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HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



So common has the practice of diving become, that in all 

 countries it is a regular profession. A few instances of the 

 advantages gained by it will prove interesting. 



In February, 1867, a collision took place in the port of 

 Marseilles between two steamers, the Ganges and the Impera- 

 trice. The last of these lost one of her wheels, and a box of 

 gold in the officers' quarters fell out and sank in the mud. The 

 exact spot where it feel was not known. The box was black 

 and not very strong. The next day an attempt was made to 

 recover it. A lead was sunk at the supposed spot where the 

 box was lost : and two lines attached to it were knotted at 

 distances of a yard along their length. The two divers having 

 descended, took each of them one of these lines in his hand, 

 and, using the lead as a centre, walked round in gradually 

 increasing circles, searching carefully every foot of their way. 

 After working three hours in this way they found the box, 

 and restored it to the delighted owner. 



Another most interesting case is that of the Hussar, an 

 English navy vessel, which was wrecked in Hell Gate, in New 

 York llarbor. On the 23d of November, 1780, during the war 

 of the Ke volution, and while New York was in the possession 

 of the English, a British fleet entered the harbor. Among 

 them, as convoys, were the Mercury and the Hussar. The 

 first had on board £384,000, mostly in guineas, and the second 

 £580,000, together amounting to about §4,800,000. This large 

 sum was intended to pay the English troops then in this 

 country. The next day the whole of this money was placed 

 on board the Hussar, and she got ready to proceed to New 

 London, Connecticut, which was then a place for the British 

 rendezvous. Before starting she also took on board seventy 

 prisoners, from the prison hulks in the bay, who were confined 

 with irons on the gun deck below. What it was intended to do 

 with these unhappy prisoners is not known, nor does it appear 

 from the record* However, thus freighted the Hussar hauled 



