At the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the Mansion House on Thursday, the 23rd day of March, 1882, The Eight Hon. The LORD MAYOR of LONDON in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— ANNUAL REPORT.

BEFORE proceeding to dwell on the transactions of the Institution for the past year, the Committee feel con- strained, on this the earliest oppor- tunity presented to them, to tender their heartfelt congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen—who has been the Patroness of the Institution, and a supporter of its funds for forty-four years—on Her Majesty's providential preservation from recent danger.

Another year—a year which, as much or more than any of its predecessors, has ex- hibited the value, nay the necessity, of our noble Life-boat Meet—has passed away! Happily, also, another glorious tale of lives saved, of bravery shown, of hardship cheerfully endured has to be added to that perennially lengthened chain which, year by year, link by link, adds to and illustrates the history of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION! Happily, like- wise, the Committee are gratefully able to record that their _ countrymen have shown their appreciation of these continued in- valuable Life-boat services by their mu- nificent pecuniary support, which has enabled them so successfully to prosecute the onerous duty that has been confided to them.

The transactions of the year may be summarised under the usual heads.

Life-boats.—Since the last Annual Report eleven new Life-boats have been placed on the coast, two sent to new stations, and the remainder to replace other boats.

The following are the stations to which those Life-boats have been or are about to be sent:— ENGLAND AND WALES.

NORTHUMBERLAND YORKSHIRE »» • NORFOLK . . .

ESSEX ....

SUSSEX ....

GLAMORGANSHIRE PEMBROKESHIRE .

CARNARVONSHIRE ANGLESEY .

Bamborough Castle.

Robin Hood's Bay.

Whitby.

Palling.

Harwich.

Newhaven, Penarth.

Little-Haven, St.

Bride's Bay.

Portmadoc.

Cemaes.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN Poolbeg.

Seven of the above boats have been supplied with transporting-carriages, and for three of them new boat-houses have been built.

.During the year 1881 the Life-boats of the Institution saved no less than nine hundred and sixty-six lives, being the largest number saved in any one year since its first establishment.

Gladly would the Committee have been able to report that these numerous ser- vices had been rendered without loss of life amongst the brave men who performed them; but God willed otherwise, and on four occasions the Life-boats upset, viz., those stationed at Newhaven, Torquay, Skerries (in County Dublin, Ireland), and at Douglas, Isle of Man. From the three first named boats no lives were lost; but it is their painful duty to state that four of the Douglas Life-boat's crew were drowned. The accident occurred in a dark night when the boat was running before a gale of wind and a heavy sea, so that the drowning men could not, through the darkness, be dis- covered.

It is to be feared that such sad accidents must from time to time occur, and all that the Institution can then do is to liberally contribute towards the maintenance of the bereaved families of the gallant men who have thus sacrificed their own lives in a noble endeavour to save those of their fellow-creatures.

Shipwrecks.—The Committee are much ! gratified and encouraged by the fact that the Life-boats of the Institu- tion saved last year nearly one thou- sand lives. Nevertheless it is their painful duty to refer to the distressing Shipwrecks which took place during the same period, particularly to those which occurred in the months of October and November last. Indeed, the gales of those two months were unprecedented in their fury and destruction; and so again, on that account, the services of the Life-boats were most frequent, and, happily, most successful, four hundred and forty-one lives having been saved during those storms alone.

These services of the Life-boats con- tinue to elicit not only the gratitude of the rescued sailors themselves, but also the admiration of the public.

It must also be borne in mind that the Life-boats often contribute to the saving of valuable ships and cargoes from abso- lute destruction, thirty-three vessels having been saved by them last year. They are also occasionally signalled off by a fleet of fishing-boats which have been overtaken by sudden storms, the Life-boat often acting as protector to them, frequently remaining by them for hours together, and ultimately piloting them safely ashore.

The number of Life-boats now under the management of the Institution is Two hundred and seventy-one, and their services during each month of the year were as follows:— 1881. Number of Life- boat Launches. Vessels Saved. Lives Saved. 67 7 150 February 41 55 2 3 93 116 12 1 18 9 3 29 4 11 July . .... 2 1 4 August 23 35 September .... 15 71 1 8 24 280 November .... 49 5 161 December . • . • 26 2 45 Total .... 374 33 966 In addition to these services, 155 lives were saved from shipwreck by shore-boats and other means, which had received rewards from the Institution, making a total of 1121 lives rescued last year.

It is also gratifying to announce that upwards of 500 lives were saved last year by means of the Rocket-Apparatus be- longing to the BOARD OF TRADE, which is worked so efficiently by the Coast- guard and the Rocket Volunteer Brigades.

