Tuesday, 6th May, 1858. THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq., V.P., F.R.S., in the Chair.

Read and approved the Minutes of the previous Meeting, and those of the Finance, Correspondence, and Wreck and Reward Sub-Committees.

Read and approved the Inspector's Report of his recent visits to Dover, Hastings, Winterton, and Yarmouth, where the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION had recently sent new life-boats.

Requested C. H. COOKE, Esq., the Hon.

Architect, to furnish a drawing of the Ceylon life-boat house.

Reported the transmission of twenty lifebelts to the crew of the Gorleston seamen's life-boat, which the Institution had presented to them.

Read letter from the Rev. JAMES WILLIAMS of the 16th ult., conveying the thanks of the Anglesey Branch for the two life-boats which the Institution had lately sent to Holyhead and Penmon.

Read letter from the Rev RICHARD TYACKE, Hon. Sec. of the Padstow Branch, of the 5th April, stating that the Padstow life-boat, when recently exercised, had answered admirably. A heavy sea had broken into her and knocked some of the men off the thwarts, yet though both boat and crew were for a while buried in the foam, she soon again became perfectly manageable.

Read letter from Mr. G. F. REMFRY of Calcutta of the 10th Feb., calling attention to his Nautilus Cape Life Preservers, one of which he presented to the Institution.—To be thanked.

Read letter from the Secretary to the Trinity House of the 23rd April, stating that the Elder Brethren had directed a further contribution of 501. to be made to this Institution.—To be thanked.

Reported that the life-boats sent by the Institution to Winterton and Palling had been towed to Yarmouth free of charge by one of the steamers of the General Steam Navigation Company.—To be thanked.

Read letter from Mr. T. N. VAN HOUTEN, Secretary to the Rotterdam Shipwreck Association, of 26th April, requesting to be furnished with a set of drawings of the lifeboat and carriages adopted by this Institution.

—Decided, that the request be complied with.

Appointed a Special Sub-Committee to consider the medical reports and communications received on the respective methods of the Royal Humane Society, and of Dr.

MARSHALL HALL, on; the Resuscitation of the Apparently Drowned.

Ordered a model of the life-boat adopted by the Society to be lent to the United Service Institution.

Paid 149Z. 6s. lid. for sundry charges on life-boats and life-boat carriages.

Also 166Z. 8s. 7d. to Messrs. RANSOMES and SIMS for life-boat carriages, and 430Z. 13s. 5d. to Messrs. FORRESTT for lifeboats built by them for the Institution.

Voted 21. to ANTHONY CONRY, pilot, for wading into the surf at great risk of life and rescuing a man who with 2 others had been capsized from their boat during squally weather on the coast of Donegal on the 28th January last.

Also 21. to DENNIS CONNOR and NATH. SlNNOTT in testimony of the praiseworthy services rendered by them to the crew of 5 men of the barque Iris of Belfast, which was wrecked during a S.S.E. gale off Hector's Cove, on the coast of Wexford, on the 5th March last,' Also 7?. 18s. to pay the expenses of the Arklow life-boat in putting off with the view of rescuing the crew of the barque Egida, which was wrecked during stormy weather on Glasgorman Bank on the 13th March last.

Also the Second Service Clasp and 11. to W. H. TREGIDGO, chief boatman of the Coast-guard at Bude, also the Silver Medal and II. each to J. STONE, chief boatman of Coastguard, Boscastle; J. P. SHARROCK, commissioned boatman of Boscastle; WILLIAM R. MAY, and HENRY ELLIS, boatmen of the Coastguard, in acknowledgment of their gallant services in rescuing, by means of ropes and at the risk of their lives, 16 men and a pilot of the ship Defence of Liverpool, which was wrecked during stormy weather, on the 13th March last, under the Cliffs of Benney, on the Cornwall coast.

Also the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum to JOHN GEORGE, Esq. and Mr. WILLIAM CUSCADEN, chief officer of Coastguard at Cahore, and 71.10s. to 15 men in acknowledgment of their praiseworthy services in rescuing, by means of ropes, lifebelts, and buoys, and other gear of the Cahore life-boat station, the crew of 5 men of the schooner Pearl of Cork, which was wrecked during a gale of wind from S.E.

off Cahore Point, on the 5th April last.

