THE last Wreck Register of the British Isles published by the Board of Trade continues to tell the same sad tale of fearful disasters at sea as of yore, last year claiming 3,002 as haying occurred in the seas and on the coasts of the United Kingdom.

For the past few years the Wreck Register makes no comment whatever, as was its wont, on its figures or tables, but simply leaves them to convey their own terrible force—a force which also speaks that the 3,002 wrecks resulted in the loss of 490 precious lives.

Of course these 3,002 disasters in 1878-79 include all classes of maritime disasters that usually take place. Thus of the whole number of wrecks, casualties and collisions on our shores during the year only 397 cases involved total loss, while loss of life only resulted from 118, or about 1 in 25 of the vessels thus lost or damaged.

When we have deducted these 397 cases from the year's casualties, the balance consists of 797 serious casualties and 1,808 minor disasters.

When, however, we remember the mag- nitude of the shipping and commercial interests of the United Kingdom—that the number of British vessels alone enter- ing inwards and clearing outwards to and from our ports in one year averages 600,000, representing a tonnage probably of 102,000,000, and having between three and four millions of persons on board on all occasions—we say that when these facts are borne in mind, in conjunction with the certainty of the heavy storms that annually visit our shores, every one who considers the subject at all must be amazed at the comparative fewness, after all, of serious and fatal shipping disasters on our coasts.

Nevertheless the aggregate number of shipwrecks, as given in this Register, for a series of years is somewhat appalling, as the following record of them since 1854 convincingly shows:—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; 1877-8, 3,641; and 1878-9, 3,002; making a total number of wrecks in twenty-five years of 49,322, and what is still more lamentable, the actual loss of 1,8,319 lives from these very shipwrecks.

It is hardly necessary to say that the loss of life during these twenty-five years 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.

Again it appears that the 3,002 wrecks, casualties and collisions, reported as having occurred on and near the coasts of the United Kingdom during the year 1878-79 comprised 3,716 vessels. The number of ships in that period is fortu- nately less than the total of the previous year by 720. The number of ships is in excess of the casualties reported, because in cases of collision two or more ships are, of course, involved in one casualty. Thus 701 were collisions, and 2,301 were wrecks and casualties other than collisions. On sub-dividing these latter casualties we find that 333 were wrecks, &e., resulting in total loss, 606 were casualties resulting in serious damage, and 1,362 were minor accidents. During the year 1877-78 the wrecks and casualties other than collisions on and near our coasts numbered 2,846, or 545 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, south coast, 407 ; west coasts of England } and Scotland, and coast of Ireland, 761; north coast of Scotland, 74; and other parts, 175. Total, 2,301.

The greatest destruction of human life happened on the _east coast of England.

From the accompanying Wreck Chart for the year it will be observed that the site of each of the '3,002 shipwrecks to which we have before referred is delineated with great accuracy. The appearance of this Wreck Chart is, as usual, very striking and instructive. It fails, however, to convey the important and gratifying fact that the Life-boats, the Rocket Apparatus and other means, save every life from shipwreck that it is practicable to save on our coasts.

We observe again that, excluding col- lisions, out of the 2,301 casualties, 2,013 disasters occurred to vessels belonging to this country and its dependencies, and that 288 disasters happened to ships which belonged to foreign nations. Of these 2,013 British vessels, 1,291 wore employed in our own coasting trade, 574 in the (oversea) foreign and home trade, and 148 as fishing vessels. There were -7 casualties to ships belonging to foreign countries and states employed in the British coasting trade, and 234 to foreign vessels bound to or from British ports, although not actually engaged in our coasting trade; while there were 47 casualties to foreign ships which were not trading to or from the United Kingdom.

The Register gives figures showing that between 1861 and 1879 the number of British and Foreign ships that were wrecked on our coast, and from which life was lost, was 3,028, resulting in the loss of 14,480 lives.

We observe with concern that the total number of English ships, excluding 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 31; while 69 happened through the errors, &o., of masters, officers, crews, or pilots, 121 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, 39 ; errors, 105 ; stress of weather, 227; other causes, 146 ; and the cases of minor damage were, through defects, 97; errors, 173; stress of weather, 761; and other causes, 201.