This branch of the Life-saving Service has received much encouragement from the presence and supervision of H.E.H.

the Admiral-Superintendent of Naval Reserves, who also continues to manifest his interest in the success of the Life-boat Service.

ANNUAL REPORT. 467 The number of lives saved during Much time and consideration are de- the fifty-eight years from the establish- voted by the Committee to the investiga- ment of the Institution, to the end of the tion and granting of these awards ; and it year 1881, either by its Life-boats or b is gratifying that their decisions in this special exertions for which it has grantee respect usually give general satisfaction, rewards, is 28,724, as shown in th and stimulate our coast population to following Table : — put forth their greatest exertions to save — often at the peril of their own lives — In the No. ol Lives Year Saved. In the No. of Lives Year Saved. the lives of others. 1824 124 1854 35ft The Institution continues to receive 1825 218 1826 175 1855 4(B 1856 473 the cordial and prompt co-operation of 1827 163 1857 374 the officers and men of the Coastguard 1828 301 1829 463 1858 427 1859 499 service, to whom the Committee tender 1830 372 1860 455 their best thanks. 1831 287 1861 424 1831s 310 ! 1862 574 Since the establishment of the Insti- 1833 449 1863 714 tution, it has expended on Life-boat Sta- 1834 214 1835 364 1864 698 1865 714 tions, and other means for saving life 1836 225 1866 921 from shipwreck, on the coasts of the 1837 272 1867 1,086 United Kingdom, upwards of 570,000?., 1838 456 1839 279 1868 862 1869 1,231 and has voted 95 Gold Medals, 948 Silver 1840 353 1870 784 Medals, and 70,2002. in pecuniary rewards 184] 128 1842 276 1871 882 1872 739 for saving life from shipwreck. 1843 236 1873 668 Local Committees. — The Committee 1844 193 1874 713 1845 235 1875 921 again tender their best acknowledgments 1846 134 1876 600 for the valuable and earnest co-operation 1847 157 1848 123 1877 1.048 1878 616 afforded by the Local Branch Committees 1849 2 9 1879 855 and their Honorary Secretaries, which 1850 470 1851 230 1880 697 1881 1,121 constitutes so important and inseparable 1852 773 a part of the work and supervision of the 1853 678 Total 28,724 Institution's numerous Life-boat Establish- ments, and of the collection of funds for This is a record of which any com- ;heir support. munity may well be proud, reflecting as it does the greatest credit on those who, by their intrepidity and unceasing exer- tions, have brought it about ; and also on those who, by their pecuniary help to the Institution, have aided in the accomplish- Finances. — During the year 1881 the donations, subscriptions, and dividends amounted to 36,4192. 16s., of which sum 6,0222. 5s. 2c2. were special gifts to defray the cost of the following ten Life-boats : — ment of so great a work. £. ». rf. iraunton — Miss Leicester, Bay swater 1,000 0 0 Clovelly— The late Mrs. C. G. Rewards. — A summary is given in the Hughes, Upper Tooting . . . 1,000 0 0 Appendix of the cases where honorary and Newcastle (Dundrum) — K. Armitage, Esq., R.A 600 0 0 other rewards have been voted last year. Palling, No. 1— "Heyland" Memo- In that period 2 Gold Medals, 33 Silver rial Fund 418 8 8 Medals and Clasps, 46 Votes of Thanks Poolbeg— Mrs. E. 8. Symes, Bally- brack 600 0 0 inscribed on vellum, and 5,7832. were iobin Hood's Bay — Mr. and Mrs. granted for saving the lives of 1,121 Fox's Children, Stainclifle . . . 1,000 0 0 persons by Life-boats, shore and fishing boats, and by other means, on the shores St. Anne's — James Chadwick, Esq.

Prestwich (in addition to £1,000 in 1880) .... 230 0 0 and outlying sandbanks of our coasts. WhitbyNo.l— Mrs. A. M.Ellis, York 800 0 0 2 B 2 468 ANNUAL REPORT.

£. i. d.

223 16 6 Langham Hotel Life- boat Fund (on ac- count).

" Admiral Lutwidge" Memorial Life-boat Fund (on account), per favour of C. R.

Fletcher - Lutwidge, Esq 150 0 0 The Committee have likewise the patis- faction to acknowledge the receipt, since the last Report, of the following other special contributions:— £. *. d.

HEK MAJESTY THE QUEEN (annual subscription) ....... 50 00 Ancient Order of Foresters, annual subscription in aid of the support of their two Life-boats, per Samuel Shawcross, Esq 100 0 0 Browne, G. Buckston, Esq., Halifax (additional) 600 0 0 Felixstowe, proceeds of an Amateur Dramatic Entertainment at, per C. E. Harding, Esq 540 Freemasons, Macdonald Lodge of, No. 1,216, per Captain Arthur Styan 550 Hadnall Church, Salop, offertory and collection in, on Sunday, the 6th November, per Eev. Brooke C.

