A FOREIGNER, looking at the Wreck Chart of the British Isles, might not unnaturally conceive that a very large proportion of the ships that pass to and from our ports every year were wrecked on our shores. When, however, he came to be informed that the number of vessels that cleared outwards and entered inwards last year alone, from the different ports in the United Kingdom (without counting vessels employed solely as passenger-ships), was 409,255; that they represented a tonnage of 65,231,034; and that the value of their cargoes must be estimated at not less than 500,000,OOOZ.; the said foreigner would probably be much surprised, after all, to learn that not one.

per cent, of this great multitude of vessels was wrecked either in our narrow seas or on our coasts.

Such, however, are the facts of the case, and it is not for us to justify even the loss of this relatively small amount of valuable property. On die contrary, we are amongst those who contend that, as education advances, and careful and thoughtful habits are instilled into sailors, this percentage of wrecks must diminish.

Considering the increasing trade of this country every year, and the consequent increase of shipping frequenting our shores, the general average of marine disasters reported to the Board of Trade, will probably continue to augment proportionately from year to year.

Again, it should be remembered that the number of wrecks in a year cannot fail to be increased or diminished, according to the prevalence or absence of gales of wind like those which proved so disastrous to the illfated ship London in January last, and to so many other vessels which were in such comparatively safe anchorages as Torbay affords, where it had been supposed the whole British navy might have ridden in safety during the fiercest storms.

Thus, in October 1859, there was the Royal Charter gale, and a loss of 343 ships. In January, February, .and November, 1861, there were north-east and south-easterly gales, which added 460 to the number of casualties. In January, October, and December 1862, there were westerly gales, with upwards of 540 casualties; and in January, March, September, October, November, and December 1863, there were westerly gales, with 930 casualties. In November, 1864, there were 264 casualties, with the wind chiefly in the south-south-east and south-west; but, owing to the absence of any special gales of remarkable duration and violence during the previous part of that year, the total number of casualties in it was 274 below the number in 1863; and it is worthy of remark, that the whole number of casualties, other than collisions, reported in 1864, was less than the number reported in any year since 1858. The annual average for the ten years ending 1865, including collisions, is, for total losses, 505, and for partial losses, 889; as against this the numbers for 1865 are, for total losses, 540,and for partial losses, 1,116.

From the carefully-compiled Wreck Register of the Board of Trade, we find that the total number of wrecks and casualties, from all causes, on the'coasts of the United Kingdom and in the surrounding seas, reported in 1865, is 1,656. The number reported in 1864 was 1,390. The corrected annual average of the eleven years, from 1855 to 1865 inclusive, was 1,372. It should, however, be mentioned, that the wrecks in 1864 were below the average of the preceding five years, although they were above the corrected average of the last ten years.

The number of ships lost or damaged in the 1,656 casualties reported in 1865, was 2,012, representing a registered tonnage of upwards of 377,000 tons.

Of these 2,012 ships, 1,690 are known to have been ships belonging to Great Britain and its dependencies, with British certificates of registry; and 238 to have been foreign ships. Of the remaining 84 ships the country and employment are unknown. Of the British ships, 1,198 were employed in the British coasting-trade, and 492 were employed in the (over sea) foreign and home trade; and of the foreign ships, 11 were employed in the British coasting-trade.

Thus the number of British vessels wrecked continues to maintain a sad pre-eminence in the work of destruction; and we regret to add, as a natural result, in the sad loss of life.

Of the total number of casualties (1,656) reported in 1865, 354 were collisions, and 1,302 were casualties other than collisions.

Of these 1,656 casualties, 540 resulted in total losses, and 1,116 in partial damage, more or less serious.

"We find that 470 total losses took place from causes other than collisions • 245 only were caused by stress of weather; 99 were caused by inattention, carelessness, or neglect; 38 arose from defects in the ship or in her equipments (and of these 38 no less than 30 appear to have foundered from unseaworthiness), and the remainder from various other causes.

Again, of the 832 partial losses, other than collision, 501 were caused by stress of weather, 137 arose from carelessness, 48 from defects in the ship or her equipments, and the remainder from various causes which we believe to be, in the majority of cases, obviously preventible if ordinary care and skill had been shown.

It is for those who feel an interest in preventing shipping disasters, to ponder over these startling facts, and to continue to direct public attention to this important subject.

Our object is, to some extent, accomplished in thus calling general attention to it; but our main purpose at present, is to make a few remarks on the distressing loss of life which these various and inexcusable causes of disasters inevitably produce.

We find that the total number of ships reported to have foundered, or to have been lost on our coasts from unseaworthiness, in ten years, is 423 ; and that the number of casualties caused through unseaworthy ships, unsound gear, &c., and resulting in partial damage in the same time, is 499. With these 423 vessels sank, probably, one million sterling's worth of property, and several hundred valuable lives.

