enough to reach from the ring of the grapling to the wad next the powder; the gun elevated to its highest range. Let it now be fuppofed that a rope is got from the wreck to the shore, and fecured as well as poffible, till fomebody can be got on fhore by it to fecure it better. Make a bowling knot in the tail of the ftrap of a fingle block; then reeve the fhore rope through the block, and to that part of the wreck where it may lead and be hauled taut to the greatest advantage to fupport the block, travelling upon it from the wreck to the fhore in the fureft and best manner poffible; and if the wreck bave any lower mafts ftanding, the fhore rope leading over the `main-maft head would most likely anfwer the purpose beft, and the top afford a convenient place to get fixed in, and go from, in the machine to the fhore. But the facility or difficulty attending the execution of these means, are in proportion to the height and diftance of the fhore from the wreck; if the fhore be low and near the wreck, the shore rope may be made to lead the machine upon it, with an eafy afcent from the wreck to the fhore, with a man or two in it, without much strain either to the rope, or grapling on fhore; when this is likely to be the cafe, a line should be made faft to the machine to haul it to the wreck again; by which means it may happen that a fhipwrecked crew may foon get on fhore with ease and safety. But when the shore happens to be at a great distance and higher than any part of the wreck, this experiment will of courfe be attended with more difficulty. In order, therefore, to ease the ftrain on the fhore rope and grapling, fix a small fail to the machine, fuch as a hammock or two, &c. this, fet as a fail upon the machine that is to run right before the wind in a ftorm, will certainly help greatly to lift and leffen the ftrain of the machine on the shore rope, and force it forward with great power towards the fhore. A man or two got on fhore by thefe means may greatly contribute, by making things fecure on thore, to the faving the whole crew, before the fhip goes to pieces. But fuppofing the fhip to be wrecked where there is neither tide nor current to prevent any thing that will float being drove on fhore by the waves; in this cafe a towline, or any fuitable rope with a hauling line, may be made faft about the middle of a spar, and veered away on thore as far as it will go; and if it happens to be an uneven rocky thore, it may chance to fix itself faft amongit the rocks. But if it be a fandy or gravelly thore, then no fuch chance can be expected; it will then require fome people on fhore to haul it up, and put it under the fand or gravel, with its broad fide to the wreck, to make it bear the ftrain that is neceffary for the rope to be tight enough for the machine to travel upon from the wreck to the fhore. Before concluding this article we fhall give a defcription of the MARINE SPENCER, prefented to the Royal Humane Society of London by Mr. KNIGHT SPENCER, and communicated to me, together with the Refufcitative Procefs, by Dr. Hawes, Treasurer to the above Society, conceiving they may be of infinite use in many inftances. The Marine Spencer is a girdle of a diameter to fit the body, fix inches broad, compofed of about 800 old tavern corks ftrung upon a ftrong twine, well lathed together, covered with canvafs and painted in oil, fo as to make it water-proof. Two tapes or cords, about two feet long, must be fastened to the back of the girdle, with loops at the ends. 1 Another tape or cord, about three feet long, in the middle of which a few corks are ftrung covered with canvafs, and painted as above, must also be faftened to the back of the girdle. Two pins of hard wood, three inches long and half an inch diameter, must be faftened to the front of the girdle, one to the upper, the other to the lower part. When the Marine Spencer is to be used, flide it from the feet close up under the arms; bring the two tapes or cords one over each fhoulder, and faften them by the loops to the pin on the upper part of the front of the girdle; bring the other tape or cord between the legs, and faften it to the other pin. A perfon thus equipped, though unacquainted with fwimming, may fafely trust himself to the waves; for he will float head and shoulders above the water in any form, and by paddling with his bands may eafily gain the fhore. A Marine Spencer conftructed as above, and covered with strong canvafs unpainted, will have nearly the fame buoyancy, though more liable to damage from the effects of fea water.* We further add the Refufcitative Process, withing to contribute all in our power to the benefit of our feafaring brethren. * There is now in vogue a Leather Girdle, which, when filled with air, they have given the name of Life Preferver. Directions for the Reftoration of the Drowned, thofe fufpended by the Cord, intenfe Cold, or tremendous Lightning. 