The Sails of a Life-boat are of No. 5 or No. 6 canvas, made from the finest flax, and tanned with bark to render them rot-proof. They are now all cut with a very high peak, and consist in most cases of a jib and standing fore and mizen lugs, though some crews, mainly those on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts, prefer a dipping fore lug, in which case a jib is not carried. The sheets and halliards are always made of what is known as "yacht Manila," which is a four-stranded rope specially suitable for running rigging. The ties are now made of extra flexible steel wire, and the standing rigging is also usually flexible steel wire ; but it may be mentioned that the Norfolk and Suffolk men, while acknowledging the general superiority of wire for standing rigging, will not have it in a Life-boat on account of the difficulty of cutting it away in an emergency.

After the sails in importance, and in most Life-boats a long way after them, come the Oars. These are made of ash or fir, as preferred by the men, and are either the usual round oars in crutches, or what is known as " coble fashion," that is to say, with an iron eye going over a pin on the gunwale, in the manner used by the fishing-boats known as cobles, a type of boat confined to the counties of Northumberland, Durham, and York. Half the oars are painted blue and the other half white, so that the different sides may be easily distinguished; each is fitted with a lanyard to prevent the oar being lost if washed out of a man's hand, and also to allow them to be thrown overboard when approaching a wreck, or for the purpose of making sail. These lanyards are fitted with running eyes, which are passed over the pulling crutches, except those of the two stroke oars, which should be hitched or toggled to the quarter lanyards for use in the quarter crutches as steer oars, should the rudder be broken or rendered useless.

Four spare oars are carried in every boat, and a few surf boats carry long sweeps and always steer with them when pulling off the beach. In addition all Life-boats carry the following stores:— Two Clasp Knives, one on each bulkhead, in a canvas bag.

Two Small Hatchets and a large Axe.

A Boat's Lamp, with red and green ; shades, which can be used on the j approach of another vessel.

| A Water Barrico, which should contain a full supply of drinking water.

These for the future will be made of basket - covered earthenware, as it is found that this keeps the water sweeter than the usual wooden variety.

A Flag is carried in all boats for answering signals from the shore, and many now carry a pair of small semaphore flags, as the crews are encouraged to learn this extremely useful method of signalling. The ability to communicate in this way with the shore or a tug may save invaluable time when shouting cannot be heard and common signs not understood.

For signalling at night coloured flares, called Handlights, are provided—six red, four white, and two green. The red indicate danger, or "more aid required"; the green safety, or "am coming ashore" ; the white are not a signal to the shore, but are used by the Coxswain when approaching the wreck, or to enable him to discover her position.

The Yoke lines are made of tanned Italian hemp, but most Coxswains prefer to steer with a tiller, and one is always supplied in addition, though in the larger type of boat a steering - wheel is now taking its place.

The Outside Lifelines, which hang in bights outside the boat from stem to stern, are made of Italian hemp, their use being for a man in the water to catch hold of.

Oilskins are supplied to all Life-boat crews who require them, but some fishermen, whose calling keeps them constantly dressed in oilskins, prefer to use their own.

Last—but by no means least—come the Life-belts. These are no longer made of that time-honoured substance, cork, but of a vegetable fibre known as kapok, which had been used for many years for stuffing cushions before its wonderful buoyant qualities were discovered.

It may be of interest to relate that the discoverer, Mr. Bastwitz, a maker of life-buoys, had been approached by an inventor with the idea of using poppy heads, which are the most buoyant thing known, but they were found to be impossible, because they crushed too easily. The notion, however, set him on the search for something else, and he discovered in the fibre of a plant, which grows in Java, the ideal thing for his purpose. This is kapok. Life-belts made of kapok will support more weight for a longer time than those of cork. They have the additional advantage of being much warmer and more comfortable to wear, and they do not, as cork does, bark the knuckles of an oarsman who happens to reach the back of the man pulling on the thwart abaft him..