FOE the past nine years we have periodically called public attention to the Annual Official Register of Shipwrecks on the Coast and in the Seas of the United Kingdom, presented by the Board of Trade to Parliament.

It is hardly possible to overrate the importance of this document, for it details, with great accuracy, an average annual loss of 800 lives, and the destruction of about 1,500,0001. of property yearly, from these lamentable disasters.

The past year will long be remembered for its stormy character, which penetrated far into the summer, for between the latter end of May and the beginning of June, upwards of 250 shipwrecks occurred.

As might have been expected from the continued succession of bad weather, the number of shipwrecks during the whole year was unusually large, giving a total loss of 1,379. Whilst, however, wrecks and strandings have increased, collisions have happily decreased, being 298 against 349 in 1859; but the whole number of casualties of all kinds in 1860 is 146 above the annual average for the past six years. On the other hand, it is satisfactory to find, that although the number of wrecks and strandings has been greater than usual, the loss of life has been considerably less, being 264 under the annual average of the past nine years. The total loss of life from the 1,379 shipwrecks during the year was 536, whilst 2,152 persons were fortunately saved by life-boats, the rocket and mortar apparatus, shore boats, and other means—a most gratifying and encouraging result, not only to the poor people themselves thus snatched from a premature death, but also to those who have toiled hard for many years past in organizing and completing the means of saving life from shipwreck on our coasts.

With respect to the important services thus performed, there is a terrible sameness in their general character ever/ year, though the details are ever new and ever interesting.

It is the same story in one sense, but the several parts of which are infinitely varied.

It is always a "brave ship" in distress, always the " winds and the seas roaring," always some " poor souls" who are in the direst extremity of danger. Happily, too, through the instrumentality of the National Life-boat Institution and other bodies, it is nearly always the same story on the humane side. The life-boat is always ready, and a brave crew is ever at hand to man her.

The great and unprecedented loss of life in 1859 was mainly attributable to the destruction of two or three large passengerships.

It will be remembered that 870 lives were lost in two great calamitous disasters alone, viz.—the wrecks of the Royal Charter, on the Anglesey coast, and the Pomona, on the Blackwater Bank, on the Irish coast.

The Register furnishes, as usual, some curious facts relative to the class of ships that are inevitably wrecked when overtaken by a gale of wind. Of the 2,795 vessels wrecked on our coasts during the past two years, 1,504—or more than half—were colliers, and of that class; and 1,291 were timber-laden, passenger-ships, and vessels in ballast.

Of these our old friends the schooners hold as usual their pre-eminence for wrecking, 912 of them having during the same period gone to pieces. Next to the schooners come the brigs, 644 of which have in the same time met a similar fate. We find that of the 1,379 vessels wrecked last year, 554 were commanded by masters who were not required to have certificates of competency.

The annexed table shows that the classes of ships to which casualties most frequently occur aie those between 50 and 300 tons burthen, which are usually employed in carrying coal, coke, ores, and stone.

Vessels under 50 Tons - 51 and under 100 101 ' „ 300 301 „ 600 601 „ 900 901 „ 1,200 1,200 and upwards Vessels.

- 284 - 393 - 557 - 105 - 25 — 9 6 Total - - - - 1,379 The direction of the wind which proved most destructive to vessels wrecked on our coasts last year is also given. Ill vessels were wrecked during the prevalence of the wind from S.W.; 128 from W.N. W.; and 104 from N.W. 8 vessels were wrecked during absolutely calm weather; 151 in a fresh breeze ; 168 in a whole gale; 101 in a storm ; and 139 in a hurricane.

We find that 21 wrecks took place from not heaving the lead; 2 from intemperance; 35 from general negligence and want of caution; 39 foundered from unseaworthiness ; and 5 from defective compasses.

Some curious facts are given in the Register regarding the ages of the ships. It appears that when they should be most vigorous, they are most feeble. Thus we find that, during the past three years, 377 vessels under 3 years old were wrecked; and 472 between the ages of 3 and 7 years; whilst 644 of them perished between the ages of 15 and 20.

The accompanying Wreck Chart shows clearly the site of each of the casualties, from shipwrecks on our coasts during the year 1860. Who can behold such a picture of the loss of hundreds of lives, without contributing, as far as his means will allow him, to the mitigation of so much human suffering! The estimated loss of property last year, as reported by the officers of some of the ships at the time of the several casualties is given. It is, however, absolutely impossible to ascertain correctly the loss of property from all the disasters that annually occur on our coasts. The destruction of fishing-boats, such as was witnessed lately at Yarmouth and Filey, is not referred to in the Register.

