THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION was held at the London Tavern, on Tuesday, the 21st day of March, 1876. His Grace The DUKE of NORTHUMBERLAND, P.O., D.C.L., President of the Institution, being unable to take the Chair, it was occupied by EARL PERCY, M.P. The following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— The year's transactions may be summarised as follows.

Life-boats.—Since the last Annual Report eighteen new Life-boats hare been placed on the coast—seven at new stations and eleven to replace old or inferior boats.

Fourteen of these have been supplied with transporting carriages, and twelve new boat-houses have been built.

The following are the stations at which these boats have been placed :— ANNUAL REPORT.

FIFTY-TWO years have now elapsed since the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION was first established, with the title of the NATIONAL SHIPWRECK INSTITUTION.

Since then its usefulness has not diminished, for trade and commerce have vastly increased, and the number of those who " go down to the sea in ships, and do their business in the great waters," has multiplied a hundredfold. Yet the risks of navigation have not grown less; the gales blow as of old; the dangers of our coast, with its rapid and varying tides, its treacherous outlying sandbanks, and sunken reefs, remain the same; and as a consequence, the number of fatal wrecks is even greater than before.

There is, accordingly, no probability that the demand for the Society's help will be less in the time to come than it has been in the past, or that a less noble field for philanthropic and Christian work will present itself.

The Committee, therefore, with, grateful recollection of the munificent support and encouragement which have already been afforded them, once more appeal *to their countrymen for a continuance of their confidence and favour.

ENGLAND AND WALES.

DURHAM . .

YORKSHIRE .

ESSEX . . .

KENT . . .

DORSET .

CHANNEL ISLANDS SOMERSET .

GLAMORGANSHIRE CARDIGANSHIRE ANGLESEA .

CUMBERLAND .

NORTHUMBERLAND Cresswell.

Tynemouth.

Sunderland.

Hartlepool.

Staithes.

Hornsea.

Harwich.

Hythe.

Swanage.

Guernsey.

Watched.

Penarth.

Aberystwith.

Holyhead.

Seascale.

SCOTLAND.

FORFARSHIRE . . Broughty Ferry (Dundee).

IRELAND.

Co. DOWN . . . Tyrella.

Co. WEXFOHD . . Courtown.

During the past year the Institution's Life-boats have saved seven hundred and twenty-six persons, nearly the whole of them tinder perilous circumstances, when ordinary boats could not have been employed without extreme risk to those on board of them.

The Institution's Life-boats now number 254.

Shipwrecks. — Numerous as are the wrecks on the shores of the United Kingdom, more especially on the east coast of England, and on the outlying banks off the entrance to the Mersey (the intricate passages between which have to be threaded by the innumerable vessels trading with the great port of Liverpool), we have, happily, not often to record the loss of an emigrant or other passenger ship. During the year 1875, however, two splendid passenger steamers have been wrecked, viz., the Schiller, on one of the rocky reefs of the Scilly Islands, in May last, when no less than 331 of her passengers and crew were drowned; and the Deutschland, on the 6th of December, when 57 unhappily perished. In both cases the vessels were of German nationality, and in both many more lives, if not indeed all, might have been saved had there been any means of communicating with the nearest port, or life-boat station, immediately after the disaster occurred.

In the case of the DeutsMand much excitement was occasioned, both in this country and in Germany, from misapprehension as to the facts of the case, and a suspicion that all was not done that might have been to rescue the unfortunate persons whose lives were imperilled. But the subsequent Board of Trade inquiry into the circumstances of the case proved that everything practicable had been done, and that not only were the authorities and people of the port of Harwich free from blame, but they were entitled to much credit for their humane exertions on the occasion.

Should these two melancholy disasters lead to improved means for communication with the shore from our distant lightships, whether by telegraph or other- wise, some good will have' resulted from them. This question is, however, surrounded by difficulties.

While the storms of the past winter have been of unusual frequency and violence, they were fortunately not of long duration. The services of the Life-boats on every occasion were, as usual, of the most determined character, j and in nearly every instance were at- [ tended with complete success. The result of these noble services, as before stated, has been the saving of 726 lives from various wrecked vessels by Life- boats, in addition to 30 ships saved from destruction.

