FOR years past the Montrose life-boat crews, by their readiness at all times to proceed to sea to the rescue of the wrecked, and the success which has at all times attended their labours, have earned for Montrose the reputation of being, so far as means for saving life are con- cerned, one of the best equipped ports on the British coasts. Some days ago Mr. JAS. WARRACK, the energetic Hon. Secretary of the Montrose Branch of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, received from the Parent Society two beautifully executed addresses, in chaste oak frames, for presentation to the cox- swains of the two life-boats ; and, on Saturday evening, 19th April, a public presentation of these took place in the Mission Hall, Ferrydeu.

The Rev. Dr. MITCHELL, who presided, in opening the proceedings, referred to the interest they all took in the efforts of the life-boats.

Of course, many of those present could take no active hand in those efforts, but they followed them with their sympathy and their prayers.

(Applause.) On the occasion of the last of these efforts they all felt deep anxiety. He supposed that for many years they had not been without public worship in the village unless on that Sabbath Day; but God was preaching a sermon to them upon the seashore.

He was very glad that the effort was successful in rescuing the lives of those who were in danger. (Applause.) He was sorry that on the present occasion little more than half of the life-boat crews were able to be present. David Duncan, coxswain, of the Mincing Lane, was away in Lerwick, and others were out at sea.

Mr. WARRACK said he was glad to be present as the local representative of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. That In- stitution had been in existence now for 60 years, and had been the means of saving about 30,000 lives, and it had over 270 life-boats around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. It was about thirteen years since the Institution placed a life-boat at Montrose, and ho had had the pleasure of acting as Hon. Secretary for eleven years. (Applause.) It had been a matter of great satisfaction to him to have had to deal with the life-boat crews in the happy and harmonious way that he had always met them.

They had ever mustered promptly at the call of danger. (Applause.) He questioned if there was any life-boat station in the kingdom that, during the last ten or twelve years, had been so uniformly successful in saving life. He had been looking over the records of the station i during the time his connection with it had | subsisted, and would briefly refer to several points. The first attempt to save life with the ' new boat—an attempt made before the present organization was adopted—was on a dark and stormy night in December, when a vessel named the Hermes came ashore. Several attempts were made to save the lives of the crew, but they failed. That sad occasion, he thought, impressed upon them all the necessity for having more perfect and thorough arrange- ments, so as to have the most prompt muster of the crews, and never to hesitate in sending out the life-boat when there was the least risk of loss of life. The result had been that during the last twelve years the life-boats had saved every life they went out to save, with the exception of two men lost off a schooner some years ago, who were too frightened to leave the vessel, although the then coxswain, William Mearns, had the boat almost below the falling masts before he left the ship. These men were lost not through fault of the life-boat crews, but from their own delay in trying to get into the boat. The only other occasion on which a life had been lost, was at the wreck of the steamer Norma, when a poor lad went down to the cabin for his jacket, and who, on the life-boat returning to take him on board, lost his hold, and was drowned. He (Mr. Warrack) had looked carefully over the records, and found that there had never been an attempt to save life on that coast during the last dozen years that had not been successful. (Applause.) That was due to the gallantry of the men, and their willingness at all times to muster, and to the fact, that they had two life-boats—the larger one suitable for going out to sea. and the smaller one for launching off the beach; and, whenever there was any fear of lives being lost, lie never hesitated to send out both boats, often at great expense—expense being no object compared with the certainty that, humanly speaking, they had done all they could to save life. (Applause.) During the period he had referred to—apart from the valuable services rendered by the boats to fishing boats over- taken by sudden storms—there had been saved by the life-boats 203 lives. From March of last year to March of the present year, no less than 50 lives had been saved—23 last year, and 27 the present year already, (Applause.) The Institution watched carefully the pro- ceedinss of all their life-boats, and they marked the efficient stations, and the efficient boats.

Seeing that 50 lives had been saved during the past year, and a proper representation of the gallant services rendered by the boats on the Sunday evening referred to by the Chairman, they wrote down expressing their admiration of the successful efforts of the Montrose boats in saving life, and, after corresponding with him, had decided to express their approval in the shape of votes of thanks inscribed on vellum.

