418 On the ^Ii'itmnemciil of Timber. 



the boat so alive to its purpose in all weathers as the little 

 Esquimaux canoe ? With this fact before us, why are we not, 

 in some measure, to follow the example placed before us by 

 these simple-minded Indians, and effect our purpose in smaller 

 boats, which are less costly and more readily managed ? It 

 may, too, happen that enough seamen cannot be collected to 

 man a large heavy life-boat, while a sufficiency may be at 

 hand to man a smaller : but admitting that enough should be 

 collected to man the larger, — with how much more spirit would 

 they {proceed to effect their object in two smaller boats, as each 

 would be at hand to help aiul sustain the other ? Indeed, on 

 the occasion of all adventurous boat enterprises, the confi- 

 dence and emulation, even to heroism, that are created by hav- 

 ing boats in company, is well known to every seaman. Each 

 boat is pushing to be foremost to cope with the object, what- 

 ever it may be. — Whether on board or on shore, human 

 natui'e is the same; and on the occasion of a dangerous ren- 

 counter, all are more alive to meet it when imited than alone. 



Had the delivering tubes been of larger bore, they would 

 have effected their purpose with greater facility; or this duty 

 would have been better and more cheaply accomplished by 

 cutting out the plank of the bottom amidships, between the two 

 midille thwarts, to the width of the cases; then by boxing this 

 space up to the height of the present tubes, so as to form a 

 sfiuare well, which might be prevented from leaking by a lining 

 ot lead or copper, a much greater area would have been given 

 for the selt-delivery of the water from the boat. 



A boat of this description should be under the constant 

 charge of one active seaman, as coxswain, who is capable of 

 stationing her chance crew to their proper duty, and himself 

 expert at the management of her steerage by the oar at the 

 stern. \\'ithout this advantage the boat may almost be con- 

 sidered as useless, and such unfortunately is the case with the 

 boat in question ; for she is not only without a fixed coxswain, 

 but at a station, although excellent in many respects, where 

 seamen do not resi<ic'. 



LXXXIV. 0)1 the Measuremeni of Timber. By 

 J//-. William Gutteridge. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal. 



J St.Fin-barr's,('oik, Nov. 13. 182-2. 



Gentlkmen,— In pursuance of the intimation conveyed in 



my last letter, which 3'ou were so good as to present to the 



public through the medium of vour pages, relative to a change 



of 



