1825.] 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir: 
QQ all the dangers, sufferings and 
accidents which attend the sea- 
man’s life, there is none that. can be 
compared with the conflagration of his 
vessel. Cut off from all assistance, 
except from his own resources — without 
any means of escape, but in the boats of 
his ship, in which he may be afterwards 
doomed to perish by hunger or fatigue,— 
there can hardly be imagined any situa- 
tion more deplorable, or one which can 
excite more compassion for the unhappy 
sufferer, 
Under these impressions, occasioned 
by the recent destruction of the Kent 
East Indiaman, and the dreadful loss of 
lives on that melancholy oceasion, I am 
induced to submit to the consideration 
of the East-India Company, and others - 
concerned in shipping, a plan by which 
the preservation of ships, in case of 
accidentally taking fire, may be greatly 
facilitated. 3 
It is well known to every person. ac- 
quainted with shipping, that the majority 
of those accidents originate in the 
lazxaretto, or store-room in which the 
steward’s stores are kept; and as this 
apartment, in the East Indiamen, is in 
the immediate passage to the light-room, 
under which the magazine, containing 
the gunpowder, is situated,—the ener- 
gies of the ship’s company are materially 
reduced, when the fire has attained any 
height, by the fear of the powder ex- 
ploding. My recommendation is, that 
the magazine should be lined with lead, 
and made water-tight: to be filled with 
water, when necessary, either by a pipe 
leading from the forecastle, near the 
head-pump; or by a cock, to turn into 
the magazine, which is under water. 
The advantage that would result 
from the gunpowder being secured from 
immediate explosion, would. be, the 
increased exertions of the crew: who, 
having no dread of approaching the 
place where the fire was raging, would 
continue their endeavours to extinguish 
it, as long as any rational hope remained 
of success. For want of this security, I 
believe, many valuable ships, and nume- 
rous lives, have been sacrificed; the 
Eerie having become paralyzed, and 
aving given themselves up to despair. 
Ships in company, also, would have no 
fear of rendering assistance, when they 
knew that the powder was, or would be, 
inundated. 
The only objection, that I can antici- 
pate, is that of the magazine being filled, 
and the gunpowder rendered useless, 
Preservation of Ships from Fire-— Faradiso Perduto.” 
419 
through timidity or carelessness. But I 
consider neither of these circumstances 
likely to happen ; for the communication 
by the pipe from the forecastle, if that 
plan of filling the magazine with water 
should be preferred, ought to be well 
secured, and the key always to remain 
in the possession of the commanding 
officer, as well as that of the magazine 
itself; — consequently, the gunpowder 
could not be wetted without his orders 
and permission, and he would only 
resort to such a measure at the last 
extremity. 
On the alternative of being burnt, or 
captured by the enemy for want of 
means of defence, supposing the ship to 
have been preserved, there cannot be 
two opinions. 
I therefore flatter myself, that the 
suggestion possesses some recommen- 
dation to the attention of the East- 
India Company, and the public. — 
Your’s, &c. J.G. Tatem. 
High Wycombe, May 2,1825. 
—— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
- Sir: : 
HANKS, infinite thanks, for the 
very learned critique in your num- 
ber for January last; which, I hope, will 
be a guide to me in the continuation of 
my work, as I propose doing all that is 
possible to avoid a superabundance of 
words. 
I have the honour to send you the 
cancel which I have made of the first 
page of the “Paradiso Italianizzato.” 
It was a great misfortune to me, Sir, 
that you did not perceive that the first 
page of “Paradiso Perduto” was pre- 
ceded by a list of errata, in which you 
will find the printer’s error, not mine, 
corrected. First impressions have gene- 
rally great effect upon the minds of 
men; and whosoever, in reading your 
interesting critical journal, has seen, or. 
shall hereafter see, that I have mistaken 
the first verse, will form, I am sure, an 
unfavourable opinion of my, work— 
although, in progress of your remarks, 
you treat it with favourable lenity. 
If, therefore, you will, or think you 
can, in speaking of the ensuing numbers, 
point out to your readers, that the error 
you noticed, ' 
“ Dell’ Uom primier Vinobbedienza,”’ 
had been already corrected by the trans- 
lator, in his errata, for : 
“ Dell’ Uom la prima inobbedienza,”’— 
I shall be infinitely obliged to you:— 
and, full of deference, esteem and re- 
spect, declare myself your’s, &c. 
3H 2 Guipo SoRELLI. 
