SIR, IT is an important and cheering feature of the present age, that the general interests of our common humanity are so extensively cared for; and this has in various ways been exemplified, as it regards the physical wellbeing of our own countrymen, as in the deep interest recently taken in the sanitary movement, in the prevention of explosions in coal-mines, and in the preservation of life from shipwreck, &c. It is particularly from consideration of the loss of life by shipwreck, the collision of vessels, and other casualties frequently occurring in rivers and at sea, that I am at present induced to suggest that far more serious attention ought to be given to this subject by individuals, families, and the public generally, than it has hitherto received. Now there are two modes whereby life may be preserved from drowning, the one is by the exercise of natural capabilities, as by swimming, the other is artificial, such as by the use of life-preservers; I will endeavour to treat each of these separately.

It is not necessary to dwell at length on the fact that, among the animal tribes, land quadrupeds generally can swim, although this rather humiliating inference may be drawn from it, that, in this respect, the great majority of mankind are really more helpless than the inferior races over which they hold dominion; and while the horse and the dog, man's most cherished companions among domestic animals, would swim across 'an ordinary river with comparative ease, their master, if left to himself under the same necessity, would often as certainly go to the bottom. And yet, if the power of swimming be an important faculty to be possessed by the lower animals it must be more so to man, inasmuch as his nature and the objects of his existence are justly held to be of more importance than theirs. Nor can any sufficient reason be shown to justify this disparity between man and the inferior races in relation to the one question of self-preservation, because, from what we know of savage life in some countries, we have the best evidence to prove that every healthy individual, with the free use of his physical capabilities, may cultivate the practice of swimming to a remarkable degree of perfection. In the South Sea Islands the natives of both sexes are generally expert swimmers, and the children who live near the ocean take to the water soon after they can run abroad, so that while quite young they find in it their chief sport.

It may be difficult to estimate the proportionate number of swimmers in our own adult male population, but, after some little inquiry, I have been led to suppose that the probable average, even among seamen, would not exceed  45 per cent., and, taking landsmen into the account, perhaps not more than 30; whence it follows that the number of swimmers in Britain must certainly be regarded as comparatively small, considering the extent of our sea-coast, our fine rivers, and other places suitable for' bathing, together with the facilities for reaching such places now afforded to those .who live at a distance from them. But whether the above calculation be anything near the truth or no, I am still less liable to err in supposing that, amongst Europeans at least, swimming has scarcely ever been cultivated for its most important use—that of self-preservation. There seems to be no reason, however, why civilized men should be inferior either to animals or barbarians in the ability to swim. To be sure what I suggest cannot be equally practicable to all, but it certainly is so to very many; and I would earnestly urge upon all young men of every class, that to excel in swimming, both as a healthy, pleasurable, and manly exercise, is equally worthy of their efforts and ambition.

As regards life-preservers for individual use, I cannot but think that their importance has been sadly overlooked; for, however valuable the ability to swim undoubtedly is, yet there are so many difficult circumstances connected with shipwreck and other dangerous occurrences at sea, that swimming ought never to be relied on to the neglect of any other means which foresight can suggest for self-preservation in the event of such calamities. If the most expert swimmer in full strength should be cast upon the foaming billows of a stormy ocean, he could hardly be expected long to maintain the unequal strife, while the effects of cold, previous exhaustion, or other liabilities by which he might be crippled, would render him an easy prey to certain destruction ; but a life-preserver might enable him to retain his buoyancy till help reached him if any was at band, or, if land was not distant, he might gain the shore. But if life-preservers would be so important to men, even swimmers, in such circumstances, how much more so to women who have no pretensions to swimming; for though I am now treating this as a general question, it was the appalling loss of female life in recent shipwrecks, which first turned my attention to it.

The large emigrant ship Tayleur, on her voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne, was wrecked on Lambay Island, 13 miles from Dublin, in January of this year, having on board 579 persons. Of these, 349 are said to have perished, 230 were rescued; but out of 200 women and 50 children, only 3 women and 2 children were saved. The Staffordshire, a fine clipper-built vessel of 2000 tons, sailed from Liverpool for Boston in November last, with 198 passengers, including several ladies. She was wrecked off the Seal Islands, Nova Scotia; 21 seameu and 25 passengers were saved, but that number of passengers included only one female. In April of this year, the Ercdlam and Sicilia (steamers) came into collision at night between Nice and Antibes, in the Mediterranean, when the former vessel sank, and 36 passengers and 12 seamen were lost, the number that escaped is not mentioned. But we are informed that the four boats of the Sicilia were launched immediately and " saved as many of those who were swimming as coxdd be heatd." A passenger of the Ercdano says that the sailors having launched one of her boats he was saved by it, and then adds " I heard piercing cries and the voices of women," from which it seems probable that some of the female passengers at least had got on deck; but we are told again—" Of all the women on board the Ercolano, only one was saved." Can any one calmly contemplate these and similar catastrophes without being shocked at the appalling loss of life which they involve as a whole, and not at the same time be deeply affected on perceiving how fearfully the loss of female life preponderates. Truly—when the sea shall give up its dead—how many wives,, mothers, daughters, and sisters, will be there! The horror-stricken state of females, under the circumstances above described, cannot be conceived, and this must be greatly aggravated by the consciousness of their not possessing any means to aid their individual efforts to save themselves; for in all the accounts we have of the fatal occurrences referred to, not a single instance is recorded of any one having been provided with a life-preserver, although there is abundant evidence of the want and necessity of such an article. A gentleman, one of the passengers saved from the Tayleur, among other statements concerning her loss says, " To attempt to paint the heart-rending scene would be impossible — wives clinging to their husbands, children to their parents, women running about the decks uttering the most heart-rending cries, many offering all they possessed to persons to get them on shore." A little further on he states, " Great numbers of women jumped overboard, in the vain hope of reaching land." And how intense the anxiety for self-preservation at such times is, the evidence of another survivor, Mr. TEW of Wakefield, shows; he says, " Just as I came on deck a lady came up to me and asked if I could swim. I told her I could.