In 1865 there were 98 casualties to fishing- smacks and vessels. There can be no doubt that the weather must have been most severe to produce such havoc amongst our fishing-craft; but, even in these cases, the indications of handy trustworthy weatherglasses, or barometers on the plan of those so usefully employed by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION at nearly all its numerous life-boat Stations, might probably have saved many a fishing-vessel and her hardy crew from the terrible fate which overtook them, not without unmistakeable atmospheric warnings, during the fearful gales of last winter.

But excluding these 98 fishing-vessels, the number of ships employed in the regular carrying-trade that have suffered from wreck or casualty during the year, is shown to be 1,914. If this number be again subdivided, it cannot fail to be observed that more than half of it is represented by the unseaworthy, over-laden, or ill-found vessels of the collier class, chiefly employed in the coasting-trade.

In corroboration of this remark, the reader has only to cast a glance at the accompanying Wreck Chart. It will be observed that the north-east coast is, as usual, completely covered with, the sad results, in too many cases, of unseaworthy, over-laden, and illfound vessels in the coal-trade.

The wrecks are thus specified in the Returns to the Board of Trade.

Vessels. No.

Fishing Smacks ...... 98 Colliers laden . . . . . . . 535 Colliers in ballast ...... 140 Metallic Ores ....... 150 Stone Ores ........ 109 Ships with other Cargoes, and ) other Ships in Ballast . . . / Qa~ aisu Total Vessels 2,012 It is a remarkable fact that, taking the past seven years as our guide, we find that casualties, to comparatively new ships, continue to bear a very high proportion to the whole number of disasters; thus:— 908 casualties happened to nearly new ships; and 1,701 to ships from 3 to 7 years of age. Then there are casualties to 2,087 ships from 7 to 14 years old; and 3,477 from 15 to 30 years old. Then follow 1,267 ships from 30 to 50 years old. Having passed the service of half a century, we come to the really old ships, viz., 230 between 50 and 60 years old ; 102 from 60 to 70 ; 48 from 70 to 80; 14 from 80 to 90; 6 from 90 to 100; and 4, 101 years and upwards. The ages of 3,002 are unknown.

The state of rottenness and the want of repair of some of the ships above 20 years old, often call for remark. Even at the age of 25 to 30, it sometimes happens that a ship is so rotten as to fall to pieces immediately on touching the ground, without giving the crew the slightest chance of getting out their boats. In one case, an old ship, a foreigner, which went to pieces as soon as she touched the ground, it was found that her seams had been payed with clay and red ochre, to keep the water out. It seems to us that the Merchant Shipping Act has failed entirely to control this sad state of things; and, indeed, its authors contend that the provisions of the Act never contemplated touching them ; for they argue—and there is much force in their observations—that the common law of the land should be brought into operation to compel shipowners, like all other owners of property, to be answerable for wilful or overt acts of carelessness.

Of the 2,012 vessels lost or damaged in 1865, 82 were rigged as ships, 130 were steam ships, 542 schooners, 419 brigs, 187 barques, 187 brigant;.nes, and 196 smacks; the remainder were small vessels rigged in various ways. Of the 2,012 vessels referred to, 902 did not exceed 100 tons burden, 793 were from 100 to 300 tons, 210 were from 300 to 600 tons, and 107 only were above 600 tons burden.

From the table showing the parts of the coasts on which the casualties happened, it will be seen that, as usual, the greatest number ocetntred on the East Coast. The numbers are as follows:—East Coast, 868 ; South Coast, 187; West Coast, 386; N.W.

Coast of Scotland, 46; Irish Coast, 146; Isle of Man, 15; Lundy Island, 3; Stilly Isles, 5.

As regards the loss of life, the returns show that the number lost from shipwreck on or near the coast of the United Kingdom in 1865, was 698. These lives were lost in 164 ships; 124 of them were laden vessels, 33 were vessels in ballast, and in 7 cases it is not known whether the vessels were laden or light; 131 of these ships were entirely lost, and 33 sustained partial damage. Of the 698 lives lost, 275 were lost in vessels that foundered, 53 on board vessels in collisions, and 335 in vessels stranded or cast ashore. The remaining number, 35, were lost from various causes, such as being washed overboard in heavy seas, by explosions, &c. The loss of life in 1864 was 516, which was less than, the number in any year since 1855. In that year (1855) the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION began to take most active steps to provide our coasts with life-boats, having, during the previous 30 years, struggled hard for support to carry on its great and national work on our shores, but in that year the late Captain Hamilton Fitzgerald, R.N., left the Society the munificent legacy of 10,000?. Its Committee most wisely and promptly decided to spend the whole of the money in placing new life-boats on the coast.

Since that period the Institution has contributed to the saving of 5,758 lives from shipwrecks. How many of these persons, in addition to their wives, children, and other relations, have reason this day to bless the name of this and many other benefactors who have given the cost of life-boats, and who have thus aided to accomplish such a large amount of solid, palpable, good work.

