I suppose it will be between five and six hundred weight. The chamber is to contain one pound of powder, and the bore to admit a leaden ball of sixty pounds or upwards; the length of range, or distance, will depend upon the size of the line made use of; I suppose it will carry a deep sea-line between three and four hundred yards distance. 2d. All ships that have iron ballast, may use this piece as a part of it, and then there will be only the trifling difference of casting so much of the ballast into the form of the piece; the leaden balls may likewise be used as ballast. 3d. I am of opinion there are various ways, on-board of a ship, that the mortar may be placed in a proper position for firing without a carriage expressly made for it; it may be placed upon a coil of rope, or its trunnions rested upon coins, or any thing else, whereby the muzzle can be raised so high that the groove upon the trunnion appears vertical, as the piece in that position would be elevated nearly 45 degrees. 4th. As I imagine all ships carry deep sea-lines, on that account I made use of it in the experiments at Woolwich; but if it should be thought too short for the distance, any other light line may be added to the length of it. 5th. Supposing a ship's owner to purchase such a piece of ordnance with the leaden balls, and a block carriage; I do not think the whole would amount to more than ten or eleven pounds expence. 6th. Where a ship is driving or unmanageable near the shore, it would be proper to have the piece loaded, the line reeled upon hand-spikes or poles, and laid upon the the deck ready for firing at any time it might be judged necessary. The hand-spikes or poles the line is reeled upon preserve it in an horizontal form; and they are not to be drawn out until the instant of firing: in this manner the line will deliver itself freely. The five water-casks should also be prepared in readiness, by lashing them together, and a seamen's chest fixed upon the top of them, having part of its ends or sides cut out in order to let out such water as may be thrown into it by the surf. I dare undertake to land with such a float upon a lee-shore any where upon the coast, when it might be deemed unsafe for a boat to make good its landing. 7th. There is every reason to conclude, that this contrivance would be very useful at all ports of difficult access both at home and abroad, where ships are liable to strike ground before they enter the harbour, as Shields Bar, and other similar situations, when a line might be thrown over the ship, which might probably be the means of saving both lives and property; and moreover, if a ship, was driven on shore near such a place, the apparatus might easily be removed to afford assistance; and the whole performance is so exceedingly simple, that any person once seeing it done, would not want any farther instructions. JOHN BELL. Some farther Observations made by Lieutenant BELL, upon the Application of the Mortars intended for throwing a Line on Shore, in case of a Ship being stranded. 1st. In trading ships, this piece would answer for making signals of distress, by filling the chamber with powder, and well wadding it, as the report would be heard some miles distance at sea. 2d. Such 2d. Such a gun, being accompanied with a few rounds of round and grape shot, would defend a ship much better than a longer gun, against any piratical or other hostile intentions, as, from its shortness, it would be more readily loaded and fired with a larger charge each time. 3d. Accidents from a gun bursting, which may arise from an unskilful person loading with too great a proportion of powder, is in this piece effectually guarded against, by the chamber being constructed to contain but one pound of powder, a quantity which is only about one-third of the usual charge of a cannon. 4th. From the small size of such a gun and carriage, it might be kept upon deck, without much inconvenience in working the ship, in order to be ready if necessity required; and when the ship is out at sea, it might then be put below. But from the number of dreadful wrecks, which so frequently happen along the coast, it certainly would be prudent to have it always upon deck when within sight of land, and particularly in stormy weather. JOHN BELL. Reference to the Engraving of Lieutenant BELL's Method of throwing a Rope on Shore from a stranded Vessel, Plate XIII. Fig. 2. a, represents the mortar on its carriage; b, the shell shown within the mortar by dotted lines; c, the grommet, or double rope, which connects the shell and line; dd, the line to be thrown on shore, now ready wound on the poles or handspikes, pp, and which are to be withdrawn when the mortar is fired. Fig. 3 is a separate view of the shell, with the grommet and end of the line attached thereto, explained by the same letters. Fig. Fig. 4 shews another invention, suggested instead of a shell, and to be fired from a common cannon, in which e is an iron pin; f, an iron collar and rope sliding upon it; g, an iron ring which turns upon two pins in the collar; h is the grommet or double rope attached to the ring, to which the line to be thrown on shore is fastened. This plan may be used where people are on shore, to assist when a line is thrown. Fig. 5 shews a grapnel which may also be fired from a common cannon; the collar slides along it in the same manner as that in Fig. 4, to allow the head of the pin to go down to the wadding within the cannon; ii, are two pins on which the ring k is moveable; 7; the block or pulley fastened to the ring; m, the endless or double line running through it.. This method may be used with great advantage, where a ship is stranded near the shore; but where a mortar is' on board, the use of the shell and line is the most certain.' Fig. 6 shews the method of forming a raft, by lashing together with ropes five empty water-casks belonging to the ship. Fig. 7 represents the raft ready for use; the apparatus n to hold the persou upon it, is made from a seaman's chest with holes cut in the sides of it, to allow the person within it firmer hold, and to let out the water that may be thrown into it from the waves; oo are two pulleys attached to the ends of the chest, and through: which the line is to run; the raft is to be ballasted underneath, to prevent it from upsetting. The whole apparatus is so arranged as to be inclosed in a small box, as may be seen by a reference to that in the Society's possession. On On the Use of Tar for Cattle swelled by eating Clover, From the TRANSACTIONS of the SOCIETY for the Encou Cows are frequently seized with violent swellings from having been imprudently allowed to eat clover when wet. A gentleman recommended to me, as a cure, an egg-shell full of tar, immediately to be put down the creature's throat. In two instances of my own cattle I found it had the effect of laying the swelling in a few minutes. A neighbour of mine whose cow was supposed could not live five minutes, was, on application of the tar, unexpectedly recovered, to the great joy of the poor man, After I commenced farmer, I unfortunately lost four horses, by a disorder, very frequent in this country, called the bats or gripes; some of them died in a few hours, and none of them were ill more than two days. For some years past I have given my horses in such cases a table-spoonful of tincture of opium, or liquid laudanum, and have since lost none. If the first dose given in some liquid does not allay the violent pain and swelling, I administer a second spoonful, which I have hitherto, in all cases, found to have the desired effect, and generally in a very short time. If I find the horse very hot and feverish, and sweating profusely, as is usually the case in this disease, I VOL. XIII.-SECOND SERIES. Tt order |