Barra Island in the Southern Hebrides.

IN July the Committee of Management decided to establish a Motor Life-boat Station at Castlebay, on Barra Island, in the Southern Hebrides. There has been a Station at Stornoway in the Northern Hebrides for many years, and this Station was equipped with a 51 feet Barnett (Stromness) Cabin Life-boat, having a radius of action, at full speed, of 60 miles. The decision to station a Life-boat in the Southern Hebrides was taken owing to the increasing number of wrecks in that area, where the prevailing winds are approximately W.S.W. Although perhaps not the ideal position, Barra Island has been chosen as best fulfilling the important condition that a Station should be as much to windward as possible. The Station will be tried as an experiment for one year.

At the beginning of September a Watson Cabin Life-boat was sent to Barra Island. She is 45 feet by 12 feet 6 inches, is driven by an 80 h.p. engine, giving her a speed of 8J knots, and she has a radius of action, at full speed, of 49 miles. This boat was the first of the Watson Cabin type ; was built in 1923, and was stationed at Tenby, Pembroke- shire, where she rescued 32 lives. In 1929 she was replaced by another, improved, Motor Life-boat of the same type, with twin screws, and was transferred to the Reserve Fleet at the Institution's Storeyard at Poplar.

There she has been reconditioned and fitted with wireless telephony, with a range of 50 miles. After running trials on the Thames, the boat left for her station on 3rd September, travelling up the East Coast to Leith, by way of the Forth and Clyde Canal to Greenock, and from there, by way of the Crinan Canal, to Oban and Barra Island. She reached Barra Island on llth September, having travelled 661 miles in 91 hours 35 minutes, an average speed of just over 7 knots. The average would have been higher but for very heavy weather at sea and the low speed necessary in going through the canals.

If conditions are found to be satis- factory, both as regards the Station itself and the communications, the Station will be put on a permanent basis, and provided with a 51 feet Barnett (Stromness) Cabin Life-boat, with two 60 h.p. engines..