the Esprit des Journaux, to carry a 
number of those cork spencers in 
every ship, for the use of the sea-~ 
men; and an instance is mentioned 
in it where the lives of hundreds 
might have been saved by some 
such contrivance, in the fate of an 
English vessel of war, which was 
burned within view of the shore, off 
Leghorn. 
A Mr. Mallison has invented a 
simple apparatus for similar pur- 
poses, of cork, which he sells under 
the name of the seaman’s friend, and 
is one of the most convenient arti- 
cles of the kind. Those commanders 
of ships who would not think it 
worth while to attend to these mi- 
nute matters for the sake of the 
sailors, may perhaps do so for the 
sake of theship. ‘The inaction and 
insubordination which total despair 
produces among the crew, has often 
caused the loss of valuable ships ; 
and such a contrivance as this men- 
tioned, though it might only keep 
those who used it afloat for a few 
hours, would prevent this despair, 
and make them stick to the ship to 
the last. In case of a ship taking 
fire, which often happens near other 
ships or the shore, their use would 
be indisputable. 
In addition to the methods be- 
fore-mentioned for giving assistance 
in case of accidents, the following 
means of preventing their frequency 
in the neighbourhood of this and 
other large cities, is earnestly re- 
commended to the attention of the 
Humane Society, and other benevo- 
lent gentlemen; which would not 
only have this effect, but greatly 
contribute also to the health, clean- 
Jiness, and activity, of that valuable 
class of men, to whose labours the 
rest are indebted for most of the 
necessaries and comforts of life. 
USEFUL PROJECTS. 
“981 
All those advantages would arise 
from having large ponds prepared 
near the city, of about four feet 
deep, well supplied with fresh wa- 
ter, in which any one might be per- 
mitted to bathe or swim, for a penny 
paid at the entrance; within some 
feet of the bank, these ponds should 
be surrounded with walls or hedges, 
and might be planted, ia the inter- 
val between thege and the water, 
with shrubs, soas to form an agree- 
able walk all round. There is ne 
doubt but ground might be procured 
in Hyde Park for this purpose, if 
properly applied for. ‘The excava- 
tion to so small a depth would cost 
very little comparatively, and the 
trifle paid at the entrance would as 
sist in paying interest for this cost. 
Baths for the use of the lower 
classes of people, furnished at the 
expence of the benevolent and rich, 
are universal in most parts of Asia, 
in Russia, and in several other 
countries. ‘That there are none yet 
in England, unless some few for 
the actual sick, can only proceed 
from no one having suggested their 
use to the public. 
As a farther inducement to gen. 
tlemen to subscribe to form such 
swimming places, it should be con- 
sidered, that they will formexcellent 
situations in winter for skaiting, 
where this fashionable and manly 
amusement may be practised in per- 
fect safety, which will be an argu- 
ment in their favour, even to those 
gentlemen who do not skait them. 
selves, as there are very few of those 
who have not some friends or rela- 
tions who use this exercise. 
For both swimming and skaiting 
the ponds should be made of consi- 
derable extent: if formed on a too 
confined scale, the cost would be 
thrown away, as in this case few or 
3R3 none 
