Navigation. 371 



•nierly so tedious and diflicult, is now performed, 

 even by common seamen, deserves to be noticed 

 as a distinction of the age under consideration. 



The great augmentation in the number o^ Maps 

 and Charts, and the manifest improvements in their 

 construction, accuracy, and elegance, may also 

 be mentioned among the circumstances, in modern 

 times^ which have contributed to the advance- 

 ment of navigation. The degree in which these 

 improvements have promoted the safety, the com- 

 fort, and the expedition of late voyages, is scarcely 

 within the reach of ordinary calculation. 



But there are few modern improvements in the 

 art of navigation more gratifying to humanity than 

 the remarkable and very successful attention to the 

 Health of Seamen, which characterizes the conduc- 

 tors of late voyages. The names of those who dis- 

 tinguished themselves by devising and bringing 

 into use the most approved methods for pro- 

 moting this end were respectfully mentioned in a 

 preceding division of this work. The great con- 

 trast which the history of ancient and modern voy- 

 ages presents with respect to the comparative de- 

 struction of the health and lives of mariners which 

 they produced, cannot but forcibly arrest the at- 

 tention of every reader^ and exceedingly gratify 

 the benevolent mind. Besides the improvements 

 in diet and regimen on ship-board, to which m.o- 

 dern science and humanity have given rise, and 

 which I^.avc contributed greatly to preserve i\\Q 

 health of seamen, the introduction of Ventilators 

 into ships also deserves to be mentioned as an 

 important means of promoting the same object, 

 and, at the same time, for preserving the timber 

 and cargoes of vessels.^ To these may be added 



/ For the invention of one of the most complete and useful plans for 

 I'cntiiating ships, we are indebted to our ingenious countryman, JVTr. Wyn- 

 Koop, of Philadelphia, whose contrivance for this purpose has reccivccj. 

 Iiigh praise from iho-sc who arc most comix;ttnt to judj^e of its merits. 