We believe that this lamentable state of things, by which a great loss of life and an immense destruction of property take place every year, cannot be remedied until all vessels are subjected to a rigid inspection before they put out to sea, in order that it may be accurately ascertained whether they are well found and provided with lifeboats, and with such a proper and suitable equipment, as will enable them to combat successfully with the elements.

We cannot help laying great stress on this point, because the loss of life from shipwrecks on the coasts alone of the British Isles within the last eleven years is really frightful to contemplate : it amounted to 6,883.

The districts where this immense sacrifice of human life took place—inflicted, we fear, not solely by the visitation of God, but in a great degree through the obstinacy and perverseness of man—are as follows:— No.

523 957 465 81 445 Farn Islands to Flamborough Head — — Flamborough Head to the North Foreland - North Foreland to St. Catherine's Point - St. Catherine's Point to Start Point • - - Start Point to the Land's End - - - Land's End to Hartland Point, including Scilly _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 3 0 Hartland Point to St. David's Head - - 440 St. David's Head and Carnsore Point to iarubay Island and Skerries, Anglesey _ 879 Skerries and Lambay to Fair Head and Mull o f Cantire - - _ _ _ _ _ l;453 Cape Wrath to Buchan Ness - - - - 197.

Buchan Ness to Farn Islands — — — — 271 All other parts of the Coast - - - _ 842 Total lives lost - - - 6,883 Between the Farn Islands and the North Foreland there are sixty-two life-boat establishments, and as many life-saving rocket and mortar stations. Here every winter some of the most daring and persevering life-boat services are performed. The poor sufferers are often snatched from the very jaws of death; and, on the lowest calculation, to this large number of 1,480 persons who have perished in this district, onethird more would have swelled the death-roll had it not been for the services of the lifeboats and the life-saving apparatus.

From the above account of the loss of life on the coasts it is seen that the most serious wrecks, resulting in the greatest loss of life, do not happen on the north-east coast of England as is generally supposed, but on those parts of our coasts most frequented by large foreign ships. A few months ago a large American ship, The -Panwie, was coming up the Irish Channel.

Mistaking her position, she found herself on some rocks in Cardigan Bay. A fearful storm was raging at the time. Her signals of distress were observed late in the evening.

The Portmadoc life-boat, belonging to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, was immediately launched to the rescue of the crew, who had taken to their boats. After a night of great hardship and ceaseless toil, the life-boat brought on shore 17 poor creatures, who were more dead than alive.

Similar services are constantly being rendered by the Institution's life-boats to foreign ships' crews, and frequently to those belonging to the United States of America.

During the past nine years the total number of all casualties on the coasts and in the seas of the British Isles are thus given:—in 1852, there were 1,115; in 1853, 832; in 1854, 987 ; in 1855, 1,141; in 1856, 1,153; in 1857, 1,143; in 1858, 1,170; in 1859, 1,416; and in 1860, 1,379: making a total of 10,336 vessels lost in nine years, or 1 lost in every 210 British ships, and 1 in every 232 foreign vessels, and giving an average annual loss of 1,148 vessels on the coasts and in the seas of the United Kingdom.

We regret to find that the sacrifice of life from this great multitude of shipwrecks amounted to 7,201, or an average of 800 lives that meet with a watery grave from shipwreck every year on the coasts and in the seas of the British Isles.

In our narrow seas it is only natural that a large number of collisions should constantly take place. The number of British and foreign vessels entering British ports, including repeated voyages, every year amounts to upwards of 204,945, representing a tonnage of 29,176,196. Vessels clearing outwards under the same circumstances every year number 209,402, having a tonnage burden of 29,530,906. We must, therefore, be prepared for a considerable number of collisions, although happily it is not increasing.

During the past six years they have amounted to 1,788, giving an annual average of nearly 300. No calamity is greater than that of a collision at sea during a dark, stormy night. It is often instantaneous in its destructive effects; and in less than ten minutes afterwards it frequently happens that not a vestige of one of the ships is to be seen, a large number of persons frequently sinking with her.

Having dwelt on the dark side of our picture so long, we must now fcriefly turn to the brighter and more encouraging side of it It appears that during the past five years the number of lives saved on the coast by life-boats, life-saving apparatus, shore and ships' boats, and other means, amounts to 11,495.

