FROM the Abstract of the Wreck Register presented by the Board of Trade, before the close of last Session, to Parliament, it appears that the number of shipwrecks, casualties, and collisions on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom, during the twelve months from the 1st July, 1877, to the 30th June, 1878, was 3,641, which number is happily less than that of the previous year by 523. It should, however, be clearly understood, that the wrecks and casualties treated of in the various tables contained in the Register do not mean total losses only, but include accidents and damage of all kinds to ships at sea, of which only a small pro- portion are attended with loss of life.

Thus of the 3,641 wrecks, casualties, and collisions on the coasts of the United Kingdom, only 422 cases involved total loss, and there was loss of life from only 126, or about 1 in 29, of the vessels thus lost or damaged.

After deducting 422 from the casualties of the year, we find that the remainder is made up of 936 serious casualties and 2,283 minor disasters.

Thus the Wreck Register for the period under consideration is full of information concerning the fearful storms which raged on our coasts, the shipwrecks which oc- curred, the immense destruction of valu- able property, and above all the loss of hundreds of precious lives.

When, however, we remember the great and increasing shipping interest of the United Kingdom, and the certainty and violence of the storms which visit every year our seas and coasts, every one must be impressed that shipwrecks, casualties, and collisions are inevitable.

We may here repeat the important fact, that the number of British vessels alone entering inwards and clearing outwards to and from ports of the United Kingdom in one year averages 600,000—representing a tonnage probably of 102,000,000.

Since 1852 the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has, through its Journal, periodically called attention to the annual record of shipwrecks on our coasts. The following is a list of them from 1854 to 1877-78, as detailed in the Wreck Register :—1854 (last six months), 458; 1855,1,141; 1856, 1,153; 1857, 1,143; 1858,1,170; 1859, 1,416; 1860, 1,379; 1861,1,494; 1862, 1,488; 1863, 1,664; 1864, 1,390; 1865, 1,656; 1866, 1,860; 1867,2,090; 1868, 1,747; 1869,2,114; 1870,1,502; 1871, 1,575; 1872,1,958; 1873 (first six months), 967; 1873-4, 1,803; 1874-5, 3,590; 1875-6, 3,757; 1876-7, 4,164; and 1877-8, 3,641; making a total number of wrecks in twenty-four years of 46,320, and what is still more lamentable, the actual loss of 17,829 lives from these very shipwrecks.

The loss of life during this period would undoubtedly have been increased by thousands in the absence of the noble and determined services of the Life-boats of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, which are ever ready, in the midst often of storms that are enough to appal the stoutest hearts, to succour the ship- wrecked sailor.

It appears that the 3,641 wrecks, casu- alties, and collisions, reported as having occurred on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom during the year 1877-78 comprised 4,436 vessels. The number of ships in that period is fortunately less than the total of the previous year by 581. The number of ships is in ex- cess of the casualties reported, because in cases of collision two or more ships are involved in one casualty. Thus 795 were collisions, and 2,846 were wrecks and casualties other than collisions. On subdividing these latter casualties we find that 363 were wrecks, &c., resulting in total loss, 698 were casualties resulting in serious damage, and 1,785 were minor accidents. During the year 1876-77 the wrecks and casualties other than collisions on and near our coasts numbered 3,317, or more than the number reported during the twelve months now under discussion.

The localities of the wrecks, still ex- cluding collisions, are thus given:—East coasts of England and Scotland, 1,007; south coast, 604; west coasts of England and .Scotland, and coast of Ireland, 944; north coast of Scotland, 106; and other parts, 185. Total, 2,846.

The greatest destruction of human life happened on the south coast of England, on account of the 318 lives lost by the foundering of H.M.S. Ewrydice off the Isle of Wight, on the 24th March, 1878.

The accompanying Wreck Chart is for the past year. It will be observed that on it is delineated with great accuracy the site of each of these 3,641 shipwrecks.

There is also before us a similar chart, which we have had specially prepared, for the past two years. This represents the sites of nearly 8,000 shipping casualties.

The appearance of this latter chart is certainly most striking, and, we are com- pelled to add, very discouraging, from the fact that, while the Life-boats and the rocket Apparatus save every life from shipwreck that it is practicable to save, the number of shipwrecks on our coasts every year is overwhelming, and baffles all means, not only for their prevention, but all efforts for their appreciable diminution.

But we must proceed with our analysis of the past year's Wreck Register. Ex- cluding collisions, we observe that out of the 2,846 casualties, 2,446 disasters oc- curred to vessels belonging to this country and its dependencies, and that 400 dis- asters happened to ships which belonged to foreign nations. Of these 2,446 British vessels, 1,557 were employed in our own coasting trade, 728 in the (oversea) foreign and home trade, and 161 as fishing vessels.

There were 12 casualties to ships belong- ing to foreign countries and states em- ployed in the British coasting trade, and 323 to foreign vessels bound to or from British ports, although not actually engaged in our coasting trade; while there were 65 casualties to foreign ships which were not trading to or from the United Kingdom.

