Is accordance with our custom for some years past, we present some facts connected with the Wreck Register and Chart, prepared annually by the Board of Trade for presentation to Parliament.

It is, as usual, a carefully-arranged document, prepared from official and reliable authorities.

At the outset it is satisfactory to find that 1,555 lives were rescued in 1858 by lifeboats, other boats, and ships, and by the rocket and mortar apparatus, and that out of 1,895 lives in actual peril from shipwreck, 340 only were lost. This number is still too large; and it must not be forgotten that the average number of lives lost during the past seven years, including the number in 1858, is 745. We believe we are correct in stating that even now, before the winter has commenced, the loss of life from shipwrecks on the coasts and in the seas of the United Kingdom this very year (1859) has already reached the average number. It is, therefore, quite evident that the strenuous efforts which are now being made by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION in this good work must not be allowed, on any consideration, to relax, for the stormy elements and the carelessness of man can only be counteracted by the best preparations and calculations.

The following statement shows clearly the number and character of the shipwrecks that have occurred in the seas and on the coasts of the British Isles during the past seven years :— Wrecks and Casualties in 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 Wrecks. Collisions. Tot.l Wrecks.

57 73 94 247 958 759 893 894 837 866 869 316 277 301 1,015 832 987 1,141 1,153 1,143 1,170 Total Lives Lost.

920 689 1,549 46g 521 532 340 Total - - 6,076 1,365 7,441 5,020 What a frightful catalogue does this aggregate loss of life and of ships present! How such calamities have been tolerated for so many years in a civilized country without any serious attempt at a systematic remedy, it is not easy to comprehend.

With regard to the means of saving life from wreck, it is consolatory to learn that human skill and ingenuity bid fair, if properly supported, to very greatly reduce the number of lives lost from these catastrophes.

The Register tells us that there are now 149 life-boats on the coast, 82 of which are under the management of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, and 67 belong to local authorities. Each boat of that Institution has a paid coxswain and a volunteer crew attached to her, who are promptly paid after they have been afloat in the boats. We fear that few of the life-boats of local authorities are equally well attended to.

We also observe that there are 216 mortar and rocket stations on the coast. These are chiefly under the control of the Board of Trade, and worked by the Coast-guard. We find that the result of these combined and active exertions during the past year in saving life is thus succinctly given : — • By life-boats - - - - - By luggers, coast-guard boats, small craft, and ships' own boats — By ships and steam-vessels - - From shore by ropes, rockets, mortar apparatus, &c. — — — Individual exertion of a meritorious character _ _ _ _ _ Persons.

206 719 394 210 26 Total - - - 1,555 With reference to these results, it should be observed that the services of a life-boat are seldom or never called into requisition except in very boisterous weather, when ordinary boats could not safely be made use of. Hence it is that so large a number of lives are rescued by shore-boats and other craft, mostly in moderate weather, which are always then found in large numbers on the water. We feel persuaded that in future years the services of life-boats will prove still more conspicuously effective.

It may be hoped that the proposed new harbours of refuge will do much to lessen the number of these disasters; but such extensive works must necessarily be far apart, while a life-boat establishment can be formed almost on any part of the coast, and is sure to find the support of active and intrepid seamen. The only real impediment to the multiplication of these works of mercy is money, and without that the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION cannot possibly carry out extensively its truly benevolent work. There seems indeed hardly any limit to the reduction which may be accomplished in these annual disasters by the exercise of vigilance beforehand on the part of those most deeply interested, and the provision of ready succour at all times.

An analysis of the tonnage of the wrecks on our shores during the past year is thus given : — Vessels.

Vessels under 50 Tons _ _ 199 51 and under 100 „ - _ 352 101 „ 300 „ _ _ 467 301 „ 600 „ - - 96 601 „ 900 „ - - 28 901 „ 1,200 „ - - 23 1,200 and upwards — — _ 5 Total - - - 1,170 The exact site of each disaster is given in the Register; and to prevent the possibility of error on this point, the Wreck Chart which accompanies it, a copy of which we publish, clearly and distinctly points out the locality of the wreck. What a tale of woe and misery does this grim chart bring to light! Who can think of it without feeling a desire, by every means in his power, to lessen the causes of those black dots on it? The following is the summary:— Vessels.

