NORTH DEAL.—A new life-boat station has been established by the NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION, at the north end of the town of Deal on the Kentish coast, as it was thought that a life-boat placed there might be useful on occasions of wrecks on the northern part of the Goodwin Sands; for, by running through an opening in the sands called the Swashway, she might reach distressed vessels in some positions before either the Ramsgate or Walmer life-boats.

As it was most essential that the boat should sail fast, a very fine life-boat, 40 feet long and 10 feet wide, has been built expressly for this station. The boat sailed from London to its destination manned by the coxswain and some of the crew; and in this and subsequent trials she proved to be very fast under sail, as well as manageable under oars, and to have great stability. A handsome boathouse has been provided for this life-boat.

E. W. COOKE, Esq., R.A., F.R.S., has kindly contributed 200Z. towards the expenses of the life-boat establishment, and has collected about 1502. in addition from his friends and others in aid of the same benevolent object. The life-boat is named the Van Kook.

TRAMORE, IRELAND. — A new 32-feet double-banked life-boat and transportingcarriage have been forwarded to Tramore, near Waterford, by the Institution, to replace a smaller 6-oared boat formerly there, which was thought not to have sufficient power to be pulled oat to the bay on occasions of heavy storms. The expense (250Z.) of this new life-boat was defrayed from a fund collected amongst the Members of the Cambridge University Boat Club. At their desire the boat is named the Tom Egan, after a former President of the Club, who has been for a long period a zealous and valuable coadjutor of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, and who partly originated in the Club the project of raising the cost of a life-boat. Messrs. MALCOLMSON readily gave, as usual, a free conveyance on board their vessels to the new and old life-boats between London and Waterford.

ARDMORE, IRELAND.—The Institution has just placed a 32-feet 10-oared life-boat at Ardmore on the coast of Waterford, instead of a small boat previously there. The cost (300Z.) of the new life-boat was the gift of "A Friend," through B. B. MAXNION, Esq.; and the boat is called the Salomon, at the request of the generous donor. The British and Irish Steam-packet Company readily carried the new and old life-boats and carriages between London and Waterford on board their vessels.

SUNDERLAND.—The seamen of this port having expressed a wish that the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION would furnish them with one of its self-righting life-boats in lieu of their present boats, and Miss BURDETT COUTTS—rwho had generously given the seamen one of their boats—having readily given her consent to the exchange, the Institution has forwarded to this important station a firstclass 33-feet 10-oared life-boat, with a transporting- carriage. These have been placed in a boat-house temporarily prepared for them, in readiness for active service. The expense of the new life-boat was defrayed from a fund raised for that purpose in the town and county of Derby by THOMAS ROE, Esq., Mayor of Derby, WILLIAM PEAT, Esq., and other gentlemen. The boat is* called the Florence Nightingale, after the distinguished lady of that name, who is a native of Derbyshire. The life-boat was publicly exhibited in Derby on its way to its station, and subsequently on arriving at Sunderland, a grand demonstration took place, the boat being received with acclamation by the seamen and others. The Midland and North Eastern Railway Companies, kindly forwarded the boat and carriage to their destination from London vi& Derby.

HOUY ISLAND, NORTHUMBERLAND.—The Institution has just renovated this life-boat station, which was formerly under the management of Lord CREWE'S trustees, and it has placed there a new 32-feet double-banked life-boat, provided with a transporting carriage, in the boat-house which has been prepared for their reception. Lady W , through Sir W. G. ARMSTRONG, K.C.B., F.R.S., placed 600?. at the disposal of the Society to defray the expense of renovating this life-boat establishment. The new lifeboat has been named the Grace Darling, after the heroine who many years ago distinguished herself in saving life from shipwreck near Holy Island. The Great Northern and North Eastern Railway Companies readily conveyed the boat and carriage over their lines as near as possible to their destination.

We append from the " Book of Days "— a most valuable work, published by Messrs.

CHAMBERS, Edinburgh—a brief narration of the circumstances connected with the wreck of the Forfarshire, which first brought GRACE DARLING and her father prominently before the public •— " It was on the 6th of September, 1838, that the event took place which has given the family celebrity.