1. YONVEY carefully the body, with the head raised, and send to the neareft medical affiftant. 2. Strip, dry the body, clean the mouth and noftrils. 3. Young children to be put between two perfons in a warm bed. 4. An adult-Lay the unfortunate person en a bed, and in cold weather near the fire. In fummer expose the body to the rays of the fun, and air fhould be freely admitted. 5. The body to be gently rubbed with flannel fprinkled with fpirits, flour of mustard, &c. falt never to be employed;" also a heated warming pan, properly covered, may be lightly moved over the back and fpine. 6. To reftore Breathing.-Introduce the pipe of a bellows (when no apparatus is at hand) into one noftril; the other and the mouth being clofed, inflate the lungs, till the breast be a little raised; the mouth and noftrils must then be let free. This process to be repeated till the re turn of life. 7. The breaft to be fomented with hot fpirits; warm bricks or tiles covered, &c. to be applied to the foles of the feet and palms of the hands. 8. Tobacco fmoke is to be thrown gently into the fundament with a proper inftrument, or the bowl of a pipe covered, so as to defend the mouth of the affiftant. 9. Electricity to be early employed, either by the medical affiftants, or other judicious practitioners. It is much to be lamented that the moft approved methods of affift ing hips in diftrefs are not recommended or defcribed in prints, for the purpote purpose of being diftributed amongst our fhips, and amongst the inhabitants along our fea coaft; and rewards fhould be held out to the poor people along fhore for every human life faved by them from veffels in diftrefs; which reward might also be the means of faving their own lives from the juft laws of their country, by preventing them from plundering, and might encourage them to join heartily in whatever method they perceive people on board the wreck take to preferve themselves, and to help them in it, by fecuring the fhore rope, or ufing the hauling line to haul the machine on fhore, if it is high above the wreck, &c. The difficulty we now meet with in manning both fhips of war and merchant ships, fhould teach us to ufe every poffible method to preferve the lives of our brave feamen, thofe fupporters of our glory, power, wealth, and confequence as a nation. How pleafing muft the reflection be to all who contribute to help them! Remarks calculated to affift Commanders when coming into the British Channel. AS Mariners know that their reckonings are always uncertain, in proportion to the length of their feveral paffages from the times of their laft departure, it is natural to fuppofe that they muft, when approaching to any difficult and dangerous navigation, experience great anxiety of mind for the iffue. As the British Channel has proved fatal to many, it may fairly be ranked among thofe places which are deemed dangerous to thips, in their approach after long paffages; and, therefore, all those who are entrusted with the conducting of thips through it, ought to acquire fuch knowledge as may enable them to perform the duties of their important office. Channel-coafters, by the frequency of their paffing and repaffing through it, acquire fuch knowledge as thofe who are employed in foreign voyages cannot pretend to: hence it becomes neceffary to furnish the latter with fome useful information; more especially, as it is next to impoffible for the human mind, when engaged in various purfaits, to remember every neceffary article, fuch as the courfe and diftance from one place to another; the precife fituation of rocks and fhoals; and the direction and ftrength of the tide in the various places. Commanders of fhips, when coming from abroad, and about to enter the British Channel, mufl be exceedingly anxious to accomplish the ultimate defign of their voyage, by bringing their refpective hip, fafely into port. To the affiftance of fuch, the following obfervations are intended to contribute: they are founded on experience, and will, if properly obferved, prove highly ferviceable, efpecially when long nights, or thick weather, augment thofe dangers which attend the Channel navigation. Ships, in approaching the Channel from a long paffage, fhould not only try for foundings in time, but run, if poffible, in the latitude of 49° 25' North. Having, in that parallel, got foundings in 82 fathoms, ne white fand, with black and yellow fpecks, you may be sure that you are near the outer edge of the bank; and about 50 leagues to the weftward of Scilly. By running 16 or 17 leagues further to the eastward, in the fame parallel of latitude, you will have 90 fathoms, fine white fand; and continuing to run four leagues more to the eastward, you will thoal