L I F E-P RESERVER. 
7th. In trading-ftiips, this piece would anfwer for mak¬ 
ing fignals of diltrefs, by filling the chamber with pow¬ 
der, and well wadding it, as the report would be heard 
fome miles diftance at fea. 
8th. Such a gun, being accompanied with a few rounds 
of round and grape fhot, would defend a fhip much bet¬ 
ter than a longer gun, againft any piratical or other hof- 
tile intentions, as, from itsr Ihortnefs, it would be more 
readily loaded and fired with a larger charge each time.. 
9th. Accidents from a gun burfting, which may arife 
from au unficilful peffon loading with too great a propor¬ 
tion of powder, are in this piece efreflually guarded againft, 
by the chamber being conftrmfted to contain but one 
pound of powder, a quantity which is only about one- 
third of the ufual charge of a cannon. 
10th. From the fmall fize of fuch a gun and carriage, 
it might be kept upon deck, without much inconvenience 
in working the fhip, in order to be ready if neceffity re¬ 
quired ; and, when the fhip is out at fea, it might then 
be put below'. But, from the number of dreadful wrecks 
■which fo frequently happen along the coaft, it certainly 
would be prudent to have it always upon deck when 
within fight of land, and particularly in ftormy weather. 
As a counterpart to this, we have to mention the con¬ 
trivance of Capt. Manby, of Yarmouth in Norfolk, 
whofe method of preferving the lives of fhipwrecked per- 
fons, and of forming a communication with (hips ftranded 
on a lee-fhore, is by means of a rope thrown over the vef- 
fel from a mortar onjhore, by which an apparatus can be 
ufed to refcue the crew, &c. Sundry teftimonies are re¬ 
corded, to prove the excellence of this invention ; and we 
fhall tranfcribe the following, in which our readers will 
remark that Capt. Manby’s apparatus can be employed 
when it is impoffible to fire a mortar from the ftranded 
vefiel. 
“John Prouting, late matter of the brigantine or vef- 
fel called the Elizabeth of Plymouth, maketh oath and 
faith, that he was on-board the faid vefiel, when file was 
unfortunately ftranded on the beach of Great Yarmouth, 
in a violent gale of wind, on Friday the 12th day of Fe¬ 
bruary inftant. That a rope from the fhore was thrown 
by a piece of ordnance to the diftance of one hundred and 
fifty yards, over the faid vefiel, and lodged upon her rig¬ 
ging, at which time no other communication could be ob¬ 
tained ; and by means of which rope fo thrown he folely 
attributes the fafety of himfelf and crew. That he could 
not at the time have ufed a piece of ordnance, or any 
rope on-board for effecting a communication with the 
fhore, from the rolling of his faid vefiel and the fea mak¬ 
ing continual breaches over her; and that the deponent 
is fully convinced that the invention of throwing a rope 
to a (hip or vefiel ftranded on a lee-fhore, is of the utmoft 
confequence and importance to a maritime and commer¬ 
cial country, and interefting to the world at large. John 
Prouting. Sworn at Great Yarmouth afore faid, this 
22nd day of February, 1808, before me, Edmund K. La- 
con. Mayor of the Borough of Great Yarmouth.” 
In confequence of this and many other teftimonies in 
favour of this contrivance, the gold medal of the Society 
of Arts was voted to Capt. Manby in May 1808. 
Few of the objects which we defire are attained at once, 
■and by a fingle caufe. The fame wants offer themfelves 
under various features of difficulty, and require to be met 
with different means. The life-boat invented by Mr. 
Greathead is of effefl in thofe fhipwrecks that happen at 
a diftance from the land; Capt. Manby’s invention is 
adapted to thofe that happen under cliff's, or fo near the 
fhore that no boat can be brought into ufe. Where the 
beach gradually declines, it is covered with water only as 
the waves roll in; and in the reforbency, fuppofing that 
there is a fufficient depth of water to float the boat, and 
force it out towards the fea for a moment, it is again driven 
back by the next wave, to the fury of which the action of 
the oars does not offer a fufficient refiftance; and thefe 
obftacles, in a violent ftorm, are of themfelves enough to 
Vol. XII. No. 861. 