(She was the same lady who afterwards offered 3000?. for her life.) She said she would keep near me; she, however, went away." He further tells us what came to his knowledge on shore:—" It was here that I heard the most heart-rending tales.

One man had lost six sisters, four brothers, and a mother; a German had lost a whole family. Another man told me he had lost his brother, his brother's wife, her three sisters and four children; others had lost their wives and children." This gentleman, the captain, and a sailor-passenger, were the only persons who saved themselves by swimming; but, considering the efforts that were made by the unfortunate passengers, can it be doubted that, by the aid of life-preservers, many men, women,'and children, might have been rescued ? But now, as it regards these, the storm is past and the struggle is over! Nevertheless, the elements are not changed, and, therefore, the storm will repeat its ravages ; while, even with the best intentions on the part of human beings, their want of judgment, skill, or foresight, will often be such as to render it too certain, that other fatal calamities at sea still belong to the catalogue of evils which must be anticipated : so that whatever may be accomplished by the public to remedy this class of evils, they are of such a nature as must always leave much for individuals to do for themselves. And, since the Almighty accomplishes many of his purposes in the world by means of human agencies and contrivances, if, with the facts before us, which have been enumerated, the neglect of individual life-preservers should continue to be as general as it has been, I cannot but consider that the wise and benevolent designs of a superintending Providence will be most wilfully and culpably disregarded.

For we have seen—what should never be forgotten—that what many might have obtained, each for a few shillings, while in circumstances of safety, they would have given their all to possess, even to render escape probable, in the terrible time of their need.

I hope that I have said enough to show that the most expert swimmer should not consider a life-preserver a thing of small importance when life is really in peril; for even if it should not be necessary for his own safety under all circumstances of danger, it might enable him to rescue some poor child cast upon the stormy waters, or some other person not furnished with such an article, though it is to be hoped that the time is not far distant when every man and woman, without distinction, will consider this among the indispensable requisites for a sea-voyage. But it is clearly desirable that all who are not swimmers, whether men or women, should accustom themselves to the use of them when bathing, because they would thus become satisfied whether they might be relied on in time of need. It seems hardly likely that men should use life-preservers and not learn to swim with them, even though they never endeavoured to swim without them, and there seems no reason why women should not attempt to do the same; so that with a life-preserver on, in time of danger, they might the better be enabled to keep afloat by its aid or propel themselves in any direction which their safety might require.

It is hardly to be expected that these hints will influence persons who are not in the habit of bathing, but to those who do bathe, and especially such as enjoy the custom, their practical adoption would be quite easy. Let any such lady of active habits make the trial with a life-belt, and we doubt not that this new employment of the physical energies would soon become a pleasure to her. It is only necessary for the bather, after a plunge or two, to advance into the water till it reaches the armpits, when the sustaining power of the belt will be experienced; then let the person rest upon it while moving forward in a direction in which the same depth of water may still be available, at first only using the arms -with an easy motion in the manner of a swimmer, and then by degrees learn the similar use of the legs also, till satisfied of being borne afloat in the water and likewise conscious of the power of moving in any direction at pleasure; and while this power would certainly add much to the enjoyment of bathing, if it should ever be needed to aid in the struggle for self-preservation, it would then be found of supreme importance.

While, therefore, we may cherish the hope that the practice of swimming among females, from youth upwards, will be voluntarily cultivated to a large extent, both for healthful pleasure and self-preservation, we think also that it should be considered an important part of the physical training of the young of both sexes for the same objects.

I see no reason why the children of savages should be able to sport among the billows of the ocean like creatures possessing an amphibious nature, so that under ordinary circumstances they can hardly be drowned, while those of civilized parents are constantly in danger of certain destruction, from any accident that throws them into water only a few feet deep, and this mainly for the want of a little training, in which they themselves would take the greatest delight. How many facts might be collected respecting young persons of both sexes being drowned, under circumstances favourable for their rescue, and who, but for their utter inability to make any effectual effort to raise themselves to the surface of .the water when accidentally submerged, or to keep themselves afloat for a few minutes, might probably have been saved. With regard to boys generally, the importance of swimming needs only to be suggested and urged upon them, to induce them to cultivate the practice without any artificial aid, and this would be the case with many girls too, if they were really desired to attempt it.

The interest felt in this subject, and a desire to impress the public mind with a sense of its general importance, has led me to some inquiry respecting the manufacture of life-preservers. It appears that an airinflated belt is the most convenient because of its greater portability, and it would, therefore, be preferred as an auxiliary in learning to swim, but could not be so well depended on as a life-preserver, since a cut or puncture with anything sharp would render it useless for such a purpose; whereas" a cork belt would retain its sustaining power as long as it held together.

I have been informed that the larger sizes of either of these kinds of belts, which are usually kept for sale, are quite sufficient to float an adult person in _'the water; this, however, should always be carefully ascertained when procuring a belt for a life-' preserver. It is of great importance also, on a sea voyage, that these should always be in a state of readiness, and hung up in a bed berth or any place where they could be laid hold of in a moment, even in the dark, because any neglect of such preparation might, in case of an emergency, lead to fatal results.

Your obedient Servant, W. T.

North Shields, 6th June, 1854.

Note:—The buoyancy of any life-preserver may be readily learned by attaching iron weights to it and ascertaining how many pounds it is capable of sustaining at the surface. For an adult person it should not be less than 20 Ibs.—EDITOR.