A trial of the life-boat designed by Mr. PEAKE, one of the Northumberland Life- Boat Committee, and built under his superin- tendence, by order of the Lords Commis- sioners of the Admiralty, in Her Majesty's Dockyard at Woolwich, for the National Shipwreck Institution, took place on the 3rd February, in a strong south-west breeze at Brighton, to which place she was con- veyed by order of the Admiralty, in a Government steamer.

Among others present, were His Grace the DUKE of NORTHUMBERLAND, President of the Shipwreck Institution, Mr. THOMAS WILSON, Chairman of Committee, Captain Sir BALDWIN WALKER, K.C.B., Surveyor of the Navy, Colonel COLQUHOUN, R.A., Captain JERNINGHAM, R.N., Mr. PEAKE, Captain WASHINGTON, R.N., Commander E. A. INGLEFIELD, and Commander J. R.

WARD, Members of the Shipwreck Institu- tion ; the Bishop of BATH and WELLS ; the Hon. and Rev. A. PERCEVAL ; Lord Henry CHOLMONDELEY, Chairman of the Life-Boat Committee of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Benevolent Society, Mr. F.

LEAN, R.N., Secretary, and Lieut. SY- MONDS, R.N., Travelling Agent; Rear Ad- miral FOBBES, Captain HAEGOOD, B.N., Captain HASTINGS YELTERTON, R.N., In- specting Commander MENDS,R.N.,and Lieut.

PRATT, R.N., of the Coast-guard; Captain GRIFFITH, R.N., Mr. J. T. FORSTER, R.N., Mr. JAMES BEECHING, of Great Yarmouth, Mr. GEORGE WELLS, Mr. JOSEPH PROWSE, and a large body of the fishermen and boat- men of the place, who watched the trial with great interest.

This boat has both ends alike, a long fiat Boor, sides straight in a fore-and-aft direction, slightly raking stem and stern-post, is dia- gonally built of rock elm, and copper-fast- ened. Length, extreme, 30 feet; length of keel, 24 feet; breadth of beam, 8 feet; depth, 3-J feet; sheer of gunwale, 28 inches; rake of stem and stern-post, 64 inches in a foot; straight keel, 4 inches deep; and bilge pieces with openings in them to lay hold of OB each side the bottom. The boat pulls 10 oars, double-banked, (or 12 if required,) with eye-bolts, (not thole pins,) and rope grummets, and steers with a sweep oar.

She has side air-cases under the'thwarts, and raised air-cases 4 feet long in the ex- tremes, up to gunwale height; the tops covered with a good coating of cork to pre- vent their being stove, if jumped upon.

The- air-cases are built of the material patented by Mr. J. T. FORSTER, R.N., consisting of gutta-percha between two layers of thin wood, at once light, tough, and water-tight. But as most of the so-called air-tight cases admit water, a small disc valve, the invention of Mir. GEORGE WELLS, of 15, Upper Smithfield, has been introduced into each of the cases, so that any water that gets in may be run out, and the cases be aired, which will tend much to their pre- servation.

The Means provided for freeing the boat of any water she may ship, are 8 tubes, 6 inches diameter each, through the deck and bottom; closed by self-acting valves.

For ballast, and to assist her in righting, the boat has an iron keel of about 7 cwt., and with this included, weighs 46 cwt. Draft of water when light, 15 inches, with crew on board, 18 inches.

The results of the trial showed :-— 1st. That the boat having been hove keel up by a crane, righted herself on two occa- sions in about 7 seconds of time.

2nd. That she freed herself of water en- tirely when light, in about 55 seconds

3rd. That on taking the beach through heavy rollers, the boat showed great buoy- ancy and stability, and brought her crew on shore' without shipping water.

4th. That she will carry 30 persons with ease besides her crew, or 42 in all.

The boat on her trial was manned by Coast- guard men, of the Brighton District, and was under the charge of Commander WARD, R.N., Inspector of Life-Boats, who volun- teered his services to go out in her.

1t is intended shortly, to send this boat to the coast of Northumberland; but as there are two other boats hi progress, she will probably be delayed until all the boats can be sent together. In the meantime life- boat houses have been erected at Cullercoats and Newbiggin, and a third is in progress at Hauxley ; local Committees also have been formed at these places, and life-boat crews enrolled.

The President and Committee of the National Shipwreck Institution are deeply indebted to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, for their liberality in allowing this life-boat to be built in one of Her Ma- jesty's Dockyards, and for permitting a steam-tug to convey her to and from Brighton for the above trial.