Again, we find that between 1861 and 1878 the number of British and foreign ships that came to grief on our coasts, and from which life was lost, was 2,910, resulting in the loss of 13,990 lives.

It is a lamentable fact to observe that the total number of English ships, exclud- ing collision cases, which appear to have foundered or to have been otherwise totally lost on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom from defects in the ships | or their equipments during the year, is 34; while 69 happened through the errors, &c., of masters, officers, crews, or pilots, 138 through stress of weather, and 53 from other or unknown causes.

The number of casualties arising from the same causes during the year, and resulting in serious damage, is as fol- lows :—Through defects, 33; errors, 138; stress of weather, 289; other causes, 127; and the cases of minor damage were, through defects, 134; errors, 198; stress of weather, 1,002; and other causes, 231.

The ages of the vessels wrecked during the period under consideration are also thus given in the Register. Excluding foreign ships and collision cases, 220 wrecks and casualties happened to nearly new ships, and 325 to ships from 3 to 7 years of age. Then there are wrecks and casualties to 508 ships from 7 to 14 years old, and to 811 from 15 to 30 years old.

Then follow 418 old ships from 30 to 50 years old. Having passed the service of half a century, we come to the very old ships, viz. 54 between 50 and 60 years old, 26 from 60 to 70, 17 from 70 to 80, 7 from 80 to 90, 1 from 90 to 100, and 2 upwards of 100 years old, while the ages of 57 of the wrecks are unknown.

Excluding collisions, 448 steamships, and 2,398 sailing vessels, were lost on our coasts last year. Of the 2,446 British ships meeting with disaster in the year, 1,264 did not exceed 100 tons burden, 777 were from 100 to 300 tons, 174 were from 300 to 500 tons, and 231 were above 500 tons burden. Of the 294 British vessels totally lost, irrespective of collisions, 28 are known to have been built of iron; and of this • number, 27 were steamships, and 1 was a sailing vessel.

With reference to the force and direc- tion of the wind, this Wreck Register only gives the winds in 1,352 out of the 3,641 cases of the year. Dealing with these 1,352 cases only, we find that the winds that have been most fatal to shipping on and near the coasts of the United King- dom during the year were as follows:— N. to E. inclusive, 286; E. by S. to S.

inclusive, 188; S. by W. to W. inclusive, 600; and W. by N. to N. by W. inclusive, 278. Total, 1,352.

On distinguishing these last-named ca- sualties near the coasts of the United Kingdom according to the force of the wind at the time at which the disaster occurred, 553 happened with the wind at forces 7 and 8, or a moderate to fresh gale, when a ship, if properly found, manned, and navigated, ought to be able to keep the sea with safety; while 799 disasters happened when the force of the wind was 9 and upwards, that is to say, from a strong gale to a hurricane.

The casualties to ships in our rivers and harbours continue to be still very nume- rous ; the number during the year having been 1,072, of which 29 were total losses, 291 were serious casualties, and 752 minor casualties.

Of these casualties, collisions numbered 759, founderings 16, strandings 189, and miscellaneous 108.

These 1,072 casualties caused the loss of or damage to 1,919 vessels, of which 1,099 were British sailing vessels, 623 British steam-vessels, 150 foreign sailing vessels, and 47 foreign steam-vessels. The lives lost in these casualties were 13.

With reference to the collisions on and near our coasts during the year, 38 of the 795 collisions were between two steamships both under way. The importance of this fact cannot be overrated, for it is hardly possible to conceive a casualty more awful in its ultimate consequences than a collision between two ships; and we sincerely trust that the new Bale of the Boad at Sea just issued by the BOARD OF TRADE will help materially to diminish every year in our seas and rivers these fearful catastrophes.

As regards the loss of life, the Wreck Abstract shows that the number -was 892, from the various shipwrecks enumerated during the twelve months.

Of the lives lost, 377 were lost in vessels that foundered, 181 through vessels in collision, 154 in vessels stranded or cast ashore, and 155 in missing vessels. The remaining twenty-five lives were lost from various causes, such as through being washed overboard IB heavy seas, explo- sions, missing vessels, &c.

Of the 126 ships from which the 892 lives were lost, 105 were British, involving the loss of 816 lives, and 21 were foreign, causing the loss of 76 lives.

While sincerely lamenting the loss of so many hundreds of lives during the past year, it is nevertheless satisfactory to know that the unceasing and successful efforts to save life from shipwreck, which are now being made on the coasts of the United Kingdom by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT IN- STITUTION and the BOARD OT TRADE, are attended by most encouraging results.

Thus the Wreck Register for the past year reveals the important fact that by their combined means, in conjunction with the successful efforts used on board the distressed vessels themselves, &c., as many as 4,070 lives were saved from the various wrecks which took place in that period in our seas and on our coasts.

The saving of life from shipwreck on our coast has clearly, after years of cease- less toil and experiments, become an art, which is mercifully every year robbing the sea of its direst havoc.

Besting firmly now, as of yore, on the blessing of God, the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION appeals with renewed con- fidence to the British public for sympathy and increasing support.