kind of life-boat which seems to possess features worthy of notice.
‘His boat consists of a hollow globe of metal or wood, ballasted at the
bottom, so that it will always right itself immediately on touching
the water, and can never capsize even in the roughest sea. It has
compartments for water, medical stores and provisions, bull’s-eyes
to let in the light, a door for ingress and egress, a porthole for
hoisting signals to the mast, comfortable seats all around the inside
for the passengers, and a double hollow mast for supplying fresh
air, and for carrying off that which has become vitiated. On the
outside of the Globe boat runs a gallery, for the use of sailors in
rowing, hoisting sail, discharging rockets, or steering. Of course the
cases would be very rare when rowing, sailing, or steering would be
required, but in case of need, all three could be easily managed.’
In such a boat—which is like a large buoy fitted with a mast—the
passengers would be protected from rain and wind, and consequently to a
great extent from cold. This seems to us to be a very important point,
as many a shipwrecked person escapes drowning only to perish from
exposure to the weather. Mr Manes suggests that a propeller might be
attached to the boat to be worked by a crank turned by the passengers
on the inside. It is calculated that a boat twelve feet in diameter
would carry about fifty passengers, and that it could be carried on
deck or hung over the stern on davits, in either of which positions
it might be used as a cabin during the voyage; and further, if hung
on a universal point like a compass, it would retain its equilibrium
no matter what the motion of the ship might be, thus affording a safe
retreat for persons subject to sea-sickness.
AWA’.
LINES WRITTEN ON THE DEATH OF JEANIE, A FAVOURITE CHILD, AGED SEVEN
YEARS.
Thou ’rt lyin’ cauld an’ still, my bonnie bonnie;
The dews o’ death lie heavy on thy broo;
Thy sunny smile nae mair will thrill this bosom;
Thy sweet blue een are dark an’ sichtless noo!
Hushed is thy fairy tread, my bonnie bonnie;
Thy lips sae rosy red, I’ll kiss nae mair.
O heavy thocht, that dims this ee wi’ sadness!
O heart that fain wad break, wi’ anguish sair!
I cry thy name in vain, my bonnie bonnie;
For aye thy form, thy dear-loved form I see;
O face sae fair! O locks o’ golden splendour!
O guileless heart, that fondly throbbed for me!
A dreary blank is mine, my bonnie bonnie;
Nae mair thy merry voice will cheer my ha’;
An eerie stillness fills the darksome dwelling,
Since thou, my sweetest flower, wert ta’en awa’!
The angels cam’ for thee, my bonnie bonnie,
As saftly flickered oot life’s feeble flame:
The tender Shepherd took thee to His bosom,
An’ left me wi’ a lanely, lanely hame!
But oh! thou ’rt wi’ the blest, my bonnie bonnie,
Where pain will rend thy gentle breist nae mair;
Oh, when this weary heart lays doun its sorrow,
My ain wee lassie, may I meet thee there!
JAMES SMITH.
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