ; but at 

 low-water at that time, as the rise and 

 fall of the tide was sixteen or seventeen 

 feet perpendicular, ami the well not 

 above half that depth, it was dry, as it 

 had no connexion with land-springs, 

 and, being towards (he end of Ihe north- 

 east monsoon, not a drop of rain had 

 fallen for months. Whether the Greeks 

 obtained their knowledge of so pro- 

 coring fresh water from the sea, it wouhl 

 be more curious than useful to ascertain ; 

 as we know, to a Certainty, that such 

 mode was i)ractiscd by Nearches on his 

 voyage from that coast to Babylon. 

 The phenomenon I had observed at 

 Bombay having furni.-lied me with a 

 clue to procure good fresh water on an 

 apparent dry sandy beach, I afterwards 

 Watered a ship by such means at Telli- 

 cherry, in preference to river-water, 

 which was neither so clear nor pure. 

 The water obtained by sucli means in 

 the straits of Sapy, although it rose and 

 fell with the tide, was connected on the 

 land-side by springs, from a clay soil, 



the water of which was vapid and tirr- 

 bid with earthy salts, while the perco- 

 lated was clear and brisk, and not only 

 purified from salt, but divested of the 

 nauseous bitter peculiar to water of tl»o 

 ocean. I have also procured water 

 equally sweet artd clear by digging ;i 

 sufficient depth on the beach on a small 

 sandy island, where there was little or no 

 tide, and not a single spring upon it. 

 With such process of nature before me, 

 I converted a water-butt into a perco^ 

 lating machine, fitted witli a false bot- 

 tom, and filled with sea-water by a tnbd 

 of bamboo above the head of the cask 

 that was filled witli sand, through which 

 the sea water was fureed upwards ; 

 and the saline pariicios being heaviest^ 

 and left at the bottom, I obtained clear 

 sweet water until the sand was satu- 

 rated. Whellier Mr. Browne (late chief 

 at Cliina) lasted the percolated wafer 

 taken oii-liourd the Northumberland, I 

 cannot say; l)Ut, on my sending him a 

 drawing and description of the machine, 

 that gentleman was p|pas<Ml to say, that 

 it was one of tiic most ingenious things 

 he had ever seen. On my arrival in 

 England, I gave the apparatus to Doctor 

 Babington ; and, alliiougli it may not 

 be practicable to carry such a quantity 

 of sand in a ship as would sup|ily the! 

 crew with water during a voyage, tiiis 

 nio<le furnishes the most simple and 

 best of all filtering maciiines; and, as 

 putrid wati-r in casks, from tlie mucilage 

 Contained in oak, or putrescent vegeta- 

 ble or animal substances, may be lieed 

 from its odour, and rendered pure by the 

 a|)plicalion of charcoal made from com- 

 mon fire-wood, nothing but idleness can 

 prevent people at sea from having sweet 

 and clear wat"r, so essential to health 

 as well as iM)nirort.* 



In writing my " Strictures on JMaii- 



time Strcngtii and Ec<mniny," my sight 



was so much aflected by an oil lamp, 



(for it Was written by night,) that an inw 



tlannnation' 



* On l)i)aid tlie Formidable, (Lord 

 Rodney's lias-siiip,) I i;ol only pat foid and 

 fetid water in a hogshead, l)nt increased 

 its puttescencc by rotten ca!>t)age, l)efoie 

 I applied charcoal nsaiie from fire-wooci, 

 wliicli rendered it perfectly sweet, al- 

 though it ioniai:ied turbid. When on ser- 

 vice with Lord Nelson in the Baltic, and 

 the ardeiir of action was over, 1 had a 

 leager fitted with, a false bottom, per- 

 forated witJ! holes, and covered with 

 fcarnon£!ht, on vvliidi was placed a layer 

 of poundt'd charcoal covered with 

 fearnoii';iii CaHtenrd !o ilie insiile the ca!.k, 

 then a layer of small stones taken IVomthe 



beach, 



