THE ISLE OF PURBECK, AND ITS LIFE- BOATS.

XLI. — SWANAGE.— The Charlotte and Mary, 35 feet by 9 feet, 10 oars.

XLII.—KIMERIDGE.—The Mary Heape, 28 feet by 6 feet 8 inches, 5 oars.

THIS S.E. portion of Dorsetshire, which is now an island by courtesy only, doubtless had good claim to the name within the period of history. Even now it is nearly "surrounded by water," although its boundary, the river Frome, with its near neigh- bour, the Piddle, have gone far to effect their own extinction, by the masses of alluvial soil they have carried down whilst performing their office of draining the neighbouring portion of the country.

Wareham, anciently a city of great importance on the banks of the Frome, and a seaport of sufficient magnitude to have supplied three ships for the siege of Calais in temp. Edward III., can now only be ap- proached by barges and lighters. It is said vessels of 150 tons could unload here seventy years ago.

The island is full of interest to the historian, the antiquarian, and the geologist, as well as to those interested in the work of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. It was off Peveril Point that King Alfred gained a victory over the Danish fleet, when 120 of their ships were sunk or wrecked on Peveril Ledge, a dangerous reef now guarded by the watchful eye of the Institution's Life- boat at Swanage. In the middle of the island, guarding the mouth of the valley through which the principal way of approach ran, stands the noble ruin of Corfe Castle, the scene of many well- known events in English history. The names of Kings Alfred and Edgar are connected with it. It was here that King Edward the Martyr was foully murdered by his stepmother Elfrida, and whose body, according to monkish tradition, imparted to the well into which it was thrown power to effect miraculous cures on the infirm. It is still called St. Edward's Fountain. William the Conqueror next appears in connection with it, having caused the great tower or keep to be built. Several royal ladies have contributed to its history. It held out stoutly for Queen Maude, and proved impregnable to Stephen. It was here that King John imprisoned the sister of the unfortunate Arthur —the Princess Alianor, or the Maid of Bretagne —together with the two daughters of Alexander, the King of Scotland. The ornate Tudor work, of which remains are still to be seen, is probably due to its having been the residence of the Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII.; and its end is intimately connected with the noble and courageous loyalty to the cause of the Stuarts, displayed by the wife, afterwards widow of the then owner, Lord Chief Justice Banks. Three times whilst in her hands was it invested and assaulted by the Parliamentary forces, only to be repulsed with severe loss; at last what force conld not do against this indomitable lady, assisted by her daughters, treachery effected, and the castle eventually fell into its enemies' hands, to be destroyed as a fortress (by gunpowder), but still to remain a grand monument to English valour and architec- tural skill in the middle ages.

The island is very rich in barrows or tumuli, which have afforded many highly-prized treasures to antiquarians, whilst the ancient earthworks near Whitecliff, and the many old church towers, cannot but be of great interest. The ancient chapel on St.

Adhelm's, or St. Alban's, Head, must be of the same interest to all concerned with the preservation of life from shipwreck as to the antiquarian, having been one of the earliest efforts in this country to carry out that work of charity, one practical part of which is now virtually entrusted by ,the country to the Life-boat Institution. It con- sists of a small square building of the earliest Saxon architecture, believed by some to have been built by St. Adhelm, Bishop of Sherborne, who died A.D. 710 ; others place the date of its construction in the latter part of the 12th century. Whichever may be correct, both agree as to its purpose. This was to warn mariners approaching this dangerous coast, which it is supposed was done by the priest tolling a heavy bell during dark or foggy weather, as well as by giving the earliest intelligence of a wreck, and summoning to his assistance the inha- bitants of the neighbouring village of Worth. Of course in addition to this (if it may be so called) civil or lay duty, he performed the priestly office of prayer for those at sea, and for shipwrecked mariners; and the present custom of young women dropping a pin into a hole in the central pillar and wishing for a husband, or the happy consummation of whatever they had most at heart, may be a relic of the ancient custom of presenting offerings to the priest to purchase his prayers for relations or friends. On Whit-Thursday the villagers of Worth still visit the chapel, dress it with flags, and dance in it, when we can readily imagine many an offering, with accompanying wish, being made.

The island is equally interesting to the geologist both from its formation and the numerous remains found in it.

The Institution has two Boats stationed on the island, one at Swanage and the other at Kimeridge.

The first-named Boat, called the Charlotte and Mary, is 35 feet long by 9 feet wide, pulling 10 oars, and was given by S. J. WILDE, Esq., for the late Miss M. WILDE.

This station was formed and the Boat placed in September 1875, on the S.E. shore of the bay, a very neat and commodious Boat-house, and slipway for launching from, being built at the game time.

The station is an important one on account of the exposed nature of the anchorage, with easterly and south-easterly winds, and the number of vessels that frequent it both for shelter and to load with stone; it also possesses the great advantage of being a weatherly station from which to reach Studland Bay and the approaches to Poole Har- bour, in case of necessity, the former being a place of considerable resort by windbound vessels.

During the four years and a-half this Boat has been placed she has done good service on several occasions, and has saved nine lives.

Mr. HENRY HIXSON is the energetic Honorary Secretary; and a sound and gratifying local inte- rest exists in the welfare of the branch and of the Institution generally. A very good and able crew can always be depended upon, and the men have the greatest confidence in their Boat.

The Kimeridge Boat, which is 28 feet long by 6 feet 8 inches wide, pulling 5 oars, given by BENJAMIN HEAPE, Esq., of Manchester, is placed in a very advantageous position for reaching the Kimeridge Ledges and otter dangers in that neigh- bourhood, which at times prove fatal to unfortu- nate vessels during S. and S.W. gales, as well as during fogs. The danger of these reefs, which nowhere extend a mile from the shore, is greatly enhanced by an extraordinary, and probably inter-mittent indraught or current towards them, of which several interesting confirmations are re- corded. In December 1847 an American ship was struck by lightning off Ushant, during a fresh S.W. gale, and set on fire; the crew having escaped, she drove ashore here one mass of flame.

Again, -when the unfortunate mail steamer Amazon was burnt, one of her boats as well as many pieces of burnt wood and articles of cabin furniture were driven on shore here about a week after the catas- trophe. Some heartrending scenes occurred in this neighbourhood before this station was established by the Institution in 1868, when the present Boat was placed here, where she has kept faithful watch and ward until this year; and, after these years of good service, during which she, has saved fifteen lives, she is shortly to be replaced by a more modern and powerful Boat, with a carriage; a new and more commodious Boat-house being now in course of erection for the same.

This Boat is under the control of the Isle of Purbeck Local Committee, of which the Rev. 0. MANSELL, M.A., of Church Kuowle, is the able and zealous Honorary Secretary; and she has a very good and able crew of fishermen and Coast- guardmen.