All present would understand that it was im- possible for the Institution to have sent a separate vote to each individual member of the two crews; but, though only the names of the coxswains had been inserted, he hoped that the crews would understand that the votes of thanks were intended for them all, and that there was no first boat and second boat, but that they were both on an equal footing. Mr. War-rack then read the vote of thanks, in the shape of an extract from the minutes of a meeting of the Parent Society, signed by the President, His Grace THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, the Chairman, Mr. ED- WARD BIRKBECK, M.P., and the Secretary, Mr. CHARLES DIBDIN, and which was as follows :— "Resolved that the thanks of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION be presented to Mr. DAVID DUNCAN, coxswain of the Montrose life-boat,MincingLane,in recognition of the good service in saving life from ship- wreck which he and his crew have rendered— especially on the occasion of the rescue of four men off the s.s. Mayflower, of Glasgow, on the 9th of March, 1884." (Applause.) The other (Mr. Warrack stated) was couched in the same terms with the exception, that the name of JAMES WATT, coxswain of the Roman Governor, was inserted. He (Mr. Warrack) dared say that none of them would grudge their respective coxswains the honour of having their names inserted in the testimonials of the approval of the Institution of the services of crews and coxswains alike. (Applause.) He often wondered how it was that they had so many life-boat services, and saved so many lives at Montrose compared with other places.

Montrose stood in a " set," and when a south- easterly gale came away vessels driven past the Firth, or those coming from the eastward, got embayed off Montrose, and almost to a certainty came ashore in the bay, or at the harbour mouth. They "Would all recollect the sad week some three years ago, when thirteen vessels were wrecked in one storm, between Gourdon and Usan; whilst of the crews of those which came ashore on the Montrose Sands almost every life was saved, hardly one was saved of those which went ashore about St. Cyrus, or the rocks at Usau and Gourdon. During a south- easterly gale on their exposed coast, the life-boat crews had always to be on the watch, and to be prompt, and that was one reason, he thought, how they saved so many lives, for he believed there was no life-boat station on the Scotch coast, that could show anything like the same record. (Applause.) He did not say that the crews were braver than their fellow-fishermen, but they knew how to do their duty, and they never hesitated to undertake any risk. It would not do on the occasion of a wreck for him to say to the coxswain, " You are to go out and save that crew," if the coxswain saw that it was impossible to do so; but he had never seen them hesitate to do whatever was required.

(Applause.) Three times out of eight they were out at sea before he knew of the wreck, or at least before he got down. It was exceedingly gratifying to him that the presentations had come, as they showed the appreciation that the Institution had for the Montrose life-boats.

(Applause.) He read a letter from Coxswain David Duncan, expressing his regret at not being able to be present; and, in handing over the testimonials to Coxswain James Watt and one of the crew of the Mincing Lane, the Chairman said he was sure they would be an encouragement to them all to do their duty in the future, as they had done in the past.

(Applause.) Coxswain JAMES WATT, in returning thanks on behalf of the crews, said that although he could " crack awa'" at the end of the house— (laughter)—he felt very awkward when he stood up and saw so many faces before him. He was very thankful for the vote of thanks from the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, and the crews were very proud to have earned the appreciation of the Institution by their services on that Sunday night in the early part of March. It would give to them a deeper interest in their arduous, but very blessed work.

(Applause.) As they all knew, it was very arduous work. It was when storms and tempests raged that they had their work to do.

On the occasion to which Mr; Warrack had referred, when two men were lost, he could say from experience, that it was one of the most difficult and dangerous pieces of work ever accomplished by the life-boats at Montrose.

He had been in the life-boat for years now, but that was the severest job he ever had on hand.

He was second to William Mearns at the time, and it was hard work saving the two men that were saved. One was taken off the vessel; the other had been washed overboard, and was picked up from amongst the surf. (Applause.) But, as he had said, it was a very blessed work, for, as they had heard that night, the life-boats had saved hundreds from a premature and watery grave. Had it not been for the Mincing Lane he would not have been standing there that night; he would have been in the eternal world years ago. She saved his life, and that was how he took such an active part in life-boat work. (Applause.) Many years ago the Ferryden boats went to sea one morning—a moderate sort of morning, with no sign of danger, but there came on such a storm as he supposed had not been seen since. All the boats got in but four, and he was on board one of them. The storm continued to rage, the night was coming on, and he could tell them that there was some thought then.