East Coast—Dungeness to Pentland Frith — 514 West Coast—Land's End to Greenock - - 304 South Coast—Land's End to Dungeness - 89 Irish Coast _ _ _ - - _ _ - 1 6 8 Scilly Islands _ _ - - _ - _ 14 Lundy Island __ — — _ _— 15 Isle o f M a n _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6 Northern Isles, Orkney, &c., &c. - - - 60 Total - - - 1,170 On the coast of Scotland there is a sad want of life-boats. It is along this coast a large portion of our trade with the Baltic, Greenland, Archangel, Davis' Strait, and much of that of the Canadian and United States trade is carried on. In addition to this traffic the Scotch coast is remarkable for its great herring-fishery. Peterhead has its 250 fishing-boats; Fraserburgh and Buckie more than 400 sail; while further north, off the coast of Caithness, more than 1,200 fishing-boats, manned by 6,000 persons nightly pursue their calling during the season, exposed to the proverbial suddenness of a north-east gale. About two years ago, during a fearful gale of wind, of a fleet of such boats five were lost, from which 42 men were drowned, leaving 27 widows and 79 orphans unprovided for.

Since then calamities to Scotch fishermen nearly equal in magnitude have occurred.

Within the last two or three months the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has made an urgent appeal to the Scotch people generally for assistance to station additional life-boats on their coast: but we lament to say that appeal has met with little response from them.

The number of casualties in each month of 1858 is thus given in the Register for that year:— January — February — March — — April — — May - - June — — July - - August - - September — October — — November — December — Vessels.

- 124 - 116 - 148 - 115 - 48 - 30 - 61 - 33 - 91 - 148 - 120 - 136 Total - - 1,170 Representing 205,243 tons, and employing 8,979 hands, of whom 340 perished.

The cargoes of these wrecks are thus defined:— Vessels.

In Ballast, not Colliers - - - 151 Coal laden - - - - - - 377 Colliers in Ballast - - - - 41 Cotton - - - - - - - 7 Fishing Smacks - - - - - 12 Fish or Oil - - - - - - 18 Grain and Provisions - - - 101 General Cargo - - - - - 110 Iron and other Ores — — — — 101 Manure and Kelp — — — — 18 Passengers - - - - - - 14 Potatoes or Fruit - - - - 12 Salt _ • _ _ _ _ _ _ 2 7 Sugar, Coffee, Spices, Tea, Molasses 7 Stone, Slate, Lime, or Bricks — — 75 Timber or Bark - - - - - 63 Various, or unknown — — — 36 Total - - 1,170 It is supposed that this aggregate loss of ships and cargoes represents at least 1,500,000?. Unquestionably the first step towards effectually checking this truly dis tressing waste of life and property is to institute immediate inquiry as to the cause of loss in every case of shipwreck. We are glad to find that this step is in numerous instances now prosecuted with much advantage by the Board of Trade, and we augur still very beneficial results to arise therefrom.

We further find that 172 vessels were lost from stress of weather; 58 from defects in ships or equipments, including charts and compasses; and 69 from various other causes more or less avoidable. We this see that 127 vessels were absolutely lost in one year from causes which were clearly controllable by man, and which were, we fear, the product in some instances of his wilful negligence. It is not long ago that the master of a ship was tried and convicted in the Old Bailey for scuttling his vessel off the Downs. Who can tell how many more vessels have been thus wilfully destroyed, in addition to those which have been lost through gross and culpable neglect ? For it must be remembered that, in consequence of the almost universal custom of insurance, the shipowner has often no pecuniary interest in the safety of his vessel, and may even be "benefited by her loss. It cannot be wondered at, therefore, if here and there an unprincipled man should lend himself to the commission of a fraud for his own advantage.

Every English vessel should be thoroughly examined before she leaves port, in order that it might be satisfactorily shown that she was seaworthy and well manned, and that means, both simple and efficacious, were on board for the rescue of the crew in the event of an accident.

On this latter point it is much to be lamented that the law of the land does not afford that protection to its merchant-seamen which they surely have a rightful claim to, by requiring all owners of vessels to provide the cheap and simple appliance of a life-belt for the use of each seaman hi his employ, as by such provision alone undoubtedly many lives would be annually saved from our merchant-craft. We will illustrate this assertion by a case in point:— A few months ago the life-boat of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION stationed at Walmer, proceeded off early in the morning to the rescue of a sloop's crew on the Goodwin Sands. The crew, three in number, were seen in the rigging; but it was found impossible, from the violence of the sea and the rolling of the vessel, to approach her. As soon as the tide turned, causing the sea somewhat to subside, the life-boat was taken alongside; but at the moment of her being so, the vessel's mast went by the board, filling across the bow of the lifeboat.

One of the three men in the vessel's rigging had before this been washed off and perished : of the two who remained, one was taken into the boat as the mast fell; the other, the master of the vessel, was thrown into the water. One of the life-boat's crew, JOHN CHADWICK, immediately jumped overboard, swam to him, and succeeded in bringing him alongside the life-boat; but on the crew grasping him, his clothes unfortunately tore away, and a sea dashing the boat away from him, he unhappily perished.

