POINT or AYR (FLINTSHIRE), and FORMBY (LANCASHIRE).—As previously mentioned in The Life-boat, the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, having taken over these stations from the Mersey Dock and Harbour Board, has replaced the Life-boats on them by new ones.

That for the Point of Ayr was the gift of H. G. POWELL, Esq., of Tettenhall, after whom it is named. The boat is of the non-self-righting class, provided with a double copper bottom, and is 35 ft. long and 9 ft. wide; she rows 12 oars, double- banked, and is provided also with masts and sails. She has already been tried in very rough weather, when the coxswain and crew were much pleased with her sailing qualities.

The ceremony of publicly naming and launching this boat took place on the 4th June in the presence of a number of visitors from the town of Wolverhampton and district. The proceedings commenced with the rendering of the appropriate hymn, led by Mrs. HADDINGHAM, " Eternal Father, strong to save," and the offering up of prayer by the Vicar of Llanasa, which formed the prelude to a speech from Mr. POWELL, who, in presenting the boat to the representative of the Insti- tution, gave a resume of the history connected with it. He explained how that, when he was approached by the Wolverhampton Branch for a donation to the funds, he felt so much interested in the Life-boat movement that he resolved to supply a boat, this making the third which Wolverhampton had had the honour of furnishing to the coast. Insular people little knew of the dangers through which the mariners passed, and were apt to forget the work they were doing. " They who go down to the sea in ships, and do their business in great waters" ought to be thought of. "If the boat ever should be the means of saving one individual from destruction, I shall feel heartily repaid for anything I have done in placing her here," concluded the speaker, amid a spontaneous outburst of cheering.

As representing the Institution, the District Inspector, Commander BEDDOES, R.N., received the gift, and aptly alluded to the large fleet of costly boats which had to be maintained. The work that had to be done could not be accomplished without such generosity, of which this present was a proof, and the new boat was the more acceptable by reason of the fact that there was no spot in the United Kingdom where there was harder work when men got afloat, and to get afloat, than here. Brave, manly hearts were needed, and the men at this station would not, he firmly believed, be found wanting.

Mr. BARNETT undertook the pleasant duty of presenting the boathouse to the Institution on behalf of the subscribers.

It was supplemental, he said, to Mr. POWELL'S noble gift. That gentleman had taken a deep interest in the Life- boat movement, and evinced it by putting his hand deeply into his pocket. It was not everybody who had learnt the art of giving. It would have been a disgrace to Wolverhampton had the town allowed Mr. POWELL'S act of kindly liberality to pass without an effort to provide the necessary funds for erecting the boat' house. The money had been spent wisely and well.

Mr. BATTERS, the Local Honorary Secretary, having accepted the gift of the house, the ceremony of christening the boat was performed by Miss POWELL, and as the bottle of champagne was broken against the bow a hearty round of cheer- ing was indulged in. The National Anthem was then sung, Mrs. HADDINGHAM rendering the solo, and a fitting portion of the proceedings was the discharge of rockets, illustrative of the way in which communication was effected with the crew in the event of the occurrence of a wreck.

By seven stout horses the boat was then drawn to the water, launched, and taken for a two-mile row round the River Dee lightship. On the trial trip Mr. POWELL and Mr. HADDINGHAM pulled the bow oars. Coxswain EVANS, who had been on the Point of Ayr station over forty years, steered, and it is worthy of note that he has been instrumental in helping to save 380 lives.

The vote of thanks to Mr. POWELL, passed at the subsequent luncheon given by him in the boathouse, on the proposition of Mr. HAND, supported by Captain BEDDOES and Mr. BATTERS, and accompanied by musical honours, was fully appreciated by the donor of the boat, who had a further honour in the singing by the crew of a song in Welsh, the men afterwards hoisting Mr. POWELL on their shoulders and carrying him round the boathonse. Tea was provided at The Mostyn Arms for all the company.

A substantial dinner was also provided for the crew at Mr. POWELL'S expense.

The new Life-boat at Formby was formally launched there on the 1st June, after the usual naming ceremony had been gracefully performed, in the presence of a large concourse of spectators, by Mrs. OVEREND EVANS, who, in giving the boat the title of the John and Henrietta, as requested by the anonymous donor, wished it every success, and expressed a hope that it would be found to be of great use on the coast when required. The boat was then launched for a short cruise.

The company adjourned to the Life-boat house, where the health of the donor of the boat was proposed by Mr. J. BEAU- FORD, chairman of the Formby committee, and responded to by Mr. ERIC EVANS.

The health of the Life-boat crew was also proposed, and warmly received; and in the evening they were entertained at dinner at the Railway Hotel.

In responding on their behalf the Local Honorary Secretary, Captain PHILLIPS, R.N., said that few people had any idea what the experiences of a Life-boat man were. It was all very well to see the boat going out that afternoon when the weather was so fine, but to be on the beach on a winter's night, when a N.W. wind was blowing and the breakers coming in, was a different thing. Very often on such occasions the men were called up out of bed just as they had got themselves comfortable. He had known them to be on the shore and in the boat from 7 o'clock at night to 7 o'clock the next morning, and all that time many of them were wet through. This would give them some idea of a Life-boat man's hardships. He might mention that Mrs.

AINDOW, who kept the Life-boat house, had amongst the crew of the new boat her husband and five sons. PENMON (ANGLESEY), TEIGNMOUTH (DEVON), CASTLETOWN, DOUGLAS and RAMSEY (ISLE OF MAN), AYR (SCOTLAND), and BALLYCOTTON (IRELAND). — These Life-boat stations have also had their boats replaced this year by new and improved Life-boats of the latest type.

The two first-named ones, like their predecessors, are respectively named the Christopher Brown and the Alfred Stani- forth.

The new Castletown boat was provided from a handsome bequest received from the trustees of the late Mrs. ISABELLA BLACK, of Eastbourne, and is named the Thomas Black.

The Douglas, Ramsey, Ayr, and Bally- cotton new Life-boats bear the same names as the boats they superseded, viz., Civil Service No. 6, Mary Isabella, Janet Foyle and 1, P. Hearne.

ROSSLARE HARBOUR (WEXFORD).—The large sailing Life-boat kept afloat at Beaumaris being no longer required there, now that Penmon, the adjacent station, has been provided with a more powerful boat, has been transferred to Rosslare Harbour, which was represented to the Institution as in every respect an excel- lent position for such a boat, as she would be available there for service on the Long Bank, Blackwater and Tuskar. She will often have the advantage also of the services of a steam-tug, many of the powerful boats belonging to Liverpool seeking shelter in Rosslare Harbour in bad weather. For the present the Life-boat is kept moored afloat. She is one of the largest class of the self- righting type, viz., 42 ft. long and 11 feet wide, and is fitted with two drop- keels and three water-ballast tanks.

She is named the Tom and Jenny, as desired by the donor, an anonymous contributor (" D "), who had previously presented three Life-boats to the Institu- tion..