GORLESTON, SUFFOLK.—The first Life- boat service in the year 1872 was, that on the 1st January, by the boat on this station, it happening to be the only service performed by a Life-boat of the Institution on New Year's Day, 1872.

The schooner Sybil, of Yarmouth, bound to that port from the North, with coals, was entering the river Yare in tow of a steamer, when the tow rope parted, and she drove on the North Sand. The wind was blowing fresh from the S.S.W., and a high sea was running at the time. Signals of distress having been hoisted by those on board the vessel, the Life-boat Leicester put off and saved them, 5 in number.

The schooner afterwards became a total wreck.

GREAT YARMOUTH.—Early on the morn- ing of the following day, the large Life- boat on the adjoining station of Yarmouth, named the Mark Lane, was called out by signals of distress shown from the brig Marie, of Colchester, which was in a sink- 1 ing state in Yarmouth Roads in a strong wind from the S.S.W., and a high sea.

The Life-boat men were at once requested by the Master to endeavour to save the vessel; accordingly some of them went on board, and after six hours hard work at the pumps the brig was freed of water, and then taken safely into harbour.

Two days afterwards the same Life-boat was again launched during a gale from the S.S.W., and in a heavy sea, and assisted the barque Elltn, of Llanelly, into a place of safety, she being in distress at the time.

It was not without great risk that the Life-boat could be got afloat on this oc- casion on account of the high surf sweep- ing over the beach.

The small Life-boat on this station, the Duff, did good service on the 22nd March in saving the Master and crew of 7 men from the brig Viscount Lambton, of Roches-ter, which had gone on Yarmouth Beach, ; near the North Star Battery, during a i gale from the E.S.E., and in a very heavy sea.

Again, on the 9th December, the Duff was taken off to the brig Rusco Castle, of London, which was in a distressed con- dition on the edge of the Scroby Sand, j while it -was blowing a heavy gale from [ the W. S.W. Fortunately, with the assist- ance of a steamer, the Life-boat was enabled to get the vessel and her crew of 1 men safely into harbour.

"While she was rendering this service, the Mark Lane Life-boat had gone off to a vessel which had sunk in the Roads, but no traces could be found of the crew of that ill-fated ship. The boat was returning when she was hailed by the schooner Isabella Granger, of Whitby, which, while riding at anchor in Yar- mouth Roads, opposite the Monument, had lost anchors and chains. Some of the Life-boat men having boarded this vessel, and the services of a steam-tug secured, she was also got into harbour, after the lapse of some hours.

MARYPORT, CUMBERLAND.—On the after- noon of the 4th January, a small schooner, called the Cygnet, of Workington, with a j cargo of slates, was making this harbour j when she struck on the North Bank, and j afterwards drifted behind the North Pier. | It was blowing a fresh gale from the W.S.W. at the time. When the perilous j position of the vessel was observed, the ' Life-boat Henry Nixson No. 1 was taken i to the assistance of the crew of 3 men, all I of whom she landed in safety.

