ATHING in the fea-water, in hot climates, is very wholefome, when done with difcretion. It should never be immediately after meal, for reafons obvious to those who are acquainted with animal nature and economy. Bathing in, and drinking the falt water is a fpecific cure for fcorbutic difeafes. Cleanliness, and frequent wathings, are ver, beneficial. Sir John Narborough preferved the health of his crew, in a long and unwholefome voyage, by obliging them to have a ftrict offervance of cleanlinefs, and particularly by washing themselves, and being careful to keep neat and fweet their veffels of cookery. Cleanlines also extends itfelf to apparel and bed cloaths, which fhould always be with the. ftrictest care obferved, in the utmost ftate of poffible purity. One inftance of detrimental uncleannefs, is, lying down to fleep, as feamen too frequently do, in all their cloaths: this fhould never be fuffered; but instead of being prevented, it is often encouraged, that they may be the more ready at a call. Mach fleep in hot weather is hurtful; it relaxes and enervates very greatly, and dives the body to many diforders. It greatly behoves a cinen who have a due regard vertelf-prefervation, never to fiep upon deck, efpecially in the night, or when the air is moift: for obvious reafons. Let t! breaft be covered during fleep. it were perhaps needlefs to admonith the prudent feamen never to fleep expofed to the fun, rain, or cold winds. Every feaman ought to have three fhirts, that he may be able, by keep ing them duly wafhed, to change once in three or four days. After linen has been washed in falt water, it fhould be rinced in fresh water; for the falt particles adhering to it, are hurtful to the wearer. The expence of fresh water would be but mall, a hundred fhirts may be rinced in a fmall pail of freth water; but when it rains, even without that charge. It is very important to the healthiness of fhips, to be well provided with a plentiful ftore of vinegar; if the feamen ufe it with all their victuals, the better; but especially with pork; and a little in their water too, particularly in hot climates, or intemperate weather. Vinegar corrects evil effets from water inclining to putrefaction, and promotes greatly that falutary perfpiration, which in hot climates prevents putid fevers and inflammations. It vinegar fails, fpirit of fea falt anfwers, in a very fmall quantity, nearly the fame happy purpose, as vinegar does in a greater proportion. If a little fhrub was provided for the use of the feamen after hard fatigue, inftead of fuch other liquors as are commonly given to them, by generous and humare commanders, or thefe canons, it would have a much better effect, as the vegetable acid in it gives it a fuperior efficacy against putrefaction. On fuch occafions as fickness, how eafily might feamen be fapplied with good plenty of excellent and wholefome foup, by the help of a · digefter in Papin's manner? By this machine, with a lamp or candle, the bones of any kind of meat-animals might be liquified in a few minutes. How light of charge this engine? How plentifully and readily bones of cattle might be pro cured? cured? How eafily preferved if fliced or in powder? How quickly made potable? How wholefome and reftorative fuch food would be to fickly people, as it is a noble and excellent broth, without the help of falt to preferve, I fubmit to the confideration of thofe who have more authority, and with them to have the fame benevolence to compaffionate the miseries of feamen in dif trefs. It may feem a trifling matter, but it will prove greatly falutary to a fhip's crew, to make every man wash his mouth, every morning and night, with vinegar. This is particularly falutiferous in hot weather, and a fingular prefervative againft the fcurvy, and all putrid difeafes. At the fame time as fuch a diffusion of acid or antifeptic particles are diffeminated through the parts of a fhip, they exert their antifcorbutic efficacy, to prevent or deftroy the influence of putrefcent or corrupt air, and to restore it to an wholefome ftate; by this practice alfo, the lungs and inore tender vitals become fheathed or armed against the reception, or inhalation of the volatile articles of putrefaction; fo that they either are repelled, or elfe intirely change their poifonous to a harmless quality. A man in fuch armour is fafe.