As the running before a heavy broken sea is the most dangerous operation which a life-boat has to perform, and its safe execu- tion may often depend, not only on the skilful management of the oars or sails and steerage, but also on the proper distribution of the weights within her, we think the stowage of the wrecked persons taken on board is a matter of the greatest import- ance, and that we may, perhaps, profitably offer a few recommendations on the subject for the observance of the coxswains and crews of the life-boats in connexion with the National Life-boat Institution.

It would appear scarcely necessary that we should in the first place point out the advantage, indeed the necessity, of a proper discipline on the part of the life-boat's crew, and that they should yield implicit obedi- ence to the coxswain or master of the boat from the moment of their shoving off from the shore until their return to it again.

Yet as the fishermen and other boatmen on our coasts are unaccustomed to any exercise of such authority when pursuing their ordi- nary avocations, and as we have ourselves been in a life-boat when each man in her was shouting his opinion as to what ought to be done, we will therefore recommend, in the first instance, that the crew shall accustom themselves at all times to a ready obedience to the coxswain's orders; and that especially in any moment of difficulty or danger they shall keep silence in the boat, giving their opinion if asked for by the coxswain in a quiet manner, and one at a time, as noise and confusion invariably add to the danger whatever it may be.

More especially should this rule be observed when alongside a wreck; for, apart from the foregoing reason, we may be sure that the wrecked persons themselves will place greater confidence in the means that have been provided for their relief when they observe that order and quietness are pre- served amongst their deliverers, and they will themselves be less likely under such circumstances to add to the tumult and confusion by giving way to their fears, and rushing headlong into the boat without thought and without assistance, by which lamentable conduct an innumerable number of persons have perished at different periods who might otherwise have been saved.

On going alongside a wreck, after having determined on the best mode.of doing so, the coxswain should in the first place enjoin quietness and order on his own crew, and, as far as possible, should appoint to each his respective duty; for instance, the bowman, assisted if necessary by the men rowing the two foremost oars, should be appointed to let go the anchor and veer to the required length of cable, or to be ready to catch a rope thrown from the wrecked vessel; or to throw heaving-lines, with the small grappling-irons attached, into the rigging, or over the bulwarks of the wreck. The 2nd coxswain, assisted if necessary by the men rowing the two after oars, might be sta- tioned to throw or catch a sternfast, and to attend to it. The men rowing the midship oars might be selected to assist the wrecked persons, one or two at a time, over the side, and to direct each where to sit down in the boat. And again, if the wrecked vessel As the running before a heavy broken sea is the most dangerous operation which a life-boat has to perform, and its safe execu- tion may often depend, not only on the skilful management of the oars or sails and steerage, but also on the proper distribution of the weights within her, we think the stowage of the wrecked persons taken on board is a matter of the greatest import- ance, and that we may, perhaps, profitably offer a few recommendations on the subject for the observance of the coxswains and crews of the life-boats in connexion with the National Life-boat Institution.

It would appear scarcely necessary that we should in the first place point out the advantage, indeed the necessity, of a proper discipline on the part of the life-boat's crew, and that they should yield implicit obedi- ence to the coxswain or master of the boat from the moment of their shoving off from the shore until their return to it again.

Yet as the fishermen and other boatmen on our coasts are unaccustomed to any exercise of such authority when pursuing their ordi- nary avocations, and as we have ourselves been in a life-boat when each man in her was shouting his opinion as to what ought to be done, we will therefore recommend, in the first instance, that the crew shall accustom themselves at all times to a ready obedience to the coxswain's orders; and that especially in any moment of difficulty or danger they shall keep silence in the boat, giving their opinion if asked for by the coxswain in a quiet manner, and one at a time, as noise and confusion invariably add to the danger whatever it may be.

More especially should this rule be observed when alongside a wreck; for, apart from the foregoing reason, we may be sure that the wrecked persons themselves will place greater confidence in the means that have been provided for their relief when they observe that order and quietness are pre- served amongst their deliverers, and they will themselves be less likely under such circumstances to add to the tumult and confusion by giving way to their fears, and rushing headlong into the boat without thought and without assistance, by which lamentable conduct an innumerable number of persons have perished at different periods who might otherwise have been saved.

On going alongside a wreck, after having determined on the best mode.of doing so, the coxswain should in the first place enjoin quietness and order on his own crew, and, as far as possible, should appoint to each his respective duty; for instance, the bowman, assisted if necessary by the men rowing the two foremost oars, should be appointed to let go the anchor and veer to the required length of cable, or to be ready to catch a rope thrown from the wrecked vessel; or to throw heaving-lines, with the small grappling-irons attached, into the rigging, or over the bulwarks of the wreck. The 2nd coxswain, assisted if necessary by the men rowing the two after oars, might be sta- tioned to throw or catch a sternfast, and to attend to it. The men rowing the midship oars might be selected to assist the wrecked persons, one or two at a time, over the side, and to direct each where to sit down in the boat. And again, if the wrecked vessel should be under water, or the sea breaking over her, and her crew and passengers be lashed in the rigging, and unable from cold and exhaustion to' help themselves, which not unfre'quently happens, one of the most, active of the life-boat's crew should be chosen to carry up the rigging the tail-block and small Manilla line, with which the life- boats of the Institution are provided for the purpose, and after making the block fast above the heads of the wrecked persons, to fasten them one by one to the line, by which the boat's crew would lower them into the boat.

All being then ready for going alongside, the coxswain should direct the master of the wrecked vessel to use his influence to pre- vent those on board her from crowding into the life-boat, and beg him to remain on board until the last himself, that his doing so might give confidence to the others, and that he might use his authority to the end in preventing disorder and confusion.

On the wrecked persons being taken into the boat they should invariably be seated on the thwarts, an equal number on each side, and on no account be allowed to crowd into the stem and bow-sheets of the boat.

They should be placed on the midship thwarts first, be seated close to the gunwale on either side, and be strictly enjoined not to stir from their seats, or to stand up, or to speak, after having been so placed.

The double-banked boats of the Institu- tion will all readily take 4 persons on each thwart besides the 2 rowers, and one person can also sit on either side upon the side air boxes, next the boat's side, in each space between the thwarts. Thus, in a 10-oared boat 28 persons, besides the rowers, might thus be stowed away with- out any one being taken into the bow and stern sheets. By being thus placed, the boat would be more lively in the sea, and be altogether in better trim than if the chief number were stowed in the ends of the boat, whilst the two coxswains would have more room to steer the boat,'and attend to her general management.

The desirableness of the boat's crew as well as passengers remaining always seated in the boat, except when it is absolutely necessary to stand up, cannot be too strongly enforced on them, since the lower all weights can be kept in.a boat, the less will be the risk of her upsetting, whilst the persons •themselves will be less likely to get washed overboard, or thrown over to the lee side of the boat.

The above observations have more especial reference to a life-boat returning from a wreck under oars; if she be under sail, the same general principles will apply; but the discretion of the coxswain must be used as to how many more persons he would place on the weather side of the boat than on the lee, and as to such other changes as the position of the masts and sails and the ordinary trim of the boat under canvas might require, •whether down by the stern or otherwise.

Except, however, the distance of the wreck be very great from the land, we would re- commend the life-boat invariably to return to the shore under oars, with the mast un- shipped and stowed on the thwarts; and even under those circumstances, as a general rule, that the sails be taken in and the mast got down prior to entering the broken water on the beach, if the latter be very heavy.

This latter point has, however, been fully treated on in former papers in this Journal on the "Management of Boats in a Surf and Broken Water."