658 LIFE-? RE 
fecurity; and it might be a ufsful expedient, if there 
was a quantity.of cork on-board of (hips, to prepare the 
boats with, in cafes of (hipwreck, as it might be expedi- 
tioufly done in a temporary way, by means of clamps, or 
fome other contrivance. The application of cork to Come 
of the boats of his majefty’s drips (the launches) might 
be worthy of confideration, more particularly, as an ex¬ 
periment might be made at.a little expendc, and without 
injury to the boats.” 
The life-boat is kept in a boat-houfe, and placed upon 
four low wheels, ready to be moved at a.moment's notice. 
Thefe wheels are convenient in conveying the boat along 
the (bore to the fea ; but, if die had to travel upon them 
on a rough road, her frame would be exceedingly ihaken ; 
befides, it has been found difficult and troublefome to re¬ 
place her upon thefe wheels, on her return from fea. 
Another plan has therefore been adopted : two wheels of 
twelve feet diameter, with a moveable arched axis, and a 
pole fixed thereto for a lever, have been condrudred. 
The boat is fufpended, near her centre, between the 
wheels, under the axis; toward each extremity of which 
is an iron pin. When the pole is elevated perpendicu¬ 
larly, the upper part of the axis becomes deprefled, and 
a pair of ^opa (lings, which go round the boat, being 
fixed to the iron pins, (lie is railed with the greateft faci¬ 
lity by means of the pole, which is then fattened down 
to the (tern of the boat. 
Mr. Greathead gives the following inftruclions for the 
management of the life-boat. “ The boats, in general, 
of this defeription are painted white on the outilde ; this 
colour more immediately engaging the eye of the fpeifta- 
tor, when riling from the hollow of the fea, than any 
other. The bottom of the boat is at firft varnifned, 
(which will take paint afterwards,) for the more minute 
infpeefion cf purchafers. The oars (lie is equipped with 
are made of fir, of the bed: quality ; having found by expe¬ 
rience, that a rove afh-oar, that will drefs clean and light, 
is too pliant among the breakers ; and when made ltrong 
and heavy, from rowing double-banked, the purchafe 
being (hort. fooner exhaufts the rower, which makes the 
fir-oat, when made ftiff, more preferable. In the manage¬ 
ment of the boat, (he requires twelve men to work her; 
that is, five men on each fide rowing double-banked, with 
an oar (lung over an iron thole, with a grommet, (as pro¬ 
vided,) fo as to enable the rower to pull either way, and 
one man at each end to (leer her, and to be ready at the 
oppoiite end to take the (leer-oar, when wanted. As, 
from the conftruflion of the boat, (lie is always in a po¬ 
sition to be rowed either way, without turning the boat; 
when manned, the perfon who (leers her lliould be well 
acquainted with the courfe of the tides, in order to take 
every pofiible advantage ; the bed method, if the direc¬ 
tion will admit of if, is to head the fea. The (teerfman 
(hould keep his eye fixed upon the wave or breaker, and 
encourage the rowers to give way, as the boat rifes to it; 
being then aided by the force of the oars, (he launches 
over it with va(l rapidity, without (hipping any water. 
It is necefiary to obferve, that there is often a ftrong re¬ 
flux of fea occafioned by the ftranded wrecks, which re¬ 
quires both difpatch and care in the people employed, 
that the boat be not damaged. When the wreck is 
reached, if the wind blows to the land, the boat will 
come in (bore without any other effort than (leering.” 
The following additional obfervations and in 11 millions 
are given by Mr. Hinderwell of Scarborough. The life¬ 
boat at Scarborough is under the diredfion of a committee. 
Twenty-four fifhermen, compofing two crews, are alter¬ 
nately employed to navigate her. A reward, in cafes of 
ihipwreck, is paid by the committee to each man adfually 
engaged in the affidance ; and it is expelled the veflel re¬ 
ceiving affidance (hould contribute to defray this expenfe. 