-Fine grafs hay in rain water, makes a liquor which is perhaps one of the moft excellent prefervatives againft, and remedies in, the fea-fcurvy. It is a pleafant drink; hay is eafily preferved; and it may be made to occupy no great compafs of room. A method of making sea water potable. EA-WATER becomes fresh S by making it pafs through ma rine plants. I took a glafs veffel, of an oblong form, and, having partly filled it with fea-water, I put therein a proper quantity of the alga marina, or fea weed; the roots of fome of which were naked, and quite clear of any foreign body; but to the reft were still adhering the pebbles that ferved to fupport them in the fea. The veffel being then full, I fitted it to a glafs head, with its beak, to which I joined a receiver, without luting the joints. There diftilled daily from thefe plants a fmall quantity of water, very frefh, very potable, and quite free from the ill tafte, which waters diftilled by fire usually retain. This experiment fhows the eafieft, fureft, and moft natural method of making fea-water fresh, a matter of fuch fingular utility to navigators. I doubt not but we may find other plants, among thofe growing either in the fea or on its fhores which may be more effectual for this experiment, and which yield fresh water in greater quantity, as rock-famphire, the braffica marina, or kali-kind, the fea-lentil, &c. Some of thefe plants may be tried, by examining their growth either in fea-water, or earth fprinkled with it. And hence, in fome meafure, the conjecture may be very probable, that the real primitive water, which might have exifted before animals and plants, is fea water; and that fresh water is, for the moft part, indebted for its origin to the vapours of plants, the refpiration of animals, and the exhalations of the earth, attracted by the heat of the fun. Chinese Chinese contrivance, by which a per- it over their heads, and tie the fame son, who does not know how to swim,mayeasilykcephimselfabove water. From a letter to the author of the Seamen's Preservative. IN N the year 1730, I was paffenger in a fhip from Batavia to China, burthen about 100 tons, called the Pride, Francifco Xavier commander, freighted by English, Chinese, and Portugueze. Near the coaft of China we met one of thofe ftorms called a Tutfoon, (Tau fong) or a great wind, which carried away all our mafts, bowfprit, and rudder; and in our hold we had fix feet of water, expecting every moment the fhip would founder. We confequently were confulting our prefervation: the English and Portugueze food in their fhirts only, ready to be thrown off; but the Chinese merchants came upon deck, not in a cork, jacket, but I will call it a bamboo habit, which had lain ready in their chefts against fuch dangers, and it was thus conftructed; four bamboos, two before, and two behind their bodies, were placed horizontally, and projected about 25 inches. Thefe were croffed on each fide by two others, and the whole properly fecured, leaving a space for their body; fo that they had only to put fecurely, which was done in two minutes, and we were fatisfied they could not poffibly fink-The frape is given in the foregoing column. Easy method of opening a way to the sight through turbulent waters. PPOSITE to the famous baths OF of Balarue, on the coat of Provence, is Taur or Hill-pond, lo called from its lying among hills; the word Tor or Tour in the Hebrew, Phenician, and Celtic, fignifying a mountain or hill in the middle of it ftands an infulated rock, known by the name of Rocairals. The foot of this rock, under the water, is covered with mytuli, or mufcles, lepades, or goats eyes, balani, or fea-acorns, and echini, or fea urchins, &c. ftrongly adhering to it. The fifhermen, for tearing them off, made ufe of an iron hoop, fomething fharpened at the upper edge and faftened to a pole; with which fcraping the rock, the fifh fall into a bag tied round the hoop. I have been at this fport, and it gave me an opportunity of obferving a fact, not unworthy notice. That the labour of fcraping the rock may the better anfwer, it is neceffary to difcern the places where the fhellfifh, and efpecially the largeft, moft abound. This one would think no difficulty, the water being ufually clear: yet it is not fo eafy as imagined; the leaft agitation occafions a fimmering formed of undulations, irregularly congefted on one another, that amidit thefe inequalities, the rays of light, in their entrance and flue, neceffarily go through many refractions, unequal, and often oppofite; hence a kind of fhade on the the furface of the pon 1, that bjects of a middling bignels are fenice difcernible at the depth only of two feet. To overcome an inconveniency fo detrimental to the fishermen's induftry.experience has taught them a fure method, which perhaps mere naturalifts would never have damed of; yet it is only to pour a drop of oil on the place where the therman would look. The oil, agitated by the motion of the water. fpreads with a furprifing colerity, and by this horizontal dilation, fupprefles and levels the crifpated undulations, which obftructed the fight. The fishermen are very dexterous in taking advantage of this calm interval, which is foon over; but they renew it at pleafure, and at little expence, ufing only a fingle drop of oil at one time, and that of the worft fort. This device throws a light on a paffage of Pliny, hiftor. natural lib. 2. cap. 103. where that author, after faying