The Committee have frequently had to express their unbounded admiration of the conduct of many of the Life-boat crews, who, in their desire that no time should be lost, have often rushed into the Life-boat houses, put on their life-belts, and jumped into the boats, when in- sufficiently fed and clad, and in this state have endured hours of ceaseless toil and exposure. Probably at no former period in the history of the Institution has this endurance and promptitude been more strikingly shown than during the gales of last winter.

As one illustration out of many others, the following case may be cited: A Nor- wegian barque having been wrecked on.

the Shipwash sandbank on the 7th January last, the Ramsgate Life-boat, summoned by telegram from Harwich, was towed by j the steam-tug Aid no less than 45 miles I to the scene of the disaster, only to find ! on arrival there that the shipwrecked crew had already been saved by the Harwich steam-tug Liverpool. Together with another 45 miles on her return, the 15 poor fellows on board had been sitting in their boat, with the seas and spray breaking over them through their whole terrible voyage, not less than four- teen hours in a freezing atmosphere.

They got home, but in a benumbed and half-frozen state.

"Fortunate, then, is the country," as It may be also stated that the launches the Swedish newspaper ' Dagens Nyheter ' of the Life-boats, unattended with posi- put it, when referring to the noble ser- tive results, have, as in previous years, vices, on the 6th January last, of the been during the past year very frequent. Cresswell Life-boat, " which p assesses men But on such occasions there is no time and women like those who, On that icy for hesitation, and the Life-boat proceeds January morning, flew to the rescue of the out at once to offer help, which, as it Swedish steamer and her crew of 13 men often happens, the vessel in distress may and 3 women." not, from various subsequent causes, ultimately need. Life-boatmen, however, can The services of the Life-boats of the never tell, till they actually reach an ap- Institution during the whole year may parently distressed vessel, that their aid thus be briefly epitomised : — is not required ; while in many doubtful cases failure to act may mean death. In addition to the efficient services of 1875. Number of Life- vessels Lives the Life-boats, hundreds of lives are saved boat launches. Saved. Saved. every year by meang of the Rocket-Apparatus, belonging to the BOARD OP January 34 27 22 3 us TRADE, and worked so efficiently by the 3 45 Coastguard and the Rocket Volunteer 16 7 5 2* Brigades. June, July, and August 16 1 14 The number of lives saved during the September .... 12 44 ] fifty-two years from the establishment of November .... 48 8 us the Institution in 1824, to the end of the December .... 20 1 51 year 1875, either by its Life-boats or by Total .... 246 30 726 special exertions for which it has granted In the No. of Lives In lie No. of Lives in the No. of Lives In the No. of Lives In the No. of Lives Year Saved. . Year Sav •d. Year Saved. Year Saved. Year Saved. 1824 124 ! 1835 364 1846 134 1857 374 1868 862 1825 218 1836 225 1 1847 157 1858 427 1869 1,231 1826 175 1837 272 1848 123 1859 499 1870 784 182T 163 1838 45S 1849 209 1860 455 1871 882 1828 301 1839 279 1850 470 1861 424 1872 739 1829 463 1840 353 1851 230 1862 574 1873 668 1830 372 • 1841 128 1852 773 1863 714 1874 713 1831 287 1842 276 1853 678 1864 698 , 1875 921 1832 310 184S 93 i«ii si*; ISR.I; 714 1833 449 1844 193 1855 406 1866 921 i Total. 23,789 1834 214 1845 235 1856 473 1867 1,086 ; ~" ~ ! The Committee cannot help again ex- of Thanks inscribed on vellum, and 3,289Z. pressing their thankfulness for this glo- have been granted for saving the lives of rious harvest of human lives saved, as 921 persons by Life-boats, shore and the reward of the Institution's unceasing fishing boats, and by other means, on exertions for more than fifty-two years, in the coasts and outlying sandbanks of the the " preservation of life from shipwreck " United Kingdom. on the coasts of the British Isles — the main The Committee continue to devote much object of the founders of the Institution. time and careful consideration to the granting of these Rewards. Each case is Rewards. — In the Appendix a summary minutely inquired into,in the first instance, is given of the cases in which honorary through the valuable co-operation of the and other rewards have been voted. During Officers of Coastguard and Customs, the the past year 12 Silver Medals, 18 Votes local Honorary Secretaries of the several Branches of the Institution, or other responsible persons; and afterwards they are in succession, thoroughly sifted and considered by the preparatory Committee, previous to their being sanctioned by the General Committee at their monthly meet- ings.

