The Life-boat transporting-carriage is a very important auxiliary to the boat.

Nearly every Life-boat, except a few of the larger size, is provided with a carriage, on which she is kept in the boat-house ready for immediate transportation to the most favourable position for launching to a wreck. A Life-boat is thus made available for a greater extent of coast than she otherwise would be; and even when launched from abreast of the boat-house, she can generally be much, quicker conveyed to the water's edge than without a carriage. In addition to this ordinary use, a carriage is of immense service in launching a boat from a beach; indeed, to such an extent is this the case, that a boat can be readily launched from a carriage in a high surf, when without one it would often be very difficult to do so.

The carriage consists of a fore and main body. The latter is formed of a keelway, and of bilgeways attached to it, and resting on the main axle, the boat's weight being entirely on the rollers of the keelway. Its leading characteristics are that while for launching it forms an inclined plane, down •which the boat can be launched off the rear end with considerable impetus, it can also be used for replacing the boat, the inclined plane being reversed by removing the fore-carriage.

A very full equipment of stores is supplied to the Life-boats of the Institution— stieh as cork life-belts, anchors and cables, grapnels and lines, life-buoys, lanterns, rockets, and many other articles, together with portable or launching-skids..