IT is now proposed to say a few words on the stowage and care of the gear, and though the remarks are addressed in the first place to the Coxswains, it is hoped that they will not be altogether without interest to the general reader.

To nothing in the world does the old adage, " A place for everything and everything in its place," apply with greater force than a Life-boat. The space is so limited, the circumstances under which the various stores may be required are so complex, that any departure from the recognized plan of stowage would lead to confusion, especially on a dark night, when touch rather than sight is the guiding sense.

For this reason the plan in the diagram which is hung in every Life-boat house should be adhered to as closely as possible and in addition the following general rules may be laid down for the stowage of a Life-boat's deck :— 1. Every rope made securely fast to a thwart by one end, the other end being kept clear for immediate use.

2. Each rope coiled as much as possible under a seat so as to be clear of the men's feet.

3. Each rope coiled in a loose coil so as to allow the air to have access to all parts of it; the four left-handed ropes, namely the cable, and the three tanned lines, drogue rope, bow heaving line, and stern heaving line, being coiled lefthanded to preserve the lay of the rope.

4. All loose gear, such as the masts, sails, boathooks, spare oars, anchor, etc., should be securely lashed, and for the same reason it is advisable to secure every coil of rope with a split yarn which can be easily broken when the rope is required, but serves to keep the coil in position should the boat be thrown on her beam ends or capsized, when inextricable confusion and additional danger invariably result from badly secured gear.

The boat's lantern and the binnacle lamp should be kept trimmed, and even if they have not been used should be examined from time to time, as the oil evaporates. Care should be taken only to use the special oil supplied, and not common paraffin, as the latter will not burn properly in these lamps.

The water barricoe should be emptied and refilled with clean fresh water every few months.

The coloured hand-lights used for signalling should be kept up to their complement, namely, six red, four white, and two green. The knives and axes should be kept well ground and coated with the composition supplied for the purpose known as "Anti-rust." The tank pumps should be kept clean and free from sand, and tried every now and then to see that they are in working order; and the edges of the ballast tank hatches should be well greased to keep them water-tight.

Last but not least, a word may be said on the absolute necessity for keeping all the equipment of the boat always in her and in immediate readiness for service. Nothing whatever should be left for the moment when the alarm is raised that a vessel is on shore or is in danger. The most careful Coxswain at such a time has his mind preoccupied, and may not remember to replace anything, or the Coxswain himself may be ill, or away from home, and his assistant not be aware that the store in question is out of the boat.

An illustration of the importance of this point may be given from an incident which occurred some years ago.

A Life-boat was launched to go to a passing ship with a flag of distress flying. At the moment of launching, the Coxswain remembered that he had left the " drogue" on shore, and he sent a man to the boat-house to fetch it. Unfortunately a condemned drogue was also in the house, and the man brought it to the boat instead of the newer one which had replaced it. The Life-boat, after following the ship several miles along the coast, had to cross the bar of a river, on which a very heavy sea was breaking. The drogue, as usual, was thrown out, and when on the worst part of the bar, a heavy following sea broke over her stern, and at the critical moment the drogue burst; whereupon she broached to, her lee bow was driven under water and she upset. The greater number of her crew regained her; but the oars had been mostly swept away or broken, and they were unable to manage her; the result being that she was dashed ashore on the rocks, where she sustained so much injury as not to be worth repair, and four of her crew were carried out to sea by the tide and perished—solely owing to an important article of the boat's equipment being left out of the boat.

It may be added that this story also illustrates the great danger of retaining condemned stores, which should always be disposed of in the manner prescribed as soon as the new article is received.