On the 12th June the brig Ann, of Blyth, parted her cables in a S.E. gale, in Alnmouth Bay, and was driven ashore. The small four-oared self-righting life-boat belonging to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION was quickly launched in a heavy surf, and succeeded in taking off her crew of 8 men, landing them in safety.

The last man was scarcely taken in when the masts of the wreck went by the board, providentially falling clear of the life- boat.

The boat is reported to have behaved admirably on the occasion.

As attempts have been recently made by persons unacquainted -with this class of life-boats to impugn their character and shake the confidence of their crews in them ; and as this boat, which has ren- dered so valuable a service, is not only the smallest of the class, but much smaller than any other life-boat in the United Kingdom, a few comments may here be of service.

In the year 1851, Mr. BEECHING, boat- builder, of Great Yarmouth, obtained the prize of IOOL. which His Grace the DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND had offered for the best model of a life-boat. A large boat was then built on that model by Mr. BEECHING, and purchased by the Ramsgate Harbour Commissioners. She has since then, from time to time, rendered invaluable services in saving lives from numerous wrecks. In this Number of our JOURNAL (pp. 309 to 315) will be found a graphic account of the last and not the least service of this boat and her gallant crew.

Mr. BEECHING, in the same year, in testimony of his appreciation of the public spirit of the DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, built a small life-boat on the same plan, and presented it to Her Grace the DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND. This boat was then stationed at Alnmouth, near His Grace's seat, Alnwick Castle, and subsequently, with other life-boats which the Duke had placed on the Northumberland coast, was transferred to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, of which His Grace is the President.

It is, perhaps, not an unfortunate coin- cidence, that we should thus have to record at the same time the valuable services of the largest and smallest of this class of life- boats which have been built, since, if they are both capable of rendering such valuable services, it might fairly be inferred, even without the multiplied proofs which have been afforded, that the whole of the boats of the same class, of. intermediate sizes, were equally trustworthy; and that the Institution was not covering the coasts of, the United Kingdom with boats of a theo- retical and unproved character.

The little Alnmouth life-boat is indeed so small, that she has been called, and not altogether inappropriately so, a " toy life- boat." All the stronger proof, therefore, is this service of the efficiency of the self- righting class of rowing life-boats, and all the greater credit does it reflect on the gallant crew who manned her on the occasion.

We regret to add that a poor labouring man, in his anxiety to render some aid by assisting to drag the life-boat on her car- riage to the vicinity of the wreck, missed his footing, and falling under the wheels of the carriage, was so severely crushed that, if he recovers, it is feared he will never again be able to work for his live- lihood. Such an accident is not of a solitary nature, but is an illustration of the danger which, even by those on the shore, is sometimes incurred in the generous at- tempt to rescue a shipwrecked crew.

[We are compelled, from want of space, to reserve for a future number the additional services of various life-boats.

For the same reason we are obliged to postpone an account of the new' life-boat stations.]