WE think it will be of interest to our readers to have a brief survey of the Life-boat services of the world, so far as the recent statistics of their activities are available. We have, therefore, com- piled the following notes from the annual reports or returns received from our oversea Dominions, the United States, France, Germany, Holland, Den- mark, Sweden, Norway, and Portugal:— BRITISH OVEESEA DOMINIONS.

The small population of Australia and the vast extent of its coast line makes I it practically impossible to organise a complete Life-boat service. Hence most of the arrangements in Australia, as well as in Tasmania, are confined to the provision of life-saving apparatus other than Life-boats. There is, however, a Life-boat station maintained by the Marine Board at Macquarie Heads in Tasmania. In South Australia Life- boats are kept at four ports, and six stations in Victoria are provided with them.

In Canada there are 41 life-saving stations, but very few are provided with Life-boats, or are maintained all the year round. Three stations have motor boats, and it is announced that seven motor boats are to be placed at different stations shortly, while five new stations are to be established.

Six Life-boats are maintained on the coast by the Union of South Africa.

UNITED STATES.

The United States Life-saving service is a Government organization, estab- lished by Act of Congress in 1878. There are 281 stations on the sea coast and on the coasts of the great lakes, the dis- tribution being as follows : On the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, 205 stations.

On the Pacific coasts, 18 stations.

On the coasts of Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Superior, Michigan, 58 stations.

It will be seen that there is thus practically the same number of stations as there are Life-boats maintained by the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTI- TUTION, but each station is provided with two surf-boats, and with two sets of breeches buoy apparatus.

The United States at present have 68 motor Life-boats of the McLellan type (36 ft. by 8 ft. 7 • 5 in. S.R., with 35 H.P.). There are also thirty converted sailing boats with 20 to 25 H.P. engines.

The most interesting feature about these " surf-boats " is that the shafts of their twin-screws are jointed just outside their boxes, and fitted with folding struts, so that, when they are being launched through the surf, the propellers fold up against the hull under each quarter, thus preventing any contact with the ground.In the year 1910, 664 persons were " succoured " ; it is not clear from this term whether all these persons were actually saved from shipwreck or not.

The United States annual reports do not show the number of persons saved since the establishment of the service.

It is interesting to note that the cost of this, the only extensive Life-boat service carried out entirely by the Government of the country, was in 1910, £468,000; but, as shown above, this includes the whole cost of the mainten- ance of the Life-saving service, including a large number of motor-boats.

FKANCE.

The Societe Centrale de Sauvetage des Naufrages was founded in 1865.

In 1911 there were 110 Life-boat stations, all of them provided with the rocket life-saving apparatus, as well as Life-boats. But there are, besides, many stations where no crew can be obtained for a Life-boat, but where posts for rocket apparatus, or line-throwing machinery are provided.

The Society also provides for the watching of the coast in the area covered by its operations.

In 1910 398 lives were saved, 147 by Life-boats, 29 by life-saving apparatus, and 221 by other means.

The total number of lives saved up to December 1st, 1910, was 18,590, of which 15,109 were saved by Life-boats, and 3,481 by shore boats, life-saving apparatus, and other means.

The above figures refer to the operations of the Societe Centrale de Sauvetage des Naufrages only. There are two other and smaller societies, of which the annual reports have not been received. All three societies receive j considerable assistance from the French Ministry of Marine.

GERMANY.

The Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffs- briichiger was founded in 1865. There are 129 stations, 61 of which are provided with both Life-boats and rocket apparatus. Fifty-one have Life-boats only (one of these is a motor-boat).

Seventeen are provided with rocket apparatus only.

In 1910, 57 lives were saved, of which 53 were saved by Life-boats, and four by rocket apparatus. The total number of lives saved since 1865 is 3,676, of which 3,146 were saved by Life-boats and 530 by rocket apparatus.

The Society is supported entirely by voluntary contributions, although it receives the patronage of the Emperor and other members of the Imperial family.

THE NETHERLANDS.

There are three societies engaged in the active work of life-saving. The chief of these is the " Noord-en-Zuid- hollandsche Reddingmaatschappy " (The North and South Holland Rescue Company), which was founded, like the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITU- TION, in 1824. It maintains 32 stations, of which 24 are provided with Life-boats (two of these are motor-boats), while all are supplied with rocket or other life-saving apparatus. Eight lives were saved in 1910. The total number saved since the foundation of the Society is 4,324.

The Society enjoys the patronage of the Prince of the Netherlands, but is entirely supported by voluntary con- tributions.

The operations of the " ZmdhoUand- sche Maatschappy tot Redding van Schipbreukelingen" (South Holland Company for Rescuing Shipwrecked Persons), and of two minor societies, are directed to assisting persons who have been rescued from shipwreck. Their work corresponds, in fact, broadly to that done in Great Britain by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society. Their annual reports have not been received.

DENMARK.

The service Was established by the State in 1852.

There are 56 stations, with 57 boats.

In 1910 128 were saved by Life-boats.

The total number saved by Life-boats and rocket apparatus was 134. The total number saved by both means since the 1st January, 1852, is 8,837, SWEDEN.

The Swedish Society was founded with its present organization in 1907, but Life-boat stations appear to have been established shortly after 1854, and these stations were taken over by the present Society. There are 16 stations, of which seven are provided with Lifeboats and rocket apparatus, while five are Life-boat stations only, and four are rocket apparatus stations only.

The total number of lives saved since 1856 is 1,854. Of these, 830 were saved by Life-boats, 131 by rocket apparatus, and 893 by other means (probably chiefly by shore boats).

The Society is supported entirely by voluntary contributions.

NORWAY.

The Norsk Selskab til Skibbrudnes Redning was founded in 1893. It maintains 23 boats. In 1910 74 lives were saved, the total since the foundation of the Society being 1,610. The Society is supported entirely by voluntary contributions.

PORTUGAL.

The service is carried on by a private Society which controls both the Lifeboat and the life-saving apparatus.

There are 31 Life-boats, two of which are equipped with auxiliary motors.

The total number of persons saved by every means during 1910 was 785. The total number saved since the formation of the Society is 4,872..