LXVII. BRIGHTON.— The Robert Bailees, 32 feet by 7} feet, 10 oars.

IT is not our intention here to enter into a description of so well known a town as Brighton, which has been so happily described as "London by the sea-side," but we shall content ourselves with a rapid survey of its history, and begin by remind- ing our readers that in the first century, when Agricola was subjugating Britain, Roman soldiers were encamped on the long range of chalky hills a few miles inland from the south coast of as yet uncultivated Britain. Beneath them lay a vast expanse of valley, to which the height on which they were encamped presented an almost pre- cipitous front. Close by was a huge gorge with steep sides, which was made a yet more formidable obstacle to the approach of an enemy by careful Roman engineering.

Looking to the north, the horizon was bounded by the shadows of a dense forest, in which were doubtless hidden fierce British warriors. To the south, a few miles distant, the surf was breaking along the line of shingle. On the east could be seen a lofty mass of rock, a bastion of the white walls from which the Romans had named the island " Albion "; and on the west, the long range of hills approaching the sea and breaking the coast into more varied outlines. These hills, on which the enemy were encamped, are now known as the Sussex South Downs; and the huge semicircular trench which protected the flank of the camp, as the "Devil's Dyke." A magnificent sea-side town, with a three miles frontage to the sea, and a suburb of the greatest city in the world, occupies the silent line of beach, defying the action of the ocean by sea-walls which reflect the greatest credit on the engineer- ing talent engaged in their construction, and possessing residences, hotels, and baths second to none in the kingdom.

Brighton derives its name from a Saxon bishop, one Brighthelm, who resided some- where at the foot of the South Downs.

The Saxon residents who succeeded the Romans, named the collection of huts dotting the shore, Brighthelmstone. In the twelfth century a colony of Flemings, driven from their own country, settled here and became fishermen. They built houses on the beach and under the cliff, and East, West, Ship, and Middle Streets were occupied by an industrious and thriving population. They were continu- ally harassed by inundations and encroach- ments of the sea, and portions of the cliff becoming undermined, fell in, driving the population to higher ground. The town was attacked in the fourteenth and fif- teenth centuries by the French, and many houses were burnt, but the energy and valour of the men of Sussex made them retreat with considerable loss. In the days of Elizabeth, Brighthelmstone was noted for its hardy fishermen, and fishing- boats. At that time there were, we are told, 400 seafaring men, 80 boats, and 10,000 nets in the town.

About fifty years after the queen's death, Brighthelmstone was the scene of an event of real historical interest. On the night of the 14th October, 1651, a tall swarthy young man, with one companion, slipped quietly into the George Inn, in West Street, and stated that they had appointed to meet a seafaring friend there. The inn- keeper had in earlier days been employed about the royal palace, and at once recog- nized in the visitor Prince Charles, son of him who ten years before had been be- headed at Whitehall. Shortly after, the captain of a collier, Nicholas Tettersell, was introduced to Charles and his friend Wilmot (afterwards the notorious Earl of Eochester). A bargain having been struck, he took them on board, and landed them safely at Fecamp, on the French coast.

The royal fugitive was of course profuse in his promises, and forgot them after the Restoration, which occurred nine years after. Tettersell, finding that no inquiries were made about him, steered his collier into the Thames and moored it opposite Whitehall. The dirty-looking craft at- tracted attention; inquiries were made, and the king remembered Ms obligations.

Tettersell received a ring, and an annuity for himself and descendants of WOl. a year, his ship being admitted as a ship of the Royal Navy, and renamed the Lucky Escape. The ring is still in the possession of Sir Henry Shiffnerl, a descendant of the captain, and his grandfather was the last to receive the pension.

The sea in the meanwhile continued to make further encroachments, and the hardships and miseries of the inhabitants were brought to a climax in 1705 by a terrible storm, which nearly swept the town out of existence. One hundred and thirty houses were destroyed, and pro- perty to the value of 40,QQQZ.; the whole of South Street being buried beneath the shingle washed up by the encroaching sea.

A century later, when some excavations were made, remains of old houses were found at a depth of 15 feet. In 1732 authority was granted to the town au- thorities to erect barriers against the sea.

Groynes, or strong wooden jetties, were run out to break the action of the waves; and in more recent times concrete groynes have been constructed, and make excel- lent breakwaters. Notwithstanding the misfortunes of the town, the Sussex gentry had a liking for it, and a few years after, a physician, Dr. Russell, who had gained considerable reputation for treating glan- dular diseases, and for his advocacy of sea-water for strengthening the constitu- tion, took up his residence here. His patients followed him, and when a chaly- beate spring was discovered at Wick, about a mile to the east, possessing, as was alleged, wonderful curative proper- ties, the reputation of the town was at once secured. In 1750 Brighton was still only a fishing-village, with but one church, "St. Nicholas," where the re- mains of Nicholas Tettersell, to whom we have alluded, lie buried. The rapid rise of the town is really due to its being the chosen residence of George IY. 'when Prince of Wales, who in 1784-7 built the Royal Pavilion, with which most of our readers are probably acquainted, and which was purchased by the Town from the Commissioners of Woods and Forests for 53,OOOZ. in 1851. So far the history of Brighton.