Mortimer (additional) .... 12 15 8 Independent Order of Odd Fellows (M.U.), in aid of the support of the Manchester Unity Life-boat at Cleethorpes (annual subscription) . 50 0 0 Manitoban, collected on board the Allan Line s.s., per Captains McDougall & McNicol (additional) 4 15 10 Orient, collected on board the s.s., per Capt. Hewison 15 0 0 The Institution has been advised of the following Legacies during the past twelve months:— £. s. d.

Baker, Mrs. J. A., Birmingham . . 200 0 0 Bax, Mr. Edward, Cockspur Street . 100 0 0 Brown, C. E., Esq., Mile End . . 1,000 0 0 Bvown, J. D., Esq., Lyndon, Rutland 10 0 0 Burley, John, Esq., Halifax . . . 260 0 0 Cobb, Mrs. Mary Ann, Jersey . . 1,621 15 9 Coffin, Admiral H. E., Caversham . 100 0 0 Coller, Mrs. C., Montpelier Square . 302 6 0 Courtney, Miss A. M., Bournemouth 10 0 0 Cowley, J. C., Esq., Kilsby ... 10 0 0 Craddock,C.R., Esq., St. John's Wood 100 0 0 Daniel, Miss, Weston-super-Mare . 100 0 0 Dewar, Mrs., Edinburgh .... 88 8 6 Dodd, Henry, Esq., Rotherfield . . 500 0 0 Downie, Miss, Appin, N.B. . . . 1,000 0 0 Egdell, Miss Ann, Aluwick . . .1,000 0 0 Forbes, Peter, Esq., and Mrs. Forbes, Dunsholt, Fife 550 0 0 Fortune, Mrs. A. P., Liverpool . . 200 0 0 £. ». d.

Hartnell, John, Esq., Blomfield St. . 100 0 0 Gray, G. M., Esq., Wanganui, N.Z. . 500 0 0 Hinkley, John, Esq., Derby ... 50 0 0 Jay, Mrs. Jane, Great Yarmouth. . 19 19 0 Jones, Miss Maria, Waterloo . . . 1,000 0 0 Killington, Mr. E., Great Yarmouth 100 0 0 King, Mrs. Arabella, Kentish Town. 50 0 0 Le Cappelain, J., Esq., Highgate . 100 0 0 Luckombe, Mrs. Mary, Brighton . 1,500 0 0 McMaster, Mr. E. C 12 10 0 Meyer, Cecil, Esq., Upper Norwood 220 Murphy, James, Esq., Newry. . . 1,000 0 0 Packer, Mr. Charles, Regent Street . 100 0 0 Paterson, James N., Esq., Edinburgh 1,000 0 0 Pollard, John, Esq., Holker Cartmel 50 0 0 Pratt, Mrs. Hester, Leamington . . 100 0 0 Rudge, W.N., Esq., Stock Exchange 1,000 0 0 Slocombe, William, Esq., Holloway 900 0 0 " T. J. M." 400 0 0 Tobin, Sir Thomas 186 0 0 Torkington, Osgood, Esq., Clapham, 1,000 0 0 Tower, Miss Jane, Edinburgh . , 25 0 0 Walker, George, Esq., Southport. .3,100 0 0 Watson, Horace, Esq., Wimbledon . 200 0 0 Young, Major R.W., Dunmore . . 250 0 0 During the past year the sum of 9,9072. 14s. Id. was expended on addi- tional Life-boats, Transporting-carriages, Boat-houses, and necessary gear; 13,0392.

19s. 7d. in repairs, painting, refitting, and sundry charges on Life-boat Establish- ments, and on the Store-yard at Poplar; and 14,8332.12s. Id. in rewards for services to shipwrecked crews, coxswains' salaries, quarterly practice of the Life-boats' crews, and other expenses; making altogether a total of 37,7812. 6s. 3d. against receipts amounting to 36,4192. 16s.

The items of receipt and expenditure are fully detailed in the financial state- ment, which has been audited as usual by Mr. LOVELOCK, public accountant.

The managing body of so great and philanthropic a Society as the LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION fulfils a national public duty, and its Committee are amply rewarded in its administration by the sympathy and liberal support which the community ex- tend to it.

Thus fortified they are determined to leave no effort untried which shall con- tribute to the efficiency of their life-saving machinery, and fit it to perform the great work the originators of the Institution had in view—"the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck.".