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as the objeA to be relieved required it ; and that (he goes 

 with the fame fafety from one objeft to another, in a broken 

 fea, as an ordinary boat would pafs from one (hip to another 

 in a fmooth fea. He is confident, fince the eftablifliment of 

 the life -boat, that there have been at lead 300 perfons 

 brought on fnore from fhips in diftrefs, and wrecks off ShieldG, 

 the greatell part of whom miift otherwife have periflied. 

 And the witiicfs added, that it was his opinion, founded 

 upon experience and the obfervations he had been enabled 

 to make, that no fea, however high, could overfet or fink 

 the life-boat." 



The originality of Mr. Greathead's invention is there 

 proved by proper certificates and atteftatioiis ; and the 

 remuneration that he had received, over and above a prolit 

 of from ten to fifteen pounds each, upon building a few 

 boats, are ifated to be. 



From the Literary and Philofophical Society of New- 

 caftle, five guineas. 



Royal Humane Society, a medallion. 



Corporation of the Trinity H.mfe, loo guineas. 



Society of Arts, a gold medallion and 50 guineas. 



The voteof parUament, on the 3d of June, in confequence 

 of the foregoing report, was, " That a fum not exceeding 

 1 20c pounds be granted to his majc-fty, to be paid to Henr)' 

 Greathead, of South Shields, in the county of Durham, 

 boat-builder, as a reward for his invention of the life-boat, 

 whereby many hveshave already been faved, and great fccu- 

 ritv is afforded to feamen aiid property in cafes of fhip- 

 wreck." 



The fubfcribers at Lloyd's, on the 20th of May, voted to 

 Mr. Greathead the fum of loo guineas, " as an acknow- 

 ledgment of his talents and exertions in inventing and build- 

 ing a life-boat," and 2000 pounds " for the purpofe of en- 

 couraging the building of life-boats on different parts of the 

 coafts of thefe kingdoms." 



At the beginning of 1S04, Mr. Greathead received a 

 very valuable diamond ring from the emperor of Ruffia, 

 whofe munificence to ingenious men of all countries is vrell 

 known. 



The following extraft from the Tyne Mercui-y of the 

 29th November iSoj, is another proof of the great utility 

 of the hfe-boat. 



The Bee of Shields, John Houfton mailer, having put to 

 fea (21ft Nov.) in an ealterly wind, had not proceeded far, 

 when it began to blow ftrong from the fouth-eaft, which 

 obliged him a few hours after to put back. In taking 

 Tynemouth bar at the laft quarter ebb, in a verj' heavy fea, 

 file ftruck the ground, and unfhipped her rudder. Being 

 now completely unmanageable, (he drifted towards the 

 north fide of the bar, and at length drove on the Black 

 Middens. They who have witneffed the tremendous fea 

 which breaks on the north-eaft part of this harbour, in a 

 fouth-eafterly wind, may form a conception of the dreadful 

 fituation in which the crew of the veflel were fituated. In 

 the midft of rocks, where the fea runs mountains high, fo as 

 fiequently to obfcure the Ihip, and where any vefTel might 

 be expefted immediately to go to pieces ; their only refuge 

 from being fwept into the gulf, was to climb up into the 

 (hrouds, which the captain, with fix men and boys, being 

 the v/hole crew, inftantly effcfted. The dangerous fituation 

 in whicn they were placed, immediately attracted an im- 

 menfe number of fpectators from both North and South 

 Shields. The fhores in everj' dircftion were hned with 

 people, who expreffed, by their anxious looks, the moft fym- 

 pathetic apprehenfions for their fafety. The making ufe 

 of the life -boat v.-as by moil people thought impoffible ; 

 and at all events, the attempt was attended with extreme dan- 



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gf, owing to the tremendous fea, and the immenfe rockis 

 which lay where the veffel was ftranded. So confident, 

 however, was Mr. Greathead, the inventor, of the life -boat 

 being able to live in any fea, if properly navigated, that he, 

 without hefitation, and with the greateft alertnefs, volun- 

 teered his fervices to bring off the men from the brig. 

 This intrepid offer operated like eleflricity among the 

 failors ; and immediately the Northumberland life-boat was 

 launched, and manned with Mr. Greathead and South 

 Shields pilots. In the courfe of a few minutes they reached 

 the veffel, without much difBculty, and picked off the men 

 from the ihrouds (hivering with cold, and almoft periflied 

 by fatigue. One man, in making too much haile to enter 

 the boat, fell into the breakers, but was immediately re- 

 covered. When the whole crew was in the boat, they 

 rowed towards the fhore, and in lefs than an hour from the 

 time the boat was launched, did they return in fafety to 

 South Shields, without a fingle accident ! 



Upon the ill of Augull 1777, fome trials were made on 

 a boat, or {loop fit for inland navigation, coafting voyages, 

 and (hort paffages by fea, which is not, like ordinary veffels, 

 liable to be overfet or funk by winds, waves, water-fpouts, 

 or too heavy a load, contrived and conftruftcd by Mon- 

 Ceur Bernieres, director of the bridges and caufeways in 

 France, &c. at the gate of the invalids in Paris, in the pre- 

 fence of the provoll of the merchants, of the body of the 

 town, and of a numerous concourie of fpeftators of all con- 

 ditions. 



Thefe experiments were made in the way of comparifon 

 with another common boat of the fame place, and of equal 

 fize. Both boats had been built ten years, and their ex- 

 terior forms appeared to be exadlly fimilar. The common 

 boat contained only eight men, who rocked it and made it 

 incUne fo much to one fide, that ic prefently filled with 

 water, and funk ; fo that the men were obhged to fave 

 themfelves by fwimming ; a thing common in all veffels of 

 the fame kind, either from the imprudence of thofe who 

 are in them, the ftrength of the waves or wind, a vio- 

 lent or unexpefted (hock, their being overloaded, or over- 

 powered any other way. 



The fame men who had iuft efcaped the boat which 

 funk, got into the boat of M. Bernieres ; rocked and filled 

 it, as they had done the other, with water. But, inftead of 

 finking to the bottom, though brim-full, it bore being 

 rowed about the river, loaded as it was with men and water, 

 without any danger to the people in it. 



M. Bernieres carried the trial ftill farther. He ordered 

 a mad to be erected in this fame boat, when filled with 

 water ; and to the top of the maft had a rope faftened, 

 and drawn till the end of the maft touched the furface of the 

 river, fo that the boat v/as entirely on one fide, a pofition 

 into which neither winds nor waves could bring her ; yet, as 

 foon as the men, who had hauled her into this fituation, let 

 go the rope, the boat and maft recovered themfelves per- 

 feftly in lefs than the quarter of a fecond ; a convincing 

 proof that the boat could neither be funk nor overturned, 

 and that it afforded the greateft poffible fecurity in every 

 way. Thefe experiments appeared to give the greater 

 pleafure to the public, as the advantages of the difcovery 

 are not only fo fenfible, but of the firft importance to man- 

 kind. 



Marnois boats, fo called from being employed on the river 

 Marne in France. They are flat, and carry wine, corn, 

 timber, &c. from the province of Champaigne. 



Ncrivay boat, or yawl, is fharp at both ends, and of va- 

 rious dimenfions. This boat, from its conftruclion, is ad- 

 mirably adapted for enduring a high fea, and will often ven- 

 4 Qji ture 