ABERSOCH, NORTH WALES.—On the i afternoon of the 5th January, information reached this place that a large ship, with her foremast gone, was in distress 'in Car-digan Bay, about eight miles to the south- ward of Pencilan. The wind was blowing very strong at the time, with terrific showers and squalls, and a very heavy sea was running. Nevertheless, the Aber- eoch Life-boat Mabel Louisa was most promptly got out and launched, and in about three hours she succeeded in reach- ing the vessel, which proved to be the ship Ireland, of Liverpool, 975 tons, bound to that port with a valuable cargo of rice and cotton. It afterwards appeared that on New Year's Day she had been aban- doned by the Master and crew, all of whom were landed at Cardiff and New- port. At that time the weather was very bad, and she was said to be in a most perilous condition, the cargo having shifted, and there being a quantity of water in her hold. The vessel afterwards drifted along at the mercy of the wind and waves; and, on the weather modera- ting somewhat, two or three steamers took hold of her at different times, and tried hard to tow her into harbour, but failed to accomplish their object. Sis men belonging to one of them — the Egret—managed to board the ship, but four out of the six abandoned her again at the command of their captain. The two others remained on board until she drifted into Cardigan Bay, when she was saen by the steamship Rebecca, of Port- madoc, which endeavoured to tow her from her dangerous position. By that time she was fast driving, broadside on, towards the rocks off St. Tudwall Island, called the Half Tide Rocks, which were only about two or three miles under her lee. The moment the hawser became tight, however, it snapped, although it was a nearly new 6 or 7-inch Manilla rope. There was no other hawser available, and, as the wea- ther would not allow the ship to be boarded from the steamer, a gale of wind still blowing from the S.S.W., she could only remain by her for some time, until the Abersoch Life-boat was seen approaching, when the steamer took the boat in tow to the ship; and, after a long time, some of the crew of the Life- boat succeeded, though with considerable danger and difficulty, in getting on board the Ireland, the wind by that time having shifted to the N.W., although it blow with unabated violence. Another tow rope was then got to the steamer, but it quickly parted, and the Rebecca then proceeded to St. Tudwall Roads, where some vessels were lying at anchor; and from them she procured two fresh haw- sers, one of which was then attached to the Ireland, by means of which she was towed as far as the Roads; but before she could be brought to an anchor that hawser also parted. With the fourth one, however, she was eventually got to a plase of safety. Meanwhile those of the Life-boat crew who had boarded the ship, and others who were transferred to her from the Rebecca, had put things in order on board and set some sail; and with their help the vessel was safely anchored at 6 o'clock on the morning of the 6th Jan. She was ultimately towed  to Liverpool by a steam-tug employed by the owners, after the water had been pumped out of her. It is hardly neces- sary to,add that the crews of the steamer and the Life-boat, and those who had gone to her from the Rebecca, encountered con- siderable risk, besides which they under- went very great exertion and fatigue; but, fortunately, their bravery and per- severance were rewarded by their saving from total loss a vessel and cargo which were admitted to be worth over 12,OOOZ.

In addition, the two men of the Egret would certainly have been lost with the ship but for these services.

Another excellent service was per- formed by the Abersoch Life-boat, on the night of the 23rd November last, when sBe was the means, while the wind was blowing a furious gale from the W.S.W., at times approaching a hurricane, of saving the crew of 4 men from the schooner Maria, of Aberystwith, which had stranded on Castellmarch Beach. It was said that this was the worst weather the boat had ever been out in, and, owing to the heaviness of the gale, the very high sea that was running, and the dark- ness, it was not until three unsuccessful attempts had been made that the Life- boat was enabled to reach the wreck; and while performing this gallant service, she was three times filled by the heavy seas, which were, however, speedily self- ejected through the patent relieving valves with which these boats are fitted. The Life-boat was out all night engaged in this perilous work, she having been launched at 9 o'clock in the evening, and not getting back to her station until 6 o'clock on the following morning.

THE LIZARD, CORNWALL.—On the 10th Jan. the steam-tug Slasher, of Liver- pool, while on her way to that port with the ship Bolton Abbey in tow, fell in, about daybreak, with the schooner Van- guard, of Carnarvon, which had been in collision with a foreign barque, and was in a disabled state. She accordingly took her in tow also, and it was decided to make for Falmouth; but the weather being thick the master of the steamer was anxious for a pilot, and he therefore hoisted signals, which brought out the Lizard Life-boat to his assistance. Finding that only a pilot was needed, one of the crew of the Life-boat was placed on board the steamer, and the boat returned to its station. The three vessels, piloted by the Life-boat man, were afterwards taken into Falmouth Harbour in safety.

PORTHOUSTOCK, CORNWALL.—The barque Cabinet, of Newcastle, went on the Manacle Eocks, off the Cornish coast, on the night of the llth Jan., after she had been de- tained in the Channel for more than a week through stress of weather. It was blowing strongly at the time from the S.S.W. The crew of the Life-boat Mary Ann Story assisted ashore 6 of the crew who had taken to their boat; and they re- ported that their ship was a total wreck, and that five of their comrades were in another boat, with only one oar on board.

The Life-boat was thereupon quickly got out, and proceeded before daybreak in the direction of the rocks, through a heavy ground sea, and, after a long search in the darkness, she came across the men, who were fortunately heard, and rescued from their perilous position. They had made several attempts to land, but were unable to do so on account of the heavy sea running at the time.