The Committee again tender their thanks to the Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves, and the Officers and men of the Coastguard Service, for their continued co-operation.

Since the establishment of the Institution, it has expended on Life-boat establishments, and other means for saving life from Shipwreck, upwards of 388,0002., and has voted 92 Gold and 871 Silver Medals for saving life, besides pecuniary rewards to the amount of 48,2002.

Local Committees.—The Committee have the satisfaction of acknowledging the continued valuable and earnest co-operation afforded them by the Local Branch Committees, and their Honorary Secretaries, which constitute so important a portion of the machinery for the supervision of the Institution's numerous Life-boat establishments, and the collection of funds for their support. » Finances.—-The donations, subscriptions, and dividends during the year 1875 hare been 39,835?. 15s. 4d., of which sum 12,9321. 9s. 6d. were special gifts to defray the cost of the following thirteen Life- boats :— £. s. d.

Balbriggan—Mrs. Langworthy . . 1,000 0 0 Broughty Ferry—English Mechanic Life-boat Fund, per J. Passmore Edwards, Esq. 402 9 6 Cruden~A " Scot Abroad"... 500 0 0 Guernsey — Mrs. and the Misses Lockett 550 0 0 Hartlepool, No. 2.—G. P. Wragge, Esq., on behalf of the late Kev.

Charles logleby 1,500 0 0 Harwich—Miss Bormester ... 550 0 0 Holyhead—Samuel, John, and Joseph Fielden, Esqs 2,500 0 0 Hythe—Miss Hannah de Rothschitd 2,000 0 0 Penarth— The Hon. Mrs. Joseph Denman 550 0 0 Tynemouth, No. 1.—Civil Service Life-boat Fund, per- Charles Dib- dia, Esq., F.K.G.S 480 0 0 Tyrella—The Misses Frances and £. s. d.

Kate Peach 400 0 0 Yarmouth, No. 2.—M. B,. . . . 500 0 0 : . Miss Anne Dixon 2,000 0 0 TheCommitteehave also the gratification to acknowledge the receipt, since the last Report, of the following other special and munificent contributions:— " A Gift, iu the event of being lost »t sea, by the late Mr. John Beverley Piliey, of Boston, Lincolnshire, •who perished in a Cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico, with all hands, in the schooner OWfenper, oa his passage from New Orleans to Jamaica, October, 1873"... 26 5 0 A German Governess and her Pupils 0 14 0 " An Old Sailor, native of Favershain, now of Canada, through Mrs. Ana Jones, of Faversham" . . . . 40 0 0 Benaa, ship, of Leith, Officers and Crew on voyage to and from Cal- cutta, per Captain 3. Ross ... 286 Burnley, St. James" School, Pupils at, per Charles Everson, Esq. . . 5 10 0 Clevedon Life-boat Fund, per Mrs. E. Lavington, including 20i. 18s.

Id. collected by her Pupils during the half-year ending 30th June, 1875 48 8 2 " For those in peril oil the Sea " . . 550 Grundisburgh, Suffolk, proceeds of Penny Readings, per &. F. B.

Perry, Esq. . - 10 0 0 Hickes, Mrs. A. I., the late, of Bath, per Miss Hickes, through Thomas Chapman, Esq., F.R.S 100 0 0 " In Memoriam" 100 0 0 " In Memory of M. M. M.," annual subscription 10 0 0 Lancashire Rifle Volunteers, collected after a sermon in the camp of the 3rd Administrative Batta- lion, per Lieut.-Col. Dugdale . . 11 0 0 Licensed Victuallers' School, Miss English, Matron, Officers, and ' Children, in aid of support of Licensed Victualler Life-boat at Hunstanton 330 Lytham, proceeds of a collection in the Parish Church of St. Cuthbert, on the occasion of the Harvest Festival, on the 13th October, per Rev.

H. B. Hawkins, M.A 22 19 10 Meihony, Messageries Maritimes steamer, collected on board, on voyage from Shanghai to Mar- seilles, per Capt. Richard Gibbon 900 Nyanza, U.S.S., collected by Passengers, on her homeward voyage from Cape Town 10 11 6 Railway Clearing House Contribu- tion Box, per Mr. H. Tnrnei . 

455 £. *. d.