Also the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum to Mr. MICHAEL TYRRELL, and 31. to each of his crew of 3 men for putting off and rescuing, at considerable risk of We, 3 persons who had been capsized from their boat during stormy weather on Arklow Bank, on the night of the 5th April. • Also the Silver Medal and 11. to EDWARD WAUGH, Coastguard-man, in acknowledgment of his gallant services in swimming out at the risk of his life to catch a breaker, by which means the whole of the crew of 7 men of the brig Arctic—which was stranded during a S.S.E. gale and cloudy weather, on Kilgormin Strand, coast of Wexford, on the 6th April last—were ultimately saved. 51. were also voted to 18 other men who had creditably exerted themselves on the occasion.

Also the thanks of the Institution to Captain RIDGE, R.N., Inspecting Commander of Coastguard at Newcastle, Castlewellan, for wading into the surf to aid in launching the Newcastle life-boat, and 71. to her crew for putting off with the view of rescuing the crew of a ship in distress on the 7th April last.

Reported that on the 8th April the Bridlington life-boat, which likewise belongs to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, manned by 13 men, had been instrumental in saving the crew of 5 men of the brigantine Coburg, of Whitby, which was wrecked off Bridlington during a gale from S.S.E.

The life-boat's crew were paid by the owners for their services.

Voted 10?. to 10 men who had put off at the risk of their lives in two boats and rescued 4 out of 6 of the crew of the French schooner Jeune St. Charles, which was wrecked during a strong gale from S.E. on Thornsla rock between the Calf and Isle of Man, on the 8th April last.

Also 51. 2s. to pay the expenses of the Newcastle, Dundrum, life-boat, for putting off to the assistance of the ship John Dudgeon, which had a signal of distress flying off that place during a strong gale of wind from S.S.E., on the 9th April last.

Also 51. to 5 men who had put off in a boat and rescued the crew of 5 men of the schooner Bridges, which, during squally weather, was wrecked off the mouth of the river Nanny, near Drogheda, on the 9th April last.

Also 71. to pay the expenses of the Rhyl tubular life-boat for putting off on the 2nd May, with the view of rendering assistance to the ship Minnesota, which was seen in distress during a gale from N.N.E. on that day.

Thursday, 3rd June, 1858. His Grace the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, K.G., the President, in the Chair.

Read and approved the Minutes of the previous Meeting, and those of the Finance, Correspondence, and Wreck and Reward Sub-Committees.

Read and approved the Minutes of the Sub-Committee appointed to consider the Reports received from medical men on the Restoration of the Apparently Drowned as recommended by the Royal Humane Society and Dr. MARSHALL HALL.—Ordered the new Instructions to be printed and extensively circulated throughout the United Kingdom and our Colonies.

Read and approved the Inspector's Re- port of his recent visit in company with the Surveyor-General of the Board of Trade, to the Southwold and other life-boats on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts.—Decided,—to request Mr. COOKE, the Honorary Architect, to proceed to Yarmouth to inspect the site of the proposed life-boat house, and to confer with the builder respecting the plan and specifications for the same; also to proceed thence to Lowestoft to examine the life-boat house on that station, with the view to its being rebuilt.

Read letter from Commodore EDEN, R.N., C.B., Comptroller-General of the Coastguard, of the 13th May, transmitting answers to the Life-Boat Queries of the Institution, respecting the necessity of additional lifeboats on the coast from the respective captains of districts, and of officers commanding divisions of the Coastguard Service throughout the kingdom.—To be thanked.

Reported the transmission of life-boat and carriage drawings to various colonial governments.

Read letter from T. B. CHANTER, Esq., Honorary Secretary of the Bideford Branch of the 24th May, stating that the three lifeboats of the Institution stationed at that place had been exercised that day, during a fresh gale of wind with a heavy sea. Nothing could have exceeded the praise of their crews and the admiration of the numerous visitors of the behaviour of the lifeboats.

—To be acknowledged.