The ages of the vessels wrecked during the period under consideration are also thus given in. the Register. Excluding foreign ships and collision cases, 168 wrecks and casualties happened to nearly new ships, and 303 to ships from 3 to 7 years of age. Then there are wrecks and casualties to 391 ships from 7 to 14 years old, and to 696 from 15 to 80 years old.

Then follow 332 old ships from 30 to 50 years old. Having passed the service of half a century, we come to the very old ships, viz. 32 between 50 and 60 years old, 18 from 60 to 70, 9 from 70 to 80, 2 from 80 to 90, 6 from 90 to 100, and 1 upwards of 100 years old, while the ages of 55 of the wrecks are unknown.

Excluding collisions, 454 steamships, and 1,847 sailing vessels, were lost or injured on our coasts last year. Of the 2,013 British ships meeting with disaster in the year, 999 did not exceed 100 tons burthen, 627 were from 100 to 300 tons, 146 were from 300 to 500 tons, and 241 were above 500 tons burthen. Of the 274 British vessels totally lost, irrespective of collisions, 31 are known to have been built of iron; and of this number, 25 were steamships, and 6 were sailing vessels.

With reference to the force and direc- tion of the wind, this Wreck Register only gives the winds in 902 out of the 3,002 cases of the year. Dealing with these 902 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, 283; E. by S. to S.

inclusive, 175; S. by W. to W. inclusive, 292; and W. by N. to N. by W. inclusive, 152. Total, 902.

On distinguishing these last-named casualties near the coasts of the United Kingdom, according to the force of the wind at the time at which the disaster occurred, 370 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 532 disasters happened when the force of the wind was 9 to 11, that is to say, from a strong gale to a storm.

The casualties to ships in our rivers and harbours were not so numerous during the year; the number having been .763, of which 20 were total losses, 194 were seri- ous casualties, and 549 minor casualties..

Of these casualties, collisions numbered 507, founderings 13, strandings 152, and miscellaneous 91.

These 763 casualties caused the loss of or damage to 1,320 vessels, of which 697 were British sailing vessels, 543 British steam-vessels, 59 foreign sailing vessels, and 21 foreign steam-vessels. The lives lost in these casualties were:—In the Thames (above Gravesend) 606, including the 600 poor creatures who perished from the steamer Princess Alice ; in the Mersey (above New Brighton) 10; and in the Medway 1. Total, 617.

With reference to the collisions on and near our coasts during the year, 39 of the 701 collisions were between two steam- ships both under way, 201 between two sailing vessels both under way; and 172 between a steam-vessel and a sailing vessel 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 trust that the now Rule of the Road at Sea, which has been issued by the BOARD or TRADE, will help materially to diminish i every year in our seas and rivers these fearful catastrophes.

As regards the loss of life, the Wreck I Abstract shows that the number was 490, I from the various shipwrecks enumerated during the twelve months.

Of the lives lost, 45 were lost in vessels I that foundered, 145 through vessels in ; collision, 146 in vessels stranded or cast I ashore, and 100 in missing vessels. The ' remaining 54 lives were lost from various causes, such, as through being washed overboard in heavy seas, explosions, missing vessels, &c.

Of the 118 ships from which the 490 lives were lost, 100 were British, involving the loss of 363 lives, and 18 were foreign, causing the loss of 127 lives.

On the other hand, the Wreck Register for the past year reveals the gratifying fact that by means of the Life-boats of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION-, the Rocket Apparatus of the Board of Trade, and other agencies, in conjunction with the successful efforts used on board the distressed vessels themselves, as many as three thousand three hundred and two lives were saved from the various wrecks on our coasts last year.

Having exhausted our comments on this accurate record of one year's disasters in the seas and on the coasts of the British Isles, we can, in conclusion, only {repeat what we have said on previous occasions, in reference to the Saving of Life from Shipwreck, that, after years of ceaseless toil and experiments, it has become an art, and a most cunning and I daring one too, which is mercifully every year robbing the sea of its direst havoc.

Besting firmly, as in years gone by, on the blessing of God on this art, the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION appeals with renewed assurance and confidence to the Public for sympathy and support.