THE number of ropes and other stores which are perceived by anyone glancing into a Life-boat cause the admiring, if somewhat bewildered, landsman to ask what room is left for the rescued passengers; and even the seaman unused to Life-boat work is inclined to question whether the boat is not "lumbered up with too much gear." The first may rest assured that there is ample room on the thwarts and in the stern-sheets for all the extra passengers who can be placed in the boat without bringing her too low in the water for safety; and it may be added that men taken off a wrecked vessel do not cavil at the accommodation they are offered ! The answer to the second question may be best given by a brief description of the various ropes and other stores, and the method of their use; but it should be stated at once that every article has been placed in the boat as the result of long experi- ence, and each has been, and is, in constant use in the complicated work which Life-boats perform, work which nearly always has to be carried out without the co-operation of those on board the wrecked vessel, who are often too numbed and helpless to provide ropes of their own, or to give any assistance whatever. It is perhaps more for this reason than any other that a Life-boat carries more ropes and other articles than an ordinary boat.

It is hoped, therefore, that the following description of these articles may not only prove useful to Coxswains aad crews, but may also be of some interest to the general reader.

The annexed diagram (p. 62), reduced from a large plan hung up in every boathouse, gives the name and the method of stowage of all the stores to be found on the deck of a Life-boat.

The Anchor of a Life-boat, as indeed of all vessels, is probably the most im- portant article of her equipment. Not only the lives of the crew, but frequently those of the rescued passengers, are dependent on its holding qualities. The anchor as now used is known as Nicholson's, and is the result of ex- haustive trials carried out by the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITU- TION in 1888, at Southend-oa-Sea, when, in a competition with various other forms, it gave by the far the best results. The weight varies from 60 Ibs.

in the smaller type, to 1 cwt. or more in the larger sailing boats, some of which always carry two anchors. In nearly all Life-boats the anchor is now kept ready stocked, so as to be available for letting go at a moment's notice.

The Cable necessarily shares with the anchor in its usefulness, and is therefore the most; important rope in the boat.

Made of " Leyte Fair Current Manila," to use the technical phrase for the best Manila rope, and laid up left-handed to keep it soft and pliable and prevent it from kinking, a new Life-boat cable is a beautiful example of the rope-maker's art. The size and length vary with the class of boat, 60 fathoms of 3-inch serving the smaller ones, while a large sailing boat takes the full coil of 120 fathoms of 4|-inch. As an example of the immense strength of this rope, it may be mentioned that the last-named has been known to pass a test of 12 tons steady strain Wire cables have been given a trial in Life-boats; but they were not found at all satisfactory, not only on account of the well-known difficulty of handling wire but because of the delay which would be caused if it were required to cut it away hurriedly on those not uncommon occasions when such a step is necessary. Wire is, however, used in the steam Life-boats of the Institution, where it does not have to be handled, but is worked by a steam capstan and is fitted with a pair of patent steel shears for the purpose of cutting it.

The Bow Heaving Line, 20 fathoms of 2-inch tanned Manila, or Grapnel Line, as it is frequently called, is also laid up left-handed to keep it limp. To one end of it is attached a grappling iron, which attaches itself to the rigging or chain plates of a vessel when thrown on board.

The Towing Bollard, or " Samson Post," to use its familiar name, ia a stout post of Dantzig Fir, secured to the fore-end box. It is used for making fast a tow rope, or for securing the anchor cable.

The Knotter is a small piece of rope, close-hitched round this post, to which the bowman, can hold on when he wishes to steady himself in a pitching or rolling sea.

The Thwarts are shown in the diagram by dotted lines only, merely to indicate their position, the ropes, of course, being coiled on the deck of the boat under- neath them. They are made of mahogany, like the hull of the boat itself.

The Float Lines, or " Inside Life Lines," are short pieces of Manila rope made fast inside one gunwale, and reaching nearly to the other. At the other end is a short circular piece of cork. There is one for each oarsman, who stretches it across his knees and those of the man next him, so that it can be readily clutched if the boat be thrown on her beam ends; and should she unfortunately be capsized, these lines float out away from her and can be easily grasped by the men in the water. It may be mentioned here that neither these lines nor indeed any other ropes are ever used for tying the men into the boat—an ignorant delusion, the prevalence of which it is difficult to account for.

The Believing Valves, though shown in the diagram, hardly come within the scope of an article on a boat's equip- ment, being rather an integral part of the hull itself ; but their action is so useful and interesting that it may be briefly described. They are brass tubes reaching from the deck of the boat right down to the outside skin, the tops being fitted with non-return valves flush with the deck to prevent splashing. These tubes form a most important fitting in the boat, as they do more perhaps to constitute her a Life-boat than anything else, their function being to make her self-baling. All water coming on board runs down them to the level of that outside the boat, so that when a green sea breaks over a Life-boat and fills her to the very gunwale, in a few seconds, with what seems like magic to anyone who sees it for the first time, she is as free from water as before ; and sea after sea can, and often does, break on board, only to be ejected by these wonderful tubes.

The Veering Lines are two ropes made of 30 fathoms of If-inch white Manila, and are handy lines for general use, either as a tripping line for the drogue, or in conjunction with the Tailed Block | as a whip for ferrying passengers to the Life-boat, if she is unable for any reason to keep right alongside the wreck.

The Stern Heaving Line, 20 fathoms of 2|-inch tanned Manila, is another rope for general purposes, which may be used instead of a veering line for j tripping the drogue, or, as some Cox- swains prefer, as an additional grapnel line. It is optional with the Coxswain whether it is carried in the boat or not, and in the smaller boats it is often omitted.

The Drogue is a conical bag about four feet long, made of the strongest canvas procurable, the broad end being sewn round a hoop two feet in diameter, ! and the narrow end having a 4-inch aperture. Three short lengths of rope j from the hoop join together at an eye to which is secured the drogue rope.

Next to the anchor itself, the drogue is perhaps the most useful article in a Life-boat. It is, in fact, frequently called the " Sea Anchor," and a drogue laid out ahead is sometimes used by fishing-boats and other vessels in order to ride out a gale at sea; but it is not for this purpose that it is ever used in a Life-boat, where, on the contrary, secured to the weather Quarter Bollard, it is towed astern when beaching the j boat, or whenever running before a heavy | breaking sea, where it acts literally as a drag by keeping the boat stem on to the sea, and obviating that bugbear of all seamen known as "broaching to." It is most important that, before letting go, the Drogue Hope* should be passed through the Drogue Fair Lead, as if it is not, the drogue bears away on the quarter, and the sea, instead of meeting the boat dead stern on, strikes her counter, when the strain on the drogue rope may actually tend to broach her to, instead of preventing it. Improperly used, the drogue has in the past been a contributory cause of accidents to Life- * 15 fathoms of 3-inch Manila ; 4-inch in the larger boats.

boats. Used with care and knowledge, this simple little canvas bag has been the means of saving innumerable lives, a statement which will be readily borne out by anyone who has ever witnessed a Life-boat running for the beach before heavy curling breakers or across the foaming bar of a tidal river in a gale; still more by anyone who has been present in the boat on such an occasion.

The Life-Buoy of the ordinary circular shape is too well known to need descrip- tion, but it may be mentioned that in all future supplies it will be made of Kapok instead of cork.

The Coxswain's Lifeline stretches across the after bulkhead. By keeping inside it, the Coxswain's hands are left free for steering.

This completes the list of stores shown in the diagram, and in a future article a description will be given of the several important stores which are not there shown.

(To be continued.).