BRIDLINGTON. — On the 22nd of March last, at 3 A.M., the wind blowing strong from E.N.E. at the time,' and a heavy sea running, signals of distress were observed from Bridlington Quay on board the schooner Albion, which had on the previous evening driven from her anchors into a dangerous position about three-quarters of a mile from that place.

The life-boat, manned by 12 men, was quickly launched, and proceeded to the vessel, which had stranded, and which they reached at 4-50 A.M. They succeeded in taking off the crew, consisting of 7 persons, and landed them in safety at Bridlington Quay at 5'30 A.M. The boat is reported to have behaved well on the occasion. The crew received the award of 11. to each man according to the now uniform and liberal scale of payment for a night service, which has been fixed by the Board of Trade, in conjunction with this Institution, as that which will in future be paid to the crews of such life-boats as are placed in connection with it, or to the proprietors of others which avail themselves of the assistance of that Board.

RAMSGATE.—On the 20th October, in a heavy gale from S.W., the fishing-smack Maria Ann, of Colchester, in attempting to enter Ramsgate Harbour was thrown against the pier-head, and presently foundered within a few yards of it. A great number of other vessels were running for and into the harbour at the time, and the pier was crowded with spectators. One of the crew managed to get from the rigging to the pier before she fell over to seaward and swamped; another was immediately drowned, having been injured by the broken bowsprit, and prevented ascending the rigging. The remainder of the crew, 3 in number, took to the rigging, and repeated attempts were made to throw lines to them from the pier, but without success, owing to the force of the wind, although the distance was said not to be more than 30 feet. The only hope of saving the unfortunate men appeared to be by the life-boat, which after some little delay, in consequence of the seamen who were required to man her being engaged in assisting the various vessels which were every moment crowding into the harbour, was towed out of it by the steamer Aid through a very heavy sea in the entrance, which repeatedly filled the life-beat. In the mean time a French man-of-war gunboat, the St. Barbe, had driven athwart the mast of the wreck, which impeded the efforts of the life-boat to approach the shipwrecked men, but which enabled one of them to jump into the Frenchman's rigging. The lifeboat having anchored, •veered and backed into the surf, and succeeded in taking one of the two remaining men from the wreck, but in doing so she got seriously damaged by striking violently on the wreck herself. Her crew then threw a life-buoy, with line attached, to the remaining smacksman, and he succeeded in placing himself within it, but the life-boat's crew were unable to haul him on board in consequence of his legs being inextricably entangled and held by the rigging and gear of the wreck, to which, indeed, it was said, that he had lashed himself. In endeavouring to extricate himself he was drawn out of the life-buoy and engulfed in the sea. The water within the life-boat being now nearly up to the thwarts, she made sail and ran into Broadstairs with the rescued man on board, where he was safely landed. The life-boat was towed back to Ramsgate by the Aid steamer in the afternoon, where she was immediately hauled up, and after being repaired by torchlight, under the direction of the indefatigable Harbour-master Captain Martin, was again ready for service by daylight on the following morning. She is stated to have behaved extremely well on this occasion; and it was the opinion of Captain Martin, that after being stoved in and water-logged, as far as she could be so, she would have supported at least 20 persons in addition to her crew.

We have entered rather minutely into a description of this service, in consequence of its having obtained some notoriety through the publication of anonymous letters in the newspapers, in which the writers endeavoured to throw great blame on the life-boat's crew, and on the authorities, and especially on the Harbourmaster, for not saving the life of the unfortunate man who was last drowned, despite of the efforts of the life-boat. After carefully considering all the circumstances, we are satisfied that nothing more could have been done to save this man, who lost his life solely through being either lashed to the rigging of his vessel, or becoming inextricably entangled amongst it. We believe that the life-boat's crew did all that they could have done; and we have abundant evidence that the experienced, active, and kind-hearted old seaman, Captain Martin, was unceasingly and energetically employed for a period of eight hours in the performance of his arduous duties on this trying occasion, during which time about 40 vessels, all more or less in distress, ran into the small harbour of Ramsgate for shelter.

On the 25th November, at 9'25 P.M., the services of the Ramsgate life-boat were again in requisition. [Alarm-guns from the light-vessel on the northern end of the Goodwin Sands were heard at Ramsgate, the wind blowing a gale at the time from N.E. to East, and a heavy sea running. At 9'40 the tug-steamer Aid, belonging to the Ramsgate Harbour Commissioners, with the life-boat in tow, left the harbour and proceeded to the North Sand-head Lightvessel, where they learned that a barque had been seen on the Goodwin Knoll, but that she had forged over it and had gone to the westward; they then skirted the sand through a heavy sea, and closely examined it between the North Sand-head and the Gull Light-vessels; when learning from the latter that the barque had passed through the Gull stream, they returned to the harbour, where they arrived at 1.30 A.M.

