TT appears from the Annual Wreck Register of the British Isles, just published under the auspices of the Board of Trade, that 2,513 shipwrecks, representing a registered tonnage of 464,000 tons, took place in the seas and on the coasts of Great Britain during the past year, with a loss of 1,333 lives; and that, taking the average of the last nine years, no less than 1,961 shipwrecks have annually occurred on our shores.

Certainly this is a lamentable state of things; yet, as we have previously shown, when it is remembered that nearly 500,000 vessels pass to and from our ports every year, bearing a tonnage probably of 70,000,000, and cargoes to the value of not much short of our National Debt, with crews, including men and boys, of nearly two million souls, the average loss is after all comparatively small indeed.

We do not presume to say that a very large proportion of the shipwrecks and the loss of life that took place on our coast last year might not have been prevented; indeed, that fact is made evident by the Register, which clearly shows that 447 vessels were lost entirely by man's carelessness.

As our commerce increases, we must naturally expect a corresponding augmentation of shipwrecks and loss of life; but we contend that both these classes of disasters might be largely diminished if the masters of the vessels only possessed the activity and intelligence which we have a right to demand from all persons who are placed in responsible positions, and under whose charge is confided not only valuable property, but precious lives, and if shipowners took the same precautions to insure the sea-worthiness and safety of their vessels as they in most cases would do if they had to risk their own lives on board them.

The latter part of 1867 was, as will be remembered, unusually productive of shipwrecks on our coasts. During the heavy storms of last November and December alone, the life-boats of the NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION rescued 259 persons from different shipwrecks; and during the fearful gale which continued from the 1st to the 3rd December—and which was the most serious one of the year—326 vessels were lost or damaged, and the lamentable loss of 319 lives took place; thus making this latter storm nearly equal in intensity to the great gale of the Royal Charter, in October 1859, when 343 vessels were lost.

Again, the gales in January, February, March, October, November, and December, in 1866, produced a total number of 793 shipwrecks. Of that number 279 occurred in the month of January of that year, and it will be remembered that on the llth—the most disastrous gale of that month—Torbay was visited by a hurricane, in which 61 vessels were totally destroyed, or seriously damaged, accompanied by a loss of 35 lives.

There were also numerous minor casualties on different parts of the coast on that disastrous day.

Of the 2,513 wrecks which took place during the past year, 2,113 are known to have been those of ships belonging to Great Britain and its Colonies, with British certificates of registry, and 338 are known to have been those of Foreign ships. Of the remaining 62 wrecked vessels the country and employment are unknown. Of the British ships, 1,551 were employed in the British coasting-trade, and 562 in the (over sea) foreign and home trade. Of the Foreign ships, 17 were employed in the British coasting-trade.

We have already stated that the number of ships lost or damaged on our coasts during the past year amounted to the distressing total of 2,513 ; and, notwithstanding the attention this great and national subject has received in the last eighteen years, we are grieved to add that this number is 224 in excess of that in 1866; and, indeed, the total number (2,513) is larger than any number of shipwrecks on our coasts in one year hitherto published in this country.

It should here be observed that the number of ships (2,513) is greater than the actual number of disasters (2,090) reported, inasmuch as in cases of collisions, when two or more ships come in contact with one another, such disaster is always reckoned in the Register as one casualty.

Thus from a table in the Register which only speaks of 2,090 wrecks, casualties, and collisions, we observe that 414 collisions took place, and 1,676 wrecks and casualties other than collisions. Of these casualties other than collisions, 656 were wrecks resulting in total loss, and 1,020 were casualties resulting in partial damage more or less serious. The whole number of wrecks and casualties other than collisions reported in 1866 was 1,438, and that was more than the number reported in any year since 1858.

But 1,676, the number of wrecks and casualties other than collisions in 1867, is unhappily in excess of the wrecks and casualties of all former years.

The annual average for twelve years, including 1867, is, for wrecks resulting in total losses other than collisions 471, and for casualties resulting in partial damage 681.

As against this, the numbers for the one year 1867 are for total losses 656, and for partial damage 1,020.

It is a noteworthy and lamentable fact that, according to this register, no less than 411 vessels appear to have foundered, or to have been otherwise totally lost on our coasts from absolute unseaworthiness, unsound gear, &c., during the last nine years; and the number of casualties arising from the same causes during the same period, and resulting in partial damage, is 449. Few vessels are more skilfully and deftly handled than our fishing smacks, and yet 188 of these were lost during the fearful storms of the past year, showing clearly how violent these gales were. But apart from these 188 fishing vessels, it will be seen that the number of vessels employed in the regular carrying trade that have suffered from wreck or casualty during the year is 2,325. Again, it is a distressing reflection that, on subdividing that number, about one half is represented by unseaworthy, overladen, or ill-found vessels of the collier class, which are chiefly employed in the coasting trade.

For the five years ending 1867 the number is more than half.

This is made apparent by the following table:— Vessels. " No.

