MOST persons in this country are aware that the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has studded the coasts of the United Kingdom with Life-boats; but it is probably not known to many that nearly the whole of those boats are built in London, whilst of those who do know it few will have thought to inquire how they are conveyed to their several stations.

It might not unnaturally be supposed that as water is the element in which their whole career is passed, and as their location is everywhere on the sea-shore, so they would be either sailed, towed, or carried on shipboard to their destinations. Such, however, is not the case, as nearly the whole of them are conveyed by railway, and nine-tenths of the Life-boats now on the coasts of the United Kingdom have been transported in that manner to their stations.

The cause of this has been that these boats are, for the most part, too large and too heavy to be carried on the decks of any steamers but those of large size, whilst few of such steamers are available for the purpose, except in the case of boats sent to Ireland, as Life-boat stations are, for the most part, at long distances from the chief ports from which such vessels sail.

In fact, it may be truly said, that without the aid of the railway it would have been almost impossible to have placed Life-boats round the coasts of the United Kingdom in anything like their present number ; so that to the many and great benefits which railways have already conferred on mankind, may be added that of indirectly aiding to save lives from shipwreck—a result as gratifying as it must have been unanticipated.

Our special object, however, in drawing attention to this fact, interesting as it is in itself, is thus publicly to acknowledge the very great indebtedness of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, and, we may add, of the poor castaways on our shores, to the Directors of the several Railway Companies, who, for many years past, have shown a kind sympathy with the humane objects of the Society, and exhibited much public spirit, by conveying its Life-boats (each of which occupies no less than three trucks), from one end of the kingdom to the other, free of charge.

We, therefore, in the name of the Committee of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION —in the name of the whole body of its subscribers—in the name of our shipwrecked seamen—and in the name of our country, which is proud 'of its Life-boat fleet, take this opportunity to return grateful thanks to the Railway Companies of the United Kingdom, and to their officers and servants, for their generous _and invaluable services.