86 THE SEA. 



of doing it. Taking hold of the end of a rope, he plunged into the hole, where it is said 

 he remained nearly two minutes, mentally noting the damage done. So intent was he on 

 this examination that he let go the rope just as his companions above, alarmed at his 

 long stay below, were hauling it up. He had just time to catch hold of it again, and 

 was happily drawn safely into the bell. 



The diving dress was a later development, and owed much of its present practical 

 shape to French men of science. The object of the dress, which is of canvas or india- 

 rubber and metal, is, of course, to give each individual wearing it the utmost liberty 

 of motion, while having at the same time a proper supply of vital air. The condensed 

 air-reservoir is made of steel, and capable of resisting great pressures. The diver carries 

 this apparatus on his back; from it a respiratory tube issues, and is terminated by an 

 india-rubber mouth-piece, which is held between the lips and teeth of the diver. 



The diver's is a rough life, most assuredly. During the diving business on the Royal 

 George, Private John Williams, early in the season, tore his hands very severely in attempt- 

 ing to sling a mass of the wreck with jagged surfaces and broken bolts. After a few days' 

 rest he reappeared in his submarine habit, and dived as before, but from excessive pain in the 

 ars was again /tors de combat till the llth of July, when, on re-descending, he was grievously 

 injured by the bursting of his air-pipe a few inches above the water. This casualty was 

 indicated by a loud hissing noise on deck. A few seconds elapsed before the rupture could 

 be traced and the opening temporarily stopped. With great alertness he was drawn up, and on 

 being relieved of his helmet, presented a frightful appearance. His face and neck were 

 much swelled and very livid, blood was flowing profusely from his mouth and ears, and his 

 <3yes were closed and protruding. Though partially suffocated, he possessed sufficient 

 sensibility to speak of the mishap. A sudden shock, it seems, struck him motionless, and 

 then followed a tremendous pressure, as if he were being crushed to death. A month in 

 the Haslar Hospital restored him to health, and. on returning to the wreck he at once re- 

 commenced his laborious occupation. 



The following is a remarkable example of a salvage effected by the help of divers. 

 " The packet boats Ganges and Vlmpemtrice came into collision in the outer port of Mar- 

 seilles. The Imperatrice had one of her wheels broken and the officers' quarters damaged. 

 One of the cabins contained a chest full of gold, which fell into the thick mud which forms 

 the bottom of the port of Marseilles. It was important that this precious package should 

 be recovered the next day. The sea was rough, and the exact spot where the accident 

 occurred unknown. The box was not strong; its colour was black. At the supposed spot a 

 plumb of sixty kilogrammes was sunk. This plumb carried two cords divided into metres ; 

 two divers dragged them in separate directions, and taking each the knot corresponding to 

 one metre, they described consecutive circles, examining the ground at each step. After 

 searching three hours, the gold was found, and restored to its owner, who had watched the 

 operations with intense anxiety. This salvage was effected on February 19th, 1867, by 

 M. Barbotin, contractor for submarine work at Marseilles." 



The diving-bell proper has been much improved by another Frenchman, M. Pay erne. 

 His " Submarine Hydrostat " will descend or fall at the will of those inside. Thirty men 

 may work in it with ease for a number of hours without inconvenience. It is, therefore, of 



