I WAS hastening up from the beach, where the life-boat men had rendered good service that night.

****** The work was nobly done! JOHN FURBY, the coxswain, with a sturdy crew of volun- teers—twelve in all—were ready for action, with cork life-belts on, when the team of four stout horses came tearing along the sands dragging the life-boat after them, j assisted and cheered on by a large crowd of j men and boys. No unnecessary delay oc- | curred. When opposite the first wreck, the ! carriage was wheeled round, so that the bow of the boat pointed to the sea. The crew j sprang into their seats, and, shipping the oars, sat ready and resolute.

Immense breakers thundered on the beach, and rushed inland in fields of gurgling foam, that looked like phosphoric light in * We reprint this account from " Shifting Winds—A Tough Yarn," by Mr. B. M. BALLAN- TYNE, whose works on " The Life-boat; or, A Tale of our Coast Heroes," and on other interest- ing subjects, have deservedly attracted much at- tention. We can safely commend "Shifting Winds" — which, like all Mr. BALLANTTHE'S stories, is founded on actual facts—as a work full of interest and instruction, and as maintaining in every way the reputation of the author. We may add that all his works can be obtained, by order, from Messrs. JAMES NISBET and Co., Berners Street, W., and all other Booksellers.the darkness. Into this the carriage was thrust as far as it could be with safety by many strong and willing hands. Then the men in the surf seized the launching lines, by means of which the boat could be pro- pelled off Its carnage. A peculiar adaptation of the mechanism enabled them, by putting backward, to force the boat forward. For a moment they stood inactive, as a towering wave rolled in like a great black scroll coining out of the blacker background, where the sound of the raging storm could be beard, but where nothing could be seen, save the pale red light which proved that the wreck still held together.

The sea flew up, almost overwhelming the carriage. JOHN FERBY, standing at his _post by the steering oar, gave the word in a clear, strong voice.

" Hurrah 1" shouted the men. on shore, as they ran up the beach with the ends of the launching ropes, The boat sprang into the surf, the crew bent to their oars with all their might, and kept pace with the rush of the retreating billow, while the sea drew them out, as if it were hungry to swallow them.

The life-boat met lite next breaker end-on; the men, polling vigorously, cleft it, and passing beyond, gained- the deep water, and disappeared from view.

The minutes that followed appeared like hours; but oar-.patience was not long tried.

The boat soon reappeared, coming in on the crest of a towering wave, with six saved seamen in her. As she struck the beach she was seized by the crowd on shore, and draped out of danger by main force.

Thus far all was well. But there was stern work still to be done. Having ascer- tained that the vessel was a collie?, and that 0one of her crew were lost, I gent the six men with an escort to the Sailors* Home, and followed the life-boat, which was al- ready on its way to the second wreck, not more than five hundred yards from the first.

Here they were equally successful, three men and a boy being rescued from the vessel, which also proved to be a small collier.

Then the boat was conveyed to the third wreck, which turned out to be a brig, and was nearly a mile removed from the har- bour, just opposite the fishing village of Cove.

The crew of the life-boat, being now much, exhausted, were obliged to give up their oars and life-belts to fresh men, who volunteered for the service in scores. Nothing, however, would persuade JOHN FORBT to resign his position, although he was nearly worn out j with fatigue and exposure.

Once more the life-boat dashed into the sea, and once again returned with a crew of rescued men, who were immediately fed np to the nearest hnt, which chanced to be that , of STEPHEN GAFF. One of the saved men, being insensible, was carried up and laid in STEPHEN'S bed.

There was still some uncertainty as to whether all those on board the wreck had been rescued, so the boat put off again, but soon returned, having found BO one. As she struck the shore a krger wave thaa usual overwhelmed her, and washed the coxswain overboard, A loud cry burst from those who witnessed this, and one or two daring fellows running into the surf up to their waists, nearly perished in their brave bat vain efforts to grasp the drowning man.

FOBBY did not struggle. He had been rendered insensible by the shock, and, al- though several ropes were thrown to him, and one actually fell over him, he could make no effort to save himself, as the waves rolled him inshore and sacked him back again.

At this moment the sound of horses* hoofs was heard on the sands, and my young friend, KENNETH STUART, dashed past us at fall gallop into the sea! KENBETH was a splendid and a fearless rider. He kept the finest horses in the neighbourhood. On this occasion he was mounted on a large strong chestnut, which he had trained to gallop into a foaming smf.

Checking his pace suddenly, when about knee-deep in the foam, he took tip such a position that the next billow would wash the drowning man within his reach.

