A MAN named WILLIAMS had two extraordinary escapes from shipwreck off Tuskar, on the 30th of April last. It appears that the new clipper schooner, George, Captain CRASS, which lately brought over the first cargo produce from Laird's Town, on the River Niger, sailed again for that port on the 27th April, with supplies and a cargo of fuel for the exploring steamers. All went on well until she arrived about 27 miles east of Tuskar. The wind was blowing fresh from the north-east, and the ship was under easy sail, when about eight o'clock in the morning of the 30th she suddenly capsized.

The captain and all hands were on deck at the time. To save themselves from going down with the vessel, they jumped overboard to windward. WILLIAMS states that he swam about until he saw a small piece of timber belonging to the galley, which rose up to the surface. He caught hold and clung to that, as also did two others of the crew, but they became exhausted and fell off one after the other. WILLIAMS remained upon the plank until half-past three o'clock, having been in the water seven hours, and he was then beginning to despair and to feel exhausted, when his head was seen on the crest of a wave by a passenger on board the steamer Brigand, bound from Swansea to Belfast, and then about 100 yards off. She bore down, and he was taken on board, kindly treated, fed, and put to bed. About eleven o'clock the same night, however, the steamer came in collision with the barque William Campbell, bound from Glasgow to Trinidad, which latter immediately sank.

WILLIAMS, feeling the shock of the collision, jumped up and rushed to the boat, which he and others succeeded in launching. He and part of the crew escaped in the boat, and the steamer soon after sank: the remainder of the hands, 21 in number, were drowned. Tie men in the boat were picked up by the Espoir, from Ostend to Liverpool. She landed the sufferers at Milford. WILLIAMS is said to be a fine young seaman and of great physical power, or he could not have undergone the hardships he suffered within those, to him, memorable twenty-four hours.

To have been wrecked and saved twice in a life-time would be thought by most men matter for reflection and thankfulness: what, then, might be supposed to be the feelings of a person wrecked and saved twice in one day ? We will not pretend to depict them, but we will proceed, as is our wont, to draw some reflections from the incident which may be of service to others.

In the first case, this fortunate unfortunate man—if we may use so seemingly paradoxical an expression—is suddenly thrown into the sea by the upsetting of his vessel.

Three of her crew, including himself, are enabled to support themselves by clinging to a floating plank. Two of them, his less fortunate companions, are after a while washed off by the sea, but being " possessed of great physical power," he is enabled to retain his hold for no less than seven hours, when Providence directs to the spot the eye of a passenger on board a passing steamer, and in his last extremity he is rescued and taken on board.

In the second case, the vessel which had thus been to him an " ark of refuge," herself comes into collision with another vessel, when the shock is so great that both the ill-fated craft go to the bottom. WILLIAMS on this second occasion appears to have instinctively rushed to one of the steamer's boats immediately after the shock took place, by means of which he and some of the crew succeeded in saving their lives. The remainder of those on board, no less than 21 in number, perished.

Truly it does not often fall to the lot of man, except it be on the battle-field, to have two such " hair-breadth'scapes " within so short a period. The novelty of the coincidence is not, however, our motive for noticing it. We have one universal moral which we apply to all such disasters. What can be done to prevent or diminish the loss of life which so frequently accompanies them ? This is the only useful practical lesson to be learned from them. Our eye must be-steadily directed to the future. The catastrophe which has sent' perhaps hundreds of our fellow-creatures instantaneously into the presence of their Maker, must always be matter of regret to the living; but vain is all regret when death in any shape has once secured his prey. We may indeed individually learn a useful moral lesson from such visitations, which are so well calculated to bring home to ourselves the conviction of the uncertainty of all human existences, and'to stir us up to our duty whilst the time is yet our own— seeing that the night cometh, and may to us come suddenly, when we may no longer work. But as a community we have a yet higher lesson to acquire, being one in which self has no direct interest; and which, we repeat, is the only useful practical one to be learned. What may be done to prevent such a lamentable waste of human life, such wreck of hopes and joys and sympathies, and of all that makes life a blessing ? We have, in the story abo-ve narrated, two descriptions of accident to which vessels are liable. The former is one of rare occurrence, few English merchant-vessels being lost by upsetting; and we are not told that it arose, in this instance, from any faultiness in the construction of the vessel herself, or from injudicious stowage of her cargo, or from what cause it happened. The latter accident is one of a description that is on the increase, collisions being of almost daily occurrence. It is, however, one which we fear can never be altogether prevented, although, as the speed of vessels becomes greater, and commerce by sea increases; certain " rules of the road"— improvements in signals and other precautions—Will, it is to be hoped, make them of less frequent occurrence. We are not therefore about to present a homily to the shipowners on the causes of the many accidents to their vessels which occasion loss of life.

There is, however, one universal tragedy which, after accident has happened, would in a vast number of cases be the means of saving life, which remedy is within the reach of every shipowner, and which, as it would involve but a trifling expense, we think they are bound—as Christian men, as just masters, and as good citizens—to avail themselves of: we allude to the provision, by the owner, on board every merchantship, of an efficient cork life-belt for each of her crew. On the occasion of a recent accident to a life-boat, the whole of her crew being provided with life-belts, were kept up by them in a broken sea, and they were all saved, whilst three gentlemen amateurs who were in her at the time, but without belts, were all drowned. We could quote many other instances to the like effect, but we will confine ourselves to the case under consideration, which both illustrates, in the persons of those unfortunate men (shipowners' servants) who were drowned, the value of such floating contrivances, as might have supported them until they should have been picked up, and also the great difference between a floating power securely fastened round the body and one which must be clung to. We are told that the subject of our story is possessed of " great physical power." Had lie not been so ~be would doubtless have met with the fate of his less fortunate companions who shared with him the same plank.

The great difference in the two cases is this; in the one the person immersed has to undergo the bodily exertion of clinging, which, if there be any motion in the sea at the time, is a labour of a most fatiguing character, even if he be strong and retain his presence of mind; but which, if the body be naturally weak or enervated for the time by the fear and anxiety of mind which would possess the majority of persons in such circumstances, soon becomes overpowering, and worn-out nature succumbs.

In the other case, he has his source of safety securely fastened around him, so that even if disabled he cannot be separated from it; and he is thereby not only saved all bodily exertion, but is relieved of that mental inquietude and anxiety which too often in such circumstances unnerve the stoutest heart.

In the 22nd and 26th Numbers of this Journal will be found drawings and a description of the life-belt which is supplied by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION to all its life-beats' crews, which belt, from its strength and durability, in addition to its great efficiency, is especially adapted for the use of merchant-vessels.* * *lifebelt is manufactured by Mr. 3. Biat, jun,, 5 Wellclose Square, London.