IN the Life-boat Journal, No. 11, we gave as one reason for the discontinuance of the register of shipwrecks, on the coasts of the United Kingdom, which we had previously inserted, that a Wreck Register was being compiled at the Admiralty which would be annually presented to Parliament. That document for 1853 has now been published, which enables us to furnish our, readers with a summary of its contents. , It is, as usual, a fearful list, numbering 832 disasters; but it is gratifying to observe, so far as loss of property is concerned, that the Register for 1853 shows a very considerable decrease in the number of wrecks and casualties, as compared with the preceding year, when 1115 occurred.

In the gales of February, March, April, and July, 1853, the numbers exceeded those of the same months in 1852, and the month of May in each year produced the same amount;. but in all the other months of 1853, the numbers fell much short of those in the corresponding months of the previous year.

This may be accounted for by the fact, that the gales of tine winter months of 1853 were less frequent and of shorter duration, although they blew with occasional violence.

On the other hand, however, the year 1853 records a loss of 989 lives, being 69 more than were lost in. 1852, when the number, so far as is known, was 920.

This increased number, in proportion to the number of wrecks, was caused by the great sacrifice of life which occurred in two or three individual instances. Thus the loss of the Annie Jane shows 360 alone; that of the Queen, Victoria, 83; and of the Dalhausie, 59.

There can be no doubt that these total numbers, for each year, show considerably less than the actual amount of loss of life which has occurred on and around our coasts, as there are no means at command for ascertaining" the number of those in vessels which sail out of port and are never again heard of. The lives of fishermen and other boatmen are undoubtedly also often lost without any official returns being made of the same.

The Admiralty Register of Wrecks is compiled principally from the Coast-guard Returns; from Lloyd's published list; from the " Shipping and Mercantile Gazette" ; and from the official reports of Lloyd's agents around the coast to the Admiralty.

It is prepared by Commander J. V. READ, R.N., and although imperfect, as any such register must be, there is no doubt that it is the most complete account of wrecks published.

Annexed to the Return is a Wreck Chart, on which a black spot marks the site of each wreck, fire, or collision, as far as can be ascertained.

The following is he summary which precedes the Register.

The wrecks on the coasts and in the seas of the United Kingdom in the year 1853, were 832, which may be thus classed —

Totally wrecked 369

Totally lost in collision 52

Damaged seriously, and had to discharge 386

Damaged seriously in collision 25

The number of casualties in each month were:-

January 106

February 91

March 52

April 78

May 41 

June 26 

July 45

August 33

September 70

October 96

November 71

December 123

Total 832

Of these, 253 occurred on the east coast of Great Britain; 76 on the south coast, and 130 on the west coast; 81 wrecks took place on the coasts of Ireland; 6 were cast on shore at Scilly; 11 at the Channel Islands; 3 at Orkney and Shetland; and 12 at the Isle of Man; the remaining 260 wrecks occurred in the surrounding seas.