A Lecture, Or Essay On the most efficacious means of Preserving The Lives Of Shipwrecked Sailors And The Shipwreck

35 horizontally within the gunwale, or placed vertically under the thwarts ; those in the former position will enable the boat to regain its former gravitation, when filled with water, from the lee side being depressed by the violence of the wind, or when thrown out of its proper position by the force of the waves; while, on the other hand, the vertical casks will give a powerful degree of buoyancy, for the boat to relieve itself by its less specific gravity, on the plug- holes at the bottom being opened. I need scarcely add, that it is indis- pensable that the casks employed for such a service should be strong and staunch ; and those that had previously contained oil are, from being saturated with that fluid, the less liable to contract. Another very important point connected with the subject, and equally essential, is to guard against the possibility of a boat being stoved, when driven violently by the waves against the side of a vessel : to prevent this, nothing can be better than a stout rope, secured round the external gunwale, with projections at intervals to break the force of the blow. Of the Yarmouth Life-Boat I must speak feelingly, first, with pride, secondly, with regret, as, in the construction and fitting tip of it, I was indulged with the direction. In its construction, the most reputed boat on the beach, combining the qualities of going well to windward, of having a fine bow to meet a sea, being rapid under sail, and answering the helm quickly, was selected by me as a pattern : below is a correct representation of the boat I mean : 2 »