your water to 82 fathoms. Soon afterwards, you will of green; and in proceeding 16 or 17 leagues farther to the eastward in this latitude, you will have 72, 75, 77, and So fathoms. The foundings will be, for the most part, fine fand, but different in colour; fome of them will be white fand, mixed with yellow fpecks; and others fine green fand, with fome mud. In the latitude of 48° 23' North, and 61 leagues to the weftward of Ufhant, lies the Nymph Bank. It ftretches about S. S. E. and N. N. W. 12 leagues in length and four in breadth; and has 64 fathoms on it, fine grey fand. The following are the Soundings in the Parallels of 48° 20′, and and 48° 30', with their feveral depths of Water and Distances from the land of USHANT. Fine grey fand, mixed with small shells and} bits Grey fand, mixed with bits of brown fhells {Grey fand, mixed with bits of fhells and brown fand Grey fand, mixed with bits of fhells and gravel Grey fand, mixed with small cornet fhells Sand, mixed with gravel, fhells, and small cornets Light grey sand, with bits of shells Coarfe fand, with bits of cockle fhells { Light grey fand, with bits of brown and yel- 79 Light grey fand, mixed with barley-beards 627 When running for the channel in -latitude 49° 25′, which is the best latitude, and you have run fo far to the eastward as to fhoalan your water to 65 or 67 fathoms, and the foundings are fhells and fmall yellow ftones or red fand, you may thence conclude that you are abreast of Scilly; or if you have 68 fathoms, white fand with grey fpecks, and fometimes shells and ftones, Scilly will then bear about N. E. from you, diftance 10 leagues. Your foundings will always inform you whether you are to the northward or fouthward of Scilly. In the latitude of Scilly you will have oazy ground, in 60, 65, 75, or 80 fathoms. W. N. W. to leagues from Scity, and In lies Jones's Bank, on which you will have but 30, 35, and 40 fathoms ; and, a little to the fouthward of it, you will have running for the channel, in the latitude of 49° 30', you will have the following depths of water and foundings, when you are abreaft Scilly; namely, 60 fathoms, oaze and broken fhells; 64 fathoms, white fand with grey fpecks; 65 fathoms, fhells and ftones; and 55 fathoms, fine grey fand. The foundings near Scilly are very different from all others in this latitude: pieces of rotten rock, as broad as a fmall bean, and of a ftone colour, will come up with the lead, which will not be the cafe any where else in the fame parallel. More to the fouthward you will have deeper water, with fine fand, interfperfed with black specks like ground pepper. In the night, or in foggy weather, you fhould come no nearer to Scilly than 60 fathoms; for, in that depth, you will not be more than fix or feven leagues from it. Abreaft of Scilly, in the latitude of 49° 20', you will have 70 fathoms, branny, or yellow and white fand; and, to the eastward of Scilly, in the latitude of 49° 8', you will have 56 or 58 fathoms, coarse fand. You fhould then fteer more to the northward, and endeavour to make the land about the Lizard; you may fafely make it in the night, as well as in the day, if the weather be clear; for the light-houses ftand fo high, and the coaft is fo clear, that you may, without danger, come within half a mile of the point. If the weather prove fo thick that you cannot fafely make the land, come no nearer to the Lizard than 45 fathoms; for, in that depth, you will not be more than three leagues off the point: your foundings there will be pebble Bones and fcallop shells. Ships, when coming into the Channel, ought always, if poffible, to make the land about the Lizard; and should they afterwards meet with thick weather, they will not only know how to fleer, but alfo how they advance up the Channel, which will become more and more neceffary in proportion to the contraction of its boundaries. Some have, contrary to their expectations, got on the fouth fide of the Channel. This error is greatly owing to the ftrong indraught between the islands of Guernsey and Jerfey, and the coaft of Brittany, which ought always to be guarded against, especially in thick weather. It frequently happens that fhips, coming into the Channel, have not had an obfervation for fome days back, which, together with the operation of fcant and contrary winds, and the fetting of the tides, tend to perplex and bewilder the most experienced mariner, when thick weather prevents him from getting a fight of the land. The variation of the compafs in the entrance of the Channel, is nearly 29° W.; but as the variation is continually increafing at the rate of about a degree in every five years and a half, it will be neceffary to add eleven minutes for every year, subsequent to the year 1806, which will give you the true variation at any time pretty exact. |