TH« people of a maritime nation like Great Britain should be especially in- terested in any statistics relating to ships and sailors, and such matters are it may be assumed of particular importance to the friends and supporters of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, the sole object and. aim of which is to save life from shipwrecks on the coasts of the United Kingdom. We purpose there- fore, according to our annual practice, to place before our readers a digest of the latest of the invaluable tables of statistics issued by the Board of Trade in their well-arranged Blue-Book, relative to shipping casualties on or near our coasts during the year ended the 30th June of last year; and in doing so we feel sure that it must be evident to every thought- ful reader how important a matter it is that the fullest and strongest support should be given to any work, the inten- tion and the result of which is to minimize, and as far as possible to prevent the loss of life in connection with shipping casualties on our rock- bound shores.

It is shown that the total number of shipping casualties which occurred on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom in the year 1898-9 was 5,040, this total being unfortunately an increase of 76 as compared with the preceding twelve months. The total number of lives lost as a result of these casualties was 520, no less than 225 more than in the year 1897-8. On examination, however, it is found that nearly half of this large increase was due to the sad wreck of the s.s. Mohegan on the Manacles (Cornwall), on the 14th October, 1898, when 106 souls perished.

The total of casualties (5,040) included accidents of every description befalling all classes of vessels—collisions, founderings, strandings, missing vessels, etc. We classify these casualties as. follows : (1), Total loss ; (2), Serious casualties ; (3), Minor casualties. Under the first two of these headings there was a considerable decrease, the cases of total loss and serious casualties falling from 1,367 (the total for the year 1897-8) to 1,276, a reduction of 91; bat the oases of minor casualties showed an increase of 167, the total number being 3,764 We regret to report that life was lost in 131 instances—a considerable increase of 34 as compared with the previous twelve months.

As has almost always happened, the cases of collision represented in the year 1898-9 a large proportion of the casual- ties, the total being 1,715, or 7 more than in the preceding year, and the casualties which involved total loss, colli- sions not being included, increased from 279 to 309. The total of serious casual- ties, however, fell from 696 to 644, the minor casualties rising to 2,372 from 2,281.

Of the total casualties (5,040) 4,434 befel British and Colonial vessels and 606 foreign vessels. It is gratifying to note, however, that the total of the British and Colonial casualties was 21 less than that of the year 1897-8. On the other hand, the total of foreign casualties showed a much to be regretted increase of 97 cases.

The localities of the casualties, exclud- ing collisions, were as follows :—East Coast of England, 763, or 161 less than the preceding year; south coast, 560, or 10 less than in the previous year ; -west coast of England and Scotland and east coast of Ireland, 1,357, or 162 more than in the year 1897-8 ; north coast of Scot- land, 105, a decrease of 52 ; east coast of Scotland, 272, an increase of 110 ; other parts, 268, an increase of 20—total* 3,325, or 69 more than the preceding year.

The loss of life, which, after all, is the most important matter, resulting from the casualties in the various districts, including collision cases, was as follows : East coast of England, 93, or 4 more than in 1897-8 ; south coast of England 148 (including 106 lives—62 crew and 44 passengers—lost at the wreck of the Mohecjan], or 116 more than the preceding year; west coast of England and Scot- land and east -coast of Ireland, 118, double the number of the previous year; north coast of Scotland, 14, or 22 less than in 1897-8 ; east coast of Scotland, 55, a remarkable increase of 54; other parts, 92 ; total, 520.

On the Chart of the United Kingdom, which we publish annually, will be found a black dot entered against each spot on which any serious shipping casualty occurred during the year ended the 30th June, 1899; also the precise position of each of the 287 Life-boats of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, so that at a glance it will be seen that the boats have been judiciously and usefully placed.

Between the year 1861 and the 30th June, 1899, 5,974 British, Colonial and Foreign vessels were wrecked on or near our coast, involving loss of life in every case, the total number of lives so sacrificed being 25,951. Of the 520 persons who were drowned in the year 1898-9, 407 were from British and Colonial vessels, and 113 from Foreign vessel?. These statistics compared with those of the preceding year (1897-8) give an increase of 137 in the lives lost from British and Colonial vessels, and an increase of 88 in those lost from Foreign vessels.

Of the 520 lives lost in the year under consideration (1898-9), 46 were lost in foundered vessels, 76 in collisions, 253 in stranded vessels, or 162 more than in the •previous year ; 56 in missing vessels, an increase of 6'as compared with the year 1897-8 ; and 89 in explosions, washed overboard, etc. Only 65 out of the 520 persons who perished were passengers, 455 of them being either officers or members of the crews of the vessels.

The number of vessels meeting with casualties on or near the coasts of the United Kingdom must of necessity vary from year to year, sometimes increas- ing and sometimes, happily, decreasing.

The following table furnishes the statistics for the last 46 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, 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, 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; 1897-8, 4,964; 1898-9, 5,040.

Total, 144,964.

Although during a period little exceed- ing a generation the number of lives perishing from shipwreck on or near our shores has amounted to the terrible total of 29,790, it is consoling to know that, had it not been for the work done by the Life-boats and crews of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, &c., the number of lives lost would have been considerably more than doubled, the total number of lives rescued by these means in the same period being 32,039, so that the lives thus saved exceeded those which were lost by 2,249.

The Institution granted rewards in 1899 for saving 609 lives from shipwreck and for the landing of 67 other persons, by means of Life-boats, from apparently perilous positions.

The 313 rocket apparatus and other stations, which are so well managed by the Board of Trade and admirably worked by the Coastguard and Rooket Brigades, perseveringly carry on their important life-saving duties, and were instrumental in the year 1898-9 in rescuing 223 persons from a watery grave. This total was an increase of 92 as compared with that of the previous year.

Having regard, therefore, to the great national work in life-saving rendered year by year to the country, and indeed to the world at large, by the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, the Committee of Management earnestly appeal for help. During the past year the maintenance of the Life - boat service has been rendered more than usually difficult owing to the numerous appeals which have been made, and so generously responded to by the British public, in connection with the war in South Africa; but the Committee hope that it will be borne in mind, that whether there be peace or war, there is never a cessation of the need of help for the shipwrecked and storm-tossed sailor.

The total number of lives, for the Baring of which the Institution has granted rewards, has exceeded 42,200.