THE BOARD OP TRADE have recently! issued their very interesting Annual Blue Book, furnishing abstracts of the returns made to the Board of shipping casualties occurring on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom. The statistics now published relate to the year ended the 30th June, 1897. In accordance with our usual custom we propose to give our readers a digest of such of the valuable information supplied in the 180 pages of the Government returns in question as seem more especially to bear on the Institution's important work of life- saving, at the same time comparing the figures given with those supplied in former years. Notwithstanding all—and that all has been much—that has been done of late years to improve both our ships and sailors and the lighting of our very dangerous coast, shipping casualties resulting in the loss of life still continue, and will ever continue, to take place; but it is the glorious object and mission of the Life-boat Service to reduce the sad death-roll to the smallest possible dimen- sions and to offer succour to the ship- wrecked and tempest-tossed mariner.

The total number of shipping casualties which occurred on or near the coast of the United Kingdom in the year 1896-7 was 5,277, this number being a consider- able increase of 657 over the total for the previous twelve months; but, notwith- standing the large increase in the casualties, the number of lives lost as a result was only 328, a decrease of 130 as compared with the year 1895-6, and it is probable that very few of those lost could have been saved, having regard to the nature of the casualties and circum- stances which caused them.

The 5,277 casualties given as the total for the year under consideration included all descriptions of accidents befalling every class of vessel, such as collisions, founderings, strandings, missing vessels, etc. We classify the casualties under the following heads: (1) Total loss; (2) serious casualties; (3) minor casualties.

Under all these headings a considerable increase is reported, the most marked increase being in the number of the minor casualties. The cases of total loss and serious casualty increased from 1,345, the total for the previous year, to 1,499, an increase of 154, while the minor casualties totalled 3,778, or 503 more than the number for the year 1895-6. It is somewhat remarkable, however, that although the number of casualties con- siderably exceeded the total for the previous year, loss of life resulted in only 94 cases, a very satisfactory decrease of 46 as compared with the preceding twelve months.

As is usual, the cases of collision represent a large proportion of the casualties. In the year 1896-7 they numbered 1,732, or 185 more than in the previous year. Those casualties involving total loss, collision cases not being included, increased from 250 to 360, the serious casualties from 722 to 738, and the minor casualties from 2,101 to 2,447.

Of the 5,277 casualties, 4,713 befel British and Colonial vessels, and 564 Foreign vessels. The total of the British and Colonial casualties was 600 morethan that of the previous year, and the total of Foreign casualties showed an increase of 57 cases.

The localities of the casualties, exclud- ing collisions, were as follows:—East coast of England, 933,or 129 more than the year 1895-6; north coast, 634, or 91 more than the previous year; west coast of England and Scotland, and east coast of Ireland, 1,334, or 159 more than the pre- ceding year; north coast of Scotland, 135, an increase of 19; east coast of Scotland, 198, or an increase of 17; other parts, 311, an increase of 57; total 3,545, or 472 more than the preceding year.

The loss of life resulting from the casualties in the several districts, includ- ing collisions, was as follows :—East coast of England, 56, or 47 less than in the year 1895-61; sonth coast of England, 19, or 26 less than the previous year; west coast of England and Scotland, and east coast of Ireland, 137, a de- crease of 28 as compared with the previous year; north coast of Scotland, 14, or 9 less than in 1895-6; east coast of Scotland, 22, or 10 more than the year before ; other parts 80; total, 328.

Following our usual custom we annex a chart of the United Kingdom on which a black dot is entered against every spot on which any important shipping casu- alty occurred during the year ended the 30th June, 1897. The position of each of the 294 Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LITE-BOAT INSTITUTION is also indicated on the chart, so that it can be readily seen that the boats have been discreetly placed.

Between 1861 and the 30th June, 1897, 5,746 British, Colonial and Foreign vessels were wrecked on or near our coast, involv- ing loss of life in rach instance, the total number of lives lost being 25,136.

Of the 328 persons who thus perished in the year under consideration, 235 were from British and Colonial vessels, and 93 from Foreign vessels. Comparing these figures with those of the previous year it is found there is a decrease, and that a considerable one, of 152 lives lost from British and Colonial vessels, but an in- crease of 22 in the lives lost from Foreign vessels.

Of the 328 lives sacrificed in the year 1896-7, 96 were lost in foundered vessels, 62 in collisions (the total under this head in 1895-6 was 116), 73 in stranded vessels, or 64 less than in the previous year, 45 in missing vessels, an increase of only one as compared with the previous twelve months; and 52 in explosions, washed overboard, etc. Of the 328 per- sons who lost their lives only 9 were passengers, the 319 others being officers and members of the crews of the vessels.

The number of vessels meeting with casualties on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom varies each year. These variations will be understood at a glance by perusing the following table, which gives the statistics for the last 44 years:— 1854 (last six months), 458; 1855, 1,141; 1856,1,153; 1857, 1,143; 1858, 1,170; 1859, 1,416; 1860, 1,379; 1861, 1,494; 1862, 1,827; 1863,2,001; 1864, 1,741; 1865,2,012; 1866, 2,289; 1867, 2,513; 1868,2,131; 1869,2,594; 1870, 1,865; 1871, 1,927; 1872, 2,381; 1873 (first six months), 1,206; 1873-4, 2,191; 1874-5, 4,259; 1875-6, 4,554; 1876-7, 5,017; 1877-8, 4,436; 1878-9, 8,716; 1879-80, 3,138; 1880-1, 4,297; 1881-2, 4,367; 1882-3, 4,363; 1883-4, 4,405; 1884-5,3,764; 1885-6, 3,596; 1886-7, 4,224; 1887-8, 4,004; 1888-9, 4,272; 1889-90, 4,344; 1890-1, 4,198; 1891-2, 4,710 ; 1892-3, 3,499; 1893-4, 4,951; 1894-5, 4,917; 1895-6, 4,620; 1896-7, 5,277. Total, 134,960.

Although during the past generation the loss of life from shipwreck on or near our coast has been terribly large, the total number of persons so perishing numbering 28,975, it is satisfactory to know that that total would have been more than doubled had it not been for the Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION, and the other means for saving life which it has employed and recognised. The total number of persons rescued by this means in the same period was 30,663, the lives saved thus exceeding those lost by 1,688.

Daring the year 1897 the Institution granted rewards for the saving of 662 lives, besides which scores of persons were landed by the Life-boats from perilous positions.

The 310 rocket apparatus and other stations of the Board of Trade worked by the Coast Guard and Rocket Brigades have continued to carry on their noble work of life-saving, and were instrumental during the year 1896-7 in rescuing from drowning 242 persons, an increase of 88 lives saved as compared with the previous year.

These figures, which the Board of Trade have enabled us to examine and compare, demonstrate in a marked degree the absolute necessity for the main- tenance of a thoroughly efficient Life-boat Service on the British Coast, which, while it has been and is instrumental in reselling thousands from a watery grave, is also the means of saving many a score of families from destitution and sorrow. The Com- mittee of Management feel therefore that they have good ground for making a strong and earnest appeal to the British public for funds to enable them to carry on the important work of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, an Institution which, directly or indirectly, has contributed since its establishment in 1824 to the saving ot nearly 41,000 lives from shipwreck.