8 — Remarks'on Mr. Lukin’s LifesBoat, Xe. 
buoyancy ia its upper pert, as to render 
the specific gravity of the whole vessel 
and its contents, less than the specitic 
gravity of the Bou ly of water 1t would dis- 
"place im sinkmg, ~ And @ndiy; To give it 
a weight or bahiast under the k eel, sulii- 
cient to keep it in.an upright position ; 
or to give it the power of regainug, In a 
fluid medium, that’ pusition, when thrown 
Out of it by the violence of the winds or 
waves. The first, he says, he effected by 
a projecting gunwale of cork ; the second 
by a false keel of cast iron, bolted to the 
common one.” That the Life-Boat is so- 
eured from sinking by the application of 
cork, and that the principles in this re- 
spect are alike, I have never once at- 
tempted to deny, since I saw the specifi- 
eation of Mr. Lukin’s patent. Itis the 
method common sense must point out to 
every person who turns his thoughts to 
the subject; but there is no necessity for 
placing the buoyant matter in the upper 
part of the boat, unless to help the vessel 
to preserve the proper position of flota- 
tion. In the Life-Boat a considerable 
quantity is placed in the bottom of the 
beat, and decked over; and though Mr, 
Lukin would have me to believe the Life- 
Boat to be secured from oversetting by 
projecting gunwales, he will allow me to 
say, that the cork, externally apphed be- 
low the gunwale of the Lite-Boat, is ra- 
ther intended as a defence from blows, 
when along side of a vessel in distress, 
than what his fertile imagination turns it 
into; and he must have grossly miscalcu- 
lated the buoyant power of the cork, to 
suppose that, when he found it necessary 
to givea projection of 9 inches to his Nor- 
way yewl, a projection of four or tive inches 
was sufiicient for avessel so large as the 
Life-Boat. With respect to his second 
principle, he will give me leave to say, 
that to give a weight or ballast under the 
keel, isnot the method whereby the pro- 
per position of floating is secured in the 
Life-Boat.. But this is a subjest to which 
J have m vain desired Mr. Lukin to at- 
tend; 1, however, inform him once more, 
that there is no false keel of east iron to 
effect this in the Life-Boat. Its form se- 
oe. it from the possibility of being over- 
et, while, from its internal shallow less, 
it will not contain a quantity of the fluid, 
sufficient to increase its specific gravity 
go as to occasion the least danger of its 
sinking. In Mr. Fukiu’s invention, the 
situation of the cork is an essential cir 
cumstance, and the form undefined. 
"in the Life-Boat the form is defincd and 
essential, and the siiuation or the cork 
taken of quoting my pamphlet. 
But . 
[Aug. 4, 
of no consequence ; its quantity is aloné 
to be considered. |Mr. Lukin only does 
me justice wher ‘he says, im p. 27, that 
he supposes me not to have heard of his 
patent. I first saw the specification of 
his patent in August, 1800; but with re« 
spect to the vreat and general discussion 
it introduced, I am yet to be informed. 
And as to the areument which he thinks 
most compietely and undeniably to con- 
firm his opinion, 1 doubt it will be found 
to prove too much ; for if the two pro- 
perties of the Life-B: sat, Viz. superior 
buoyancy, and capacity of retaining the 
proper position in the sea, are to deter~ 
mine to whom the merit of the invention 
‘belongs, without taking into the account 
the particular method of securing these 
propertits, then tiie merit 1s undeniably ; 
M. Bernieres’, and not Mr. Lukin’s, un= 
‘Tess the latter gentleman will undertake 
to preve that 1785 is prior to 1777. ; 
I cannot help noticing a most ungene- 
rous and pitifal method Mr. Lakin has 
I sure- 
ly may venture to ask ‘that ‘candid gen- 
tleman why the 13th and 14th lines of 
the 28th page are not marked with in- 
verted commas, as well as the rest, both 
above and below them, which he has 
quoted? Is it not tomake Mr.H. be read 
Mr. Hails, whereas he knows [ mention 
Mr. Hinderwell? This could not be 
done by chance; and it is a bad cause 
where people raise dust to blind their 
readers. I thank God T have always ac- 
customed myself to speak the truth. | If 
Thad not been weil ‘assured of Would- 
have’s right to claim the merit of the in- 
vention, no consideration whatever should 
have prevailed on me to assert his claim. 
Tam sorry i have been able to do him 
80 little service, for I consider his ingé+ 
nuity as worthy of public notice: but the 
moment has passed, the public do not 
seem to take an interest if the in vention; 
and as Mr. Greathead has received ihe 
rewards, they are quite careless as to who 
invented fhe boat. How far Mr. Lakin’s 
application to his Royal Hiehness the 
Prince of Wales will be successful, I 
neither know nor care; but think it rather 
a forlorn hope, that after he-and his re- 
vival of Mons. berniere’s invention 
have been so overlooked by the gieat 
naval characters, to whom he has had the 
honour of stating his schemes, he should 
be noticed with any peculiar mark of 
favour by his Royal’ Highness, who is 2 
landsman. Your’s, &c. 
Newcastle on Tyne,” WA. "Harts. 
Feb. 16, 1807, 
Fox 
