is, that boats formed in this way, can carry more passengers, with less fear of upsetting, than ordinary boats. It is well known that upsetting is one of the worst dangers that a loaded boat is exposed to. Well, to give some idea of my notion of forming a ship's boat, the drawing shews one, 30 feet long by 10 feet beam. The first and main point is the two tubes, 4 feet in diameter, having conical bows—fig. A. It has been suggested to me by Captain Whitson, of the ship Dunedin, that the conical bows would be apt to bury the boat's head in a short sea. At his suggestion, I have carried the stem vertically, from the centre to the upper line of the cylinder—fig. B. The sterns of the tubes would be finished off egg-ended—fig. C; the tubes to be of 18-inch iron plate, bent to 2-feet radius, rivetted and caulked; a man-hole to be left in the stern of each tube, to facilitate repairs. These two tubes are to be attached to each other by eleven cross ties of 2-inch and 1 ½-inch angle iron rivetted to each cylinder, and braced by two diagonals of flat iron. To these angle irons I would then fix an iron box, 2 feet deep and 1 foot broad. This box forms the bulwarks of the boat, and, at the same time, would be used as the water tanks and bread lockers. The deck, of 1 ½-inch planking, is then to be laid on the cross-beams, and cross tanks put in and rivetted or bolted to the sides and bottom. I would keep the cross tanks 6 feet apart, so as to allow for the crew stretching themselves on the deck between the cross seats. The outfit of the boat would include oars, sails, etc., and a centre-board. Now, as to the number that such a boat would carry as an ordinary freight, and then the number that might be safely stowed in cases of emergency. This boat could carry 40 men more comfortably than an ordinary 30-feet life-boat could stow 20. I know of a steamer's life-boat, about 30 feet long, that carried 32 passengers safely for eleven days, and in this time made about 600 miles. All care was taken, her officer an experienced boatman, and her steersman a West Highland fisherman, which fact alone is a guarantee that she was skilfully handled, as a West Highland fisherman's experience in boats falls very little short of that of the famous South of England boatmen. Well, on her eleventh day out she upset, and only three of her 32 reached land. Another boat, of the same size, containing the same number of passengers, upset twenty minutes after leaving the ship. I have only quoted these examples to assist me in what I want to shew, viz., that the great matter to be aimed at in ships' boats is resistance to upsetting. Next to this comes, unsubmergability. In the present form of life-boat this is in a great measure attained, but only at the sacrifice of an immense amount of room; and, after all, they cannot rid themselves of the water, as it has to be baled out. Well, in my boat, the resistance to upsetting is as nearly perfect as can be had in a boat. The great danger, in a common boat, is when she gets into the

trough of the sea; if she begins to mount a short sharp sea side on, she will, if she has no inclination to roll, sit on the water with her mast at right angles to the surface of the wave. She may be safe enough if you can destroy the tendency to rolling; but all boats, built as they now are, roll more or less, according to the stowage of their cargo, so that a boat, mounting the side of a wave, gains a tendency to roll over still more, so that the line of her mast is not upright to the surface of the wave. Now, in this tubular boat, before you can heel her over, you have not only to sink one side, but the other has to be lifted, that is, the one tube acts as an out-rigger to the other. Then, as to unsubmergability, I estimate that eleven tons would sink her tubes about two feet in the water; in fact she cannot be sunk, unless she be loaded till she fairly goes under.

If a sea fills one or the whole of her compartments, it will be all out again in a minute by her scuppers, as her deck is above the water level.

Then the quantity of water and provisions she can carry. The capacity of the bulwarks and seats is equal to 200 cubic feet. Now, half allowance of water, i.e., three pints per diem, for 40 men for 20 days, would occupy about 50 cubic feet, leaving a space of about 150 cubic feet for provisions, such as preserved meats and biscuits. About 10 cwts. of these could be carried. This stock of provisions and water ought to be kept always ready on board, with the lockers made fast, so as to ensure their safety. In fact, the boats ought to be kept ready for instant use.

On board ship the boats could be stowed on skids, as boats are now usually carried. As to launching them, the best way I ever heard of is a patent process, by which the skids or a platform is run out to leeward, and forms ways, from which the boat can be launched, either end or broadside on. The six life-boats of an emigrant ship could carry about 180 people. Now, six boats, such as I have described, could carry at least 240, and, with a little crowding, 300 persons could be accommodated, and, not only saved from one danger to become a prey to the tortures of hunger and thirst that have befallen so many boats' crews, but they will also have food and drink for many days. Then their stability would enable them to carry sail when an ordinary boat dare not shew a stitch of canvas. At the very low average of of four miles per hour, in fifteen days she would make 1300 miles. Now, a careful officer, with 1300 miles sailing at his command, ought to make some land, or fall in with some ship, before his provisions run short. I might well go on dealing with the matter of advantages that this boat would have over the many other systems that have been from time to time brought forward; many of these are admirably adapted to save life. In cases such as the Northfleet, where the ship went down close inshore, the same boats or rafts, in the case of the Cospatrick, would have been only prolonging the misery of