285 APPENDIX. 



5th. I believe there is no such thing as a death-^ra^/, at least 

 it must be unusual, for I have seen many persons drowned, and 

 have never witnessed it. As soon as a drowning man begins to 

 get feeble and to lose his recollection, he gradually slackens his 

 hold, until he quits it altogether. No apprehension need there- 

 fore be felt on that head, when attempting to rescue a drowning 

 person. 



6th. After a person has sunk to the bottom, if the water be 

 smooth, the exact position where the body lies may be known by 

 the air-bubbles, which will occasionally rise to the surface, allow- 

 ance being made, of course, for the motion of the water if in a tide- 

 way or stream, which will have carried the bubbles out of a per- 

 pendicular course in rising to the surface. A body may be often 

 regained from the bottom, before too late for recovery, by diving 

 for it in the direction indicated by these bubbles. 



7th. On rescuing a person by diving to the bottom, the hair of 

 the head should be seized by one hand only, and the other used in 

 conjunction with the feet in raising yourself and the drowning per- 

 son to the surface. 



8th. If in the sea, it may sometimes be a great error to try to 

 get to land. If there be a strong 'out-setting' tide, and you are 

 swimming, either by yourself, or having hold of a person who can- 

 not swim, then get on to your back and float till help comes. Many 

 a man exhausts himself by stemming the billows for the shore on a 

 back-going tide, and sinks in the effort, when, if he had floated, a 

 boat, or other aid, might have been obtained. 



9th. These instructions apply alike to all circumstances, whether 

 the roughest sea or smooth water. 



JOSEPH R. HODGSON. 



SUNDERLAND, Dec. 1858. 



DIRECTIONS FOR RESTORING THE APPARENTLY 

 DROWNED. 



It may happen that some one or other of my readers may be 

 present at the occurrence of an accident of the kind to which the 

 following directions relate, and, from their perusal, be enabled to 

 be of essential service. However this may be, it is certain that 

 such valuable instructions as these cannot be too widely dissemi- 