None have hitherto refufed. It is of importance that the 
command of the boat (hould be entruded to Come Heady 
experienced perfon, who is acquainted with the direction 
cf the tides or currents, as much (kill may be required 
SERVE Tt. 
in riling them to the mod advantage, in going to a ffiip 
in didrefs. It (hould alfo be recommended, to keep the 
head cf the boat to the fea, as much as circum(Ences 
will admit; and, to give her an accelerated velocity to 
meet the wave, much exertion is necefiary in approaching 
?. wreck, on account of the drong reflux of the waves, 
which is fometimes attended with great danger. In a ge¬ 
neral way, it is fared to go on the lee quarter; but this 
"depends on the pofition of the veflel; and the mader of 
the boat (hould exereife his (kill in placing her in the mod 
convenient fituntion. l he boatmen (hould pradltife them- 
felvestin the ufe of the boat, that they may be the better 
acquainted with her movements; and they (hould at all 
times be drictly obedient to the directions of the perfon 
who is appointed to the command. 
The upper part of the annexed Plate contains a per- 
fpedl ive view of the life-boat rifing over a heavy (urge, 
and going out to the affidance of a (hip, which appears 
in the horizon in didrefs. In the life-boat are ten rowers, 
pulling to get to the (hip. At the lower end of the boat, 
a man is fleering her with a long oar towards the (hip ; 
and another perfon is dafioned with an oar at the higher 
end, to deer the boat on her return ; both ends of the 
boat being formed alike, in order, to ufe either at pleafure 
in going to or coming from the (hip. The (heer, or 
curve ot the boat, riling confiderably from the middle to 
the liesis, or ends, is clearly didinguifhed ; alfo the coat¬ 
ing of cork, fecured by flips of copper along the outfide 
of the boat, near the part where the rowers are feated. 
Fig. i, in the lower part of the Plate, is a longitudinal 
fedlion of the fame life-boat, in order to (how the parts 
diftindlly. E E E, the (heer or curve of the boat. 11 , the 
two (terns, or ends, which are exactly alike. K, the keel, 
LL, the aprons, to drengthen the dems. M M, the fheets,. 
or places for paflengers. N N, timber-heads, or boat- 
fadenings. OOOOO, the tholes on which the oars are 
flung by grommets. T, flooring under the rowers’ feet. 
Fig. 2 is a crofs fedtion of the fame ; wherein FF are the 
outfide coatings of cork; GG, the infide cork filling j. 
H H, the outfide planks of the boat; I, one of the dems 
of the boat; K, the keel; N N, the timber-head ; P P, the 
thwarts, or rowers’ feats; R, one of the danchions under 
the thwarts, each being thus firmly fupported ; S, a flec¬ 
tion of the gang-board, which erodes the thwarts, and 
forms the padage from one end of the boat to the other ; 
T, the floor-heads, or platform for the rowers’ feet; V V, 
the two bilge pieces, nearly level with the keel; WW, 
the gunwales; X, a ring-bolt for the head-fad, there 
bei.ng another alfo at the other end ; Y, a platform for 
the deerfman. ’ 
After this life-boat had been fubmitted to a ted of 
twelve years’experience, during which'period Mr. Great- 
head had facrificed a very confiderable portion of his time 
in furnifhing plans, and otherwife rendering the inven¬ 
tion as extenfively ufeful as he could ; on the 25th of Fe¬ 
bruary, 1803, he prefented a petition to the houfe of com¬ 
mons, the prayer of which was as follows : “ Your pe¬ 
titioner having been indrumental in (luting the lives of fo 
many perfons ; the utility of the boat being now efta- 
bliihed ; and your petitioner having derived little or no 
pecuniary advantage whatever from the invention, his 
models having been made public ; humbly hopes, that 
this honourable houfe will take his cafe into their con¬ 
fideration, and grant your petitioner fuch reward as to 
this honourable houfe (lia.ll feem meet, &c.” 
The petition, having been recommended by his ma- 
jedy, was referred to the confideration of a committee 5 
of whofe report the following is a brief abdraCfl. “ It 
appeared to your committee to be necefiary to diredt their 
inquiries particularly to the three following fubjedts. id. 
The utility of the life-boat. 2dly. The originality of 
the invention claimed by Mr. Gre'athead. 3dly. Whe¬ 
ther he had received any, and what, remuneration. And, 
in order to al'certain thefe fadts, your committee proceeded 
to examine, Ralph Hiliery, a leaman, who dated, that he 
1 had 
