The Story of the Land's End Lifeboats (D. Bradford Barton Ltd., Truro, 155.) is the second volume in the admirable series on Cornish life-boats being fompiled by Cyril Noall and Grahame Farr under the composite title Wreck md Rescue Round the Cornish Coast. This second volume gives the histories of Ihe life-boat stations at St. Ives, Sennen Cove, the Scilly Isles, the Penzance •tea and Porthleven. As in the first volume the documentation is thorough and ttmprehensive and there are a number of photographs of exceptional interest.

One of these, which shows the full-rigged ship Horsa aground off the Scilly Isles in 1893 with the St. Mary's life-boat alongside, is a beautiful composition.

The authors have unearthed a number of interesting facts and stories. Of the oldest Cornish life-boat station, that at Penzance, they record that the Bioney needed for the first life-boat was raised partly by Lloyd's and partly |jy local subscription, yet within nine years of the establishment of the station t local newspaper reported that the life-boat was "taken in distress for rent tod sold for 20 guineas". The day after the battle of Trafalgar this same lifefeoat had been kept in a state of readiness in case of accident when Penzance Was visited by "a most tremendous gale". A later Penzance boat underwent a 9-mile overland journey over broken and flooded roads before being launched in January 1869. (continued overleaf) In 1835 a competition for the design of a suitable life-boat was conducted by the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society, and it is of interest to learn that a model of the life-boat which was built as a result is still to be found in St. Ives.

From Sennen Cove a scratch life-boat crew which put out to the rescue in 1891 included an artist, a barrister and a stockbroker.

These are only a few of the colourful incidents reported, and it is surprising that no local newspaper has yet serialized the works of Messrs. Noall and Fan.

As there are still three further volumes in preparation there is time for this to be rectified. Television producers in the West Country might also turn to these works with advantage..