LIFE-BOAT crews are generally such experienced boatmen that the necessity for drill is not apparent to them, and the quarterly exercise at some stations is apt to degenerate into a somewhat perfunctory proceeding which does not strike onlookers as evidence of smartness.

Gould these same onlookers return to the scene of their summer holiday on some winter's day, when the Life-boat is being launched for wreck service, they would probably be in no small measure astonished to find the slowmoving and almost bored members of the Life-boat's crew, who had perfunctorily gone through the summer launch, transformed into keen, alert, well-disciplined men, working like one in a common cause, overcoming difficulties, and getting the boat afloat with incredible celerity. Nevertheless, it would be well if Coxswains would make a point of treating the quarterly exercise a little more seriously than is frequently the case at present, not only in the actual launch of the boat, which should be done in quick time and in such a manner as to impress spectators rather than the contrary, but also in the exercise when afloat, which should not be merely a pull or sail into the offing and back again, but a thorough test of all the gear in the boat, both for its own sake and for that of the crew, because | even the older hands may have something to learn of the use of gear which is not found in ordinary boats, but is peculiar to a Life-boat. A few hints, therefore, as to what may be done in the way of drill may be of assistance to the Coxswain.

First of all he should see that every man has his belt on right, pulled well up under the arms, and the straps tucked in. Also that the life-lines are all across, each man on the boat having one lying on his knees.

The oars are generally used first to get off the beach and, of course, the principal drill with these should be directed towards practising the oarsmen in keeping stroke, not always easy for men who row only two, or at most four, oars together in their own boats. The Coxswain should see that all the oars are properly secured by their lanyards, the two stroke oars being toggled to the quarter lanyards, so that they can be put into use at once should the rudder be broken or disabled; in fact, the occasional use of these oars instead of the rudder is a useful piece of drill.

The men should be practised in backing their oars immediately on receiving the order to do so, so as to turn the boat as quickly as possible, either to prevent her lying broadside on, or for another reason; again, a man should be told that his oar is broken, and taught to get out a spare one without disturbing the pulling of the rest of his side, and occasionally all the oars one side should be considered broken, and half those on the other side be brought over as quickly as possible.

At some stations it is the practice, when sail is made, to keep the boat's head to windward with the six after oars, while the foremost men get the mast up and clear the sails away; at others, the boat is anchored as soon as a sufficient offing is reached and sail then made.

When there is a haul-off warp neither of those operations is necessary, and it may be mentioned here that the hauloff warp should always be used at an exercise whether it is actually required or not, so that its condition may be examined. In making sail, care should be taken in the smaller class of boats not supplied with a fore-stay, that the jib-halliards are set up taut enough to stay the mast well forward before the foje-sail is set, and that the forehalliards themselves are then sweated as taut as possible before hauling aft the sheet. No boat will do her best with slackly-set sails.

When under sail, and the boat nicely trimmed with a touch of weather helm, the crew should be exercised in reefing without moving from their seats. The halliards should be manned, the sail then lowered, the tack and sheet shifted, and the sail immediately hoisted again without passing any reef points, as this can be done quickly afterwards, so that as little time as possible is thus lost. When the points are tied, the sail should be gathered up loosely and not rolled up, as this makes a bag to hold any water which may come on board. The timehonoured evolution of " reefing in stays " may be very useful in a Life-boat, and should be practised occasionally. The tack and sheet are shifted while the boat is head to wind, and the sail is rehoisted on the other tack.

The anchor should always be let go at exercise, and while it is down the men can be practised in filling and emptying the ballast tanks, and these and the relieving valves and other fittings in the boat can be explained to newcomers, if there are any. The boat's lamp should be lit to see if it is burning properly, and the red and green shades tried.

While at anchor the men should be practised in heaving the grapnel and loaded cane. The man heaving the grapnel should take a good coil of the rope in his left hand; but, in heaving the cane, it is best to let the line run from its bucket and not hold any in the hand. The Coxswain should make a note in his mind of the best men at this, so as to employ them for the purpose on actual service.

It is well to anchor near some actual vessel, or a pier or jetty, and practise actually throwing the cane on board, and also this makes it possible to show the men how a whip can be formed for hauling passengers to and fro when the Life-boat cannot get right alongside.

The tail block with a veering line rove through it is made fast to the cane line and hauled out, being made fast to the rigging, or as high up as possible, and the life-buoy is made fast to the line so that it can be hauled to and from the vessel.

Last, but by no means least, the drogue should be got out before returning to the shore, this being the Second Coxswain's special job. He should always be careful to snatch the drogue rope in its fair-lead, as to let go the drogue without doing so is a most dangerous proceeding.

Other ideas as to drill than those described here will doubtless occur to Coxswains, and may be occasionally carried out. Where there are any men who know the semaphore (and it would be a good thing if at least one man in every Life-boat's crew were to learn it) messages may be passed between the boat and the shore.

The restoration of the apparently drowned should also sometimes be practised in the boats, in spite of the want of room; for at least one case is on record of a man's life being saved, because instead of waiting till he got on shore, the Coxswain then and there proceeded to bring to an apparently drowned man whom he had picked out of the water. It is one of the many advantages of the new and simple Schafer method that it can be carried out in a confined space like the stern sheets of a boat..