At daybreak alarm-guns were heard on board the Gull Light-vessel, when the steamer Aid and the life-boat again put to sea. On arriving near the sands, they perceived the mast of a sunken vessel on the Goodwin Knoll, with her crew clinging to the masthead. The life-boat having cast off from the steamer made sail through heavy broken water until within a suitable distance from the wreck; when, having let go her anchor, she veered down to it, and succeeded, by much exertion on the part of her crew, in taking off the wrecked men, five in number, from the only mast standing.

These poor men were much exhausted, having been in their perilous situation twelve hours. They were landed safely in Ramsgate harbour at 8.30 A.M.

One of the crew, a lad, had been washed from the mast during the night and drowned.

The vessel proved to be the brigantine Marii Roche of Nantes. The life-boat is reported to have behaved admirably on this.

occasion. This was the 6th or 17th time of her having been taken off to the Goodwin Sands in reply to signals of distress or alarm-guns from the light-vessels during the last two years. She was on this occasion off twice within twelve hours, manned by a separate crew on each occasion, at a cost of 23L 12s. to the Ramsgate Harbour Commissioners, who we think are entitled to much credit for having their steamer and life-boat always in readiness to proceed to the assistance of vessels in distress on the Goodwin. Being a large boat, more manageable under sails than oars, she is generally towed out to the neighbourhood of the Sands by the tug-steamer, and then managed under sail. We cannot but think that a'somewhat similar life-boat stationed on Deal beach, and manned by the experienced Deal boatmen, might often render valuable service by saving the crews of wrecked vessels on the Goodwin, at times when they could not be rescued by their own open luggers. We think that the establishment and maintenance of an efficient life-boat at Deal is an object quite worthy of the ambition of the many naval men, and others of the gentry resident in the neighbourhoods of Deal and Walmer, and to effect which we doubt not they would be readily aided by this Institution.

Intelligence has just reached us, of the total loss, on the 19th December, on the Goodwin Sands, of the schooner Lelean, of Fowey. Early the next morning, on signals being made, the Ramsgate life-boat, with commendable promptitude, put off and received the crew from the Gull light-vessel, to which they had already escaped.

FILEY.—On the 30th October, at 10 A.M., the brig Hebe, of Wisbeach, ran on shore, in a sinking state, near Filey, on the Yorkshire coast. It was blowing a heavy gale from the N.E. at the time, with rain and a heavy sea running. The life-boat belonging to the Filey branch of the National Life-boat Institution was immediately launched and taken to the rescue of her crew, six in number, whom they succeeded in taking safelyon board, and landing within a short time afterwards, LOWESTOFT AND PAKEFIELD, SUFFOLK.

At daybreak on the 2nd November, it blowing a heavy gale from S.S.E., with squalls of hail and rain, the Coastguard observed a brig on shore on the Holm Sand, with the sea breaking over her, and a signal of distress in her rigging. By 7 o'clock the Lowestoft life-boat, manned by 19 men, was launched through a heavy sea on the beach, and made sail for the wreck, which proved to be the Louisa, of Newhaven, and which she reached at 9 o'clock, A.M., but in endeavouring to close it, she herself got aground, and the tide leaving her, she remained there immovable, but with the sea beating over her, until 1-30 P.M. In the mean while the crew of the brig, consisting of 9 persons, had been taken on board the lifeboat, which landed them at 2 P.M. in safety. The Pakefield life-boat put off to the assistance of the other so soon as it was perceived she was aground on the Sand, but she could not approach her on account of the shallowness of the water around her.

ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK. — On the 3rd November, it blowing a heavy gale of wind from the E.S.E., the barque Corregio, of Poole, was driven on shore off the town of Aldborough. The life-boat belonging to the Aldborough branch of this Institution was immediately launched, and proceeded to her assistance, taking on board her crew of 9 persons, and landing them in safety.

Six other vessels ran ashore, and became total wrecks: their crews were all saved, chiefly through the instrumentality of lines thrown to them from the beach.

BROADSTAIRS.—On the 3rd November, at 2- 30 P.M., the wind blowing a heavy gale from E.S.E., with rain and sleet, a brig, which turned out to be the Hope, of Portsmouth, was observed to part from her cables, and to run ashore on the rocks near Broadstairs. A small life-boat, attached to the Broadstairs life-lugger, the Dreadnought, was immediately launched, manned by six men, and proceeded to the rescue of her crew, whom they succeeded in taking on board, and landing in safety.