The wave came on. When about a hundred yards from the spot where the young horse- man stood, it fell with a prolonged roar, and the foam came sweeping in like a white wall, with the dark form of FT/EBT tossing in the midst. The sea rushed furiously apon horse and rider, and the terrified horse, rearing almost perpendicular, wheeled round towards the land. At the same instant the coxswain was hurled against them. KEHSETH seized the mane of his steed with one hand, and grasping FERBY with the other, held on.

The noble charger, swept irresistibly land- ward, made frantic efforts to regain his foot- ing, and partially succeeded before the fell force of the retreating water bore back upon him.

For one moment he stood quivering with the strength of his effort. KENNETH was very strong, else he had never maintained his grasp on the collar of the coxswain.

A moment more, and the horse made a plunge forward; then a dozen hands caught him by bridle and saddle-girth, and almost dragged the trio out of the sea, while a loud cheer greeted their deliverance.

Few writers have rendered more im- portant service to the life-boat cause than Mr. BALLANTYNE, and we now reprint a letter which he addressed to a contemporary | a few weeks ago, detailing his experience on the Gull Light-ship which is moored off the Goodwin Sands. His communication is as follows :— " Xamsgate, March 26,1870.

" SIR,—The eye-witness of a battle from an unusual point of view may, without presumption, believe that he has something interesting to tell.

I therefore send you an account of what I saw in the Gull light-ship, off the Goodwin Sands, on the night of Thursday last, when the Germania, of Bremen, was wrecked on the South-sand-Head.

Having been an inhabitant of the Gull light-ship for a week, and cut oft' from communication with the shore for several days, I have been unable to write sooner.

"Our never-ending warfare with the storm is well known. Here is one specimen of the man- ner in which it is carried on.

"A little before midnight on Thursday last (the 24th), while I was rolling uneasily in my ' bunk,' contending with sleep and sea-sickness, and moralising on the madness of those who choose 'the sea" for a profession, I was roused— and sickness instantly cured—by the watch on deck suddenly shouting down the hatchway to the mate, 'South-sand-Head light is firing, sir, and sending up rockets.' The mate sprang from his ' bunk, and was on the cabin floor before the sentence was well finished. I followed suit, and pulled on coat, nether garments, and shoes, as if my life depended on my own speed. There was unusual need for clothing, for the night was bitterly cold. A coat of ice had formed even on the salt-water spray which had blown into the boats. On gaining the deck, we found the two men on duty actively at work—the one loading the lee gun, the other adjusting a rocket to its stick. A few hurried questions from the mate elicited all that it was needful to know. The flash of a gun from the South-sand-Head light-ship, about six miles distant, had been «een, followed by a rocket, indicating that a vessel had got upon the fatal Goodwins. While the men spoke, I saw j the bright flash of another gun, but heard no j report, owing to the gale carrying the sound ' to leeward. A rocket followed, and at the same moment we observed the light of the vessel in i distress just on the southern tail of the Sands.

dived down the companion hatch, and, in another | moment, returned with a red-hot poker, which the mate had thrust into the cabin fire at the first alarm. Jack applied it in quick succession to the gun and the rocket. A Winding flash and deafen- ing crash were followed by the whiz of the rocket as it sprang with a magnificent curve far away into the surrounding darkness. This was our answer to the South-sand-Head light, vrhich, hav- ing fired three guns and three rockets to attract our attention, now ceased firing. It was also our note of warning to the look-out on the pier of Ramsgate Harbour. ' That's a beauty,' said our mate, referring to the rocket; ' get up another, Jack; sponge her well out, Jacobs, we'll give 'em another shot in a few minutes.' Loud and clear were both our signals, but four and a half miles of distance and a fresh gale neutralised their in- fluence. The look-out did not see them. In less than five minutes, the gun and rocket were fired again. Still no answering signal came from Ramsgate. 'Load the weather gun,' said the mate. Jacobs obeyed, and I sought shelter under the lee of the weather bulwarks, for the wind ap- peared to be composed of penknives and needles.

Our third gun thundered forth, and shook, the lightship from stem to stern; but the rocket struck the rigging and made a low wavering flight.

Another was therefore sent up, but it had scarcely cut its bright line across the sky, when we ob- served the answering signal—a rocket from Hams- gate Pier.

