298 An Invention for preserving the Lives of Mariners. 



tions, as, from its shortness, it would be more readily loaded 

 aid fired with a larger charge each time. 



3d. Acidents from a gun bursting, which may arise from 

 an unskilful person loading with too great a .proportion of 

 powder, is in this piece effectually guarded against, by the 

 chamber beine; constructed to contain but one pound of 

 powder, a quantity which is only about one-third of the 

 usual charge of a cannon. 



4lh. From the small size of such a gun and carriage, it 

 might be kept upon deck, without much inconvenience in 

 working ihe ship, in order to be ready if necessity icquired; 

 and when the ship is out at sea, it might then be put below. 

 But from the number of dreadful wrecks, which so fre- 

 quently happen along the coast, it certainly would be pru- 

 dent to have it always upon deck when within sight of land, 

 and particularly in stormy weather. 



John Bell. 



Woolwich, Sept. 30, 1791. 



To C. Taylor, M.D. Sec. - 



Reference to the Engraving of Lieutenant Bell 's Method 

 of throwing a Rope on Shore, from a stranded Vessel. 

 Plate VIII. 



o, Fig. 2. Represents the mortar on its carriage; Z>, the 

 shell shown within the mortar by dotted lines ; c, the grom- 

 met, or double rope, which connects the shell and line ; 

 d d, the line to be thrown on shore, now ready wound on 

 the poles or hand-spikes, pp, and which are to be withdrawn 

 when the mortar is fired. 



Fig. 3. Is a separate view of the shell, with the grommet 

 and end of the line attached thereto, explained by the same 

 letters. 



Fig. 4. Shows another invention, suggested instead of a 

 shell, and to be fired from a common cannon, in which e 

 is an iron pin ; f, an iron collar and rope sliding upon it j 

 g, an iron ring which turns upon two pins in the collar ; h 

 is the grommet or double rope, attached to the ring, to 

 which the line to be thrown on shore is fastened. This plan 



may 



