LV. GREAT YARMOUTH.—The Abra- ham Thomas, 28 feet by 9 feet, 10 oars.

LVI. CAISTER. The Covent Garden, 42 feet by 11J feet, 14 oars.

LVII. Ditto. The Godsend, 33JL feet by 10 feet, 12 oars.

THE ancient and loyal burgh of Great Yarmouth derives its name from the position it occupies close to the mouth of the Tare, one of three rivers which unite in a broad expanse of waters called "Braydon," whence one channel only— the Tare—carries them to the sea. All the authorities who have written upon the subject seem to be agreed that Yar- mouth sprang from the sea; that at one time, in the past ages of the world, the waves of the German Ocean flowed over the low-lying marshes of eastern Norfolk, and that whether from the gradual rise of the soil, or from the receding of the waters, the sandy foundation on which the town stands gradually rose above the action of the tides, cut off from the main- land by the River Yare, which at that time emptied itself by two channels into the sea—one to the north, between Caister and Yarmouth, and the other to the south, about four miles distant. The northern channel was entirely blocked with sand in the eleventh century, and the southern channel has since been used as a haven for shipping. Large sums of money were spent from time to time during the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries in maintaining an out- let, on account of the sand continually silting up from the action of wind and tides, and completely blocking the en- trance ; but as the inhabitants could not exist without a haven, renewed attempts were made to obtain a passage for the fresh water of the river, until at last success attended their efforts, and the present channel at Gorleston was formed, and protected by two stout piers pro- jecting into the sea on either side. By these means a recurrence of former die- asters has been effectually prevented.

There is no doubt the haven has con- tributed very materially to the prosperity of the town; 20,0002. have been recently expended by the Corporation on the present wharf, a covered market, and the quay, which is the finest in England, and perhaps in the world.

Until 1867 the borough sent two mem- bers to Parliament, but the enlightened burgesses attached so much value to their political privileges that it was disfran- chised, and, although the population is nearly 50,000, it remains at the present time unrepresented. Fishermen, we are told, were probably the first settlers, and to fishermen and the produce of Jthe sea the town very properly—taking into ac- count its origin—is indebted for its present importance and greatness.

Everything connected with the place reminds the visitor of this fact. The first thing to attract the eye on leaving the railway station is the gilded vane at the summit of the New Town Hall, represent- ing a fishing smack fully rigged. The river, also, crowded with fine fishing vessels, displays at once the enormous activity of the fishing trade in this most important of fishing marts in the world.

The name of the parish church—the largest in England—is St. Nicholas, who was the patron saint of fishermen and children. For some years past it has been proposed to raise the tower and spire to a height of 400 feet, which would certainly be more in keeping with the large structure beneath, besides being an excellent landmark, visible to the fisher- men miles out at sea. A later idea, we believe, has been to add a gilded cross to the summit, as a fitting emblem of the faith of the inhabitants, and to attract the earliest rays of the rising sun, but want of funds has caused both schemes to fall through.

The beach of the coast of Norfolk varies considerably, but, as a rule, it is very flat, and at low water a vast expanse of land is uncovered. An outer bank is usually to be found a few yards to sea- ward of the mainland, the channel be- tween the two being two to three feet deep at low water. This formation is particularly awkward for the pleasure and other boats of large size, because, if it were not for a swatchway, or opening to be found in this ridge of sand, it would be impossible to launch them from off the beach except at high water, when the bank is sufficiently covered to float them over. This is notably the case at Yar- mouth.

The low-lying marshes are generally protected by high sandhills at the back of the beach, overgrown with maram grass, the long roots of which help to bind the loose drift-sand together, and thus prevent it being blown inland in large quantities. It is supposed that these hills were thrown up by the Bomans to prevent the encroachment of the sea. The sand is piled up on a clay foundation, and the long maram grass, already alluded to, not pnly binds the sand together, but causes it to accumulate. In Lincolnshire they are of great height and extent, and on the north coast of Norfolk, at Holkham, a large number of fir-trees have been planted by Lord Leicester, thereby im- parting to them a very effective and picturesque appearance..

The chain of outlying sands off the eastern coast of Norfolk, at varying dis- tances from the shore, present grave dangers to navigation, and every year numbers of lives and vessels are lost. A magnificent roadstead, several miles in length, exists off Caister and Yarmouth, formed by the close proximity of the Scroby Sands, distant only about 2£ miles, running parallel with the beach, which effectually protects it, and affords an ex- cellent anchorage for vessels in distress or weather-bound.

Before the improvements in the haven, providing for the better landing and transport of fish, were carried out, it was the custom to ferry the catches from the smacks lying in the roads to the beach, where the sale and packing of the fish took place. This occupation, and the assistance so often required by vessels in the roads, or outlying banks, probably called into existence a race of men known on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts as beachmen. At Yarmouth they were for- merly divided into six companies, each one possessing a station, look-out nests, yawls, gigs, and other boats. These boats were held in shares, and any money earned by them was divided into doles, or parts, the boat taking a certain number for repairs, and for dividing among the share- holders, the remainder being distributed among the men employed on the occasion.