We cannot refrain here from giving a few examples of noble life-boat services:—• On the 10th of February last, in the fearful gale from the east which caused such destruction to shipping and terrible loss of life on our east coast, the brig Providence, of Shields, coal laden, was driven on the Long Scarr Rocks, between the mouth of the Tees and Hartlepool. The Seaton Garew life-boat, belonging to the NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION, was quickly launched, and proceeding to her assistance through a high surf, took off her crew, eight in number, and landed them in safety. She had scarcely done so when she was again called to the aid of the brig Mayflower, of Newcastle, also coal laden, which had gone ashore on the East Gaze Sand, off the Tees mouth.

The life-boat also took off her crew of eight men, and safely landed them. On the previous day this boat had, in conjunction with the West Hartlepool life-boat, endeavoured to save the crews of the brig Alliance of Guernsey, and schooner Warnsbeck of Shields, which were wrecked on the Long Scarr Rocks, but although every effort was made, they were unsuccessful, owing to the difficult position into which the vessels had driven on these dangerous rocks. As it was, the boat was herself injured and partially disabled thereby. "I wish you had been here on that disastrous Saturday and Sunday (9th and 10th February)," writes the Honorary Secretary, the Rev. J. LAWSON, of the Seaton Carew Branch of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, " I am sure you would have been gratified to see the gallant way in which our crew worked, though composed, as you know, chiefly of landsmen. They were going from 9 A.M.

on Saturday until 11 A.M. on Sunday, without rest, and not only attending to our own life-boat, but helping to man the West Hartlepool boat when short of hands." Again, on the 1st January, 5 men were saved on the Doomed Bar Bank, Padstow, from the brigantine Nugget, of Bideford.

From January 1st to the 6th, 32 men were saved by the Institution's boats, and one vessel was brought safely into harbour. But sometimes darkness is added to the perils which the life-boat men encounter in their exertions on the stormy deep. At Lyme Regis, for instance, the word was given during one of the winter nights that a vessel was in the offing in distress. It was " pitchy dark." A strong gale was blowing, and a heavy surf beating on the shore, but the life-boat men felt that duty called, and they did not hesitate. They went to sea as if it were to their fire-sides they were going; and they were successful in saving a ship's crew. The brief narrative of this adventure tells us that very few on shore believed the life-boat " would ever return," the night was so awful; "it was sufficient to appal any one entering the life-boat." The payments to the crews of the lifeboats are placed in the Annual Report of the Life-boat Institution, opposite the services thus rendered. For instance, the 16 men belonging to the brigs Providence said Mayflower, mentioned above, were saved for the sum of 25L At Portmadoc, in a heavy gale with a terrific surf, 17 men were saved for 141, This is about 17s. a head, and flesh and blood is certainly cheap at that rate. The Carnsore life-boat saved 19 persons, at a cost of 221. 14s. Suppose the average expense of saving a man by means of the life-boat" is a pound, this is the way to put it' before the public—will you give 20s. a year to save a fellow-creature from a horrible death ? Perhaps you save more than one by that gift. You may save a family from an irreparable loss, you may restore a darling boy to his widowed mother, a father to his young and helpless children. Here is a strong claim upon the national benevolence, and fortunately it is becoming day by day more openly acknowledged, just as the merits of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION become more widely known.

Public and private gratitude calls for the support of this Institution, and some instances have been recorded which show haw beautifully gratitude works, and how sweetly its work is repaid. The Carnsore life-boat, mentioned above as saving 19 people from shipwreck, was the " thankoffering" of a lady who was saved from drowning. One sees a striking appropriateness in that thank-offering, as an example of the ruling which brings good out of evil.

There is another instance recorded of a similar character. Two ladies, in memory of a departed sister, place a life-boat at Llandudno, in North Wales, and call it the Sisters' Memorial. The memory of departed worth, or departed affection, could not be preserved in a more fitting manner. The memorial is all goodness and all mercy, and lias as little of the taint of the world in it as anything else that could be mentioned. It is to keep these benevolences in active operation—to endow them for ever, as it were—that the Life-boat Institution appeals to the public. It is an appeal that will stand any test—a cause that all can assist in—and a cause that only requires to be known to insure a sufficiency of help to keep up its large life-saving fleet of 115 life-boats, and gradually to increase their number..