WELLS, NORFOLK.—A new life-boat establishment has been formed by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION at Wells, on the coast of Norfolk. There was a considerable length of coast in the district without a life-boat, and as vessels frequently got aground on the outlying sands which surround the port, it was considered it would be a great advantage to have a life- boat stationed there to be in readiness for such casualties. A suitable boat-house had accordingly been erected on a con- venient site in the town, in close proximity to the residences of the men who will here- after man the boat. As there is a good road from the town going to the shore, about a mile to the west of the harbour, the boat can at all times of the tide be quickly taken along it, should its services be required to wrecks on the west shore, or it can be launched 564 THE LIFE-BOAT.

[NOVEMBER 1,1870, into the harbour, and thence be taken to sea, A fine new self-righting life-boat and transporting-carriage have been sent to this station. The boat is 33 feet long, 8j feet wide, and rows 10 oars double- banked. It has been purchased with the proceeds, amounting to 500L, of penny readings in different parts of the kingdom, bat particularly in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk. The great credit of organising and collecting the fund being due to E, B, ADAMS, Esq., surgeon, of Bungay, Suffolk, the boat has, at his request, had the name of his wife associated with it, the boat being called the Penny SeacKngs and Eliza Adams, The exhibition and first launch of the boat at its station took place on the 12th November last. On that day a large procession was formed at the Wells railway station, with flags, basnets, and niasie, and the boat "was drawn through the streets of the town to the harbour, where it was formally presented by Dr. ADAMS to the Institution, which was represented on the occasion by Capt, WARD, R,N,, its In- spector of Life-boats, After the unusual addresses to the large crowd assembled, and a blessing having been invoked on the boat and its crew by the rector of the parish, the late much-respected Countess of LEI- CESTER performed the ceremony of naming the boat. It was then launched, and pat through various evolutions, including cap- sizing, to display the self-righting and other powers the boat possesses, in com- mon with the other self-righting life- boats of the Institution. The Earl of LEICESTER afterwards presided at a public luncheon given in honour of the occasion, A ball was also given in the evening in the National School Booms—all the proceed- ings passing off in the brat manner. Oil the following day the life-boat was taken out by the Inspector daring a hard gale of wind; the crew were greatly pleased with the boat, and spoke very highly of its ad- mirable sailing qualities. It should be mentioned that the Great Eastern Railway Company readily granted the life-boat a free conveyance over their line from London to Wells.

In all these proceedings the late Countess of LEICESTER, with members of her family, took a lively 'interest It may be added that in her Ladyship the life-boat cause has lost a liberal but unassuming supporter.

WEST HARTLEPOOL, DURHAM, — The North Eastern Railway Company, who own the docks at this place, and who had two life-boats there, have transferred the latter to* the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, which has undertaken the complete reno- vation of these life-boat establishments, One of the boats is 30 feet long, and rows 12 oars, and it had only recently been put into a thorough state of repair. It was provided with a transporting-carriage, and was kept in a house on the beach, but that not being a suitable position for it, it has been transferred to the other life-boat house, a wooden building inside the docks, that house being renovated and prepared far its reception. The life-boat originally kept in this.house was a 40 feet boat, having 12 feet beam, and rowing 18 oars. It was too large and unwieldy to be properly manageable in a heavy sea, and had never been approved of by the boatmen, who readily expressed their desire to change it for one of the Institution's boats. It was mounted on a low launching truck, and this has been taken for the service of the other boat, whose carriage had been broken off.

The larger of the old boats having been condemned, a new self-righting life-boat, 33 feet long, 8J feet wide, and rowing 10 oars doable-banked, has been provided for the station. It is furnished with a transporting and laanching-carriage on the unusual plan, and a new house has been erected for them not far from the other boat-house on the beach, tat more favour- ably situated, both for access by road and for launching. The new life-boat sent to West Hartlepool was given by the Ancient Order of Foresters, it being the second boat presented to the Institution by that great body. Their first boat, stationed at Newquay, on the coast of Cardiganshire, is named the Forester, and this one the Forester's Pride. A liberal annual con- tribution is given by the Order in aid of the maintenance of their two boats, On the 2nd August 1869, the West Hartlepool new life-boat, on the way to its station, was exhibited at Sunderland on the occasion of the High Court Meeting of the Foresters then sitting there. The ceremonial, which was conducted under the superintendence of the Inspector of Life-boats, was attended by vast crowds, consisting both of the inhabit- ants of the town, and of strangers, in- cluding many thousands of Foresters, who accompanied the boat through the streets in procession, together with members of kindred societies, volunteers, the coastguards, &c,, with banners flying and several bands NOVEMBER 1,1870.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

