THESE rules, which are to come into effect on the 1st of November, were signed I a few days ago by Sir MICHAEL HICKSBEACH, and have just been presented to j Parliament. They are certainly of a most elaborate character—it is difficult to see how this could have been avoided—but are clearly and well drawn, and though they cover some seven pages of the ordinary Blue Book size, there should not be much difficulty in understanding them.

First, British ships are arranged in divisions and classes; then the number of boats of various characters, and other life-saving appliances, are specified for each of these classes; and, last, the boats are tabulated according to their character.

Eules are added with regard to the lowering appliances for the boats and the equipments for them, and for life-rafts, and approved life-belts and life-buoys are described. The ships are divided into four divisions, containing in all twelve elasses, from A, Class 1 (emigrant passenger steamships) to D 3 (inland waters passenger steamships); and the following are the requirements in an epitomised form:—Ships of Division A, Class 1, must carry, under davits, fit and ready for use, ; and with the specified appliances and [ equipments, boats according to a table.

i This table, called Table (c), contains a | scale graduated according to the size of the ships. For instance, vessels of 100, 1,000, 5,000 and 9,000 gross tonnage are to carry respectively two, four, ten, and fourteen boats of 250, 1,200, 8,400 and 5,250 minimum cubic feet contents. Half their boats are to be Section A or Section B boats (Life-boats of two qualities). The remaining boats may be Section C (thirdclass Life-boats) or Section D (ordinary '• wood or metal boats), but not more than two may be Section D boats. If these boats will not hold all on board, then additional wood, metal, collapsible or other boats or life-rafts, of approved description, are to be carried. These are to be at least three-quarters of the cubic capacity of the boats compulsory under the table. In addition, one life-buoy for every boat tinder davits, and a life-beltfor each person on board is to be taken.

A proviso is added that no ship of this ciass is required to carry more boats or rafts than will furnish sufficient accommodation for all persons on board. To save repetitioa, we may say that this proviso is repeated with regard to all foreign-goingpassertger vessels. Division A, Class 2, contains foreign-going passenger (not emigrant) steamships, which are subject to exactly the same requirements.

Probably they are separated in view of distiii ction in some f n tnre rules. Division A, Class 3, refers to home-trade passenger steamships. These must carry boats under davits in accordance with Table (c), precisely as the two classes last mentioned.

If these are not enough for all on board, then in like manner additional boats or raft of a capacity equal to half (instead of three-quarters) of the cubic capacity of those compulsory under the table.' If this is not practicable, an equivalent number of buoyant deck seats or fittings may be carried. The life-buoys are to be a minimum of six, and life-belts for all on board are required. Division B, Class 1 (emigrant sailing vessels), and Division B, Class 2 (foreign-going passenger sailing ships), are also linked. These also are to carry boats in accordance with Table (c), " as far as practicable" under davits.

These boats and the additional life-saving appliances, life-belts and buoys are also to be as for Division A, Class 1. Division B, Class 3, includes foreign-going sailing ships not carrying passengers. These are to caiiy Life-boats (of Sections A or B) sufficient for all on board, and one ordinary boat. These are to be, as far as practicable, under davits. A life-buqy for each boat, and life-belts, one for each person, are also required. Division B, Ciass 4, includes foreign-going steamships not certified for passengers. They must carry, under davits on each side, sufficient boats to accommodate all on board, one being a Life-boat, the Life-boat on one side being of Sections A or B, and on the other side of Sections A, B, or C; also six life-buoys, and a life-belt for each person. Division C, Class 1, contains home-trade steamships not certified for passengers. These are bound by exactly the same rules as the last class, except that each Life-boat may be of any Section, A, B or C. Division C, CJass 2, contains home-trade sailing ships not carrying passengers. These must carry wood or metal boats, " in such a.

position as to be readily got into the water," sufficient for all on board, each boat to be provided with a gallon of oil in a vessel of approved pattern for distributing it in the water in rough weather.

