DURING the last few months several addi- tional life-boat stations have been formed along our coasts, and some old boats replaced by others on an improved construction.

This is an important work, which we hope to see gradually carried forward until every prominent point on the sea-board of the United Kingdom has been furnished with the most efficient means of saving life. It must not, however, be hurried; one false step does incalculable mischief, as has lately been painfully exemplified. The desire to be doing something, even at the risk of its being badly done, must be checked at all hazards. ' Of the additional life-boats, five have been stationed on the coast of Northumberland and one on the coast of Devon. The boats for the north having been fully tested at Woolwich, as to their several qualities of stability, self-righting, freeing themselves of water, &c., were, by the courtesy of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, con- veyed in H. M. S. Lightning to the Tyne.

CULLERCOATS.—The first of these named the Percy, after the noble donor, is stationed at the large fishing village of Cullercoats, about 2 miles north of Shields. This boat, designed by Mr. JAMES PEAKE, assistant master shipwright in H. M. Dockyard at Woolwich, and built under his superin- tendence, is 30 feet long, 8 feet wide, 3? feet deep, and has 30 inches sheer of gunwale; in lieu of great breadth of beam, the boat is given stability by a straight side and a long flat floor, and on a trial at Wool- wich bore 21 men standing on one gunwale before it could be brought down on a level with the water. Its weight,' including ballast and an iron keel, is 50 cwt., and it will carry 40 persons; it is built on what is called the diagonal principle, that is, two •f-inch planks laid across each other, without timbers, as stronger and more durable. The boat is fitted internally with a tight deck, laid at the level of the load-water line; in the midships below is a cable tier, and on each side and for some distance before and abaft the tier is filled in with cork, in water- tight cases. Eight delivering tubes of 6 inches diameter are carried through the deck, and are closed by Wells's self-acting valves. Above the deck air-cases extend along the sides up to the level of the thwarts, and in the ends of the boat air- cases rise up to the height of the gunwale, which latter, in conjunction with the iron keel, give the self-righting power. At Cul- lercoats also is placed the life-boat carriage, designed by Col. COLQUHOUN, R.A., and, by permission of the Master-General and Board of Ordnance, constructed in the car- riage department of the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, under his superintendence. A boat-house has also been erected, and the crew are supplied with life-belts. The whole is taken charge of by a local com- mittee, of which Mr. BARTLEMAN, late mayor of Tynemouth, is chairman, and Mr.

C. TI. LAWS secretary. JOHN BEDFORD is 1st and JOHN CLARK 2nd coxswain of the boat, and all the fishermen are enrolled as volun- teers to form her crew. They have already tried her qualities, and shown their own skill in saving some fishing cobles, overtaken at sea by an easterly gale.

NEWBIGGIN.—The second boat, in going to the northward, is stationed at Newbiggin, a large fishing village about 11 miles north of the Tyne. This boat, named the Lati- mer, after one of the eight baronies of the house of Percy, and built by the Messrs. FORRESTT, of Limehouse, from a design by PEAKE, is 30 feet long, 8 feet wide, 3i feet deep, pulls 10 oars double banked, and weighs with ballast 37 cwt. The boat is clench-built, is roomy, and will carry 35 persons, including her crew. Here is a suitable boat-house close to the water, a car- riage is in course of construction, and the men are supplied with life-belts. A local committee, of which WM. WATSON, Esq., is chairman, and the Rev. PERCY SMITH, secretary, take charge of the boat. The coxswain is PHILIP JEFFERSON, and all the fishermen are enrolled as a crew and go out in turns to exercise. This boat, within a few weeks of her being first placed, also saved some fishing cobles caught at sea in a gale.

