WE are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. R. EARP, of Austin Friars, for the follow- ing very quaint and interesting descrip- tion of a method of constructing a life-belt, extracted by him from an old Black Letter book published nearly three cen- turies ago:— " Whosoever shall weare abowt their middle such a girdle as followeth, tyinj it fast that it fall not away, they shall not neede to feare drowning, though the Boate they are in should miscarrie, whereby they may passe over any water safely, and withowt any danger, though it be never so deepe: for so long as they have it about them, they cannot sinke. Take two pieces of good Neates leather well tand and drest, such as Foote-balles be made of (eyther piecs being of the breadth of five or sixe fingers), and of such a length as will make a sufficient girdle for you: let a shoemaker sew them very strongly, thick-stitched, and surely to- gether, and likewise at both the ends, and in the middest thereof fasten a Pype like to a Bagpype, wherewith blow the same girdle as full of winde as you can possible: then under the nether end of the Pype, tye the leather very fast and sure, that joynes the pype and the girdle together, with a strong pack thred or with some other sure and strong thing, lest the winde should come out of the girdle, (whereof you must take great heede.) Also blow three oxe bladders full of winde, and tye them hard that the winde goe not forth of the same, and sewe each of them strongly and surely within good strong Neates leather, round like unto a Foote- ball, and make three strong loopes upon the said girdle, one against the middest of the backe and against either of the sides one, and then tye fast and surely one of the said bladders sewed in the leather, to every of the said loopes, and then tye the same girdle about your middle very fast and sure, and then you cannot sinke into the water, and so you may pass safely over, if the water be not too broade and too rough. Nicholaus Michauell hath written of such a like girdle in his excel- lent Booke of the Arte of Warres, for the saving of Souldiours and Fishers over waters. In which Booke, there are other notable Engines, and worthy matter beside, concerning Warres." From " A thousand Notable things of Sundrie Sortes," printed 1627. Author, Thomas Lupton..