mare oleo tranquillare, i. e. that the fea is fmoothed by throwing oil on it: he adds, that it is on this account divers carry fome, in their mouths, and by fpurting it out when under water, are capable to fee much better. Et ob id urinantes ore spargere, quoniam mitiget naturam asperam maris, lucemque deportet. now in the poetion of the fociety, be publifhed verbatim, with Mr. Doffie's explanatory notes at the bottom of the page, under his name. PROCESS the FIRST. For purifying oil in a moderate degree, without almoft any expence. Take an ounce of chalk, powdered pretty finely, and half an ounce of lime flacked by lying expofed tɔ the air. Put them into a gallon of finking oil: and having mixed them well together, by fiirring, add half a pint of water; and mix that with them, alfo, by the fame means. When they have flood an hour or two, repeat the ftirring, and continue the fame treatment, at convenient intervals, for two or three days. After whichi fuper-add a pint and a half of water, in which an ounce of falt is diffolved; and mix them as the other ingredients, repeating the firring as before for a day or two. Let the whole then ftand at reft; and the water will fink below the oil; and the chalk fubfide in it to the bottom of the veffel; the oil will become clear, be of a lighter colour, and have confiderably lefs fmell: but will not be purified in a manner equally to the effect of the other procelles, below given though as this is done, with the expence only of one ounce falt, it may be practifed advantage of Method of edulcorating train oil. oufly for many purpofes: efpecial By Mr. Dossie. ly preparatory to the next method, the operation of which will be facilitated by it. PROCESS the SECOND. To purify oil without heat to a great degree. Take a gallon of crude ftinking oil, or of fuch as is previously prepared pared by the foregoing method, and add to it an ounce of powdered chalk. Stir them well together, feveral times, as in the preceding procefs; and, after they have been mixed fome hours, or a whole day, add an ounce of pearl afhes, diffolved in four ounces of water; and repeat the firring as before. After they have been fo treated for fome hours, put in a pint of water, in which two ounces of falt are diffolved, and proceed as before. The oil, and brine, will feparate, on ftanding fome days, and the oil will be greatly improved, both in fmell and colour. Where a greater purity is required, the quantity of pearl afhes must be increased; and the time before the addition of the falt, and water, prolonged. If the fame operation be repeated feveral times, diminishing at each time the quantity of the lagredients, one half, the oil may be brought to a very light colour; a id rendered equally fweet in fmell, with the common fpermaceti oil. By this procefs, the cod cil may be made to burn; and when it is fo putrid as not to be fit for any ufe, either alone or mixed, it may be fo corrected by the firft part of the procefs, as to be equal to that commonly fold; but where this is practifed in the cafe of fuch putrid oil, ufe half an ounce of chalk, and half an ounce of lime. PROCESS the THIRD. To purify oil with the affiftance of heat, where the greateft purity is required: an particularly for the woollen manufacture. Take a gallon of crude ftinking oil; and mix with it a quarter of an ounce of powdered chalk, and a quarter of an ounce of time flacken ed in the air, and ftir them together; and when they have floods fome hours, add a pint and a half of water, and two ounces of pearl ashes and place them over a re that will juft keep the fimmering, till the oil appear of a light amber colour; and has loft all fmell, except a fopey, greafy, hot fcent. Then fuper-add half a pint of water, in which an ounce of common falt has been diffolved; and having boiled them half an hour, pour them into a proper vefel, and let them ftand till the feparation of the oil, water, and lime, be made, as in the preceding. Where this operation is performed, to prepare oil for the woollen manufacture, the falt may be omitted; but the feparation of the lime from the oil will be flower; and a longer oiling is necellary. If this oil be required ftill more pure, treat it, after it is feparated from the water, &c. according to the fecond process, with an ounce of chalk, a quarter of an ounce of pearl afhes, and half an ounce of falt. PETER TEMPLEMAN, Secretary. Observations on the above processes: By Mr. R. Dossie. Obfervations on Procefs the First. Firft: This process may be performed on any kind of fifh or feal oil, that is putrid and ftinking; and will improve it in fmell, and moft generally render it of a lighter colour, if before dark and brown. It will, alfo, conduce to the rendering thofe oils fitter for burning profitably, that are in their original fiate faulty in that point; but it will not meliorate them to the full degree they admit of, even with |