Interesting Curiosities collected ly Mr. Clarke. 273 



ploved with advantage. It may be proper to premise, that 

 being made of an article at all times to be had m abundance, 

 and of no present value whatever, and being \cxy simple 

 in its construction, it may be made by old people in poor- 

 houses, by Greenwich pensioners, &c. who could not be 

 better employed, and therefore may be afforded at a price 

 within the reach of every foremast man. 



It would be a desirable appendage to the life-boat in cases 

 when the whole crew could not be taken in at once. Any 

 number of persons furnished with these might be floated 

 ashore attached to the boat with small cords. In cases of 

 shipwreck where no life-boats are at hand, doubtless many 

 lives might be saved by the marine spencer ; and we may 

 presume that seamen will act with more effect in time of 

 danger when they know they have the certain means on 

 board o-f getting safe to shore when every exertion is found 

 in vain to save the vessel. 



In cases of persons falling overboard, any one not ac- 

 quainted with swimming, if furnished with a marine spen- 

 cer, might safely leap after them and keep them from sink- 

 ing untd a boat could be launched. 



In cases of fire at sea, or in harbours, the most beneficial 

 effects may be expected from its use ; and had the Queen 

 Charlotte, which was burnt at sea, been furnished with 

 only one hundred of the marine spencers, many hundreds 

 x)f lives might have been saved, as in moderate weather one 

 will keep three or four people from drowning. 



A corner in every seaman's locker in the royal navy could 

 not be better employed than in containing one of these ;_ 

 and if the men were occasionally exercised in the use of 

 them, so as to render them familiar, the most important 

 consequences might attend it. 



Most certainly the life-boat is the best means vet disco- 

 vered of preserving lives in cases of shipwreck ; but as the 

 smaller description of merchant vessels could not afford the 

 expense of one, these marine spencers are certainly the next 

 best means of preserving the lives of the crews in such cases. 



L. Llit of interesting Curiosities collected hj Mr. Clarke 

 during his Travels in the East. 



To the Editor of the Philosophical Magazine. 



As various inaccurate accounts have appeared concerning 



the acquisitions to literature and science which have been 



Vol. XVI. No. 63. S brought 



