Otra readers, and indeed the public in general, are aware of the complete means that exist around the shores of these islands for effecting communication with stranded and wrecked vessels, in the shape of life- boats, and the rocket and mortar apparatus.

We have likewise frequently called the attention of the former to the lamentable insufficiency of the means, we might in truth say of the absence of all means, on board the generality of vessels, for effecting commu- nication with the shore or in any way pro- viding for the safety of their crews in the event of disaster overtaking them, either on our own or foreign shores where no means tnay exist for affording them aid from the land".

We have accordingly advocated the supply on board all vessels of inexpensive but efficient life-belts, and of some simple and also inexpensive means for conveying a line to the land.

It has indeed been maintained by some that, instead of placing rockets and mortars on the land to convey lines to wrecked vessels, that they should be placed on board the vessels themselves to carry lines to the shore. The reasoning on which this opinion has been founded is two-fold,—1st. That a vessel is a small object, and thus there is great risk of the line conveyed by the rocket, or by the shot from the mortar on shore, being carried on one side or the other of her, instead of falling across her; whereas, on the other hand, the shore is everywhere and cannot be missed. 2nd. That as the majority of wrecks occur on a lee shore, and in gales of wind, a rocket or shot would carry a line to a much longer distance before the wind from a ship to the shore, than to seaward from the land against a strong wind.

The advocates of this change, however, lose sight of some important considerations.

In the first place, that the rocket and mortar apparatus are too expensive. 2ndly.

That merchant seamen would not under- stand how to use them, and the difficulty of doing so would be much increased when, as would most frequently be the case, the vessel was being violently dashed to and fro by the sea, and the waves were breaking over her, so that those on board could, perhaps, scarcely stand on her decks. 3rdly. That the well-known carelessness of English merchant seamen, and even of the masters of vessels of the smaller classes, would make it very probable that, when required, the apparatus would be out of order, or would be found to be stowed away so as to be inac- cessible. 4thly. That one great advantage of having the apparatus on shore rather than on ship-board is, that it is placed in the hands of trained men, who not only thoroughly understand its management, and are periodi- cally exercised in its use, but who are supplied with all the necessary appurte- nances for making the communication by a line available to save the wrecked crew after it has been effected. For it is necessary to bear in mind that a mere connection with the shore by a single small line is of very little value, except as a means of establishing a communication with a double line rove through a single block on board the vessel, and both ends of which are under the control i of persons on the shore, so that the latter | can have the power to haul any object to | and fro between the vessel and the shore i without losing the connection. This double line, termed a whip by English seamen, but, more aptly a " vet et vient," or " go and come," by French sailors, is a most im- portant part of the apparatus, and it is obvious that such an appliance would not be available in most cases on a line being thrown from a vessel to the shore, where there might be only a few countrymen or other untrained persons at hand to secure it.

There is, moreover, another consideration not to be omitted, namely,—that however small an object a ship may be to aim at, that the rockets, in the practised hands of the Coastguard, rarely fail to carry a line over a wreck if it is sufficiently near the shore, and that the double rockets, invented by Colonel BOXER of the Royal Artillery, will carry a line of the ordinary size up- wards of 400 yards, which is, perhaps, as far as it is practicable to save the lives of wrecked persons by dragging them through a heavy sea to the shore.

We are of opinion, then, that the rocket and mortar apparatus are altogether un- suitable for general use on board merchant vessels, but at the same time we think it most desirable that every merchant vessel should have on board some more simple and less expensive means for conveying a line to the shore in the event of her being stranded within a short distance of it, and there being no life-boat or rocket or mortar ap- paratus available to aid her crew from the land.

It was many years ago proposed by the late Mr. TRENGROUSE and others to effect such communication by means of a kite, and the same idea has since occurred to others, amongst whom Captain G. P. NARES, R.N., then Lieutenant NARES, who a few years ago planned a simple and inexpensive kite for the purpose. As, however, we think there would often be great difficulty in getting a kite to rise clear of the lee rigging of a ship when on shore, and probably more skill and management would be required in its use than would in general be found amongst merchant seamen at such a time ; and, moreover, as we have never yet been able to learn of a single instance where communication with the shore was effected by the instrumentality of a kite from a wrecked vessel, we are inclined to revert, in preference, to the only other available means, viz., that of floating a line to the shore on the water's surface. Here, how- ever, we are met by the difficulty, that owing to the rebound or drawback of the waves from the shore, floating bodies will often only approach .to within a short dis- tance of it, and will then be carried to sea- ward again by the retreating waves, which tendency is of course much increased by the weight of the line between the floating body and a ship.

