ONCE again it becomes our duty to draw the attention of our friends to the sta- tistics published by the Board of Trade, relative to the wrecks occurring on our rock-bound shores. The Register, re- cently laid before the public, furnishes without comment, in admirably arranged tables, facts and figures which are terrible indeed, and the reader cannot but long for the' time, which it is to be feared will never come, when some satisfactory means may be found for putting an end to, or at all events for greatly mitigating, such a sad state of affairs.

It appears that during the year ended the 30th June, 1883, there were 3,654 shipping casualties of all sorts around the British Isles; but, large as this total is, it is gratifying to find that it is smaller by 6 wrecks than that of the preceding year, while the number of lives lost con- sequent on the casualties was 1,020, or 77 less than the statement of the previous year furnished.

As we have already said, this total of 3,654 wrecks comprises every description of casualty—wrecks resulting in total loss, partial loss, collisions, etc., but on examining these details, it will be found that there has been a considerable decline in the most serious classes of accidents, the number of total losses having fallen from 606 to 551, so that the remaining 3,103 cases may be considered as less im- portant. The number of wrecks involving loss of life fell from 235 to 220. Perhaps we may be justified, therefore, in express- ing the hope that the scientific improve- ments in navigation, which have of late years been introduced, have now begun to take effect, but every possible endeavour should still be made to further minimize the immense destruction of life and pro- perty, which is continually taking place on our coast. This is the more necessary, as the number of vessels entering and leaving our ports increases year by year. Last year no less than 677,551 vessels, with a tonnage of 145,995,580, came and went, and it is estimated that they had on board at least 4,000,000 people.

The following table will show the reader at a glance the number of shipwrecks which have occurred each year on our shores since 1854:— 1854 (last six months), 458; 1855, 1,141; 1856,1,153; 1857, 1,143; 1858, 1,170; 1859,1,416; 1860, 1,379; 1861, 1,494; 1862,1,488; 1863, 1,664; 1864, 1,390; 1865,1,656; 1866, 1,860; 1867, 2,090; 1868, 1,747; 1869, 2,114; 1870, 1,502; 1871, 1,575; 1872, 1,958; 1873 (first six months), 967; 1873-4, 1,803; 1874-5, 3,590; 1875-6,3,757; 1876-7, 4,164; 1877-8, 3,641; 1878-9, 3,002; 1879-80,2,510; 1880-81, 3,575; 1881-2, ! 3,660; and 1882-3, 3,654.

Thus it will be seen that during the past generation there have been no less than 62,730 wrecks, resulting in the loss of 21,651 lives. This last total would have been doubled, had it not been for the means adopted by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, which, under God, were instrumental in saving 21,167 lives during the same period. Since its estab- lishment in 1824, this invaluable Society has assisted to save the lives of 31,105 persons, work of which the British public and the Committee of Management may i well be proud.

It must not be forgotten, however, that the number of lives lost around our coast is greatly in excess of the number rescued, and that our Life-boats have frequently been launched in reply to signals from distressed vessels, but have been com- pelled to return, sometimes after hours of exposure, with the sad report that they were " too late " to render any assistance.

During the year 1882-3 good work was done by the Rocket Apparatus of the Board of Trade, 450 lives having been saved by this useful means at the 298 stations where the apparatus was placed.

There were 4,363 vessels represented in the 3,654 shipping casualties above referred to. This number is necessarily than that of the casualties, because ision cases more than one vessel is d, but it is pleasing to know that year 1882-3, the total of ships thus iirrolved was 4 less than in the previous year. Out of the 3,654 casualties 685 were collisions, and 2,969 wrecks of other descriptions. Of the latter 495 resulted in total loss, 657 in serious damage, and 1,817 in minor accidents, so that not only were there 5 less wrecks, other than collisions, reported in 1882-3 than in 1881-2, but, which is even more satisfac- tory still, the serious accidents dropped from 1,245 to 1,152. Of the 2,9G9 casualties, other than collisions, 2,627 befell vessels proper to this country and the colonies, and 342 occurred to foreign ships. The British vessels were employed as follows:—1,677 in our coasting trade, 715 in the oversea home and foreign trade, and 235 as fishing vessels. There were 14 casualties to ships belonging to foreign countries and states employed in our coasting trade, 273 to foreign vessels bound to or leaving British ports, and 55 to foreigners not trading to or from our shores.

The localities of the wrecks, excluding collisions, were:—east coast of England, 950; south coast, 496; west coasts of England and Scotland, and east coast of Ireland, 1,084; north coast of Scotland, 93; east coast of Scotland, 107; and other parts, 239. Total, 2,969.

The loss of life, collision cases being included, is thus given:—east coast of England, 466, or 177 more than in the previous year; south coast, 98, or 31 less Jhe. .year before; west coasts of Scotland, and east coast of , being an increase of 20 on -2; north coast of Scotland, ||f49S{i0&se of 36, as compared with twelve months; east coast of Scotland, «7, or 152 less than the year before; other parts, 17. Total, 1,020.

It should be noticed that the east coast of England has as usual proved by far the most destructive to human life.

