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the first month of the current year (1883), as many as three 

 emigrant ships have been engulphed, and numerous other 

 appalling disasters have occurred in various parts of the 

 ocean's domain that have proved conclusively an urgent 

 and clamorous need for extended and improved means for 

 saving life. An endeavour -will be made to prove, by a 

 few illustrations, that the means provided are greatly in- 

 adequate in extent, and that even to the extent of their 

 limited capacity these fail to warrant trust and to render 

 service in the last extremity. 



The general observation may be made, in limine, that in 

 an indefinite number of instances vessels of various kinds 

 are allowed, unquestioned and unimpeded, to cast off from 

 quays and ports to commence their voyages or trips with 

 freights of human beings on board, for floating whom, should 

 their ship fail, no provision whatever is made by boats or 

 otherwise. There is not even a pretence of such complete 

 provision made by the owners. In the case of ocean-going 

 steamships, and some passenger and emigrant ships, there 

 is a pretence of boat accommodation for passengers in case 

 of need, but it is a pretence, and nothing more. The rows 

 of nicely-painted canvas-covered boats of outward-bound 

 liners ("Jack" probably thinks them lumber and in the 

 way), look very pretty, almost imposing, and are apt to im- 

 press with a sense of forethought and a feeling of security ; 

 but they are really, in view of possible requirements, a 

 delusion, almost a fraud and a false pretence, and the in- 

 tending passenger who trusts to such appearances can be 

 but little wiser than the hunted ostrich that hides its head 

 in the sand. The boats provided for ocean-going passenger 

 and emigrant steam or sailing ships, and transports, are 

 never sufficient in numbers and carrying capacity to float 

 more than a fraction of the persons in the ships respectively. 