Ordered a set of life-boat and carriage drawings to be presented to Mr. C. B. CLAUDI, Inspector of Life-boats and Life-preserving Apparatus on the coasts of Denmark.

The Committee voted their thanks to the Cork Steam-ship Company for conveying, free of charge, the Ballycotton life-boat and carriage and the Ardmore carriage on board one of their steamers from London to Cork.

Read letter from Mr. J. SOOTER of Dover, calling attention to his plan of life-boat.— To be acknowledged.

Laid on the table the plan of the Ceylon life-boat house, which had been furnished by the Hon. Architect to the Society, and ordered the same to be forwarded to the Governor of Ceylon.

Laid also on the table some copies of a pamphlet by Rear-Admiral FITZROY on the use of barometers by fishermen. In the year 1837. the Board of Trade sanctioned the principle of some assistance by Govern* meat being given to fishermen for providing them with barometers, to a limited extent, depending on the necessity of each case, and other contingencies. It was thought advisable not only to substitute a few words on the scales of these instruments (specially for fishermen and coasters) in place of those usually engraved, which are not the most explanatory, but to compile a very brief and plain manual of information respecting the use of a barometer as a weather-glass, This has accordingly been satisfactorily accomplished by Admiral FITZROY, the author of the pamphlet in question, which is couched in language plain and intelligible to every capacity.

The barometers thus read and Understood cannot fail to be of the greatest service to our fishermen and others.

Read letter from Sir Thomas PHILLIPPS, Bart., respecting his plan for saving lives in cases of shipwreck.—To be acknowledged.

The Committee voted their thanks to the East India Company for their additional subscription of 25/., in aid of the funds of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.-— From the first establishment of the Institution the late distinguished East India Company has contributed in aid of its funds.

Voted 122. to the crew of a fishing-lugger for rescuing the crew of 11 men of the French brig Prosper, which had sunk during a gale of wind off Cromer on the 27th Nov.

last.

Also 31.10*. to 7 men who had put off and rescued 4 men of the sloop Mary from Balbriggaa, which foundered at the mouth of the Boyne during squally weather on the 14th April last.

Also the thanks of the Institution to Lieut. JACKSON, R. N. chief officer of the Coastguard at Drogheda, for putting off in the Drogheda life-boat with the view of rendering assistance to a vessel in distress.— Voted also 51. 13s. to pay the expenses of the life-boat.

Also a reward of 51. to 5 men for putting off and rescuing the crew of 4 men of the schooner Nymph of Belfast, which was wrecked during squally weather on Irvine Bar on the 14th April last.

Also 31. to 6 men for putting off in two fishing-boats, and rescuing the crew of 8 men of a fishing-lugger which hid been capsized off Rushadalla Point on the coast of Galway, during a strong breeze from W.S.W. on the 20th April last. One of the rescued men, named JOHN DAVIS, who was unable to swim and who had clung to an oar, declined to be taken into the boat until he saw his companions previously saved.

Also 4Z. to 5 men for wading into the surf, and rescuing, at the peril of their lives, some of the crew of the Spanish brig Triton, which was wrecked off Ballyraarten on the coast of Morne, during a gale from S.E. by E. on the 25th April last.

Also 71. to the crew of 6 men of a fishingboat, for putting off and rescuing the crew of 5 men of the schooner Violet of Speymouth, which was wrecked during a gale from N.N.E. off Portgordon, North Britain, very early on the morning of the 2nd ult.

After rescuing the crew of that vessel, the same boat's crew proceeded before returning to the shore to the rescue of the crew of 3 men of the schooner Jane Smith, which was also in distress.

Read letter from J. PANTON, Esq., Hon.

Sec. of the Cullercoats branch, stating that the Cullercoats life-boat, which belongs to the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, had put off on the 13th May with the view of being in readiness to render any assistance that might be required of her.

The day was very stormy, and the fishingboats had made signals for the life-boat to come out to them.

Thursday, 1st July, 1858. THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq., V.P., F.R.S., in the Chair.

Read and approved the Minutes of the previous Meeting, and those of the Finance, Correspondence, and Wreck and Reward Sub-Committees.