To give all the men a fair chance of occasionally being one of the boat's crew, a system of "touch" was introduced, i.e., whoever first touched the boat were the men entitled to man her to the number required. No difficulty seems to have been experienced under this arrangement, and perfect honesty appears to have been the rule among the men, each man acting as a check to his neighbour, so that no unjust claim for a share in the profits was known, as it was so perfectly certain to be found out. The competition at times, in consequence of the rivalry be- tween these companies, was so great, that enormous risks were incurred, and nume- rous accidents, involving loss of life, happened. in the endeavour to be first alongside the vessel requiring assistance.

A race of men were thus reared inured to hardship and danger, and famed for acts of daring and endurance in the performance of their occupation. Unfor- tunately for them, but fortunately in other respects, the substitution of steamers for sailing-vessels, together with the intro- duction of the Plimsoll Act, put an end to many of the unseaworthy ships then afloat, and the supervision exercised by, the Board of Trade surveyors has no doubt proved a healthy check on un- scrupulous shipowners, to whom the loss of their vessel was probably more often than not a profit; but, whatever the cause, it has been evident for the past five or six years that the need for beach- men at Yarmouth has gone, and that the chance of earning a living in this way is now so small that no one would think of bringing up his sons to the " business;" but while the men have been driven from the beach at Yarmouth until only three small companies survive, containing an aggregate strength, at most, of twenty men, .and their boats rapidly going to decay, Caister, a village three miles to the north, continues to maintain its company, numbering forty men, and they contrive to follow their hazardous calling under particularly thriving circumstances.

Gorleston, from its position at the mouth of the haven, 2J miles to the south of Yarmouth, with smooth water for the boats to launch into, and in the immediate vicinity of the tug-boats, enjoys every advantage, and consequently we find there two companies of beachmen, each about thirty strong, composed of young and able-bodied men, ready and fit for anything, and, like those at Caister, knowing thoroughly every shoal and set of the tide.

. With a coast so full of dangers to navigation, and with such a magnificent body of water-dogs, as one might call these men, actually living on the beach, there was plenty of opportunity for phi- lanthropy to come to the rescue of the sailor under the most favourable circum- stances. Accordingly, about the year 1824, the Norfolk Association for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was established by the combined exertions of the leading gentry of the county, and was maintained with considerable effort, and at great expense, by its supporters. This association was the first to grapple syste- matically with the dangers of shipwreck, and for a period of thirty-four years it struggled with the difficulties incidental to the want of professional supervision over the Life-boats stationed at the dif- ferent localities, and inadequate funds to meet the numerous expenses peculiar to the service. It was also found difficult to maintain a full working central com- mittee, for the principal subscribers and supporters were scattered all over the county, and could only give their attend- ance at meetings in an irregular manner.

Towards the close of 1857, negotiations were entered into with the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION — the ability of which to undertake the important duty of saving life from shipwreck was at this time beginning to be recognised—to con- sider the expediency of its absorbing the Norfolk society. Meetings were conse- quently held, at which evidence was produced of the existing condition of the stations under the control of the associa- tion, and they were found to compare most unfavourably with those under the management of the Institution. After much deliberation and correspondence with the London society, it was resolved at a meeting held December 19th, 1857, to transfer the entire administration of the Norfolk Association to the National Institution in the following terms:— "That the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION will proceed at once to place the whole of the Life-boat establishments on the Norfolk coast in a state of com- plete efficiency, according to the approved standard of the Institution, and that the expense of the same be defrayed by the ' Norfolk Shipwreck Association' from its funded capital, the interest on the re- mainder of the capital, as well as its annual subscriptions, being paid to this Institution to aid in enabling it to main- tain in a state of efficiency the several Life-boats so transferred." s Since the amalgamation took place, in January 1858, the Caister Life-boats have been instrumental in saving 945 lives, and 75 vessels from destruction, and the Yarmouth Life-boats 373 lives, and 18 vessels.

Great changes have of late taken place in the constitution of the Yarmouth station, for reasons already alluded to, and the large sailing Life-boat Mark Lane has been transferred to Gorleston, while the small surf-boat Abraham Thomas has been,placed under the management of the coastguard.

A large and influential committee of gentlemen resident in and about Yar- mouth have interested themselves in the Life-boat cause, zealously watching over the welfare of the boats committed to their charge. It is with much regret that the Institution has had to record, within the past three years, the loss of two gentlemen—Mr. WILLIAM WORSHIP, and Dr. ALDRED, both of whom filled the office of chairman, and had for many years been active members of the Local Committee. Mr. CHAS. DIVER has recently been selected to succeed Dr. ALDRED.