THE unusually heavy gale, or rather hurricane, of the night of the 24th October last, was unexampled in its work of destruction in our maritime records. During the whole of that day not a single casualty, with one trifling exception, occurred either on the shores or in the seas of the British Isles.

When the Royal Charter recommenced her voyage from Queenstown on the morning of that day, every one on board calculated, almost to a certainty, on a safe arrival at Liverpool before the evening closed. Indeed, the ship was opposite Holy head when the gale began to freshen up, and the disaster which subsequently happened to her and her unfortunate crew and passengers have become " household words " in the homes ol these islands. But perhaps it is not so generally known that during that awful night and following day 195 vessels were wrecked 113 of them being dashed to pieces—with the loss of 684 of our fellow-creatures, including those who perished from the Royal Charter.

It is satisfactory to find, on the other side, that, notwithstanding the fearful and terrific character of this now celebrated gale, 190 persons were rescued from the wrecks by life-boats, the rocket apparatus, and other means.

Prom the 25th to the 31st October the total number of shipwrecks was 248, drowning 686 persons, showing that only 2 men perished from the fifty-two wrecks that occurred between the 27th and 31st of the month, and that their crews, amounting to 126 men, were safely rescued from their perilous positions. On the 1st November, however, the gale again was most furious.

Thirty-eight vessels were wrecked on this day, from which 29 persons were lost and 73 saved, 31 having been rescued by the life-boats of the NATIONAL INSTITUTION and those of other bodies. The shipwrecks that took place from the 2nd to the 9th of Nov.

did not exceed the average rate of losses;, but the summary of the whole work of destruction from the 25th October to the 9th November is distressing in the extreme to contemplate. It is as follows:—Total shipwrecks, 325; total lives lost, 748. It is gratifying, however, to find that on these occasions 487 lives were rescued by lifeboats, the rocket apparatus, and other means.

The British public cannot fail to appreciate the valuable assistance the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, the BOARD OF TRADE, and local bodies, have rendered in the cause of humanity on these disastrous occasions; for undoubtedly most of the persons recorded above as saved were snatched from death through their timely aid.