DURING the autumn of the year 1852, a year that will long be remembered as one of the most fatal on record to the shipping of this country) the unprecedented number of 1115 wrecks having occurred along the shores and within the seas of the United Kingdom), some casualties to British vessels took place also in the North Sea, and on the coasts of Norway and Sweden, where the crews were so promptly succoured by natives of those countries, that Her Majesty's Government considered it due to offer them a reward in acknowledgment of their gallant and humane conduct. Among other instances, the following deserve special notice.

On the 29th Sept. Captain OMHOLT, of the Norwegian barque Sylphide, saved the crew of the brig Richard and Hannah, of Sunderland, which she met with in a sinking state on the Dogger Bank, for which the Captain received a gold medal and a telescope, and 100L was awarded to his crew.

On the 28th Oct. Captain C. A. FOYER, of the Norwegian schooner AEger, of Tonsberg, rescued the crew of the brig Pyrenees, of Newcastle, which she fell in with in the North Sea in a disabled state; for which service the Captain was given a silver medal and 1(W., and KM. to his crew.

On the 24th Nov. Captain MORGAN ANDERSON, of the Norwegian brig Niard, rescued the crew of the brig John Robertson, when in a sinking state, off the coast of Norway; for which the Captain was presented with a silver medal and 201., and 5Z.

to each of his crew.

On the 25th Dec. Captain WESTO, of the Swedish brig Arguntyn, of Wisby, in Gottland, saved the crew of the John Burrell, of Shields, which she fell in with in a disabled state, on the Dogger Bank, in the North Sea; for which service Her Majesty's Government awarded the Captain a gold medal, and 501. to his crew. These instances are highly honourable to all who had a share in them.

A similar case of gallantry is recorded in the Gotheborg Commercial Gazette, when, on the wreck of the Norwegian brig Johannes, of Laurvig, Captain J. HANSON, in the bay of Sote, in the Sleeve, during a heavy gale of wind, two poor fishermen, brothers, named ANDREAS and OLAUS JOHANSEN gallantly pushed off in their frail coble, and although repeatedly swamped and driven back by the breakers, they succeeded at last in reaching near enough to the vessel to get a line on board, by means of which, under the blessing of Providence, nine lives were saved, wheu the vessel went to pieces. Miss FREDEIKA BREMEB, to whom we are indebted for the above account, adds :—" I have selected this example out of several, alike honourable to humanity, afforded by the fishermen on the coast of Sweden during the past disastrous winter; surely such men deserve as good a life-boat as can be built." We can but echo the words of the fair authoress, most surely they do; and we heartily hope they will not long be left without one.