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LXIII. On rendering Assistance to Persons in Danger of 

 Drowning. Bij H. Lawson, Esq. 



gj^ To Mr. TillocL 



J- AM induced to offer the following remarks bv the me- 

 lancholy circumstance that took place on the 13th in.-^tant, 

 in consequence of the ice breaking and letting some of the 

 skaiters into ttie water of the Serpentine river j but more 

 csvpccially from the distressing circumstances that attended 

 one gentleman, who was ultimately lost, after supporting 

 himself near twenty minutes, in the sight of some hundreds 

 of spectators, many of whom made great, though ineffee- 

 tual, exertions to save him ; in which most probably thev 

 would have succeeded if they could liave procured some 

 buoyant body to assist them. 



The above circumstance called up the utmost energies oF 

 my thought to find if there was no part of a man's dre.-;? 

 that might be serviceable cither to assist the suirerer, or en- 

 able a man of ordinary courage to venture to his relief. In- 

 deed, even a swimmer will not hastily go near a drowning 

 person, let him swim ever so well ; for, with his clothes on, 

 he is fully occupied in keeping himself above water, and 

 daves not risk being seized in a disadvantageous position by 

 persons devoid of all recollection (:uising from their perilous 

 situation), and ready to grasp at every thing that comci* 

 within their reach. But if the swinnner could take with 

 him into the water any thing that would support from live 

 to ten pounds weight, he would be able, perhaos^ to render 

 assistance without danger to himself. This desirable object 

 seents to me to be attainable by the proper use of a man's 

 hat and pocket handkerchief, which (being all the appa- 

 ratus necessary) is to be used thus : — Spread the handker- 

 chief on the ground, and place a hat, with the brim down- 

 wards, on the middle of the handkerchief; and then tie the 

 handkerchief round the hat as you would tie up a bundle, 

 keeping the kiiots as near the centre of the crown of the 

 hat as may be. ]SIow by seizing the knots in one hand, 

 aiid keeping the opening of the hat upwards, a person, 

 without knowino; how to s\^ in), may fearlessly plunge into 

 the water \\ith what may be necessary to save the life of a 

 fcllow-ereature. 



The abqve is thp ground-work, and the most ready appli- 

 cation of tlie idea; but, where circumstances and time uilj 

 pcrnnt, various modes may be adopted : as, taking two hats 

 and tying the two ends of a walking-stick into the knots of 

 -1 the 