The Forfashire, a steamer of about 300 tons, JOHN HUMBLE, master, was on her way from Hull to Dundee. She had a valuable cargo, and sixty-three persons on board—the master and his wife, a crew of twenty men, and forty-one passengers.

A slight leak, patched up before her departure from Hull, broke out afresh when off Flamborough Head, and rendered it difficult to maintain the fires of the engine. She passed between the Farne Islands and the mainland about six o'clock in the evening of the 5th of September, and then began to encounter the high sea and a strong north wind. The leak increasing, the engine fires gradually went out, and, although the sails were then used, they could not prevent the vessel from being driven southward: wind, rain, fog, and the heavy sea all beset the hapless vessel at once. About four o'clock on the morning of the 6th, she struck, bows foremost, on a precipitous part of the rocky island. Some of. the crew and one of the passengers left the ship in one of the boats; two other passengers perished in the attempt to throw themselves into the boat. The females on board clustered round the master, shrieking and imploring aid which he could not afford them. A heavy wave striking the vessel on the quarter, raised her from the- rock, and then caused her to fall violently on it again; she encountered a sharp ledge, which cut her in twain, about midships; the fore part remained on the rock, while the hinder part was carried off by a rapid current through a channel called the Piper Gut. In this fearful situation the remainder of the passengers and crew awaited the arrival of daylight, no one knowing how soon the waves might destroy them altogether. At daybreak WILLIAM DARLING descried them from the Longstone Lighthouse, about a mile distant, and it soon became known at Bamburgh and Holy Island that a ship had been wrecked. So fearfully did the waves beat against the rock that the boatmen of North Sunderland refused to put off; and DARLING, accustomed to scenes of danger as he was, shrank from the peril of attempting to reach the wreck in a boat. Not so his gentle and heroic daughter, GRACE. She could see, by the aid of a glass, the sufferers clinging to the wreck; and, agonized at the sight, she entreated her father to be allowed to go with him in a boat to endeavour to rescue them.

At last he yielded: the mother assisted to launch the boat into the water, and father and daughter each took an'oar. And so they rowed this fearful mile, at each instant in danger of being swamped by the waves. They reached the wreck, and found nine survivors; one of whom, a weaver's wife, was found in the fore cabin, exposed to the intrusion of the sea, and two children lay stiffened corpses in her arms. The whole nine went with DARLING and his daughter into the boat, and safely reached the lighthouse, where, owing to the severity of the weather, they were forced to remain two days, kindly attended to by DARLING, his wife, and daughter.

When the news of this daring exploit reached the coast, all Northumberland was filled with admiration, and speedily the whole kingdom was similarly affected. The name of ' DARLING r became everywhere known; and their gallant exploit became the theme of every tongue. GRACE herself received attention from all quarters; and tourists innumerable came to see the Longstone Lighthouse, but still more to see GRACE herself.

The Duke and Duchess CHARLOTTE of Northumberland invited DARLING and his brave daughter to Alnwick Castle, and gave her a gold watch; the silver medal of the National Shipwreck (now Life-boat) Institution was presented to her and her father; and testimonials came from various public bodies. A purse of 700J. was presented to her by public subscription: portraits of her were eagerly sought and purchased; and the speculating manager of a London theatre even offered to her a large sum, said to have been 201. a night, if she would merely sit in a boat on the stage for a few minutes, during the performance of a piece -written for the occasion, the subject of which was the heroic adventure of DARLING and his daughter. But her modest and retiring disposition revolted from this last-named notoriety; she rejected the offer, and throughout the whole of her novel, tempting career, she never once departed from her gentle womanly demeanour.

About four years after the event which has given her name an everlasting fame, she died at Bamburgh, of consumption, on the 20th of October, 1842,81 the early age of twenty-seven." We may add that Mr. WM. DARLING died on the 21st May last, at Bamburgh.

He was in his eightieth year, and was much and deservedly regretted. About a fortnight previous to his decease, the Holy Island life-boat, bearing the name of his Drave daughter, arrived on its station; and t could not have failed to soothe his last lours to reflect that her memory was still remembered and cherished.