555 of music. Unfortunately the weather was not at all propitious at the time of the launch; still the usual ceremony was gone through, Miss SHAWCROSS, the daughter of the able and indefatigable secretary of the Order, naming the boat. On the life-boat getting afloat it was upset, most of the men going round in the boat, which self-righted, as usual. The Sunderland and Whitburn life-boats of the Institution were also launched, and the Society's two life- boats at Tynemouth likewise came to do honour to the occasion. A public dinner terminated the proceedings of the day, and the life-boat and carriage were subsequently forwarded on to their station at West Hartlepool.

WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.—The life-boat and carriage here having been found on inspection to be unfit for further service, have been replaced by a new boat and carriage, which, were forwarded there by the Institution in January last. The first life-boat was the gift to the Society of the late A. W. JAFFRAY, Esq., and, like that boat, the new one is named the Lucy. It is a 32-feet 10,-oared boat, and it has already been of service, having in August last been the means of bringing safely into harbour the schooner Mary and Jane, of Sunderland, and her crew of 4 men. The vessel would inevitably have been wrecked but for the assistance of the life-boat, as before the boat reached her she was driving across the rocks into the broken water. The old life-boat had done good work in its time, it having contributed to the saving of 65 Jives from various wrecks.

APPLEDORE, DEVON.—This life-boat esta- blishment has been provided with a small life-boat, in addition to the boat already on the station, at the request of the local resi- dents. There was already a spare life-boat house, as some years since Appledore was supplied with two life-boats. One of them, however, the smaller one, became unfit for service, and had to be broken up. It was locally thought at that time that, inasmuch as the Bristol trade was then chiefly carried on at the eastern side of Lundy Island, it was not necessary to replace the boat, but recently, after a shipwreck which had taken place in Bideford Bay, the local residents considered it desirable to have two life-boats, and the Institution has accordingly com- plied with their wish, remembering the fact that there is a very dangerous bar and out- lying sand off this place. The new boat is 30 feet long, 6 feet wide, rows 6 oars single banked, and is provided with a transporting carriage. The cost of the boat and equipment was defrayed from a legacy bequeathed to the Institution by the late Mrs. MARY ANN WALKER, of Bristol, the boat being named the Mary Ann. In addi- tion to that sum, WILLAM YEO, Esq., of Appledore, an active member of the local Committee of Management, gave the very liberal sum of 100L in aid of the future maintenance of the life-boat station. The new life-boat was placed on its station on the 21st February last, in the presence of a very large assemblage of persons. The boat, before being launched that, day for the first time, was named by Miss YEO, who ex- pressed a hope that God might speed it, and make it instrumental in His hands in saving many lives from the perils of shipwreck.

On being tested under oars and canvas, the boat was found to answer admirably, and all present were much pleased with it. The London and South Western. Railway Com- pany kindly gave the boat a free conveyance to Bideford over their line,

KINSGATE, KENT.—This life-boat, which is a very small one, intended to go off to vessels ashore on the " Main," has to be hauled up and down a long and steep gap- way in the cliffs from the boat-house to the beach; and as the boat formerly on the station, after a long trial, was pronounced by the crew to be too heavy for them, both ashore and afloat, a special boat has been designed and placed at Kingsgate, the other being removed to make way for it. The new boat is 30 feet long, and pulls 6 oars, and it is furnished with a two-wheeled trans- porting carriage, also constructed specially to meet the requirements of this life-boat esta- blishment. The boat bears the name of the much-respected Deputy Chairman of the Institution, THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq., as a compliment to him for his long and valuable co-operation in the management of the great and national work of the institution.

As stated in a previous number of the Life-boat Journal, the Newhaven life-boat had been named after, him by the Commit- tee ; but the Trustees of the late THOMAS B,OYS, Esq., formerly of Bishopsgate Street, a very liberal contributor to the Society, having recently expressed an earnest desire that the Institution would allow a life- boat near Brighton to be named the Eliza- beth Boys, Mr. CHAPMAN, in the most hand- some and courteous manner, requested the Committee to transfer his boat to Mrs. BOYS, and this change has accordingly been effected.

The Kingsgate new life-boat and carriage arrived at their station on the 14th April last, being taken free from London by the South Eastern Railway Company, and the crew were favourably impressed with them, and considered they would be able to get the. life-boat down the gapway and over the beach much more readily than they were able to do with the old boat.