BERWICK-ON-TWEED.—On the 2nd of September a strong gale and heavy sea having sprung up, two large herring-boats, in attempting to get into Berwick Harbour, got to leeward of it, and went on shore. A steam-tug proceeded to their assistance, but was unabfe to approach near enough to effect a communication with them. The Berwick life-boat, belonging to the NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION, was then quickly launched, and, proceeding into the surf, succeeded in conveying lines from the boats to the steamer, which was thus enabled to tow them off and to take them into the port.

Without the aid of the life-boat, both boats would probably have soon been lost, with those on board them. The boat was reported to have behaved remarkably well on the occasion.

TEIGNMOUTH.—On the 27th November a boat with four men in her was upset in the entrance to Teignmouth harbour, when attempting to board a vessel coming in.

One man succeeded in getting on board the ship, but the boat herself, with two men clinging to her, and the third man holding by an oar, were carried by the ebb tide over the bar and out to sea through a very heavy surf. The life-boat was launched and proceeded over the bar, but it having become dark nothing could at first be seen of the boat or men. Fortunately, however, their cries were presently heard, and the two men clinging to the swamped boat were picked up. The other unfortunate man, HENRY WHITEAWAY, a pilot, was nowhere to be seen. The life-boat was very highly reported on upon the occasion.

The ALDBOROUGH, LOWESTOFT, PAKEFIELD, PORTMADOC, and RHTL life-boats, belonging to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, have also recently been taken out to assist wrecked vessels ; but as their services did not immediately result in saving lives we need not remark on them further than to state that the life-boats are often taken out through heavy seas, in reply to signals of distress or where danger is apparent, yet on arriving at the object their services may not be required, or the vessel may be found to have been previously deserted by her crew.

RAMSGATE.—The Ramsgate life-boat has been so frequently off to the Goodwin Sands, towed by the harbour tug, in reply to night signals of distress from the floating light-vessels moored off those fatal shoals, that we cannot attempt to describe them.

In the great majority of these cases, although much risk and exposure has been incurred by her gallant crew, her services have not been made available to save life. On the 26th of November her last service was performed, when at 9 P. M,, it blowing a hard N.E. gale at the time, in reply to signalrockets from both light-vessels, the Ramsgate harbour steam-tug Aid, and her constant attendant the Northumberland lifeboat, were quickly on the spot, and found a large brig on shore on the face of the sand.

The life-boat proceeded through the surf to the brig, and found the Broadstairs small life-boat under her lee, and her crew of 5 men on board the brig. As the officers and crew would not leave their vessel, although it was evident she could not be saved, the Northumberland life-boat remained by her until 2-30 A.M., when she filled and began to break up. The Broadstairs life-boat being also damaged and disabled, her crew, together with that of the brig, numbering 18 in all, were then taken into the Northumberland, which, with her load of 30 persons, including her own crew, and with the small damaged life-boat in tow, made sail through the broken water across the sands in the direction of. Ramsgate. Striking heavily on the sands, she came in contact with the smaller boat and completed her destruction ; but driving safely over the shoals herself, she arrived, together with her living freight, safe and sound in Ramsgate Harbour.. The master of the steam-tug, DANIEL READING, having lost all trace of the life-boat, lay to until daybreak, under some anxiety for her safety. When returning into port, he, as reported by the harbourmaster, Captain Marten, " to his great joy found them all safe and right." The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has awarded the master of this life-boat, JAMES HOGBIN, its silver medal, in appreciation of this very gallant service, and of the many previous occasions on which he had distinguished himself in command of this very valuable boat. On this occasion he and his gallant crew have the satisfaction of knowing that they were the means of saving from perhaps certain death no less than 18 of their fellow-creatures.

This life-boat hi this instance, when she drove over the shoals through a heavy surf, striking violently and repeatedly on the ground, has again shown the great strength of the principle of her construction, which, together with other sources of strength, includes an iron keel of 15 cwt. and 4 inches in thickness. She was built by Messrs.

BEECHING of N. Yarmouth on the Northumberland " prize model," but her iron keel was subsequently added, and other alterations made in her under the superintendence of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, to assimilate her to the further improved boats of that Society. The services which she has since rendered have been constant, and we believe she has been off to the Goodwin Sands in reply to signals of distress, chiefly in the night, no less than 60 or 70 times during the past five years.