By VICE-ADMIRAL HYPACIO DE BRION, Inspector and Secretary of the Instituto de Soccorros y Naufragos.UNTIL 1892, Portugal, although a mari-j time country, situated on the western l extreme of the European Continent, and:, on the route for all ships sailing from the North to Africa, to the Mediterranean Sea and to South America, had, on a; coast length of 1000 kilometres, only.

four Life-boat Stations, viz., Povoa de •Varzim, Vianna do Castello, Oporto, and Payo d'Arcos. These Stations were entirely independent of each other.

In the year ] 890 the Marquez de I Sabugosa, who was then the Marine Minister, proposed to establish a complete Life-boat Service on the coasts, not only of Portugal but of the Azores and Madeira Islands as well, and a Commission was formed to consider the proposal. This Commission laid before the Minister a very carefully thoughtout report, but the proposal did not go any further, and the coast stillj remained unprovided with means to succour the crews of ships in distress, and:, In 1892 Her Majesty Queen Amelia, who had already founded several institutions for social work, established a; the Instituto de Socorros a Naufragos.

only. In this enterprise, Her Majesty was • greatly assisted by Admiral JoseI Joajuim Ferreira do Amaral, who was the Minister of Marine and Colonies at the time. This clever sailor knew perfectly well that, although the generosity and philanthropy of the Portuguese people are very great, the first impulse for such an enterprise must be given by the Government, and that it was also necessary to create an immediate revenue in order to start so large a work of international service. He therefore promulgated the law by which this Institution is still governed, and Portugal thereupon was able to takeher place among the other maritime countries which were already render- ing the most important services to seamen.

Owing to the smallness of the revenues; the paucity of men available and the difficulties which arise whena new service has to be organized, the work did not go forward at the beginning as quickly as could be desired. It is only since the present Inspector entered the Institution that it has been possible to develop the Ser- vice. The original law had to undergo alterations which experience showed to be advisable: private gifts have come in, and the general scheme for the distri- bution of the Life-boat Stations has been worked out. In a short time, within the limits of our resources and according to the importance of the different points on the coast, fifty Life-saving Stations were founded, with forty-three rowing boats and one motor boat and thirty carriages for the transport of cables and equip- ment. Two of these carriages are driven by motor.

The Boats we now have on service are of the following types, the English type, the French " Henry" type providedwith drop-keels, and the Danish type built in Copenhagen. After several experiments it was realized that the Danish type was the one which would be most suitable to our coasts and our crews. This boat is recommended by its lightness, easy management, little resistance to the wind, and its insub- mersibility.

Nearly all the Life-boat Stations have their own slipways for launching the boats. Among the carriages for trans- port of the life-saving apparatus someare similar to those used on the British coast, but some years ago a Portuguese type of carriage was adopted, which had been designed by the present In- spector of the Service. It is this carriage which is shown in the illustrations. It will be seen from these illustrations that the weight of the actual carriage is reduced to a minimum, because the cases are used as seats. All the parts can be taken out very quickly, and the cables and hawsers can be transported on their reels when they have to be taken to a spot which cannot be reached by the carriage. In this way one carriage can transport the whole equipment and crew.Organization.

The Institute de Soccorros a Naufragos has members of honour, donors, bene- factors and subscribers, or ordinary members. It receives gifts and sub- scriptions, proceeds of festivals, an annual subsidy of 400,000 escudos (about £88,000) from the Government, and it collects a small tax when a fisher- man or seaman is signed on, as well as a percentage on fines levied by the marine authorities. The Institution has com- plete autonomy, and its administration is entrusted to a Central Board, to which all the local Boards are subordinated.

The Chairman of every local Board is the harbour-master of the locality. Every- thing as to personnel, equipment and Boats, must be approved of by the Central Board.

The Inspector is an Admiral or other naval officer of high rank, and has a seat on the Central Board. Thus no difficulties will ever arise between the Ministry of Marine and the heads of the Life-saving Service. We have no knowledge of any similar Institution controlled in the same way.

Every year the Committee of Manage- ment publishes a report, producing at the same time a statement of accounts.

In this report a description is given of all the noteworthy incidents of the year, and the report is submitted for the approval of the general meeting of the members.

Personnel.

The Coxswains of the Life-boats have a fixed monthly pay. The other members of the crew have their pay only when they have to be on the alertor when the Boat goes out on service.

Certain facilities are granted to the men with regard to the military service which every Portuguese subject is obliged to perform. Thus the Life-boats always have their crews complete, and there has never been a single case of a boat being prevented from going out through lack of men.

All the men of the Coast Guard on service in the harbours and on the wharves are provided with Brunei lines, the use of which has proved of great efficacy. The carriages for the transport of the life-saving equipment (cables, etc.), although under the control of the local committees, are in the hands of thevoluntary fire brigades which are in- stalled in the many localities on the coast. These carriages are provided with all the known life-saving apparatus, rockets, and not guns, being used for throwing the lines. The fire brigades are instructed by the harbour-masters in the management of the apparatus, and they do excellent work.

On the Portuguese coast the wrecks of sea-going vessels are frequent, but wrecks of fishing boats occur much oftener. During the period from 1900 to the end of March. 1926, our life-saving Stations have rescued 12,996 lives, and given assistance to 1947 vessels and small craft. Among the most conspicu- ous services was that to the English steamer Veronese. This happened off the northern coast of Portugal in 1913, and 200 lives were rescued by means of the life-saving apparatus in 52 hours of continuous and strenuous work. The ship had stranded at a distance of some 900 yards from the shore, and the work of rescue was carried out in one of the heaviest storms that have ever harassed our coasts. This service received the high praise of the Committee of Management of THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, under the patronage of His Majesty King George V., as well as of the Spanish, French and Dutch authorities.* * An account of this fine service appeared in The Lifeboat for May, 1913, and the follow- ing resolution was passed by the Committee of Management and conveyed to the Portuguese Institution for Saving the Shipwrecked :— " The Committee of Management, having had before them a communication from the Secretary of the Institute de Soccorros a Naufragos of Portugal with regard to the circumstances attending the wreck of the s.s. Veronese on the 16th January, two miles north of Leixoes, desire to express their sincere admiration of the courage, initiative and endurance of the brave men employed by the Portuguese Society both in connexion with the rocket apparatus and the Life- boats, the former of whom rescued 92 persons and the latter 110 persons, in cir- cumstances of the greatest difficulty and Rewards.

For all rescues rewards are given by Ministerial decree so that they have an official character. They consist of gold, silver, and copper medals, diplomas of honour and pecuniary awards. The members of the Institution also are entitled to a medal corresponding to their class.

Up to the present the Institute de Soccorros a Naufragos has awarded 24 gold medals, 363 silver medals, and 983 copper medals.

From these figures, and the figures already given of lives rescued, it can be seen that the Portuguese Life-saving Institution, although one of the most recently-established in Europe, occupies one of the first places.

danger, and by dint of exertions carried out, without interruption, for two days and two nights,".