THE ISLE OF WIGHT AND ITS LIFE-BOATS.

XLIV. BROOKS.—The George and Anne, 32 feet by 7 feet 6 inches, 10 oars.

XLV. BRIGHSTONE GRANGE.—The Worcester Cadet, 34 feet by 8 feet, 10 oars.

XLVI. BEMBRIDGE.—The City of Worcester, 32 feet by 7 feet 7 inches, 10 oars.

THIS charming and much frequented summer resort, though limited in extent, contains very many points of attraction and interest, and very diversified scenery, the charm of which is en- hanced by the part the ever-moving sea takes, in forming the panorama of most of its finest views.

We have the grand chalk cliffs of the Culvers, and in the neighbourhood of Freshwater, the latter terminating in those remarkable and picturesque rocks the Needles, which give one the idea of three old veterans, very much reduced, indeed we may say worn to skeletons, by the continued buffeting of wind and wave for ages, but still standing firmly at their posts.

Near them is Alum Bay, with its prettily varie- gated cliffs of different coloured sands.

The north shore of the island is less abrupt, generally sloping gradually to the sea, with innumerable villas nestling amongst its rich and abundant woods. On this side of the island are also Cowes and Ryde, the rival headquarters of that truly English amusement, yachting, which adds so much to the charm of the scenery during the summer months, by the number of beautiful vessels "on pleasure intent," either laying at anchor off both places or cruising about the island. In alluding to the scenery of the island, that remarkable freak of nature, the undercliff, cannot be overlooked, with its ex- traordinary and most picturesque piles of rock and cliff, thrown into the utmost confusion and disorder, with masses of rock apparently suddenly stopped in the act of falling, and ready on the slightest provocation to continue their downward course to the sea. This district, which is about seven miles long, and sheltered from all the colder winds, has the reputation of enjoying a climate in winter equal to that of Torquay, but much drier.

One great point of interest in the island is the old castle of Oarisbrooke, first the refuge and then the prison of that unfortunate monarch Charles I., and afterwards of his children, one of whom, the Princess Elizabeth, died there, and was buried in the parish church of Newport.

Her Majesty erected a handsome monument to her memory, the inscription on which ends with the following touching paragraph:—"This mon- ument is erected as a token of respect for her virtues, and of sympathy for her misfortunes, by Victoria Kegina, 1856." The castle, now a magnificent ruin and monument to bygone times, is said to occupy the site of a stronghold of the Ancient Britons, then to have been repaired and enlarged by the Romans, to whose skill and energy is attributed the castle well, which is cut to a depth of upwards of 200 feet, principally through rock. The water is drawn by an ingenious device resembling the revolving part of a huge dormouse's cage, the unhappy prisoner, who keeps on walking without getting over the ground, being a donkey. It is doubtful whether the castle should not be more properly credited to the Normans under William Fitz- Osborne, to whom the island was given by the conqueror soon after the conquest It came into the hands of the crown in the reign of Edward IV., and was very considerably repaired and added to in the time of Elizabeth.

The island forms a natural breakwater in front of our most ancient and important naval arsenal, and has sheltered under its lee, from tune to time, the fleets that for centuries have carried oup-flag triumphant over the sea; and if it could only relate its experiences, what wonderful accounts it would give us of the marvellous changes in the form of ships of war from those in the olden times, to the ungainly but massive looking ironclads, and the venomous, snakelike looking torpedo boats of the present day; as well as in that of merchant ships, as shown by the fleets of magnificent steamers now occupied in keeping up the intercourse between different parts of the world, scarcely a day elapsing without one or more of these floating towns, loaded with passengers or merchandise, passing the island, either going up or down channel or to Southampton. In olden times the value of the island, as one of the outworks of England, was fully appreciated by the country's enemies, and it frequently had to bear the brunt of attacks from the latter in their endeavours to .make themselves masters of it. History tells us that the results of these attacks almost always showed that the conditions of the old proverb, " None but the brave deserve the fair," were in this case fully borne out, and that the islanders proved themselves well worthy of their beautiful island by defeating and driving off the foe.

Happily these "stirring times" have passed • away, it is to be hoped never to return, but they have left behind them arttongst the inhabitants the same good old spirit, which makes them still always ready to fight not only their own battles, but those also of any foreigner or stranger who may be attacked in their neigh- bourhood by that insatiable and ever-returning enemy—the storm at sea—arming themselves, as they do, for the contest with the Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

The principal scene of these encounters, or— to drop the language of metaphor—wrecks, is the S.W. end of the island, between Freshwater and Atherfield, the ledges off the latter place being particularly fatal to ships.

The two stations that guard this part of the coast were established at Brighstone Grange and Brooke in August, 1860, and form the Isle of Wight branch, with its headquarters at Newport, and sub-committees for the management of each Boat; the Eev. W. E. HETGATE being the Honorary Secretary at the former, and Mr. WM.

SELBT, of Brooke Farm, holding the same office at the latter place. GEORGE WTATT, Esq., of Newport, is Honorary Treasurer to the Committee.

400 THE LIFE-BOAT.

[ AUGUST 1,1881.

As time has worn on, the original boats have been replaced by new and more powerful, and consequently more efficient ones; the George and Anne, now at Brooke, having been presented to the Institution in 1867 by Mr. and Miss MABTEN, and the Worcester Cadet, at Brighstone Grange, one of the newest models and most efficient boate of her size, having been presented last year by the cadets of the Worcester, training ship for officers of the mercantile marine.

Nothing can show more clearly how well these two stations have done their work than the fact of their having saved 246 lives since their es- tablishment, 193 of which fall to the share of the Brighstone Grange Boat, and 53 to the Brooke Boat.

That a good and healthy interest in the Institution, and a full appreciation of its work exists in the Isle of Wight, was well illustrated by the warm and enthusiastic welcome given by the inhabitants to the Worcester Cadet, when she was taken to her station last August, by way of Cowes, Newport, Garisbrooke, &c.

What these two Life-boats do for the S.W.

side of the island is done with equal efficiency on the B. side by the City of Worcester, stationed at Bembridge, from whence she watches with eagle eye the Bembridge ledges and other dangers in the approaches to Spithead. This station, which is not incorporated in the Isle of Wight branch, but forms a separate one of itself, was established in 1867, the boat being pre- sented to the Institution by the City of Worce&ter.

Admiral WILMSHUBST, C.B., has been for some years Honorary Secretary, and she has an effi- cient and able crew, which has saved 14 lives..