XXXI.—ST. DAVID'S.

Augusta, 32 feet long, 7 feet 6 inches beam, 10 oars The Augusta was stationed at St. David's in 1869 her cost being subscribed by the Earl of Dart- mouth's tenantry in Staffordshire and Yorkshire, and after being exhibited in the vicinity of Wol- verhampton, she was placed on her station in Pem- brokeshire, at St. Justinian, near St. David's Head.

Probably no wilder or more secluded spot could be found on the coasts of these islands than that selected as the station of the Augusta.

The boat-house is built in a small inlet at the foot of the cliffs, which tower perpendicularly over it, and which are the westernmost sea boundaries of a district of peculiarly weird aspect: an irregular expanse of dark grey rocks rising abruptly from a treeless expanse of field and bog. A scene, in fact, that, notwithstanding a certain wild charm which it possesses, requires the sun of the brightest summer to render cheerful.

The boat descends from the house down a very steep beach of smooth, large stones, to the water, and is then afloat in Ramsey Sound. Eight oppo- site the station is the island of Ramsey, lying at a distance of 1 mile to 1J mile from the main land, between which and through the Sound races during the greater part of every twenty-four hours a tide so rapid that the fastest boats would find it difficult to stem it.

Nevertheless, it has happened that when vessels have been dismasted or otherwise in distress to seaward of the Isle of Ramsey, aid has been rendered by boats slipping out of the Sound and passing by the lee of the island.

From the exposed position of the" rocks, which everywhere abound there, and the deep water which surrounds them, vessels once on shore are rarely saved, and any sort of boat work, whether under- taken by Life-boat or fishing-boat, is extremely perilous.

Three miles westward of the south end of Ramsey is the celebrated South Bishop Rock, marked by a lighthouse, and about the same distance to the north-west of the north end of the same island is the North Bishop. Between them are the rocky islets of Dauf raich, Carreg-Rhason, Maen-Ehason, and many another dangerous isolated rock, round which rapid tides for ever race, and the troubled sea is rarely calm.

Before the erection of the lighthouse no more fatal maze in which to be caught than that of the " Bishop and his Clerks " existed, even on the wild coast of Pembroke.

George Owen, the antiquary, wrote : "A sea- borde of this Island of Ramsey rangeth in order, the Bishop and his clerks, being seven in number, always seen at low water, who are not without some smaller quiristers, who show not themselves but at spring tides and calm seas.

" The Bishop and these his clerks preach deadly doctrine to their winter audience, such poor sea- faring men as are forced thither by tempest: only in one thing are they to be commended, they keep residence better than rest of the canons of that See are wont to do !" About the year 1780, a Swedish vessel being wrecked on one of these rocks, the crew, unknown to the people on the adjacent land, managed to gain its shelter, and remained on it through terrible exposure till about to perish of starvation, but one day a lady chancing to observe with a telescope the rock, became convinced that she saw persons moving on it, and in spite of the opposite opinion being held by fishermen and others, she herself in- sisted on being taken off through very tempestuous weather, and thereby many of the poor Swedes were saved, though in the last stage of starvation.

A curious story is told of the building of the Smalls lighthouse in 1773, the Smalls being the name of some isolated rocks 21 miles to the west- ward of St. David's.

When the house was still unfinished, Mr. White- house, the engineer who designed and built it, was, with two workmen, kept prisoner for many weeks by the continuance of violent storms, and being at last reduced to great extremity from want of food, they threw overboard three bottles, each containing a description of their desperate state.

This was on the 1st of February, 1773.

Each bottle had been placed in" a cask, with the inscription " Open me" on it. One cask was picked up in Galway Bay on the 7th of April, and the intelligence instantly forwarded by the Mayor of Galway over the Channel to St. David's—no easy or quick operation in the year 1773.

The second cask was picked up a long time afterwards on Newgall Sands; and the third, a few days after it had been sent forth on the forlorn hope errand, drifted ashore under the windows of the same lady (Mrs. Williams) who had been the means of saving the Swedes, and its message having been immediately acted on, the occupants of the lighthouse were only barely saved from starvation.

Shortly after the new lighthouse was opened, one of the two lightkeepers who were on duty in the lighthouse died The storms had cut off all communication with the shore. Weeks after, when aid arrived, the solitary occupant was found still watching the putrid body of his companion, afraid to bury it for fear of being accused of murder.

Abo ut two miles from the Life-boathouse is the cathedral of St. David's. St. Patrick is said, in some legends, from the rocky hills about the cathedral, then a small chapel, to have gazed on the Irish hills before he sailed thither on his mis- sionary work. In later times, the pilgrimage to St. David's twice was considered equal to a pil- grimage to Rome.

There are not many fishermen on this part of the coast, but enough good boatmen are to be found in the neighbourhood to man the Life-boat when required. Captain JOHN REES is the Honorary Secretary of this branch.

XXXII.—WHITHORN.

The Charlie Peek, 33 feet long, 8 feet 6 inches beam, 10 oars.

THIS Life-boat was placed in a small bay on the eastern ridge of a promontory which, protruding southwards from the general run of the coast, divides the bays of Wigton and Luce.