40 0 0 St. Michael's Church, collections after services on 2nd January, 1876, per Rev. W. Hunt, M.A 31 17 0 S. Michael's (Paddington), collec- tions in aid of support of S.

Michael's Life-boat, per Rev. G. F. Prescott, M.A. 80 0 0 Thorngate, William, Esq., the late, Trustees of, per Henry Compigne, Esq., annual subscription ...

10 10 0 Triumph, H.M.S., part proceeds of Amateur Theatrical Entertain- ment at Madeira by the Officers, per Lieut. Keppel H. Foote, R.N.

LEGACIES IN 1875-6.

50 0 0 400 0 f 105 0 0 Ainslie, Rev. George, M.A., Denbigh Street, S.W Bentinck, Lady Charles Cavendish, (Consols) Chellingworth, Miss, Grendon Court, Ross, Hereford Clifford, Thomas, Esq., 5 Shares in Dublin and Glasgow Steam Packet Company.

50 0 0 368 16 1 Cowen, Sir Joseph, Stella Hall . .

Dickman, Capt. W. H., R.N. . .

Dolling, Miss Elizabeth, Seaton 100 1,000 50 100 40 100 10 500 19 50 300 500 100 19 50 200 20 1,000 160 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Knolls, Salop Finnic, John, Esq., Altrincham .

Garnham, Harrington, Esq., Brighton Gibb, Benttiah, Esq., Deptford . .

Gibson, Miss Mary, Norwich (Stock) Godin, Miss Sarah, Maida Vale .

Harkness, Mrs. Grace, Carsethorn .

Harrison, Miss H. M., Bath . . .

Hay, Mrs. M. A., Hull Hooper, Mr. W. D., Ilfracombe . .

Irvine, Mrs. Susanna, Geneva . .

Lewthwaite, Miss Sarah, Bowdon Liddell, Henry, Esq., Hull . . .

Magnus, Simon, Esq., Chatham . .

Marshall, Mrs. Barbara, Glasgow .

May, Dr. H. S., Exeter . . . '.

Peters, George, Esq., Bushey . .

Pickersgill, Henry Wm., Esq., E.A.

Rayment, Mrs. Dorothy, Dartmouth Roberts, W. H., Esq., Swansea . .

Sheppard, Frederick, Esq., Folking- 2,000 0 0 200 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 550 100 0 0 19 19 0 19 19 0 19 19 0 ton, Sussex .......

Smith, John, Esq., Hull ....

Smitheman, John, Esq., Bryn Alt, Hertford Stead, Mrs. Susan, Lansdowne Park, Helensburgh Stephen, Alexr., Esq., Aberdeen Watkins, Capt. W., K.N., Croydon .

Whetstone, Mrs. Mary, Leicester .

Winsor, F. A., Esq., Lincoln's Inn Fields Wood, John, Esq., Wigton . . .

During the past year 15,5891. 10s. 8d.

were expended on additional Life-boats, transporting carriages, boat-houses, and necessary gear; 9,84:01. 13s. lid. in re- pairs, painting, refitting, &c.; and 8,284Z.

7s. 8d. in rewards for services to ship- wrecked crews, coxswains' salaries, and quarterly practice of the Life-boats' crews: making altogether, including liabilities amounting to 3,3581. 19s. on Life-boat Houses now in course of construction, and other expenses, a total of 39,4952. 7s. 5d.

The items of receipt and expenditure are detailed in the financial statement an- nexed to this report, audited as usual by Mr. LOVELOCK, public accountant.

For more than twenty years the Com- mittee have had the great satisfaction of reporting annually the slow but constant progress of the work of the Institution, which to-day covers nearly the whole coasts of the British Isles.

The public, fully recognising the importance of the great work which the Committee have undertaken, have not been slow in testifying their appreciation; on the contrary, they have given them every encouragement, which, from year to year, continues to be extended in the most generous manner. Thus assured and animated, they are prepared afresh for renewed exertions, feeling it a privilege to uphold and extend a work which has been so manifestly blessed by Almighty God.

They are deeply sensible that much remains yet to be done, and which can only be done successfully by the continued liberal support of the public. The thousands of men who, instead of being to- day valuable members of our busy commercial community, in the absence of the services of Life-boats, would almost to a certainty have been engulfed by the raging tempests, leaving, in too many cases, widows and orphans to mourn their loss—plead on behalf of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION in far more eloquent terms than any human language can express or testify.