Bead and approved the Minutes of the Sub-Committee appointed to consider the .Reports forwarded by the Coastguard officers and by some of Lloyd's agents, on the Lifeboat Queries of the Institution.—-The thanks of the Institution were voted to the Sub- Committee for then- valuable services, and an Abstract from their Report was directed to be forwarded to the Board of Trade.

The Committee voted their thanks to the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company, for kindly giving a free pass to the Brighton life-boat from London to her station.

Read the Inspector's Report of the trial of the Brighton life-boat on the 18th June.

Reported that COUNT DE CENCIN of Paris had forwarded to the Institution a pamphlet on a plan of life-belt—To be acknowledged.

Read letter from Mr. ROBERT WATSON on his plan of ship's signal-lamp.—To be acknowledged.

Read letter from the Rev. A. M'CADSLAND, Hon. Sec. of the Groomsport branch, giving a favourable account of the recent trial of the new life-boat of the Institution on that station. The power of the life-boat in going head to wind had surprised many of those who witnessed the trial, and had elicited from all who saw it their admiration.

Reported that life-boat and carriage drawings, accompanied by a letter signed by his Grace the President, had been forwarded to the following foreign Ministers in this country: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Netherlands, Piedmont, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, and the United States of America.

The Committee voted their thanks to Capt WASHINGTON, R.N., for three charts of the coast of the United Kingdom, showing in colours the different positions of the Coastguard districts.

Also to the Belfast Steam-Ship Company for giving a free pass to the Groomsport life-boat carriage.

Voted 21. to JOHN DALY for his prompt and laudable services in rescuing, by means of his horse, four persons whose boat had been driven oat to sea during a heavy gale of wind off Doon Head, Bally Cray, on the coast of Mayo, on the 18th May last.

Also 42.10s. to 9 men in acknowledgment of the services rendered by them, at considerable risk of life, in two boats, to the crew of 9 men of a fishing-smack, which was wrecked off Sumburgh Head, coast of Shetland, on the 19th May last.

Reported the services of the Braunton life-boat in putting off on the 29th May with the view of rendering assistance to a vessel which was in distress on the North Tail of the port of Barnstaple during a strong gale from N. W. The life-boat brought the master ashore. His vessel was afterwards got off and taken safely into port. The life-boat's crew of 7 men received 10?. from the master for their timely services.

The thanks of the Institution were voted to Dr. HALPIN, and I I I . to the crew of 11 men of the Wicklow life-boat for putting off on the 4th June, with the view of rendering assistance to a vessel on Jack's Hole Bank near that place. The master of the ship refused the services of the life-boat, and threatened violence to her crew. He was stated to have been drank at the time, and was walking the deck with a pistol in his hand.

Paid 553?. 11s. 7d. for sundry charges on life-boats, life-boat carriages, and life-boat houses. Also 123?. 3s. for the Bacton lifeboat house, and 121?. 16s. 6d. for the Winterton life-boat house.

Thursday, 5th August, 1858. Captain LAMBERT PERROTT in the Chair.

Read and confirmed the Minutes of the previous Meeting, and those of the Finance, Correspondence, and Wreck and Reward Sub-Committees.

Read letter of the 28th July from a lady, who did not wish her name to be published, stating that her life had been saved under the most providential circumstances, by H. A. HAMILTON, Esq., who had dived into the water to her rescue when thrown out of a boat near Kingstown, on the 21st July last, and that she was desirous to show her gratitude to the Almighty, by presenting to the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION the sum of 300?., to be employed by it in Stationing an additional life-boat on the Irish coast.—Decided, that the lady's munificent offer be accepted with thanks, and that the Second Service Clasp be presented to H. A.

HAMILTON, Esq., to whom the Silver Medal of the Institution had been presented for previous services, in acknowledgment of his gallant conduct.

Read letter from Messrs. A. and C. BLACK of Edinburgh, of the 2nd inst., presenting a copy of Part VJII. of their Encyclopaedia Britannica, which contains an account of the operations of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION, and of its life-boats, with illustrations, casts of which they also kindly offered to present to the Committee.

—To be thanked.

