On the 4th January, at 9 A.M., the brig Thompsons, of Whitby, in endeavouring to get into the harbour at Scarborough, missed the entrance and was driven on shore, the wind blowing a heavy gale from the eastward at the time. The Scarborough life-boat immediately put off to her aid, and took off' her crew of 8 persons, landing them in safety.

At noon of the same day the brig North- umberland, of Whitby, being unable to fetch the entrance, was driven on shore near the same spot as the last-named vessel. The life-boat again put off and rescued her crew of 9 persons.

Immediately after landing the crew of the Northumberland, the valuable services of the life-boat were again called into requisi- tion, the brig Wilsons having, in making for the harbour, ran on some rocks near the other vessels. The sea was running tre- mendously high at this spot, making clean breaches over the brig and filling the life- boat alongside. She nevertheless succeeded in saving 8 of the crew and a boy, the son of the master. One of the crew, an apprentice, was unfortunately washed over- board at the moment of getting into the boat by a terrific sea, which broke over the wreck at the time. The same sea threw one of the crew of the life-boat over the heads of the other boatmen and into the sea, but having on a buoyant life-belt, he was readily again got into the boat. Not so, however, the unfortunate apprentice, who, although he fell between the vessel's side and the boat, sank to rise no more ere he could be grasped by the men from the boat. This occurrence, when two men were thrown overboard by the same sea and the one protected by a life-belt was saved, whilst the other, with- out such support, perished, is so striking an instance of the value of life-belts on board a ship that we take the opportunity, on relating it, to once more express the hope that the day is not distant when the law will compel every vessel sailing out of a British port to be furnished with an efficient life-belt for each of her crew.

The Scarborough life-boat is on Mr. PEAKE'S design; she is one of the smallest life-boats in the kingdom, but she on this occasion nobly showed her worth, as she also afforded an illustration of what may be effected on such trying occasions by a skilful and gallant crew, which those who manned her undoubtedly showed themselves to be on this disastrous day, when so great a number of poor merchant-seamen perished on our coasts.