HAUXLEY.—The next life-boat on this coast at Hauxley, 9 miles from the last sta- tion, about 1£ miles south of the harbour at Amble, and nearly opposite Coquet Island, is named the Warkworth. This boat, de- signed and built by TEASDEL, of Great Yarmouth, is 30 feet long, 8f feet wide, 3-J feet deep, pulls 12 oars double banked, weighs with ballast 53 cwt.; will carry 45 persons in case of need, and pull all her oars. The boat is fitted internally the same as the Cullercoats boat, will self-right and free herself readily of water. Here is a well-built boat-house close to high water- mark, on a site liberally granted by Captain WIDDEINGTON, R.N., of Newton Hall, who acts as chairman of the local committee formed of the neighbouring gentlemen, and Mr. EDWARD WHITFIELD as secretary. A carriage has been constructed; the crews are supplied with life-belts, and the boat with anchor, cable, and every requisite.

JOHN MATTHEWS is coxswain of the boat, and all the neighbouring fishermen are en- rolled as a volunteer crew.

BOULMER.—The next station, 6 miles north of the last, is at Boulmer. This life- boat, named the Prudhoe, was constructed by Messrs. BEECHING and SON, of Great Yarmouth, and is 30 feet long by 7-| feet wide, 87 feet deep, is clench-built, and weighs 35 cwt. when light. This boat differs from the others along the coast in being ballasted by water, of which about one ton is admitted into a closed well on the boat going afloat. The boat pulls 10 oars double banked, will self-right in the event of being upset, frees herself readily of water by means of 8 open tubes of 5 inches diameter, and will carry 30 persons, including her crew.

Here is a boat-house close to the water, a carriage for the boat, and the crew are sup- plied with life belts. A local committee of the neighbouring gentlemen is formed, of which Captain the Hon. FEED. OBEY, R.N., acts as chairman, and the Rev. HENRY BELL as secretary. B. STEPHENSON is cox- swain of the boat, and all the resident fisher- men enrolled as a volunteer crew.

ALNMOUTH.—At 3 miles south of Boul- mer is a small boat, named the Lucy, 22 ft.

long and 5i ft, wide, also built by Messrs.

BEECHING, and fitted on the same principle.

It can hardly be considered a life-boat for the general purposes of the coast, but is, it is understood, presented to the Duchess of NORTHUMBERLAND, and stationed at Aln- mouth for Her Grace's special use when at Alnwick Castle.

NORTH SUNDERLAND.—At 10 miles north of Boulmer a life-boat is stationed at North Sunderland. This boat, like that at New- biggin, was built by Messrs. FOERESTT, of Limehouse, after a design by PEAKE, and is 30 feet long, 8 feet wide, 3i feet deep, weighs 37 cwt. with ballast, pulls 10 oars double-banked, and will carry 35 persons.

Here is a good boat-house near the harbour, and a carriage is in course of construction.

The whole expense is defrayed by the Trus- tees of the Crewe Charity, who engage to keep the boat in repair and to exercise the crew regularly.

Such, then, is the preparation along the coast of Northumberland against the loss of life from shipwreck, the whole cost of which, with the exception above named, including boat-houses, carriages, life-belts, &c., has been defrayed by the princely liberality of the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND ; the sole condition stipulated for by His Grace is that the several local Committees, in conjunction with the Shipwreck Institution, shall keep the boats in repair and regularly exercise the crews at least once each quarter, as the value of a life-boat depends quite as much, if not more, on her sailor-like management by her crew than upon the form of the boat.

This, then, is a point of the utmost im- portance, and we feel satisfied that the gen- tlemen who have so readily come forward to form the local Committees will cordially unite in assisting to carry out His Grace's humane intentions, by vying with each other whose boat shall do best, and creating a spirit of emulation among their crews as to which boat shall be most skilfully managed.

A finer body of young men, chiefly between the ages of twenty-five and forty years, who have come forward as volunteers to form the crews at the several stations, has seldom been seen; they have brawny arms and willing hearts, and all they want is a habit of rowing together in a boat differing consi- derably from the coble they have been accustomed to; but this a little steady prac- tice will soon accomplish. We heartily bid them " God speed.".