BROOKE, ISLE or WIGHT.—A ship was seen with a signal of distress flying about half a mile to the eastward of this place on the llth Jan., and the Life-boat at once proceeded off to her through a heavy ground sea, when she was found to be a Norwegian vessel of 134 tons register, bound from Newcastle to Smyrna with coals. She was in a disabled state, as she had been in collision with a barque. The Life-boat crew boarded her, and rendered all the assistance in their power, and she was ultimately taken to Cowes, one of the boat's crew remaining on board at the re- quest of the master, and the Life-boat itself proceeding with her as far as Black- COURTOWN, IRELAND.—Early on the morning of the 13th Jan. intelligence was received that a vessel was shewing signals of distress off this place. On the Life-boat Alfred and'Ernest being taken to the spot it was found that the ship Idaho, of Bath, U.S., 1,226 tons, bound from Liverpool to New Orleans with a general cargo, had stranded near the harbour. At the entreaty of the master she brought ashore his wife and child; and nine of the crew also rushed into the boat. In two other trips she NOVEMBER 1, 1873.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

571 afterwards landed, through a very heavy sea, the master and the remainder of those on the vessel, being 23 lives in all, the boat was fortunately enabled to save from the Wreck.

HOLYHEAD.—On the same evening during a heavy gale from the N.W., the Life-boat Princess of Wales on this station put off to the brigantine Form, of Liverpool, in reply to her signals of distress, and landed her crew of 6 men. The vessel was in the Outer Eoads, and was driving towards the Platter's Rock, at the time, and no other boat but the Life-boat dared venture out to her. The brigantine had parted one anchor, and was dragging the other, but the weather moderated, and she did not drive ashore after all; so the crew were taken off again to her the next morning.

BLYTH, NORTHUMBERLAND.—During a very heavy gale from the S.W. on the same night, signals of distress were shown from the brigantine Lothian, of this port, which had grounded on the Seaton Sea Eocks off the harbour's mouth. The Life-boat Sal- ford put off, but as it was low water she could not then g«t alongside the vessel, over which the sea was making a complete breach. Having ascertained, however, that the crew were safe, she encouraged them to hold on, as there was no immediate danger until the flood-tide made, when the Life- boat would be enabled to get to them.

Accordingly, some two hours afterwards they were safely landed in the boat.

ISLE OF WHITHORN, N.B.—On the 18th Jan. intelligence was received at the Isle of Whithorn that a large threes-masted vessel was at anchor in Luce Bay, in a position of some peril. The Charlie Peek Life-boat was thereupon quickly launched through a heavy sea, and, after a hard struggle of many hours, she reached the vessel, which proved to be the ship Ro- nachan, of Glasgow, which had parted from one of her anchors, with 60 fathoms of chain. The captain requested the Life- boat men to take ashore a message for a steam-tug to come to his assistance. The owners of the Ronachan defrayed the expenses of this service, which was of a very perilous character. i ST. ANDREW'S, N.B.—During a gale from the S.E., and in a heavy sea, on the 23rd Jan., a schooner was observed to run into St. Andrew's Bay at daybreak, in the di- rection of the West Sands, and close to the broken water. On a gun being fired to warn her of her dangerous position she stood about and hoisted a flag for a pilot; and, as no ordinary boat could go off to her, the Life-boat was launched, and after a hard pull she reached the schooner, when, at the request of the master, two of the Life-boat's crew went on board to assist in bringing the vessel into harbour, which was safely accomplished. The Life- boat in the meantime had gone out again to her with a Branch pilot, and while she was entering the harbour had remained by her, with ropos and other appliances ready to render further assistance if needed. The schooner was the Val, of Sandness, Norway, bound from Antwerp to Leith in ballast.

FILEY, YORKSHIRE.—Numerous vessels were at anchor under Speeton Cliffs on the 5th Feb., when a gale of wind sprang up from the S.S.E., accompanied by a very heavy sea, and one of them, the schooner Starling, of Yarmouth, was seen approach- ing Filey with signals of distress flying.

The Life-boat Hollon went off to her, and found she was in a leaky state; she then gallantly saved the whole of the crew, 5 in number.

On the 12th Feb. two of the Filey fishing vessels, the Admiral Mitford, and the Thomas and Mary, which were in the Bay, sent their small boats ashore with fish, leaving only a man and a boy in each yawl. While the men were occupied on the land the wind increased, and brought up a very heavy sea, and when they at- tempted to return to their yawls, they found it impossible to do so in their boats, one filling, and the other being nearly capsized, in the attempt. Finding such to be the case, the Life-boat was got out, and being filled with the men belonging to the two yawls and its own crew, it was most successfully launched and the men were put on board their respective crafts.

