2908 
vifed a better plan, I beg leave to pro- 
pofe the following— cf 
Let balls of oakum be made, of a conve- 
nient fize to be flung to a diftance with 
the hand; and, to increafe the diftance by 
an increafe of weight, let each contain in 
its centre a mufket-ball or grape-fhot, 
Let thefe balls be kept in cafks-filled over 
them with oil ; and, in the hour of dan- 
ger, let the failors hurl them, frefh drip- 
ping from the cafk, as far as they can, 
direétly againft the wind. Thus, the oil 
will diffufe its pacific influence over the 
waves which are commmg to them; and, if 
they have but a fufficient {tock of this kind 
of ammunition, they may perhaps finally 
fucceed in peiting the billows to peace. 
Perhaps, inftead of thefe oakum-balls, 
which are partly liable to the old objec- 
tion of being {wept to leeward before they 
have produced their full effect, it may be 
thought more eligible to ule hollow balls 
of caft metal or earthen-ware, (fuppofe 
hand-grenades, or thofe little earthen 
globes in which children fometimes keep 
their money), each having two oppofite 
apertures, that the water may rufh in at 
the one, and force out the oil through the 
other. Thefe, like the former, fhould be 
Dr. Carey's Hints againft Shipwreck. 
[ Nov. 1 9 
thefe balls may be fired toward a fhip in 
diftrefs—a little to windward of her, if 
practicable, that fo the ball and line may 
rather float to her than from her. When 
the people on board have caught one of 
the lines, they will draw it to them, and, 
after it, a ftronger rope or halfer tied to 
its other end on fhore, and made faft to 
fome fecure hold. The advantages of fuch 
an aid are, from experience, too obvicus 
to require any further remarks ; where- 
fore, leaving the poor fellows to make the 
beft ufe of it they can, and cordially with- 
ing that every man on board may, by 
means of it, fafely reach the fhore, I pro- 
ceed to afk— 
If this plan, or any improvement upon 
it, fhould be thought ufeful, would it not 
well become the generous humanity of 
the Britifh nation—nor only her humanity, 
but alfo her intereft, while fo many valua- 
ble lives of Britifh fubje&s, and fo many 
millions of Britifh property, are daily ex- 
pofed to fhipwreck on her fhores—to erect 
ftations * all along the coaft, within fight 
of each other—at each of which fhould be 
conftantly pofted a few men, ready at all 
times to afford this or any other praética- 
ble affiftance to diftreffed mariners, inftead 
of leaving their lives and property at the 
mercy of the mercilefs horde of wreckers ? 
Thefe ftations would anfwer another 
kept in cafks of oil; and, in taking them 
“up for ufe, the failor would naturally 
~ place his finger and thumb on the holes, 
to prevent any wafte of the oil previous 
to his throw. They could be thrown 
much farther than the others, and, inftead 
of being wafted to leeward before they 
had difcharged the whole of their unétuous 
contents, would fink in or near the {pot 
where they fall; and the oil would rife 
to the furface at a fufficient diftance from 
the fhip to produce its effect on the com- 
ing waves. 
To enable perfons on fhore to give af- 
fiftance to a diftreffed veffel in places where 
there is no life-boat, or in weather which 
might render its progrefs too tardy, fup- 
pofe a {mall mortar or howitzer * were 
kept in conftant readinefs, and with it a 
fufficient number of wooden balls, painted 
red, each faftened to a {mall but ftrong 
cord, of fufficient length to allow the ball 
its full range—the cord alfo to be red, as 
- well as the fmall corks which fhould be 
faftened to it at the diftance of one or two 
fathoms afunder, for the purpofe of keep- 
ing it afloat and in fight. One or more of 
* A balifia, or crofs-bow of fufficiently 
large dimenfions, might equally well 
anfwer the purpofe; perhaps even better, 
as the firing of a gun might fometimes be 
productive of alarm, particularly in war-time, 
ufeful purpofe—that of preventing the 
clandeftine ingrefs or egrefs of improper 
perfons, and watching the motions of 
fmugglers and enemies. The expence, for 
any number of men kept on this duty, 
would be little or nothing, if foldiers from 
the (tanding army or militia were employ- 
ed for the purpofet—fuppofe, at each fta- 
tion, a corporal’s guard from the nearelt 
regiment, 
* To the credit of the Americans, be it 
mentioned, that the commonwealth of Maf- 
fachufetts has houfes ereéted on the iflands 
with which her extenfive bay is dotted, and 
on different parts of its fhores—where fhip- 
wrecked mariners are at all times fure of 
finding fhelter, together with every requi- 
fite for making a good fire, to preferve them 
from the otherwife fatal effeéts of the fevere 
winters of New England—Another inftance 
let me add of American attention to the com- 
fort and fafety of fea-faring men. On the 
recommendation of Mr. Jefferfon when fecre- 
tary of ftate, the Congrefs paifed a refolution, 
ordering the beft procefs for the diftillation of 
frefh from falt water to be printed on the 
back of every fhip’s clearance delivered in 
any part of the United States. 
+ In war-time, land-foldiers 5 in time of 
peace, the unemployed marines from the Evy 
WHO, 