Division D, Class 1, contains the steamships which are certified to carry passengers only " on short specified passages " along the coast of the United Kingdom or between Great Britain and Ireland, or between Great Britain or Ireland and the Isle of Man. Ships of this class must carry boats under davits as required by Table (c). Half of them must be Lifeboats of Sections A or B; and the other half, if not of Sections A or B, must be of Section 0. If these boats do not furnish accommodation for all, then additional wood, metal, collapsible, or other boats, or approved life-rafts, shall be carried of cubic capacity at least half the Table (c) boats. The proviso is added that, if it is not practicable to carry all the additional boats or life-rafts, the deficiency may be made up by the supply of " an equivalent number " of approved buoyant deck seats or other buoyant deck fittings. Life-belts, one for each person, and a life-buoy for each boat, but not less than six of the latter, are also to be provided. An additional proviso follows that not more of the boats and other appliances are required than will furnish accommodation for all on board. Division D, Class 2, contains steamships carrying passengers on short excursions or pleasure trips to sea, or in estuaries or mouths of rivers during daylight.

These are to carry at least two Life-boats of Sections A, B, or C, under davits, and also " other boats approved buoyant apparatus and (or) approved lifebelts " sufficient, with the Life-boats, to keep afloat all the persons on board the ship, there being at least four life-buoys.

Division D, Class 3, provides for steamships carrying passengers on rivers and lakes, but not going to sea or into rough waters. These are to carry one boat in such a position that she can readily be got into the water, and also approved buoyant apparatus, life-belts, or life-buoys sufficient, together with the boat, to keep afloat all persons carried on board, and at least four approved life-buoys are to be carried. Finally, follow general rules.

First a description is given of the construction and equipment of the boats. A Section A boat is a Life-boat, with onetenth of her capacity of enclosed air-tight compartments; a Section B boat is a similar boat, with at least one-half the buojancy apparatus attached to the outside ; a Section 0 boat is a Life-boat having buoyancy apparatus equal to one-half that of a Section A or B boat, and a moiety of the apparatus must be attached to the outside ; a Section D boat is " a properly constructed boat of wood or metal," and a Section E boat must be " of approved construction, form, and material, and may be collapsible." Eules 2 and 3 state how the cubic capacity of the boats is to be measured, and how many persons each of such boats shall be deemed fit to carry.

Bale 4 states the conditions which the appliances for lowering boats must fulfil.

Eule 5 deficea the compulsory equipments for all boats. These are a full complement of and two spare oars, two plugs to each plughole, and a set and a half of thole pins, or crutches, a sea anchor, a baler, a rudder and tiller, or yoke, a painter and a boat-hook, and also a vessel to be kept filled with fresh water. Life-boats of Section A or B, or four at least of them, if the ship carries more, are to have as additional equipment two hatchets, a mast and sail, a line becketed around the outside of the boat, an efficient compass, a gallon of oil and distributing vessel, and a lantern trimmed with oil in its receiver sufficient to burn eight hours. Most of the small gear specified above is to be permanently attached to the boat by sound lanyards.

Eule 7 leaves it to the Board of Trade to determine the number of persons that any approved life-raft shall be deemed capable of carrying, subject, however, to the regulation that for every person so carried there shall be at least three cubic feet of strong and serviceable enclosed air-tight compartment. Eule 8 defines buoyant apparatus. This must not require to be inflated before use, and is to be considered efficient for the number of persons to be ascertained by dividing the number of pounds of iron which it is capable of supporting in fresh, -water by 32. A lifebelt, by Kule 9, must not require inflation, and must be capable of floating in the water for twenty-four hours with fifteen pounds of iron suspended from it, and must be cut out two inches under the armpits. A life-buoy may be either of solid cork or of any other substance, provided it is not staffed with loose material, or requires inflation before use, and must be capable of floating in the water for at least twenty-four hours with thirty-two poands of iron suspended from it. Eule 11 is to the effect that all lifebuoys and life-belts shall be so placed as to be readily accessible to all persons on board, so that their position may be known to those for whom they are intended. The last Eule is that when ships of any class are divided into efficient water-tight compartments to the satisfaction of the Board of Trade, they shall only be required to carry additional boats, rafts, and other life-saving appliances of one-half of the capacity required by these rules. The regulations are, no doubt, elaborate, but they are not difficult to understand; and there is no reason, as far as we can see, why they should not work put fairly and smoothly in practice.—Prom The Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, 8rd July, 1890..