669 
render all efforts to get the life-boat off to the diftreffed 
vefiel ineffectual. The following evidence will fltow' how 
effectually Capt. Manby’s contrivance obviates all thefe 
inconveniences. 
Minutes of Captain Manby's Experiments at Lowejlojfe, Augvfi 
26th and September 10 tk, 1807. 
A cohorn of four inches and a-half bore, weighing three 
quarters of a hundred weight and one pound, at thirty-five 
degrees elevation, loaded with four ounces of gunpowder, 
threw a round fhot weighing eleven pounds and a half, 
to which was fattened a hided rope, and a large deep-fea 
line, to the diftance of one hundred and eighty yards. At 
an elevation of thirty degrees to one hundred and eighty- 
eight yards, a field-piece of five inches and a half bore, 
threw a round fhot, barbed at the top, weighing thirty 
pounds, faftened to a whale-rope one inch and a half, ta 
the diftance of one hundred and ninety yards ; .the eleva¬ 
tion was twenty degrees and a half, and a charge of eight 
ounces of powder. The fame piece, elevated twenty-five 
degrees, with a charge of ten ounces of powder, threw a 
fhot fimilar to the laft two hundred yards. The grapnel with 
extended flutes, weighing forty-two pounds, and the fame 
rope as before, the piece at an elevation qf twenty-two 
degrees, and a charge of ten ounces of powder, was thrown 
one hundred and ninety yards. A boat was hauled over 
the furf, by pulling at the line faftened to the grapnei, 
which foe went to, took up, and returned again to the 
fhore. Signed by M. Maurice, Secretary of the Suffolk 
Humane Society. 
Minutes of Experiments made by Captain Manby at Winter ton, 
March 2, 1808; certified by /. B. Huntington, Efq. one of kis 
Majefy's JuJlices of the Peace for the County of Norfolk. 
A galloper-carriage conveyed from Yarmouth to Win- 
terton the following ftores, viz. A five-ar.d-a-half-incit 
royal mortar on its bed ; two ammunition-boxes filled ; 
two hundred fathom of inch-aud-a-half rope; two hun¬ 
dred fathom of deep-fea line; twenty fathom of inch-and 
a-half rope, fitted up with two blocks, as a gun-tackle 
purchafe; three iron-fhod ftakes; a large maul to drive 
them with; a cot fitted up on a ftretcher, with gud¬ 
geons and fore-lock pins, to convey people on-fliore; two 
round twenty-four pounder fhot, with eyes, to form com¬ 
munication; a fhot with barbed fhort flukes to catch the 
rigging of a vefiel, for the purpofe of hauling a boat off, 
when the crew are fo benumbed with cold or fatigue, that 
they are incapable of aflifting in the plan intended for 
their relief; a grapnel forty-two pounds weight, to haul 
a boat over a higli furf to get off to fliips in diftrefs at a 
diftance from the fhore. 
The carriage thus loaded travelled with confiderable 
eafe, accompanied by two men feated on the ropes; and 
was found capable of going with two horfes at the rate of 
eight miles an hour. The mortar, being laid at the angle 
of twenty-two degrees and a half, (which was found to 
give the greateft range with a rope if projected againft the 
wind,) threw a deep-fea line with 
4 ounces of powder 
140 yards 
6 - - - 
do. 
- - 182 
8 - - - 
do. 
- - 215 
10 - - 
do. - 
- - 249 
iz - - 
do. 
- 290 
14 - - - 
do. - 
- - 310 
16 - 
do. 
- 322 
The barbed fhot at the fame angle, with fixteen ounces 
of powder, carried two hundred and forty-fix yards of 
inch-and-half rope. The grapnel, with the fame rope as 
the laft, with fixteen ounces of powder, was blown to 
pieces ; but the fame grapnel had been thrown at Lowef- 
toffe, on the 10th of September preceding, one hundred 
and ninety yards, with ten ounces of powder, and was 
found to anfwer every purpofe of its invention. 
I do certify the above was made in my prefence. 
I. B. Huntington. 
•S H Remarks , 