"' That's all right now; sir, our work is done,' said the mate, as he went below, and, divesting himself of his outer garments, quietly turned in, while the watch, having sponged out and re- covered the gun, resumed their active perambula- tion of the deck. I confess that I felt somewhat disappointed at this sudden termination of the noise and excitement! I was told that the Bams- gate life-boat could not well be out in less than an hour. It seemed to my excited spirit a terrikle thing that human lives should be kept so long in jeopardy, and, of course, I began to think, 'Is it not possible'to prevent this delay?' But excited spirits are not always the best judges of such matters—although they have an irresistible ten- dency to judge. There was nothing for it, how- ever, but patience, go I turned in, ' all standing,' as sailors have it, with orders that I should be called when the lights of the tug should come in sight. It seemed but a few minutes after, when the voice of the watch was again heard shouting hastily, 'Life-boat close alongside, sir. Didn't see it till this moment. She carries no lights.' I bounced out, and, minus coat, hat, and shoes, scrambled on deck just in time to see the Broad- stairs life-boat rush past us before the gale. She was close under our stern, and rendered spectrally visible by the light of our lantern. ' "What are you firing for ?' shouted the coxswain of the boat.

' Ship on the sands, bearing south,' replied Jack, at the full pitch of his stentorian voice. The boat did not pause. It passed with a magnificent rush into darkness. The reply had been heard, and the life-boat shot straight as an arrow to the rescue. We often hear and read of such scenes, but vision is necessary to enable one to realise the full import of all that goes on. A strange thrill ran through me as I saw the familiar b ue-and- white boat leaping over the foaming billows.

Often had I seen it in model, and in quiescence in its boat-house—ponderous and ungainly—but now I saw it, for the first time, endued with life. So, I fancy, warriors might speak of our heavy cavalry as we see them in barracks, and as they saw them at Alma. Again all was silent and un- exciting on board of the Gull. I went shivering below, with exalted notions of the courage and endurance of life-boat men. Soon after, the watch once more shouted,' Tug's in sight, sir,' and once again the mate and I went on deck. On this occasion, the tug Aid had made a mistake. Some one on shore had reported that the guns and rockets had been seen flashing from the Gull and North-sand-Head light-ships, whereas the report should have been from the Gull and South-sand- Head vessels. The single word was all important.

It involved an unnecessary run of about twelve miles, and an hour and a-half loss of time. Bat we mention this merely as a fact, not as a com- plaint. Accidents will happen. The Ramsgate life-boat service is admirably regulated, and for once that an error of this kind can be pointed out, we can point to dozens—ay, hundreds—of cases in in such matters, tug appeared late When the true state of the case was ascertained, the course was directed aright, and full steam let on. The Ramsgate life-boat Bradford was in tow far astern. As she passed us, the brief questions and answers were repeated for the benefit of JARMAN, the coxswain of the boat. I observed that every man in the boat appeared to He flat on the thwarts except the coxswain. No wonder. It is not an easy matter to sit up in a gale of wind, with freezing spray, and sometimes green seas, sweeping over one. They were, doubtless, wide awake and listening; but, as far as vision went, , that boat was manned by ten oilskin coats and sou'-westers. A few seconds took them out of sight; and thus, as far as the Gull light-ship was concerned, the drama ended. There was no pos- sibility of our ascertaining more, at least during that night, for whatever might be the result of these efforts, the floating lights had no chance of hearing of them unti 1 the next visit of their tender.

I was therefore obliged to turn in once more, at three A.M. Next forenoon we saw the wreck, ap- parently bottom up, high on the Goodwin Sands.

" On Friday morning the Alert—tender to the light-ships of this district, under command of the Trinity Superintendent, Captain Vaile—came off to us, and we learned the name of the vessel; that she was a total wreck, and that the crew, 7 men, had taken to their boat, and succeeded in reaching the South-sand-Head light-ship, whence they were almost immediately after taken by the Deal life- boat, and safely landed at Deal.

" It is to be carefully observed here that, al- though in this case much energy was expended unnecessarily, it does not follow that it is often so expended. Often—too often—all the force of life-boat service on this coast is insufficient to meet the demands on it. The crews of the various boats in the vicinity of the Goodwin Sands have even been called out more than once in a night, and they are sometimes out all night, visiting various wrecks in succession. In all this work the | value of the steam-tug is very conspicuous; for it can tow its boat again and again to windward, and renew the effort to save life in cases where, unaided, life-boats would be compelled to give in.

Embarking in the Alert, I sailed round the wreck at low-water, and observed that the Deal luggers were swarming round her like flies—the crews stripping her bottom of copper, and saving her stores, while, apparently, hundreds of men were busy upon her deck, dismantling her shattered hull.

" This, after all, is but an insignificant episode of wreck on the Goodwins. Many wrecks there manner in which our great war with the storm is conducted—the promptitude with which relief is rendered, and the energy with which our brave seamen are ready to imperil their lives almost every night, all round the coast, and all the year round. —I am, &c.," K. M. BALLANTYNE.