WITH the view of diminishing the serious loss of life which takes place every year from fishing-vessels both on the coasts of the United Kingdom and in the North Sea, and other fishing grounds, the Com- mittee of the NATIONAL SEA FISHERIES PROTECTION ASSOCIATION, assisted by the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, has recently been endeavouring to induce some of the cleverest and ablest skippers of fishing-smacks to carry out experiments with oil-bags, and to persuade the fisher- men generally to use them. The result has been most successful, the consensus of opinion of those who have used them being strongly in their favour. Two hundred bags, constructed to hold about a gallon of oil each, soaked in tow or waste, were made, and about one hundred and sixty of them distributed amongst the vessels fishing mainly with the " Great Northern " and " Red Cross " Fleets. The Reports made by the cap- tains of the cutters, that is to say, the steamers which bring the fish to market, have been most satisfactory. The captain of one of the steamers stated that on one occasion in particular he noticed that, notwithstanding the high wind which was blowing, the sea around and for some distance from the steamer, was perfectly smooth and safe for boarding fish, but to his astonishment, when he had sailed a few miles towards the land, having com- pleted his boarding, the water was so rough that it would have been an utter impossibility for a smack's boat to live in it.

It may seem strange that out of a fleet of three hundred and ninety steam and sailing trawlers not more than one hun- dred and sixty should have availed them- selves of the oil-bags offered them; but it is to be feared that this is attributable in a great measure to the fishermen's reckless indifference to human life. There can be no doubt that the use of these bags is a most valuable preventative of accidents; and if it were possible for a regulation to be made rendering it a penal offence for a skipper to allow a boat to leave a smack unless fully equipped with oil-bags, a most necessary reform would be effected.

Happily, only one life was lost last winter in boarding in the Hull Fishing Fleets, which is a marked improvement on past years.

The following are some recent reports as to the successful use of oil in smooth- ing troubled waters, extracted from a journal published in the United States entitled, The Pilot Chart.

" February 21st and 22nd, 1891.—En- countered gales between lat. 45° 41' N., long. 42° 02' W. and lat. 44° 28' N., long.

37° 45' W., heaviest from N.W., our course being east. While the heavy seas were running, used oil with good results.

Captain Boggs, British s.s. Indiana." Captain Thompson, of the British ship British Isles, reports as follows : " I have frequently used oil when running heavy in a breaking sea, and have found it to have great effect. The more greasy the oil the better it is. I used it exactly as you recommend, and have half a dozen perforated bags for the purpose." Captain Holcrow, of the British brig Aquatic, reports that in January, 1891, "on passing from Mauritius to Queens- town, discovered a leak in the port bow, and while repairing it by means of a stage rigged out over the bow, made the water smooth with one quart of petroleum, which answered excellently well." Captain Ellis, of the British s.s. Bidar, at Philadelphia, March 15th, for London, reports on February 21st, " during very heavy gale from W., N.W. to N., the vessel shipping large quantities of water, it became necessary to use oil for the safety of the vessel. Clothes bags filled with oil were placed over each bow, the basins of forward closets were also filled with oil, after being well stuffed with oakum. The sea came with great force to within about a quarter of a ship's length and then curled under the film of oil and approached the vessel in the shape of a heavy swell. Fish oil, fur- nished by the owners for this purpose, was used. The effect of the oil was won- derful." Captain Wilson, of the British barque Vidonia, reports as follows:" I frequently used oil in running and lying to in the North Atlantic, and found it invaluable.

On one occasion, when loaded with cod oil, I attributed the saving of the ship and crew to leakage of the cargo. This occurred in the latter part of January and the first half of February, 1890, when heavy westerly gales prevailed." Captain Rowe, of the British ship Slieve Eoe, encountered a W.N.W. gale with heavy squalls and high seas on February 27th, off the coast of New Jersey. The ship behaved beautifully with three oil- bags over. Later in the day when a strong S.S.W. gale was blowing, accom- panied by a heavy sea, wished to take aboard a pilot; poured oil over the bows with marvellous effect in smoothing the water for his boat.—Pilot Chart.