Coming for the harbour mouth, they did not think that the sea was so heavy as it was on the bar, and if it had not been for the life- boat coming out, they must have been lost.

He must give credit to William Mearns and his crew for their bravery in mustering and going out to save life. (Applause.) Twenty- four of them came ashore that night in the Mincing Lane, and but for her not one of them would have been present that night. (Ap- plause.) He must say a word on behalf of their old friend Mr. Warrack. (Applause.) He was the right man in the right place.

That other occasion—three years past the 6th of March—was a very difficult one. On the previous Saturday night they had saved the crew of a Welsh schooner. On the Sunday morning they were engaged in saving the perishable cargo of the vessel—he did not know if they had much credit by that work— when a brig hove in sight making for the harbour. Mr. Warrack at once gave orders to knock off work, get on their cork jackets, and man the life-boat, and pull to the river-mouth.

They did so, but it was a difficult operation getting to the river-mouth. The steering gear of the vessel having given way she drove ashore in the bay, and David Duncan at once crossed the Annat bar, where a very heavy sea was running. He (Coxswain Watt) did not say there was any occasion for that; but he was afraid that the other life-boat, which had been launched from the beach, might not manage to save the crew. Both boats pulled alongside, and after a deal of labour the crew were got off by the smaller boat. Just after that hard struggle a steamboat drove ashore, and, tired and exhausted as the crews were, they went and saved her crew also, with the exception of the lad who went back for his jacket. He concluded by again returning the thanks of the crews to Mr. Warrack and the Institution. (Applause.) A choir under Mr. Wishart haying sung in fine style a piece written by Admiral Ward in praise of the life-boat, Mr. JAMES JOHNSTON, on the call of the Chairman, addressed the Meeting. He said it was a long time since he was at a meeting of the Life-boat Committee, although he was a member. It was long since he told Mr. Warrack that he was so perfectly satisfied with the work of the life-boat men and with Mr. Warrack that unless wanted for'any special occasion, he would leave the work to him, for there had never been one in Montrose who had excelled Mr. Warrack in his management of the life-boat work, and, for that matter, never would be. (Applause.) He (Mr. Johnston) should be very glad indeed if some more tangible proof of the esteem in which Mr. Warrack was held was given by the community, the fishermen, and the directors of the Parent Institution. It would come some day. (Ap- plause.) He would say without fear of con- tradiction that there was not in Scotland, Ireland, England, or—he would take a wide range—in the whole world, a more energetic, enthusiastic, or faithful Secretary of any life- boat station than Mr. Warraok—so much so that his Committee had nothing to do.

(Laughter and applause.) When the other members heard the rocket fired they knew that the life-boat Vas being launched, and that Mr. Warrack was there. (Applause.) He had known him, while suffering from severe illness, leave his home and go down to the beach on an exceedingly stormy day when a wreck occurred.

He was not flattering Mr. Warrack—he was speaking from what he had seen, and what every one knew. (Applause.) After referring to the gratifying statistics of the work of the past twelve years, Mr. Johnston went on to say that it was not always so. Prior to that there was a continual worry and disagreement about the life-boat. The men were not allowed to launch the boat when thought necessary.

They had to go and rouse somebody out of his bed, that "somebody" had to give the order for the boat being launched, and by the time the red tape was exhausted precious lives had been lost. He knew there were. Give the fisher- men of Perryden the power to launch the boats when they saw necessity, and there would be no trouble. When complaint was made in the Dundee Advertiier some years ago about the conduct of the crew at a port which he need not name, it was found that the defect lay with the management of the station, not with the crew. When "a younger man he had wrought in Montrose Bay. He knew something about what it was like in a heavy gale, and he often trembled when he thought of the risks run by the life-boat crews; but for the last twelve years, with one solitary exception, there had not been a single man lost oft' the boats.

(Applause.) Then they ought to remember that many of the crews had suffered from the arduous work. The two Mearnses carried marks of the Montrose life-boat, and would carry them to their graves. It was not all done for nothing. (Applause.) After giving a graphic sketch of a wreck he witnessed some years ago, Mr. Johnston concluded by referring to the harmonious way in which Mr. Warrack and the crews had wrought together for twelve years. (Applause.) Several appropriate hymns having been sung and the usual votes of thanks given, the in- teresting proceedings were brought to a close.