The greatest loss of life during the seven years ending in 1865, occurred in the Irish sea, which is one of our principal highways to and from America. The number of lives lost on the coasts and sandbanks of the Irish sea, during these seven years, is more than double the number lost on any other part of the coasts, although during the year 1865, the number on the East Coast of England was very slightly in excess of the number lost on the coasts of the Irish Channel.

The most fatal winds during the year 1865 are thus given:—N. 61; N.N.E., 59; N.E.,90; E.N.E.,58; E., 55; E.S.E.,56; S.E., 97; S.S.E., 60; S., 94; S.S.W., 133; S.W., 192; W.S.W., 102; W., 73; W.N.W., 91; N.W., 101; N.N.W., 59=1,381.

It will thus be seen that westerly gales are far more destructive to shipping than gales from any other quarter.

Again, we find that distinguishing the casualties of the past seven years, according to the force of the wind at the time at which they happened, 678 occurred when the wind was at force 6 or under, that is to say, when the force of the wind did not exceed a strong breeze, in which the ship could carry single reefs and top-gallant sails, and that 810 only happened with the wind at force 9 and upwards, that is to say, from a strong gale to a hurricane.

Thus we observe that in the last seven years, 118 took place in a calm; 176 in light air or just sufficient to give steerage way ; 450 in light breeze; 220 in gentle breeze; 784 in moderate breeze; 1,280 in fresh breeze; 1,217 in strong breeze; 441 in moderate gale; 836 in fresh gale ; 1,873 in strong gale; 1,444 in whole gale ; 505 in a storm; 693 in a hurricane; 50 variable; and 400 unknown.

During the past year the number of collisions reported was 354, of which 114 occurred in the daytime and 240 at night.

In 1864 the number was 351, that being an excess of the number of collisions reported in any year since 1855.

We know. of nothing more distressing than a collision between two powerful ships far out at sea. On a recent occasion, when the screw steam-ship Osprey, of Liverpool, and the steam sloop-of-war, Amazon, came into violent collision, nothing but the calm that -brooded upon the waters off Start Point saved hundreds of lives from being lost. Indeed, if the survivors had not fallen in, after the collision, with some fishingsmacks about 12 miles outside Torbay, when they were pulling their boats about the Channel, with a compass which had gone wrong, and with no food or water on board, we should have had to-day to lament a frightful addition to the list of deaths.

Amidst this desolation and havoc, it is very satisfactory to find that the means used in saving life from shipwreck on our coast have made, and are making, the most encouraging progress. There are now nearly 200 lifeboat stations on our shores, and nearly the whole of them belong to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, whose activity and usefulness have commanded, not only the admiration of the British people and Parliament, but also that of nearly every ma- ritime power throughout the world. Indeed, it is a remarkable fact, that during the past few years, kindred Institutions have been established on the coasts of many of these nations; while at one of our thriving colonies in the antipodes, it is reported to the Institution, they have built self-righting lifeboats equal to those of the mother-country.

Again, the Board of Trade support 249 life-saving rocket-apparatus stations, which are worked by that valuable body of men the Coastguard. These, in conjunction with the provision of lighthouses and floating light-vessels, and life-boats on nearly all of the most difficult points of navigation on our coasts—the gradual improvement of natural harbours of refuge; the decoration of the Albert medal by Her Majesty the Queen, and the Rewards of the NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION to our boatmen and fishermen for noble efforts to save life from shipwreck ; all these admirable provisions testify to the unceasing skill and liberal care for the safety and deliverance of our tens of thousands of seafaring men, which their perils, acting upon a benevolent public, have drawn forth.

At present nearly every class co-operates with the Institution. The resident gentry and others, at its life-boat stations, give their superintendence; the .boatmen give readily their personal services for stipulated payments; the railway and steam-packet companies convey the life-boats carriage free; and the public support the Institution liberally.

The Life-boat Society is infinitely more than an office or an agency. It is -an organization of intelligence, a focus to which information converges, and a centre from which it radiates. By the circulation of facts which it maintains, it interests the whole public, awakens sympathy, excites to effort, and is continually submitting itself and its work to general supervision. It lives on its proper merits, and every shilling it receives may be said to be given under the valuable law of " payment for results." Thus, though it may be possible at the present moment to say that the Institution has not reached this or that place on the coast to supply its wants, we are to remember that it is chiefly owing to what the Institution has done to interest the public in the subject, that isolated cases of deficiency attract even casual notice; while the principle of progress at work in the Institution is a guarantee that at no distant date every want when pointed out, or as it arises, will be promptly supplied.

All this comes of private benevolence, energy, and zeal; and so striking is the result that the principle has, as we said before, commended itself to nearly every other maritime country in the world.

We feel assured that an Institution of such national interest and importance will continue to receive a large amount of the sympathy and support of the British public, in aid of the maintenance of its noble lifesaving fleet of one hundred and seventy-two boats; and that no society has a stronger claim for that sympathy and support than the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION is testified by the gratifying fact, that its lifeboats and other means, preserve every year, under Providence, hundreds of our hardy sailors from a premature grave, and many homes from the desolation of widowhood and orphanage.