We now desire to draw attention to one of the numerous charitable institutions which abound in and round Brighton; we mean the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. It may not be uninteresting to relate how it was that the above-named Society was led to establish a Life-boat station on the beach nearly opposite the Bedford Hotel. On the 10th of October, 1857, at an early hour, the inhabitants of Brighton were aroused from their beds by the report of an approaching wreck.

It had been blowing hard all night from the south, and the sea, as far as the eye could reach, was covered with foam, when at daybreak a brig was seen in the S.E.

driving before the wind, and showing signals of distress. It was soon seen she was making for the shore—a step attended with infinite peiil; and though, it was not yet seven in the morning, thousands had assembled on the cliff to witness her im- pending fate. Presently she struck on the sand near the pier end, and it soon became evident she must go to pieces, and the crew perish, unless succour could reach them. There were at that time three Life-boats at Brighton; one, we believe, belonging to the town authorities.

A second had formerly been the property of the Brighton Humane Society, but about three years since she had been con- demned as unserviceable. She was, how- ever, at that time bought by a well-known spirited and justly popular Brighton boatman, named JOHN WRIGHT, who gave her a thorough refit, and resolved to maintain her as a second Life-boat at his own expense. A third, we believe, was the property of the Brighton Humane Society. Before the ill-fated brig had taken the ground, the two first-named boats had put off to attempt to reach her.

WEIGHT'S boat, being the fastest sailer, at first made the most progress; but she was struck by a heavy sea, which filled the boat, and carried away five of the oars, the sails having been taken down, as she would not fetch to windward. Thus dis- abled, she was obliged to return to the shore. The Town Life-boat then succeeded in getting alongside, and took off five out of the eight of the brig's crew, who were safely landed. Two more attempts were now made by WEIGHT to take off the remainder of the crew, but without success; the Town boat also made another attempt, but was compelled by the violence of the sea to put back. Four of WEIGHT'S crew had now deserted him, and he was almost in despair for volunteers, when the officer in command at the coastguard station at Hove, Lieutenant MANSELL, K.N., came to the spot, and with four of his men offered to make up the deficiency.

WEIGHT gladly availed himself of the services of the men, but declined those of the lieutenant, wishing to retain command of his own boat; and thus reinforced, a fourth attempt was made, this time with success, and the remainder of the crew were landed in safety, amidst the cheers and hearty greetings of the crowds as- sembled to receive them. A public meet- ing was subsequently held at Brighton, when it was resolved to take immediate steps to provide the most efficient Life- boat protection, which resulted in the formation at Brighton of a Branch of the BOY.AL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, the inhabitants providing a house for the boat, and undertaking to subscribe an- nually a sufficient amount for its per- manent support. In 1868 the station was thoroughly re-organized, a new and handsome boathouse being built on a site of ground, granted by the Town Council, on the beach near the New West Pier.

The old boat was replaced by a fine new one, pulling ten oars double-banked, its cost having been defrayed by the children in the Sunday-schools of London and its neighbourhood, the fund having been raised through the kind and zealous exertions of J. E. BURCHETT, Esq., CHARLES SEARE, Esq., and other gentlemen. The Life-boat was named The Robert Saikes, after the great founder of Sunday-schools.

In 1876 the Institution lost a warm friend in the person of Sir CORDY BURROWS, who had been for many years Chairman of the Branch.

Brighton was the spot selected for carrying out the Life-boat competition, a prize of 6001. having been offered by the Fisheries Exhibition Commissioners in 1883. Only three competitors appeared in the field, viz., the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION, Messrs. FORRESTT AND SON, Boat-builders, and Messrs. TIMMIS AND HODGSON. Owing to the exceptionally fine weather experienced in the first half of the year 1884, a considerable time elapsed before weather possessing the necessary degree of roughness set in, and then there was a difficulty in assembling the jurors.

More than one preliminary trial, however, took place in the presence of a large concourse of people, and finally the prize was awarded to the self-righting boat of the Life-boat Institution.

In consequence of the excessive loss of beach where the Life-boat house is situated, through the action of the sea, which last year carried away the groyne provided for the accumulation of the shingle, and has within the last month done so much more damage, it has become necessary to move the house to another site, and successful negotiations with the Corporation have just been completed, by which the Society acquires the use of two roomy arches opposite Cannon Place on very favourable terms. One arch will take in the boat and carriage, and the second will be utilized as a store, with possibly a wait- ing-room partitioned off. The Society has been most fortunate in securing the services of such well-known and philan- thropic gentlemen as Mr. Alderman Cox, Messrs. E. BOOTH, A. H. SUTHERLAND, W. JOHNSTON, W. E. WOOD and others, to take care of the interests and efficiency of the station. In June, 1884, Mr. W. E. WOOD, jun., who has acted as Honorary Secretary to the Branch for some years, was presented "by the Institution with a pair of binocular glasses, in recognition of his long and valuable services and co- operation, to continue which we trust he may long be spared.