In the report of this case received by the Institution, it is remarked, that had the unfortunate master been provided with one of the cork life-belts, such as were worn by the life-boat's crew, his life would probably not have been sacrificed. Indeed, the two other men previously washed from the rigging and drowned might possibly have been saved had there been provided with belts, as they might have been picked up by the life-boat, or by a Deal lugger which was near at the time.

The life-boats of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION were manned last year by about 3,000 persons on occasions of service and exercise. They were often afloat daring the heaviest gales and in the darkest nights; and it is satisfactory to be able to report that not a single life was lost from them on those occasions. This happy circumstance is principally, no doubt, attributable to the safety of the boats themselves; but this immunity from fatal results was also owing in some instances to the excellent cork lifebelts, one of which each man forming the boat's crew is required, by the rules of the Society, to put on before he is allowed to step into her.

Let the reader bear in mind that the average loss of life from wrecks on our coasts during the past seven years is 745. It is not presumptuous to say that a very considerable proportion of this large number of our fellow-creatures have been sacrificed through the cupidity and carelessness of their employers. How many of these victims might this day, with God's blessing, be still the solace and support of their families, as well as useful and active members of a busy commercial community like ours, if all had been done for them which justice and humanity dictated. If the shipowner had discharged his duty by ascertaining the soundness and tightness of his vessel, the fitness of her rigging, sails, anchoring gear, &c., before committing her to the dangers of the sea, how much misery would often have been prevented ! Where in the hour of need and distress has been the sufficient number of the ship's lifeboats —the means of safely lowering them— the life-buoys and the life-belts ? None are at hand; and if found, they are too frequently found to be worse than useless, from want of repair and preparation. We confess that we envy not the feelings of the man who has realized immense wealth, but who has not in his day faithfully discharged the important duties of an employer of labour, and who, by his remissness, probably unconsciously to Yrimse i, has consigned many a woman to be a widow and her children to be orphans. The best interests of our country, and the cause of humanity, constrain us to speak thus openly and unreservedly on this important subject. Great difficulty is at present experienced in manning with able seamen Her Majesty's ships. Now in seven years 5,220 valuable lives, or nearly 800 annually, mostly seamen, have perished from shipwrecks on our coast; and that very large number would unquestionably have been nearly doubled had not strenuous and brave exertions been made to rescue shipwrecked persons. Whosoever therefore contributes, either by his individual services or in any other way, to this philanthropic work, is not only the friend of the cause of suffering humanity, but he also renders important services to his country.

" The preservation of human life," it has been well observed by a contemporary, " has in all ages been considered as an act deserving of the most enthusiastic meed of gratitude. If he who makes an ear of corn to grow where it never grew before merits public applause, how much more deserving of praise is he who rescues a fellow-creature from a violent and an unprepared death! The highest and humblest are made widows and orphans by ruthless shipwreck. To-day it is the great admiral, in his proud war-ship, who goes down ' with twice five hundred men' into the ocean's bosom. To-morrow it is the poor woman, with her children round her, who on the desolated beach mourns for the embrowned face, the tarry hand, the manly heart that will return no more; for the night has been stormy, the smack was capsized, the fishermen are ' drowned.'" Ten thousand nine hundred and two persons have been saved from shipwreck by life-boats and other means since the establishment of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION: 28.061Z. have been expended by it on life-boat establishments, and 11,651?., besides gold and silver medals, for saving life have been voted. The committee of the Institution make, therefore, a confident appeal to the generosity of the public, on whose support the continued efficiency and extension of the Society depend. Many new life-boats are yet needed on the coasts.

The cost of several, recently placed, as well as of the carriages and boat-houses required for them, has in some cases been defrayed in full by charitable persons, admirers of the Institution, or anxious to afford substantial testimony of their personal gratitude for rescue from shipwreck by means of life-boats. Only the other day Lord BURY and his fellow-passengers, returning in the Asia from the United States, presented 21L, the profits of an amateur magazine they had started to relieve the tedium of the voyage, to the NATIONAL, LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. A prettier or more graceful thanks-offering for a " good deliverance" from ocean's perils could not well be conceived. Only recently the journeymen sawyers and boat-builders in the employ of Messrs. FORRESTT, of Limehouse, subscribed SOL for the same purpose.

Equally as touching and appreciated was the gift to the Society of Is. Qd. in stamps from a sailor's orphan. It only remains for us to appeal to the public at large for their continuous pecuniary support to an Institution at once noble, patriotic, and merciful in its design, and which is so constantly affording practical illustration of its useful character and successful working.