A good general idea of the shipping disasters which took place on the shores of the United Kingdom during the year 1882-3, will be gathered from an examina- tion of the annexed wreck-chart, and it will be seen that very few parts of the coast are without the melancholy " wreck " dots, thus demonstrating the absolute necessity of maintaining the Life-boat service.

Between 1861 and 1883, 3,802 British and foreign ships were wrecked on our coast, involving loss of life in every case, and the number of lives lost in these wrecks was 17,812.

It is by no means satisfactory to find that the number of total wrecks of British vessels on our shores, excluding collisions, caused either by the vessels being unsea- worthy, or by the officers, pilots or crews being ignorant or careless, rose last year in the first case from 20 to 33, and in the second case from 55 to G8; those arising from other or unknown causes having increased, during the same period, from 93 to 101, -whereas the total losses occasioned by stress of weather happily fell from 276 to 197.

The number of casualties arising during the year from the same causes, and re- sulting in serious damage, is as follows :— through defects, 21; errors, 109 ; stress of weather, 275 ; break down of machinery and explosions, 124; other causes, 52; while the cases of minor damage were :—through defects, 89; errors, 191; break down of machinery and explosion, 112; stress of weather, 1,031; and other causes, 224.

It is interesting to observe the ages of the vessels wrecked during the period we are considering. Excluding foreign ships and collisions, casualties befell 173 nearly new ships, 335 ships from 3 to 7 years of ago, 525 from 7 to 14, and 979 from 15 to 30 years old. Next come 433 old ships from 30 to 50 years of age, and then follow " the ancients," viz., 52 between 50 and CO years old, 28 from 60 to 70, 12 from 70 to 80, 4 from 80 to 90, 1 from 90 to 100, and 2 more than a century old; the age of 83 being un- known. Not taking into account the collisions, 692 steamships, and 2,277 sailing vessels came to grief on our shores in the year 1882-3.

As regards the 2,G27 British ships which met with accident, excluding collision cases, 1,314 of them did not exceed 100 tons burden, 794 were from 100 to 300 tons, 182 from 300 to 500 tons, and 337 were in excess of 500 tons burden. 45 of the 399 British vessels totally lost (irrespective of collisions) were built of iron, 37 of them being steamships, and the remaining 8 sailing vessels.

We observe that the Register supplies ; the force and direction of the winds in only 1,414 of the 3,654 casualties of the year, and in those cases we find that the winds which proved most disastrous to the shipping on or near the shores of the United Kingdom during the year, were :— X. to E. inclusive, 353; E. by S. to S.

inclusive, 359 ; S. by "VV. to "W. inclusive, 483 ; and W. by N. to N. by W. inclusive, 219. Total, 1,414.

As to the force of the wind at the time tho 1,414 disasters in question happened, 456 occurred with the wind at forces 7 to 8, | or a moderate to fresh gale, when any ship properly found, manned, and navi- gated, should certainly be able to keep the sea with safety; while no less than 958 casualties happened when the force ' of the wind was 9 to 11—that is to say, blowing from a strong gale to a storm, ! It is sad to find that there was a further increase last year in the number of accidents which befell vessels in our harbours and rivers, although the number of total losses was happily not large.

The figures are as follows :—accidents, 1,018, or 15 more than the previous! year; total losses, 19, or 2 less than the , previous year. As many as 661 of these casualties were caused by collision, while the foundering cases numbered 12, the strandings, 257, and miscellaneous, 88.

The 1,018 casualties just referred to, resulted in the loss of, or in damage to 1,757 vessels, 877 of which were British sailing vessels, 725 British steamers, 100 fore ign sailing vessels, and 55 foreign steamers. Unfortunately, 31 lives1 sacrificed in these casualties. ''' 1 Of the 685 collisions on or coasts:—291 occurred in the and 394 at night; 58 were bet1 steamers under way ; 147 between and Bailing vessels, both being under • 75 between steamers under way and steam or sailing vessels at anchor; and 16 when steamers at anchor wore run into by sailing ships. In the other 389 collision cases sailing vessels alone were engaged, i 1G5 happening when both ships were i under way.; 123 when one was at anchor ; : while the remaining 101 collisions arose 1 from vessels breaking from, or fouling at, anchors or moorings.

It is with the liveliest satisfaction we are able to report that the Register shows a decrease in the number of lives lost ! during the year, as compared with that of the preceding twelve months. Last year we announced the number of lives lost as 1,097, now we have to record 1,020, or a decrease of 77. Of these 1,020 lives, 65 were lost in foundered I vessels, 126 through collisions, ' 5 in vessels stranded or cast ashore, and i:J3 in missing vessels. The remaining 71 lives were lost from miscellaneous causes, such as from being washed overboard, • explosions, &c. Of the 220 vessels, out of which the 1,020 lives were lost, 187 were ; British, from which 843 persons were drowned, and 33 were foreign, involving the loss of 177 lives.

In conclusion, we cannot but again draw attention to the noble work persistently and earnestly carried on by tho NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, which, as has been already shown, has prepared to do so much, by 279 Life-boats, to diminish the dire evils resulting from shipping disasters on the United Kingdom, and we are if ever there was a work whifti WS)ffte*6? the warm support and the active sympathy and co-operation of the British public, it i s that so well carried on by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION..