PADSTOW.—The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has recently sent a large Life- boat to Padstow, on the north coast of Cornwall, to take the place of a smaller one forwarded there some years since.

The new boat is 34 feet long, 8 feet wide, and rows 10 oars double banked. It is furnished with a transporting carriage, for which a new house has been built in a convenient position in the town. A peculiarity of this Life-boat Station is that the boat is kept in a house erected in a small cove near the entrance to the harbour, where it can always be readily launched without the help of a carriage.

In the event, however, of its having to be conveyed to the shore westward of the Port, it is first taken by water to the town, and then placed on the carriage, kept there in its special house, there being no access by road to the site of the Life- boat house. The whole cost of the Life- boat Station has teen presented to the Institution by B. A. B. PRESTON, Esq. "As a token of his gratitude for having been rescued from shipwreck by the Life-boat Bradford, stationed at Ramsgate, when his yacht, the Arab, was wrecked on the Goodwin Sands, on which occasion he, his stepfather and seven of the yacht's crew, were rescued from their perilous position by the Life-boat, in conjunction with the harbour steamer Aid." In addition to the customary harbour trial in London, this Life-boat was also exhibited and tried in the Serpentine, Hyde Park, when various life-saving apparatus from the Inter- national Fisheries Exhibition were tested fa the water in the presence of the Jurors and others. The public ceremony iN connection with the first launch of the new boat at its Station took place on the 15th August last. The Boat was brought by road from Truro to Padstow, a dis- tance of 24 miles, on its transporting carriage, and on its arrival at Treator, about three-quarters of a mile from the town, it was met by a vast concourse of people who received it with cheers, A procession, led by the band of the 1st D.G.A. Volunteers, was formed and marched towards the town. Next the band came & number of members of the Order of For- esters, then the boat drawn by eight splendid grey horses, all profusely deco- rated with flowers and lags, and with the crew dressed in their life-belts and scarlet caps, followed by Mr. CHARLES DIBDIN, Secretary to the Parent Institution; Com- mander C. LA PRIMADEAUX, B.N., District- Inspector of Life-Boats; Mr. PRESTON, the donor; Mr. C. G. PRIDEAUX-BRUNE, Chairman of the Local Committee; Captain ROBERT KEY, Hon. Secretary; Messrs. S. ALLPORT; W, BISHOP; W. H. DAW; SUSSEX LANGFORD; Captain LANFGFORD, and the Revs. E. TYACKE and J. ISABEL (the local committee), the rear being brought up by the children of the Church of England and the Wesleyan Sunday-schools, and a long line of people on foot and in carriages. The boat, under the watchful surveillance of Commander LA PRIMAU- DAYE, was driven carefully on its carriage through the narrow and winding streets of the town, which were lined with spec- tators, to the quay, where the carriage was ran into shallow water ready for launching. On the motion of Mr. S ALLPORT, seconded by the Rev. K, Mr. PRIDEAUX-BRUNE was called upon to preside. He said he felt great pleasure in being present on the occasion, and he called upon all to give a hearty welcome to the new boat. The Local Committee had ever worked In the strictest he may with the parent Institution, aad he be- lieved they would continue to do so.

After making some further remarks, he called upon Mr. PRESTON, Who, on rising to formally present the boat to the LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION, was received with hearty and prolonged cheering. In a brief but exceedingly appropriate address, he pre- sented the boat to Commander LA PRIMAU- DAYE, as the representative of the Institu- tion, and the District Inspector then handed it over to the care of the Local Committee. In doing so he alluded to the fact that the Institution was greatly indebted to the Branch Committee, and especially to Mr. PRIDEAUX BRUNE (who for 28 years had acted as Chairman), and to the Rev, R. TYACEE, whose presence there that day augured well for the boat, and who for many years per- formed so efficiently the duties of Secre- tary, Mr. PRIDEAUX-BRUNE, in receiving the boat on behalf of the Committee, con- veyed their best thanks for the gift, and stated that he felt sore that, although the duties of the crew were perilous, man would never be wanting whenever the services of the boat were required. The School children then sang Admiral WARD'S song, The Lifeboat, to Mr. POBDAY'S music, as published in the last number of the Life-~6oat Journal, pages 184-5. The Rev. J. ISABEL afterwards, in a most suitable and impressive prayer, invoked the Divine blessing on the boat, the donor and the crew; after which Miss PREST0N Sister of the donor, performed the ceremony of naming, and said, "I name this boat the Arab, May God prosper her semees." The boat was then launched amidst ringing cheers, and glided gracefully into the water, the band playing the " National Anthem." It was afterwards rowed to Hawker's Cove, its destination.

In less than three weeks afterwards, viz., on the 3rd September, the Life-boat was successful in rendering its first service to a shipwrecked crew, having safely landed, through a high sea, two of the crew of the schooner Maria, of Granville, which had stranded on the Doom Bar Sands.

PORT ERIN, ISLE OF MAN.—OB the invitation of the local residents, a new Life-boat establishment has been formed by the Institution at this port in the Isle of Man, making the fifth Life- boat stationed on that island. In addi- tion to being available in the case of disabled vessels driving ashore on the S.W. coast of the Island, or on the out- lying shoals, this boat can be used on the south coast, launching from Port St. Mary; and she can also be launched to the north- ward in a small bay in the direction of Peel. The cost of the Life-boat and equip- ment has been defrayed from a legacy left to the Institution by the late RICHARD ROBERTS, Esq., of Blackley, near Man- chester, and the boat is named the Ann and Mary of Manchester. It is of the 32 feet 10-oared class, is provided with a trans- porting carriage, and was placed on the station with due ceremony on the 28th August last. The boat was drawn from Douglas on its carriage by eight horses, and on arriving at Port Erin was escorted to the shore, a brass band being in at- tendance. His Excellency the Governor of the Maud opened the proceedings in a suitable address, after which the District Inspector of Life-boats, Lieut. TIPPING, EJf., on behalf of the Institution and the donor, requested the Local Committee to take charge of the boat. Dr. B. RATCLIFFE, President of the Branch, tendered the sincerest thanks of the local residents and promised that they would do their ditty by the Life-boat. He also felt con- fident that no opportunity would be lost by the crew of rendering service when required to shipwrecked crews. The "vicar of the Parish, the Rev. F. F. TRACY, having offered up prayer for the success of the boat, the ceremony of nailing was performed by Miss RATCLIFFE, after which the boat was launched amidst cheers; and, having first been capsized in the Bay to demonstrate its self-righting qualities, was taken outside the harbour and tried in a good deal of sea, when the crew ex- pressed themselves much pleased in every way with it.