Fishing Smacks 188 Colliers laden 713 Colliers in ballast 242 Vessels with metallic ores . . . 110 Ditto stone ores . . . . 150 Ships with other cargoes, and ) , ,,n other Ships in ballast . . . J 1 uu Total Vessels 2,513 Thus it is seen that in a large number of cases a shipwreck means not a tempest-torn craft, riven after a noble contention with the elements, but the wretched collapse of a rotten vessel which ought never to have been sent to sea, and the destruction of which hardly causes a pang to its owner.

These are startling facts reflecting no credit on us as a people, and eminently deserving that public attention should prominently and continuously be drawn to them.

But it is not decayed ships alone that thus come to an untimely end, for we find that during the nine years ending 1867, disasters to comparatively new ships bear a very heavy proportion to the whole number.

Thus 209 wrecks and casualties have happened during the past nine years to nearly new ships, and 322 accidents have occurred to ships from three to seven years of age.

Then there are wrecks and casualties to 500 ships from seven to fourteen years old, and to 747 from fifteen to thirty years old. Then follow 327 old ships from thirty to fifty years old. Having passed the service of half a century, we come to the very old ships, viz., 60 between fifty and sixty years old; 36 from sixty to seventy; 9 from seventy to eighty; 3 from eighty to ninety; 1 from ninety to one hundred; and 1 upwards of one hundred and one years old. The ages of 298 are unknown. The state of rottenness and of want of repair of some of the ships above twenty years old often calls for remark. Even at the age of twenty-five to thirty 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, or to be saved _by life-boats or the rocket apparatus.

Of the 2,513 vessels lost or damaged in 1867, 89 were rigged as ships, 141 were steam-ships, 727 schooners, 429 brigs, 277 barques, 287 brigantines, and 241 smacks ; the remainder were small vessels, rigged in various ways. Of the 2,513 vessels referred to, 1,147 did not exceed 100 tons burden, 961 were from 100 to 300 tons, 286 were from 300 to 600 tons, and 119 only were above 600 tons burden.

The scenes of the distressing disasters are thus given:—East Coast, 1,101; South Coast, 259; West Coast, 411; N.W. Coast of Scotland, 46; Irish Coast, 214; Isle of Man, 22; Lundy Island, 18; and Scilly Isles, 19. It will be observed that, as usual, the greatest number of wrecks occurred on the East Coast.

The directions of the gales of 1867 are thus given according to the months :— January, from south-east, south-west, south-south-east, and north-east; February, from the west, notth-west, south-west, and west; March, from the east-south-east, south-east, and east; and April, north-west, west, south-west, and west-south-west.

During the months of May, June, July, and August, no serious gales occurred.

The September gales were from the southwest and west, October, from the southwest, west-south-west, west and northwest ; November, from the east-north-east, north-east, south-south-west, and northwest; and in December, from the north, north-north-east, north-east, north-northwest, and north-west. It will be observed that during December, in which month the most terrific gale of the year occurred, the winds were northerly in their character.

Having thus, as briefly as practicable, recapitulated a few facts contained in this interesting document, we must now draw attention to the loss of life from the 2,513 shipwrecks during the past year.

As we said before, 1,333 lives were lost from these vessels. This is in excess of the number lost in any year except 1859 (the Royql Charter year), when the number reached 1,647.

The loss of life thus recorded took place amongst 279 vessels; of these, 170 were laden ships, 90 were in ballast, and in 19 cases it is not known whether the ships were laden or light. Of these, 217 were entirely lost, and 62 sustained partial damage. Of the 1,333 lives lost, the very great number of 637 were lost in vessels that foundered, 160 on board vessels in collision, and 445 in vessels stranded or cast ashore.

Nearly 300 Jives were lost in fishing-boats alone.

The work of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION here stands prominently forward, for it can show a glorious roll of 1,086 lives saved mainly through its instrumentality during the past year.

Another incident connected with the Wreck Register is the startling fact that, whiie the largest number of shipwrecks have happened on the east coast of England, the largest loss of life in the past nine years has occurred in the Irish Sea, it actually being last year more than double the number lost on any other part of the coasts. This is accounted for in some measure by the fact that the largest ships from Liverpool and other ports pass down the Irish Channel; and when an accident happens to any of them, the loss of life is usually large, especially in the case of emigrant ships, as in the wreck of the American barque Pomona, some years since, when no less than 385 persons perished, and in other lamentable instances.

It appears that 729 vessels were wrecked 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 topgallant sails; that 171 happened with the wind at forces 7 and 8, or a moderate to a fresh gale, when a ship, if properly manned and navigated, can keep the sea with safety; and that 1,099 happened with the wind at force 9 and upwards—that is to say, from a strong gale to a hurricane.

