Ice-Boats, a modern invention of Thomas Ritzlkr, of Hamburgh, whose name deserves to be transmitted to posterity; as his ingenious and useful contrivance has already saved many valuable lives from a watery grave. We have given an accurate representation of such a boat, with our First Number, and shall here furnish the reader with the description.

Fig. 1, Is a perspective view of the boat, the body of which consists of wicker-work covered with leather, to render it impermeable by water; and so remarkably light, that it may be easily managed by one person, both on the ice and in the water. Its length, when measured on the outside, is 71/2 feet in the keel, and 12 feet above from end to end : its breadth, 3 feet at the bottom, and 4 at the. upper part.

Ice Boat

Fig. 1, Represents the plan of the boat, the bottom of which is shod with two small pieces of iron, marked x, x : by means of two hooks, one of which is delineated on the plate, the brat may with the greatest facility be slided over the ice. In the lower part, or body, of the vessel, there is a large opening, 3 feet long, and 15 inches wide, pointed out by 0, 0, 0, fig. 2 ; and o, fig. 3 ; the four sides of which are. secured by a frame-work, marked r, fig. I, and 3, to prevent the water from entering the vessel. Through this opening, also, the boatman is enabled to step upon the ice in those places where it is too uneven to admit the sliding of the boat, and to cany it, by means of the handles, as represented in fig. 1, where the person standing, is marked only with dotted lines, to shew that he has quitted his former station in the boat. Another advantage derived from this aperture, in the middle of the boat, is the counterpoise which a column of water in its centre produces, and thus prevents it from being overset, while the man who carried it over the ice, immediately raises himself above the level of the water, and sits down in the vessel. But, in order to approach nearer to the person whose life is endangered, there is also employed a ladder with a long jointed handle, which is pushed forward and held by another assistant standing on the firm ice. On this ladder (which will be delineated among the implements of restoration from Drowning) the boatman places himself, and advances as near as possible to the body immersed in the water. Having successfully extracted it, no time should be lost in laying it in a proper posture in the boat; for which purpose there is a kind of chair with an elevated back, on the stern of the boat, marked n, in fig. 1, and 3 ; which last exhibits the longitudinal section of the vessel.

M. Gunther, one of the most active members of the Hamburgh Society for the Encouragement of the Arts and useful Trades, informs us in the third volume of their Transactions, published in 1795 that he has often been pre-when unfortunate persons have been rescued from untimely death, by means of the ice-boa:t, and that the swiftness and dexterity with which this machine may be managed by ex-pert assistants, is almost incredible. Hence the vessel is not intrusted to any other but skilful hands, and during summer it is deposited in an airy place, and the leather preserved from becoming either too dry or mouldy. The whole of this useful apparatus costs only 150 marks currency, or about 101. sterling ; a sum so insignificant, that, while the city of Hamburgh has built five such ice-boats, the great city of London ought to be in possession of at least one hundred.