BEFORE concluding this subject, a few comparative notes as to cost, size, weight, &c., of the Life-boats under dis- cussion may prove of interest.

Taking the matter of cost first. It is difficult to assign the exact cost of Lionel Lukin's first Life-boats, because they were existing boats—yawls, into which he introduced his Life-boat fitt- ings. Greathead's Life-boats cost from 100Z. to 200Z. according to size. There is in existence at Redcar a Life-boat built by Greathead in 1802, 31 ft. x 10 ft. 6 in. beam, which originally cost 2001.; this, however, appears to have been a higher price than was usually paid for Life-boats in the early part of tho nineteenth century. An old Life- boat at Sheringham, 33 ft. X 10ft. 3 in., cost 150Z., and a Shields boat stationed at Cromer in 1830, measuring 31 ft. X 9 ft. 6 in., 160Z. Small Life-boats varied very much in price. Of course much depended on the particular type of Life- boat ; for instance, a boat 24 ft. x 8 ft.

of Mr. Plenty's design usually cost about 160Z., whereas those built to Mr. Pal- mer's drawings were much cheaper, a Life-boat of this type, 26 ft. x 6 ft.

only costing about 60Z. The celebrated Norfolk and Suffolk Life-boats were very inexpensive and also very long-lived, and, as has been already pointed out, the first of this class built under the direc- tion of Lionel Lukin by Bareham of Lowestoft in 1807, measuring 40 ft. x 10 ft. 4 in., cost 2007., and was in 1 existence up to 1850. A Life-boat of ] similar type was built for Caister in 1846 ; she measured 42 ft. X11 ft. 6 in.

and cost 250Z. Prior to 1852 the highest price given for a Life-boat was 400Z., viz., for the Southwold boat built in 1841, measuring 40 ft. x 11 ft. This Life-boat was replaced in 1855 by a boat which did service until 1893, a period of forty-eight years, the original cost being only 200Z. Another of this type is the Life-boat still stationed at Pakefield, measuring 46 ft. x 12 ft., built in 1872 at a cost of 291Z.

The introduction of the self-righting Life-boat and a more complicated style of building soon made the prices rise, and, in addition to the builder's cost, the expenses of survey has to be added, forevery Life-boat is built under the very strictest surveillance.

The price of labour has enormously increased, so also has material, besides which the Life-boats are much more complicated than formerly, centre- boards, water-ballast, heavy iron or steel keels, &c., all tending to swell the bill. The following figures are approxi- mately the prices paid for Life-boats, irrespective of their gear, at the present time:— Ft. Ft. in. £ Self-righting. . 35 x 8 6 800 . . 37 x 9 3 900 .. 40 X 10 6 1,050 „ .. 42 X 11 6 1,200 Norfolk & Suffolk I 400 (improved). ./ 32 x 9 ° (in 1897) 40 x 12 0 1,200 43 x 12 6 1,400 Liverpool . . 85 x 10 0 900 Watson ... 38 x 9 4 900 „ ... 40 x 11 0 1,300 „ ... 43 X 12 6 1,700 Steam Life-boats about £3,500 to 5,000 The above figures are only very roughly taken, but are quite accurate enough to show the enormous expense of modern Life-boats as compared with those built in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Turning to the question of size again, a large accession will be noted in the later boats. Prior to 1840, a very large number of the Life-boats on the coast ranged between 24 to 30 ft. long and from 7 to 10 feet broad; a few were 32 ft. and one or two 33 ft. long. There were two exceptions, viz., the previously quoted Lowestoft Life-boat, 40 ft. x 11 ft. 3 in., and a sailing Life-boat built for Yarmouth in 1833, measuring 39 ft.

X 10ft.

After 1840 a few larger Norfolk and Suffolk boats were built, and after 1852 a further increase in size all round is noticeable. At the present date the smallest Norfolk and Suffolk Life-boats are 31 ft. X 9 ft., and the largest 46 ft. X 12 ft. 9 in. Self - righting Life-boats vary from 34 ft. X 8 ft. to 42 ft. x 11 ft. 6 in.; Watson from 32 ft. X 8 ft. to 45 ft. X 12 ft. 6 in.; and the latest Steam Life-boats measure 56 ft. x 14 ft. 8 in.

In comparing weights, formerly there was a large number of small Life-boats weighing about 1 ton each, but so many accidents occurred to them that they lost favour.

The Greathead and Shields Life-boats weighed from 2J tons to 5 tons. The following table shows the approximate weights of Life-boats now in use :— Tons.

2 3} 4| 8 Ft.

34 x 35 x 37 Ft in.

Self-righting X 9 40 X 10 Norfolk & Suffolk 7| 8i 3| 6 7 11 Liverpool Watson.

42 X 11 32 x 9 40 x 12 43 x 12 35 x 10 38 x 9 40 x 11 43 x 12 The 34 ft. x 8 ft., 35 ft. x 8 ft. 6 in.

self-righting Life-boats, and the Liver- pool 35 ft. X 10 ft. are the boats usually employed on open beaches and in places where it is necessary to transport them long distances. A few of the smaller Norfolk and Suffolk boats are likewise used. The Watson boats, with the exception of the 32 ft. X 8 ft. at Tramore and the 36 ft. X 8 ft. 10 in. at Blackpool, are too heavy to be used as beach boats. The heavier boats of all types are either launched from slipways, kept afloat, or, as in the case of the Norfolk and Suffolk boats, launched on " skids " and hauled out by a " haul-off warp," and do their work under sail.

Steam Life-boats, on account of their great weight, are of course always kept at moorings.

In 1850 all Life-boats were "not- self-righting," but after that year, which marks the introduction of the self- righting boat, the Institution's fleet mainly consisted of self-righting Life- boats. In 1880 the records show that out of a fleet of 270 Life-boats, only22 were "not-self-righting" Life-boats, and of these four were "tubular" boats.

In 1890 the fleet consisted of 293 Life-boats, only 21 of which were of "not-self-righting" types. At present the fleet of Life-boats belonging to the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION consists of 287 boats, and the change in the composition of it in the last decade is interesting and noteworthy.

Self-righting Life-boats ... 227 Not-self-righting Life-boats— Steam 4 Cromer type .... 3 Lamb and White type . 1 Liverpool „ 14 Norfolk and Suffolk type . 19 Tubular type .... 1 Watson 18 — 60 From this it appears that the Watson and Liverpool types find much favour on the coast. The Norfolk and Suffolk type practically remains stationary, and with the exception of the boats stationed at Walton-on-the-Naze and Southend-on-Sea, is confined to the coasts which give them their name.

The tubular Life-boats, never very popu- lar, are only represented by one boat stationed at Rhyl.

From Lionel Lukin, whose name is mentioned first in connection with Life- boats in these articles, to the present date is " a far cry "—some 117 years— and it has been the object of this series of articles to bridge over this perigd, by tracing the growth of the elaborate types of Life-boats now used on the coasts of the United Kingdom as they were evolved from the simple designs of Lionel Lukin, Greathead, and Would- have.

The account given lays no claim to scientific research, and the plain state- ments of facts, descriptions and dimen- sions of the various Life-boats, opinions of the men who work them, &c., are all taken from the documents and reference books in the possession of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. Such a compilation can hardly be considered of absorbing interest to the general reader, as in the nature of things it must be rather dull reading, but it is hoped it may be of value as a record and possibly an assistance to anyone who, at some future date, may be prompted to write a full and detailed history of Life- boats and the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION. Such a history, written in a manner worthy of so great a subject and totally free from forced sentiment, would be a valuable addition to naval literature.

(Conclusion.).