We had hoped this time to omit the annexed table, but really the facts disclosed in it are so interesting and instructive, that we feel our Paper would be incomplete without it. Accordingly, we find that during the last nine years the number of wrecks at different forces of the wind are thus strikingly given. We have added the last column in which the per centages of the wrecks in the nine years according to the varying force of the wind are given :— », Tf i_i r# o *- 00 WN « «» «p w " A * CO rl ir- O O SJH.S jgflldffi?-. M CT-»0 rf rH «« • " 8 gS ! }l ||lf| £—~—-MS a HO .3;- "alg-3 :' » « U-s* SI Mil 11 III iSll as ss U) 00 Cft 1- O •H C* « W O H A r-i~o» co oo'co CO eft eo D Oio co j -ciiort Jf W IQ Ol-l O US 00 10 coco *- » cq o o e»«o o to •* com c* eocn *» - in C3~* i—I OC4 CO CON O «•* 10 C4 C J- MS »ft OCA QO COO» D«PtcD lO- i-HCOeft *- *-ca JH »» j OCO *--*O r-I H CM •* FH en us*- °« .s sa3 The accompanying tables which we have prepared on an admirable plan suggested by HENRY JKULA, Esq., the Hon. Sec. of the Statistical Committee of Lloyd's, give the different percentages of wrecks in the same period according to the various directions of the wind, and the parts of the coasts of the United Kingdom where it blew :— THE PER CENTAOES FOR THE DIFFBRENT DIRECTIONS OF THE WIND.

Points of Compass. Per Centage.

S.W. 8-66 S.E 7-84 H.E 7-33 N 6-51 N.W 6-03 K.N.E. . . . . . . 5.55 Unknown 5-26 E.S.E 5-12 W 4-92 AV.S.W 4-8S S.S.W. . . . . . . 4-45 W.N.W 4-40 S.S.E 4-02 E 3-97 N.N.W 3-82 E.W.E 3-60 S.. 2-92 W. byN 1-20 . . . 1'15 . . -96 . . -77 . . -62 . . . -57 . . -57 . . -57 . . -57 . . -53 . . -53 . . -53 . . . -43 . . -3? . . -38 , . . -34 . . -33 . . . -29 S.W.I N. by E.

N.E. by E. .

W. by S. .

E. by N. .

E. by S. ; .

S.E. by S. .

Calm. .

S. by W. .

N.W. by W.

Variable S.W. by S. .

N.E. by N. .

S.E. by S. .

S. by E. . .

N. by W. .

N.W. byN.

100- THE PER CENTAGES FOR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COASTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

Part, of the Coast,. FerCentage.

EAST COAST: Dtrageness to Duncansby Head (inclusive) 52-68 WEST COAST: Land's End to Mull of Cantyre (inclusive) 19-67 SOUTH COAST : Dungeness to Land's End (exclusive) 12-39 IRISH COAST 10-24 North and West Coasts of Scotland, from . the Mull of Cantyre to Duncansby Head; including the Northern Islands, Hebrides, May, Orkney, Shetland, &c. 2-20 Isle of Man 1-05 Stilly Islands -91 Lundy Island -86 100- The accompanying Wreck Chart tells its usually doleful tale, dotted all round, as it is, from the Land's End to the Foreland, and northward by the Fame Islands to Wick, and round by the Hebrides to the Irish Channel. It is sad to think that every black dot represents as usual a wreck on our coasts or in our seas, and thus a dark shadow is cast on the commerce of the year.

Not a coast that has not its dot; but it is clear these symbolical spots most thickly gather along the highways of our commerce which are whitened with the sails of all nations the whole year round.

We have thus endeavoured, as briefly as we could, to analyse the Wreck Register, and to place before the public the means of appreciating succinctly this elaborate statistical record of shipwrecks- This document, which is of national importance, reveals a most lamentable state of things. Here are the facts minutely detailed of 2,513 shipwrecks, with the appalling loss of 1,333 lives, clearly and incontrovertibly pnt before us as having taken place on the coasts and in the seas of the British Isles during the short period of twelve months.

The loss of property, including ships and cargoes alone, can hardly be represented at less than three millions sterling! We, however, are principally concerned, as we before said, in the loss of life, which is far beyond any money value. By the great unceasing and noble efforts to save life that were made not only by the boats of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, but also by the Rocket Apparatus under the control of the Board of Trade, and by shore-boats, whose crews are stimulated by the liberal rewards of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION to use every exertion to save life, the number of lives saved last year can hardly have been less than 2,000 in all; and in the great majority of these cases the shipwrecked persons must have perished in the absence of the exertions which were thus used, and particularly so in respect to the services of the life-boats. The Megister states that the total number of lives saved last year by all means was 5,845.

Thus our country is now honourably distinguished above others for its practical and successful appliances in saving life from shipwreck; and it is right it should be so, for the sea has made us what we are, and has borne our countrymen to all parts of the world. It is our naval preponderance, and the enterprise of our merchants, which have raised us to our present high position amongst the nations of the earth.

It is upon the prowess, skill, and adventure of our people that the fabric of British power firmly and incontrovertibly stands.

The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has hitherto unceasingly and untiringly discharged the duty which the British public has with such confidence and generosity reposed in it. We therefore think it is only legitimate and right that we should again appeal to the country at large to help a Society which has thus charged itself with the great and national work of saving lives from shipwreck by life-boats and other means, in carrying out with renewed vigour its sacred duty..