WHEN it is remembered how large an amount of property, and "what numberless human lives have been sacrificed by the loss of vessels during the night, and more espe- cially on the outlying sandbanks and rocks around out own. coasts, it seems somewhat I singular that no universal system of Bight j signals for succour has ever been adopted, to make known to those on the neighbouring shore the character of disasters, and the nature of the aid required.

An old authority says, "If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for the battle ?" As yet, however, the maritime world, which is more espe- cially interested in the matter, has been sa- tisfied with the vague and simple cry for help, exhibited in the shape of a mere light, the burning of a tar-barrel, or, in the case of a few of the larger classes of ships which are provided with such things, the throwing tip of a rocket or the firing of a gun, Even Great Britain, sailing in the "van of maritime and commercial nations, has in this sense, to use a figure of speech advanced not a step beyond the lower animal world, or of the infant human being, which can but scream, or cry, or moan, being un- able to pronounce any articulate sound.

The cry for help alone pierces through the gloom; 'but the watchman on the land knows not what description of help is needed.

Now it is time that such a primitive, such an aboriginal state of things, was remedied.

In the first place, there can be no doubt that many a valuable ship and cargo have been altogether lost which might have been saved, had any intelligible means been available to make known the character of the aid re- quired; for loss of time in such cases is often loss of everything.

Again, it frequently happens that great and unnecessary expense, inconvenience, and risk of life are incurred, which might have been avoided. For instance, a vessel strands on an outlying bank or on the edge of a reef of rocks; her crew exhibit lights, or make some other equally vague signal for help, A life-boat, provided and supported by public benevolence, is at once launched, at an ex- pense of 151 or WL, only on arrival at the scene of danger to be told that its services are not required; but its crew are requested, on their return to the shore, to send off a steamer or a party of hovellers, with an anchor and cable or hawsers, to aid the vessel's crew to get her once more afloat, or with boats to lighten her of a part of her cargo; and in the mean time a gale may come on, and the help, when it arrives, may be too late.

The important question then arises, what description of signals could be devised which would be so intelligible, so unmistakable, that they could not be misunderstood, and so simple and few in number that they could be readily learned by the ordinary coast boatmen of any country, and might be generally adopted by all maritime nations ? The introduction of such a general system would be rendered comparatively easy by merely adapting to the purpose the coloured lights which are already in use by the ves- sels of all nations to lessen the risk of col- lision. By the English Merchant Shipping Act of 1854, every British vessel is compelled to have on board the means for exhibiting a red, a green, and a white light; the red to be shown at all hours during the night, when under weigh, from the port bow; the green from the starboard bow; and the white, or plain light, to be displayed from the mast- head, when at anchor in a roadstead or on an open coast.

We will endeavour to explain how this desirable object might be effected, and we would earnestly invite the attention of our mercantile and marine authorities to the subject.

In the first place, then, the present simple alarm signal, or cry for help, should not be discontinued. Let the tar-barrel be burned, the turpentine " flare" be lit, the rocket thrown up, or the gun be fired, to signify distress and help needed. Those signals would still be just as intelligible as they are now, and therefore, if from circumstances which might sometimes occur, no further signals could be made, vessels so situated would at least be no worse off than they now are.

The explanatory signals would then be supplementary to the present rudimental ones, and would define the character of the help required. They need be very few in number; and the red and green lights al- ready in general use would suffice to make six distinct signals, which would probably be sufficient. Thus a red light, shown alone, might at all times signify danger to life, and imply that if a life-boat were in the locality, her services were required. On the other hand, a green light, shown alone, might sig- nify that the danger was to property only, and that the aid of the ordinary coast boat- men, who, under the names of hovellers and beachmen, earn a livelihood by such services, was alone required.

The power to make these two supple- mental signals only would be a considerable step in advance; but the two lights com- bined would make four more signals:—thus, placed horizontally, a few feet apart, green to the right of red might imply a steam-tug required; whilst green to the left of red might imply the want of a boat with kedge- anchor and warps. Again, placed vertically, red above green might mean a large anchor and cable; and green above red might sig- nify large boats to discharge cargo and lighten ship.

If a white light were used together with the red and green ones, no less than twenty- seven different signals might be made with them, their position being varied horizon- tally and vertically; but we are inclined to think that the introduction of a white light might occasion confusion, and that the six signals above indicated, which could readily be committed to memory, would suffice.

It would also be a farther advantage if passenger ships and other large vessels were provided with rockets, some bursting with a single brilliant red star, and others with a single green one, the stars remaining visible for fifteen or twenty seconds, to have the same signification as the single red and green lights; which rockets on such ships ground- ing on outlying banks or rocks would be seen at longer distances than the lights exhi- bited from the deck. If the Trinity Board would then supply the light-vessels round our coasts with similar lights and rockets in lieu of those which they now have, they would also be able to repeat the definite signals of distressed and stranded ships, in- stead of merely spreading the vague cries for help which they now do.

Already the life-boat stations of the NA- TIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION are provided with such red and green hand-lights and rockets; so that if the above suggestions were to be carried out, a universal and uniform system would be at once established, which we believe would largely contribute to the saving of human lives and of property.