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Seale 5 feet to an Inch
{written above diagram to a scale}

Bow Side view of a Life Boat Stern
{diagram of a life boat]
4ft Rate 16 feet bottom 4 ft rake

form of the bottom plank
150 width at head
16 feet long

[diagram of a boat]

A view of the top of the Boat which is all to be closed in, the midships with Slides the holes for the Rowers and Steersman to be of an Oval form, with a [seat?] coming round them and to have a Boot of jointed canvass or Soft Leather nailed tight round the [Corning?] so as to be Impervious to water, the top of the Boot, to be open in which the men sit or Stand and when in their places the Boots can drawn tight round their bodies with a drawing string so that if a Sea breaks over the boat it neither can fill her or wash out the Men and in the event of a Sea throwing the boat over, the weight of the Lead on the bottom will bring her upright again, And the men sitting in their Boots with their Life Preservers on gives an immediate and powerful facility to the boats Righting, And as I would like much to try this class of a boat to be used merely when no open boat could live on a fair Estimate being taken of her Value as she must be copper fastened light built of [word?] her worth I will engage to build her one fourth less than the estimate in consideration of what Materials and assistance the Establishment can furnish. Joseph Darby
Sable Island 1842