The boat is kept in a house built on a small neck of land connecting the so-called Isle of Whit- horn with the main land, and has the advantage of good launching places, with the wind in any direction, either on one side or the other of the island. The coast is wild and exposed, and the Charlie Peek has performed some excellent service at different times, though there is not a very ex- tensive over-sea traffic from that coast.

The station was formed in 1868, and the boat launched for the first time in April 1869.

ALEXANDER MACFIE, Esq., is the Honorary Secretary for the branch, and an excellent crew is provided from among the fishermen who reside in the port.

XXXIII. AND XXXIV.—DROGHEDA.

Old George Irlam, of Liverpool, 32 feet long, 7 feet 6 inches beam, 10 oars.

John Ratter Charley, 32 feet long, 7 feet 6 inches beam, 10 oars  THE mouth of the Boyne has a Life-boat Station on either side of its entrance.

Vessels, mostly coasters, making for the river come on shore outside the bar, and on the adjacent shores, and it is therefore necessary that a boat should be able to start from either station on its carriage by land, to get under the lee of the wreck before launching, and if there were a boat only on one side it would frequently have to be launched into the river, rowed across it, and remounted on the opposite bank before commencing its lane journey to the scene of the wreck. Sometimes the wrecks are on the bar, and then both Life-boats endeavour to get to her by launching into the river and rowing out of it against the storm ; but in some state of the tides, with easterly gales, this is both difficult and perilous. Some very good ser- vice has been done by both Life-boats.

Since 1869, when the Old George Irlam, of Liver- pool, was first stationed on the north side of the river, she has saved 40 lives ; the Life-boat which was on the station previously having saved 1£ lives between 1856, when the station was firs formed by the Institution, and 1868, giving 5! lives saved by the north-side boat; while on the south side, which station was established in 1872 30 lives have been saved. The Old George Irlam of Liverpool, was so named at the request of Miss IRLAM, who left the Institution a legacy of 1,000/ in order to establish a station in memory of he late father.

The Honorary Secretary on the north side i Mr. N. HALLIGAN, and on the south side W. B BBABAZON, Esq.

XXXV.—RAMSGATE.

Bradford, 40 ft. long, 10 ft. 4 in. beam, 12 oars.

To Life-boat is more distinguished in the annals f life-saving than the one stationed at Ramsgate.

Placed in the position best adapted for operations n the sands—most fatal to wrecks—the Goodwins, ided at all times by two powerful steam-tugs, which are most ably and gallantly commanded, and being also in immediate communication by care- ully arranged signals with the light-vessels on the sands, who ride out the gales in full view of any wrecks, no time is lost in getting ready for sea, is one of the best crews on the coast, and the term must be severe indeed which prevents steamer and Life-boat at least from making- the attempt at rescue. The Bradford was built by subscriptions raised in that town, and placed on ler station, under the management of H.M. BOARD OF TRADE, early in 1866: she replaced on the station a worn-out and inefficient boat of the Northumberland type. A temporary Life-boat laced at Ramsgate while the Bradford was build- ing saved 29 lives, and the Bradford has saved lives: thus giving the station 364 lives saved, besides many valuable ships got afloat, or by the timely supply of fresh men, anchors, or hawsers, enabled to keep afloat, and ultimately get into port.

Very much of the brave and useful service per- formed by the life-boatmen could not have been undertaken without the aid of the steam-tug; but useful work has also been performed by the life-boat alone.

The usual plan adopted for sending help to endangered vessels is, on the signal being shown, either by night or day, from either of the light- ships anchored round the Sands, for the steam- tug—which has always her fires lighted, and is ever ready for sea—to draw them forward, and pre- pare to leave the harbour. The Life-boat's crew are summoned by signals and messengers, and each man going to the appointed rendezvous clads himself in his life-belt, and hastens to the Bradford, which is kept afloat at her moorings. The crew completed, the steam-tug is not long in getting her in tow, and away go steamer and Life-boat, gene- rally amid the hearty cheers of a crowd, who anxiously watch them out of harbour and until the thick storm or darkness hides them from view.

The tug manages, if possible, to pass within hail of the light-ship which has shown the signal, and so gets the direction of the wreck ; then steers to a sufficiently windward position for the Life-boat to have the wreck well under the lee, and the Life- boat, probably under sail, stands in over the Sands through the broken seas, and anchoring veers alongside of the sinking vessel, whose crew have commonly to be dragged through the sea from the wreck to the Life-boat with lines attached to them.

The crew being safely embarked, the Life-boat proceeds to drive to leeward over the Sands, and getting out into deep water finds the steamer ready to take her in tow again.

But, as we have said, gallant and useful service has been performed even without the steam-tug.

We may here add that the services of the Rams- gate Life-boat are graphically described by the Rev. JOHN GILMORE, M.A., formerly Rector of Holy Trinity, Ramsgate, in his book, published by Messrs. MACMILLAN & Co., entitled " Storm War- riors, or Life-boat Work on the Goodwin Sands." We cannot close our remarks on this Life-boat Station without again expressing our indebtedness to Captain RICHAKD BEAINE, the active Harbour- master of Ramsgate, who has contributed in no small degree, by his active superintendence, to the efficiency of the station; and by his careful pre- paration for emergencies has done much to increase the number on the roll of the " saved.".