WE have much pleasure in drawing the special attention of our readers to the valuable statistics recently issued by the Board of Trade in their Annual Blue Book, which furnishes abstracts of the returns made to the Board of shipping casualties occurring on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom. The tables and statistics given are as usual admirably arranged, and cannot fail to interest all connected directly or indirectly with the sea and certainly those having at heart the welfare of our seafaring community and the important work carried on by the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

While some of the tables are sad enough to consider, it is reassuring and comforting to know that the efforts so continuously and earnestly made to reduce each year's terrible total of shipping disasters, result- ing, alas, so frequently in loss of life, have, it would seem, really borne fruit, and that a decrease is shown both in the number of the casualties and, which is infinitely more important, the valuable lives sacrificed.

The total number of shipping casualties which occurred on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom in the year 1897-8 was 4,964, this total being a satisfactory decrease of 313, as compared with the corresponding total for the previous twelve months. The number of lives lost as a result of the year's casualties was 295, or 33 less than the total for the year 1896-7, and there is every reason to believe, judging by the nature of the casualties, that this total, in the circum- stances, could not in all human probability have been very sensibly reduced. This fact is a cause for thankfulness and con- gratulation.

The year's total of 4,964 casualties included every description of accident befalling vessels of all classes, namely, collisions, fonnderings, standings, miss- ing vessels, etc. According to our custom we propose to classify the casualties under the following heads : (1) Total loss; (2) Serious casualties; (3) Minor casual- ties. Under each of these a considerable decrease is shown. The cases of total loss and serious casualty decreased from 1,499, the total for the year 1896-7, to 1,367, a reduction of 132, while the minor casual- ties totalled 3,597, or 181 less than the previous year. Life was lost in 97 cases, an unfortunate increase of 3 as compared with the preceding year.

The cases of collision represent, as indeed is practically always the case, a very considerable proportion of the casual- ties. In the year 1897-8., the vessels in collision numbered 1,708, or 24 less than in the previous twelve months. The casualties which involved total loss, col- lisions not being included, decreased from 360 to 279, a very substantial falling off; whilst the total of serious casualties fell from 738 to 696, and the minor casualties from 2,447 to 2,281.

Of the 4,964 casualties 4,455 befel British and Colonial vessels and 509 Foreign vessels. The total of the British and Colonial casualties was 258 less than that of the year 1896-7, and the total of Foreign casualties showed a decrease of 55 cases.

The localities of the casualties, excluding collisions, were as follows:—East coast of England 924, or 9 less than the pre- ceding year; south coast 570, or 64 less than in the previous year; west coast of England and Scotland, and east coast of Ireland 1,195, or 139 less than in the year 1896-7; north coast of Scotland 157, an increase of 22; east coast of Scotland 162, a decrease of 36; other parts 248, a decrease of 63; total 3,256, or 289 less than the preceding year.

The lost of life which resulted from the casualties in the various districts, in- cluding collision cases, was as follows :— East coast of England 89, or 33 more than in 1896-7; south coast of England 32, or 13 more than the preceding year; west coast of England and Scotland and east coast of Ireland 59, a large decrease of 78 as compared with the previous year; north coast of Scotland 36, or 22 more than in 1896-7; east coast of Scotland only one, a falling off of no less than 21; other parts 78; total 295.

In accordance with our yearly practice we furnish a chart of the United Kingdom on which will be found a black dot entered against each spot on which any important shipping casualties occurred during the year ended the 30th June, 1898. The exact position of each of the 293 Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION is also shown on the chart, so that it can be seen at a glance that the boats have been usefully located.

Between the year 1861 and the 30th June, 1898, 5,843 British, Colonial and Foreign vessels were wrecked on or near our coast, involving, unfortunately, loss of life in each case, the total number of lives so lost being 25,431. Of the 295 persons who perished in the year under consideration, 270 were from British and Colonial vessels, and 25 from Foreign vessels. These figures compared with those of the previous year give an increase of 35 in the lives lost from British and Colonial vessels, and a decrease of 68 in those lost from Foreign vessels.

Of the 295 lives lost in the year 1897-8, 26 were lost in foundered vessels, 58 in collisions, 91 in stranded vessels, or 18 more than in the previous year; 50 in missing vessels, an increase of 5 as compared with the preceding twelve months; and 70 in explosions, washed overboard, etc. Only 17 out of the 295 persons who perished were passengers, 278 of them being either officers or members of the .crews of the vessels.

As would be expected, the number of vessels meeting with casualties on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom varies, sometimes considerably. These variations will be readily seen by a glance at the following table which famishes the statistics for the last 45 years:— 1854 (last six months), 458; 1855, 1,141; 1856,1,163; 1857, 1,143; 1858, 1,170; 1859, 1,416; I860, 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; 1876-6,4,554; 1876-7, 5,017; 1877-8, 4,436; 1878-9, 3,716; 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, 8,596; 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 ; 1897-8, 4,964. Total, 139,924.

Notwithstanding that the loss of life from shipwreck on or near our shores has been grievously large during the past generation—the lives BO lost numbering 29,270—it is pleasing and a cause for gratitude to know that this terrible list would have been considerably more than doubled but for the timely aid given by the Life-boats, and their gallant crews, of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION and by the'various other means for the saving of life which have been employed and recognised by the Institution. The total number of persons rescued by these means in the same period was 31,288, the lives thus saved exceeding those lost by 2,018.

In 1898 the Institution granted re- wards for saving 756 lives from shipwreck, and for the landing of 137 other persons, by means of Life-boats, from perilous positions.

The 309 rocket apparatus and other stations of the Board of Trade, admirably worked by the Coast-guard and Rocket Brigades, continue to carry on their important mission of life-saving, and were instrumental in the year 1897-8 in rescu- ing 131 persons from drowning. This total was a decrease of 111 as compared with that of the preceding year.

A stronger argument or appeal for giving liberal and generous support to the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION could not be adduced than that contained in the facts and figures which we have been examining, placed before the public by the Board of Trade, and the Committee of Management would therefore earnestly and confidently ask for a helping hand and increased assistance from the people of this great maritime country, so that they may be enabled to efficiently carry on the important and national work which has been entrusted to them. The total number of lives for the saving of which the Institution has granted rewards since 1824 has exceeded 41,500.