RAMSGATE, BROADSTAIRS, WALMER, and KINGSDOWNE.—These Life-boats, which are so frequently called out to assist the crews of vessels wrecked on the* fatal Goodwin Sands, were instrumental last year in performing the following services to distressed vessels and their crews:— On the 24th Feb. the barque Enchanter, bound from Shields to Monte Video, and laden •with coal, went ashore on the S.W. end of the Goodwin Sands while the wind was blowing strong from the S.S.W.

In response to the signals of distress from the Gull and South Sand Head Light- ships, the Ramsgate Harbour steamer Vulcan and Life-boat Bradford, the Walmer Life-boat Centurion, and the Kingsdowne Life-boat Sabrina, went off to the Sands through a heavy sea, but, before their arrival, the master of the stranded ship had secured the assistance of a steamer and one of the Deal luggers, and he there- fore declined further help. The Life- boats, however, remained by the vessel until she floated and was clear of the Sands, when they returned to their stations.

On the 19th March, the Ramsgate Steamer and Life-boat, and the Broadstairs Life-boat Samuel Morrison Collins, saved the crew of 8 men from the brig Defender, of Sunderland, which was wrecked on the N.W. spit of the Goodwin Sands during a fresh gale from the N.E., and in a very heavy sea. The Broadstairs Life-boat was the first to arrive at the scene of the wreck, but in running towards the vessel she was struck on the broadside by a tremendous sea, which in a second threw her on her beam-ends to the momentary consternation of her crew. She, however, behaved nobly, and elicited from the brave fellows their hearty approval.

She was full of water, but that was soon discharged. By this time she had been driven to leeward of the wreck, and the anchor had to be dropped, prior to a fresh attempt being made to go along- side. Meantime the Ramsgate Life-boat had been towed to windward, both tug and boat shipping much water, and the paddle-box of the steamer being damaged by the heavy seas. That Life- boat was then slipped, sail was made, and when she neared the vessel the anchor was let go, and she veered down abreast of her, when a line being thrown on board, she was hauled alongside between the heavy seas that were breaking over the wreck. In doing this much risk was in- curred ; the boat, indeed, having her stern damaged through being dashed against the side of the brig. With much difficulty the master and 7 of the crew were saved by the Ramsgate Life-boat; there was 1 man left, and he got into the ship's boat, and slipped down to the Broadstairs Life- boat and was saved.

On the 26th June the Kingsdowne Life- boat went off, in reply to signals of distress from the Light-ships on the Good- win Sands, to the steamer Uruguay, of Liverpool, which had gone on the Sands, and remained alongside the vessel until she floated.

Most admirable service was also per- formed on the morning of the 16th Oct.

by the Walmer Life-boat Centurion, as will be seen by the report furnished by the Coxswain of the Life-boat as follows.

He says, " It was blowing hard from the southward, with a heavy sea on the beach, when I observed a vessel on the Goodwin Sands; I immediately assembled the boat's crew and launched the Life-boat, and proceeded towards the Sands under a reefed storm foresail. On crossing the South Sand Heads in a tremendous sea, the boat filled seven or eight times, and 2 of our men were nearly washed over- board. After crossing the Sands we kept away towards the wreck, and on nearing her saw she was full of water, with the sea making a clean breach over her. Feel- ing it would be dangerous to go alongside, we let go the anchor to windward and dropped down towards her: we could see the crew huddled together before the foremast, with the seas breaking over them.

On reaching as near as possible, we managed—-with the assistance of the loaded cane and line—to get a rope to the vessel, and each man fastening it round his body, we hauled them through the broken sea; but the foremast going, and the seas running higher, when 2 only had been saved by this means, the remain- ing 2 men took to the mainmast, where there was great difficulty in communicating with them; but in about half an hour the maintopmast rigging gave way, and having hooked the wreck of this, the men were induced to slip down it into the sea, and get hold of the rope that we had secured to the wreck. In this way the remaining 2 men were saved, making in all 4 men, the entire crew of the vessel.

They were very much exhausted when taken into the boat. The wrecked vessel was the schooner Hero, of London, bound from Newcastle to Truro with a cargo of coals. In less than five minutes after the men were rescued from their perilous position, the wreck disappeared, and there was not a vestige of her to be seen. We lifted our anchor and proceeded towards the shore, where we hove up at 11 A.M., in the presence of a concourse of people who took hold of the capstan rope and hauled the boat up to the boat-house amidst the cheers of the people." The crew spoke in great praise of the perform- ance of the Life-boat on this occasion.