Read letter from Archdeacon THORPE, of Durham, of the 3rd Aug., stating that he purposed to paste the new Instructions of the Institution," On the Resuscitation of the Apparently Drowned," on parchment, and to have them hung up in the schools and reading-rooms of that coast.—To be acknowledged.

Read letter from the Secretary to the Admiralty of the 14th July, stating that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty had ordered the Instructions of the Institution for the Treatment of the Apparently Drowned to be furnished to each of Her Majesty's ships.

Reported that the Board of Customs and the Comptroller-general of the Coastguard, had also caused these Instructions to be distributed among all the officers of their respective establishments throughout the United Kingdom.

Read letters of thanks from the Ambassadors of France, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Denmark, and Belgium, for sets of life-boat and carriage drawings, presented to them by His Grace the President on behalf of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

Read letter from the Librarian of the British Museum, conveying the thanks of the Trustees for various documents relating to the Institution.

Ordered the erection of a new life-boat house at Lowestoft, on a plan designed by C. H. COOKE, Esq., the Hon. Architect.

.Decided to bring into connection with the Institution the Tees Bay Life-Boat Society, which had under its management life-boats at Redcar, Saltburn, and Middlesborough.

Bead letter from the Secretary of the Boulogne Shipwreck and Humane Society, forwarding a copy of their Annual Report, in which they spoke in high terms of His Grace the President of this Institution, and of the kindness of the Society in deputing Mr. PEAKE, and Captain WARD, R.N., to visit their life-boat establishment. They also referred to the services which Mr. PEAKE had rendered to their establishment in superintending the alterations of their lifeboat to his plans, and in coming over on several occasions to watch the work while in progress.—To be acknowledged.

Read also a letter from the Dunkirk Shipwreck Society, expressing their thanks to the Institution for its cordial co-operation, and detailing the services which their life-boat had rendered in saving life from shipwreck.

They also expressed their obligation to this Institution in deputing Mr. PEAKE and Capt.

WARD, R.N., to visit their life-boat establishment.

They expressed their thanks to Mr. PEAKE for superintending the alterations of their life-boat. They were however ready to forget the previous faults of that life-boat by recollecting that it was last March instrumental in saving the lives of 14 men from the English ship Admiral Morton, which was wrecked on a bank off Dunkirk. The Society had presented its Silver Medal to Mr. PEAKE in acknowledgment of his services to them, and a vote of thanks on parchment to Captain WARD, R.N.—To be acknowledged.

Reported that an article on Shipwrecks had appeared in the Quarterly Review for July.

Also that two engravings of the Ceylon and Yarmouth life-boat houses, designed by the Hon. Architect, together with an account of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, had appeared in the August number of the Civil Engineer and Architect.

Paid 304Z. 2s. Sd. for sundry charges on life-boats and life-boat stores. Also 24(M. 6s. lOd. for the Yarmouth new life-boat.

Voted a reward of 6Z. to 6 men for putting off in a boat and rescuing, at considerable risk of life, 3 out of 5 persons whose curragh had during a squall from N.W. capsized off Rutland, coast of Donegal, on the 11th Jan. last.

Also a reward of 21. to ALEXANDER FLET, a fisherman, in testimony of bis gallant conduct in rescuing, at the peril of his own life, a boy who with his father and another man had been capsized from their fishing-boat daring a gale of wind off Fendochty, on the coast of Banff, on the 23rd June last.

Also 67. 10s., to pay the expenses of the Rhyl tubular life-boat, manned by 13 men, for putting off in her during a heavy breeze, with the view of rendering assistance to a smack, which was observed to have sunk some distance from the station, and to have her crew in the rigging. The life-boat was with much promptitude launched, and proceeded to the wreck, but the smack's crew had been previously taken off by the Point of Ayr life-boat.

Voted a reward of 61.10s. to the crew of the Lytham life-boat, which belongs to this Institution, for putting off in her with the view of rescuing the crew of the schooner Mineral, of Barrow, which during a heavy gale of wind was wrecked on Teds Point, off Southport, on the 25th July. Her crew who had been all night in the rigging, had been, a few minutes previous to the arrival of the Lytham life-boat, rescued by the Southport life-boat.