To lessen this tendency as far as possible, floating instruments have been designed which carry the line with them, and unwind it as they drift to leeward before the wind and sea, in which case they have not to drag the whole length of the line through the water, as when it is retained on board the ship and veered out from her. In the 23rd Number of this Journal we described an ingenious instrument of this kind in the shape of a double-headed collapsible buoy, which, when not in use, folded up into a very small compass, and, when distended, had its line coiled round it between the two heads. -When thrown into the water, one head being weighted, it floated upright, like a cask standing on its end ; and as it was swept away to leeward, the strain on the line unwound it, and gave the buoy a rotary motion. This instrument was de- signed by a Doctor SIBBALD, of Liverpool.

Another contrivance, proposed by a Mr. W. E. MATTHEWS, of Sea View, Isle of Wight, has also been recently brought to our notice. It consists of a wooden frame or cradle,_on which, at one end, is strongly secured a large hollow sphere or ball com- posed of gutta percha, india-rubber cloth, or painted canvas; .whilst at the other end there is a reel of small line, which would be unreeled and veered out as the instrument was driven by the wind and sea to the land.

This is a very simple apparatus, and even if upset by the surf, and its position reversed, we see no reason why it should not effect its object. Such an apparatus would cost about 51., including the line, if the globe were made of gutta-percha. The chief drawback to it is the space it would take up, unless the globe were made collapsible like Dr. SIBBALD'S buoy, for, as is well known, the masters of vessels ordinarily grudge to give up space on their decks to anything that is not required for daily or frequent use.

To get over this difficulty, we propose a modification of the plan, which by utili- zing an article of daily use, and thus saving both space and money, would be more likely to recommend itself to both the owners and masters of vessels, especially of the smaller class.

Every merchant vessel carries either a cask or tank of fresh water on her deck, from which the crew can obtain water to drink whenever they require it. All that would then be required is to keep this cask at all times strongly secured to a wooden frame or sledge, such as suggested by Mr. MATTHEWS, with a reel of small manilla rope at the other end, the reel and line being enclosed in a tarpauline cover, to preserve the latter from wet, and from the temptation to cut it or take it for any other use than for that for which it was designed. The cask should be provided with a plug-hole and plug at the lower part to let out the water from within; and then on the plug being replaced, and being driven securely in at the top, an efficient buoy would be at once provided, which would float so buoyantly as to offer a large surface to the wind, which would quickly carry it away to leeward; and, as new manilla rope will float, the line would lie on the water's sur- face as it was veereda out, and would not by its weight retard the progress of the cask towards the shore.

A small pole, surmounted by a red flag by day, or a lantern at night, might also be inserted in the bung-hole at the top of the cask, which would attract the attention of persons on the shore.

The followjng diagrams of Mr. MAT- THEWS' plan, Figures 1 and 2, and of the proposed modification of it, Figures 3 and 4, will sufficiently exemplify them; and any ship's carpenter could speedily fix up such an apparatus as the modified plan at a trifling expense, although it would be better to provide, if not the whole apparatus, at least the reel, with 300 or 400 yards of j-inch manilla line before leaving port.

F1C. S.

FIC.I.

It will be observed that the cradle or sledge, Nos. 3 and 4, is made longer than is proposed by Mr. MATTHEWS, and that the line is led through an eye or a fair-leader at the rear end of the frame. This greater distance between the cask and the towing point would cause the machine to drive more steadily to leeward, before the wind, and the fair-leader would cause the line to run oft' less wildly, and with less swagger- ing motion from side to side, and therefore to be less liable to get foul round the reel itself or over any part of the frame.

We would strongly recommend the adop- tion of such a simple and inexpensive method of providing for communication with the shore, to the owners and masters of all merchant ships.