On the 14th Nov. the Ramsgate Life- boat put off, during a fresh gale from the E., to the assistance of a vessel which had gone ashore on the Kentish Knock. After some trouble, owing to the very heavy sea, the Life-boat reached the vessel, which proved to be the brig Marguerite, of Cher- bourg, with a crew of 8 men. With much difficulty the Life-boat succeeded, in con- junction with a Margate lugger, in towing the vessel safely into Ramsgate Harbour.

Again on the 14th Dec. the barque Jenny Lind, of Aland, sunk on the South- east spit of the Goodwin Sands during a fresh breeze from E.S.E. The Ramsgate Life-boat was launched, and succeeded in saving 2 of the crew. The Broad stairs Life-boat had also gone off to the wreck, but had bean anticipated by the Ramsgate boat, and a Deal lugger, which had saved 3 of the crew. When they arrived at the spot they found the vessel sunk, with only her topgallant forecastle and mizenmast above water, and those of the crew who were saved were found lashed in the mizen rigging.

On the following day the Kingsdowne Life-boat put off while it was blowing strongly from the S.W., and remained for some time alongside the ship Abyssinia, which had gone on the Goodwin Sands, but which was got off the Sands with the aid of a Deal lugger. The last service these valuable boats performed in 1872 was a very gallant and praiseworthy one, as will be seen by the following account, which is taken from the depositions made by the coxswains arid crews of the Walmer and Kingsdowne Life-boats:— " On the morning of the 17th December, we were summoned by the firing of minute guns and other signals of distress from some vessel on the Goodwin Sands, and at 3 A.M. we launched from Walmer and Kingsdowne simultaneously in the Cen- turion and Sabrina Life-boats, the wind blowing heavy from S.S.W., weather thick with rain. We proceeded in the direction of the signals, and, after encountering a fearful sea, we discovered a large steam- ship on shore on the inner part of the Goodwin, known as the Callipers. At 4 A.M. boarded the said vessel, which proved to be the Sorrento screw steamship from the Mediterranean, with a cargo of barley, and bound to Lynn. The master asked us to remain and float the vessel, if possible. We put on board the greater part of both Life-boat crews, who threw over cargo and carried out an anchor, with a view, if possible, of floating her off the Sands at flowing tide, but the wind and sea increasing, as the tide flowed, she soon became a total wreck, filling with water, and the heavy broken waves making a clean breach over her. At 11 A.M., think- ing the two Life-boats, the Centurion and Sabrina, were insufficient to rescue the whole of the steamer's crew, her ensign was hoisted, Union down, for more assist- ance, but none came, and at noon the Centurion Life-boat, which was then lying alongside, together with some of the steamer's boats were swept away, and the Life-boat was much damaged in her bows by a huge wave breaking bodily over the steamer, sweeping all before it, and caus- ing some of the ship's boats to come in collision with the Centurion, which was immediately swept, with the rest of the floating wreckage, into the surf, and to the back of the Sands altogether, leaving the greater part of their crew on board the steamer. The Sabrina Life-boat was anchored a short distance to windward, and the coxswain seeing the disaster happening to the Centurion; and feeling assured that a heavy loss of life must immediately follow, and that amongst the sufferers must have been his three sons, who had voluntarily accompanied him in the Life-boat, and were put on board the steamer, to try and float her from off the Sands, ordered the Sabrina to be im- mediately run alongside, though it should cost his own life and the rest of his boat's crew. This act was so successfully per- formed that the steamer's captain and his crew of 20 men, together with the pilot and the Life-boatmen, immediately leaped on board the Sabrina, which, with the whole party of no less than 46 persons, immediately sheered off, set a close-reefed foresail, and steered through the heavy boiling surf to the off edge of the Good-en in the Centurion were awaiting us at anchor, and to whom we transferred a necessary portion of the steamer's crew and Life-boatmen from the Sabrina, and then immediately proceeded, in company across the Sands in a very heavy sea, round the North Sand Head for Broadstairs, where we arrived in safety at quarter past 2 P.M." The Ramsgate Steamer and Life-boat had gone out to this wreck, but the other two Life-boats had arrived before them, and their services were not then required.

win, where our brethr

Afterwards the steamer was signalled for, but it was then impracticable for her to go near, on account of the very heavy sea which was breaking completely over the wrecked vessel.