NER'S CHILD'S HISTORY OF ROME. A Child's History of Rome. By JOHN
BONNER. Illustrated. 2 vols., 16mo, Cloth, $2.50.

BONNER'S CHILD'S HISTORY OF GREECE. A Child's History of Greece. By JOHN
BONNER. Illustrated. 2 vols., 16mo, Cloth, $2.50.

* * * * *

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on
receipt of the price._

THE MANES LIFE-BOAT.

BY FRANK BELLEW.

[Illustration: THE MANES LIFE-BOAT.]

A very ingenious invention for the preservation of life at sea has
recently been patented in Washington, and approved by the United States
government. It is called the Manes Life-Boat, and consists of a hollow
ball of copper, with a hollow mast for ventilation, a trap-door for
ingress and egress, and other contrivances for the convenience of
passengers. These hollow balls are to be carried on board ocean vessels,
and if a wreck occurs, passengers step inside, and are lowered into the
sea, where they can float about, protected from the wind, rain, and
waves till they are picked up by some passing vessel. I will not give
you a long account of this queer boat, as you can probably form a pretty
good idea of what it is by looking at the accompanying picture, which,
as you will see, represents the inside, with its cargo of passengers.

[Illustration: Fig. 1.]

My present object is to show you how to construct a similar toy boat out
of an egg-shell. To do this you require the following materials: one
egg, as round as possible, half a tea-spoonful of shot, a piece of
bees-wax about as big as a small hickory-nut, some black paint or
varnish, some vinegar, a little stick of pine, a cork, and a sharp
knife. Now with regard to the knife, let me recommend you to buy one
such as is represented in Fig. 1. It is one of a kind that shoe-makers
use, and can be bought at most hardware stores for ten or twelve cents.
It is a very useful knife for all kinds of fine work.

[Illustration: Fig. 2.]

[Illustration: Fig. 3]

Take your egg and paint it all over with black paint, leaving only a
square white space, and a little white spot on the top, as represented
in Fig. 2. When your paint is perfectly dry, which will perhaps take two
days, place the egg in a vessel containing vinegar in such a way that
the two white spots will be covered with the vinegar (the whole of the
egg need not be covered). Let it remain in soak for a day; then