ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF EFFICIENT LIFE-BOATS. 333 
separately in the good cause ; but it is not going too far to express the belief, 
that one centralized system would be more advantageous than the whole of 
these desultory efforts, and that all the power of the Government is desirable, 
and even necessary, in order to work out more efficiently a general plan, 
with (as a necessary part) more ample means for the preservation of life 
from shipwreck; and since every British seaman contributes something 
annually (3</.a year) from his limited earnings for this very purpose, he has a 
right to expect that the funds so raised should be turned to the best account. 
The momentous question of efficient lib*-boats can only be safely dealt 
with after the most patient consideration, founded upon an extensive series 
of experiments, both as regards the construction of the boats to be adopted 
and tlie encouragement to be given to their crews* As regards the latter, it 
may Imre be observed, that the salvage is a reward to those who save part of 
a chip’s cargo; but if the chance of the latter be overlooked in order to save 
life, there is no pecuniary reward for individuals who make the sacrifice. 
1 must now invite the attention of the Association to the peculiar form 
of the tubular life-boat, which dates from the year 1830, when a wreck at 
Weymouth, and the previous examination of Blanshard’s pontoons, gave rise 
to the invention, by Mr. Richardson, of this boat, which has already success¬ 
fully encountered the sea in almost every form. 
I need scarcely observe, that Blanahard's pontoons are divided, both lon¬ 
gitudinally and transversely, into several compartments by partitions of tin, 
both to increase their strength and to prevent them from sinking in the 
water in case.of being accidentally perforated in any part. Tulmfar boats 
are by no means modem. We have the Hying praam of Anson, the out- 
nggei or mosquito boats ol the Cingalese and Malays; and others seen by 
myself in Nubia are built upon this principle; and if water-tight corupart- 
nients did not belong to Noah’s Ark itself, they have been actually in use 
•or ages in the Chinese boats, and also in Europe in various ways. 
But although the Invention of the tubo and water-tight compartments 
neither is nor could be claimed in this instance, the adaptation of them to the 
construction of a life-boat, as patented, is due to Mr. Richardson, and is a 
v nry important practical step towards the object we are so desirous of 
obtaining. 
kTi* t 4 ll0at waa ^ * have Before said, in 1830; in 
X "1 “fj’ce others were constructed, the largest to row twelve oars; and one 
*o small, that a child in petticoats was in the habit of rowing it alone at 
Jr?? !” thc surf in Pcrfoo* * a fety. The subject dropped for years, 
in in 1848 Henry Thomas Richardson, Esq., then an officer in the Fourth 
tififr , uurtls > antI 80rj of above-named Mr. Richardson, caused a 
hf ‘li to bo bu ,, t at Manchester. 
r hen lhe Duke uf Northumberland offered his prize, Mr. H. T. Richard- 
s model was one of those sent in; and although the prize was awarded to 
tfECK VlEl * 07 •UCnxaDSOlS'3 TUBULAK LIPS-UOAT. 
lh a t hp e ?^' n ^’ S ? P ersuiu fe^ ' vas Be of the superiority of the tubular plan, 
incurred the expense of constructing a boat agreeably to fcis plan. 
