THE gentle CHARLES CLIFFORD, who, after years of severe suffering, passed away a short time since, deserves a few words in service on occasions when life-boats unassisted | the great value of his invention for Lowering " 'The Life-boat Journal' had first been prominently on the scene, and hailed us. brought under public attention, and where it had subsequently been repeatedly noticed in terms of deserved commendation. Since then some hundreds, if not thousands, of lives have been saved from an inevitable death by his plan.

He was a man who possessed consider- able talent, and his assiduity was ceaseless.

He was also a remarkable illustration of what could be accomplished by a single individual in perfecting an apparently intri- cate, if not dangerous apparatus, and ren- dering it ultimately so simple in its opera- tion that even a cabinboy could work it with as much ease as the most stalwart sailor on board ship. Thus he resolved to devote his whole energies to improving the old system of lowering boats, by which so many lives were sacrificed.

In maturing his invention he soon found that his great difficulty was to control at will a large descending weight, and after *a course of laborioas experiments, extending over many years, in which every known appliance of mechanical power was ineffec- tually tried, he perfected an invention so complete and simple that at any moment, and under any circumstances, an ordinary sailor, by means of a single rope, could with ease and rapidity lower and release a boat, fully manned and weighing three or four tons, in a few seconds.

The great feature in his plan was the invention of a new Hock, by means of which the resistance to the descending weight was measured by the weight itself; The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, by a special vote of thanks dated 5th Jan., 1860, inscribed on vellum and signed by Admiral ALGERNON, Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, its President, acknowledged the great value of his invention in the following terms:— " That the thanks of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION be presented to CHARLES CLIFFORD, Esq., in acknowledg- ment of his able and indefatigable exertions in inventing and bringing to a state of per- fection an improved plan for safely lowering boats at sea, which is now being brought into general use, and through the instru- mentality of which a large number of lives have already been saved from drowning." Long previously and snbsequently his interest in the welfare of the Institution never ceased; and he often rendered it sub- stantial support.

Several of the maritime Powers of Europe also recognised the importance and utility of his invention; and the late Captain Sir WM. PEEL, R.N., K.C.B., never failed to speak of it, from practical experience, in high terms of eulogy. Before the screw steamer frigate Shannon sailed from Plymouth, Sir WILLIAM made a special application to the Admiralty that two of her boats might be fitted with CLIFFORD'S apparatus. On the Shannon's way to the Cape two fatal acci- dents on board occurred. Mr. COAKER, master's assistant, fell from aloft, struck the fore-chains, and fell dead into the water: and the other, GEORGE BROWN, a boy of the first class, who fell from aloft inboard, and was killed. But for the admirable facility afforded by " CLIFFORD'S Plan of Lowering Boats," with which the frigate was fitted, the body of the unfortunate young officer could not have been recovered, nor the life of another boy, who fell overboard, have been saved. On both occasions the vessel was going at from eleven to twelve knots under all sail; notwithstanding which the boat was manned and lowered in little more than a minute. The boats were 30-feet cutters; the largest hung from man-of-war davits, and carrying each from 12 to 14 men, with a weight of from two to three tons.

Thus instances might be multiplied of the ! successful results of the plan, whether with a boat-load of women and children from the bnrning wreck of the Sarah Sands, colli- sions in the dead of night, men overboard in a gale, or snatched from the jaws of a shark (as with the Archer). In short, wherever a boat could live, it might be launched with his plan in ten seconds, without rounding-to, as in the old plan.

Mr, CLIFFORD often risked his life where no sailor would go, to order to show the marvellous simplicity and safety of Ms plan; and though he lived to see his invention used in most of the navies of the world, and to hear recorded instances of the saving of hundreds of lives, yet the coldness he received from the Government, and quarters that ought to have afforded him every en- couragement, was more at last than his frame couid bear. He was struck down by para- lysis a few years ago, from which he never rallied, his great services, extending un- ceasingly over sixteen years, to the cause of humanity, which had cost him thousands of pounds, remaining to this day unrewarded by his country; but, happily, the name of CLIFFORD in the Royal and mercantile navies has become a household word, and to be thus cherished and remembered by those who know the practical value of his inven- tion is, perhaps, after all, the best memorial to his name.

As a promoter of aquatic sports, and an authority on training, he was no less popular on the Thames than in the navy. He could hold his own as a sculler, and show many silver cups when the veteran Coombes was champion and Playford held the silver sculls. Coombes would sometimes ask him to strip his arms, that professional trainers might see what temperance and strict diet could do. His courage and readiness were remarkable. Returning on one occasion through Chelsea Reach in the dusk after a pall, a steamer, crossing to her moorings, without light or signal, suddenly came on him. Escape seemed impossible; but CLIFFORD dived under the steamer unhurt, whilst his outrigger was cut in half as with a knife. His brave and generous nature made him a great favourite with men of every rank; and many will long cherish the memory of the gentle and benevolent CHARLES CLIFFORD, the inventor of the " Ship's boat Lowering Apparatus," and the promoter of aquatic sports on the Thames.