was wrecked on the Herd Sand; the crew and passengers were taken out by the life-boat; the vessel went to pieces at the time the boat was employed, the goods were scattered on the sand, and part of them lost.

"In the same year, a vessel named the Countess of Errol was driven on the Herd Sand, and the crew saved by the life-boat.

"October 15, 1797, the sloop called Fruit of Friends, from Leith, coming to South Shields, was driven on the Herd Sand. One part of the passengers in attempting to come on shore in the ship's boat, was unfortunately drowned; the other part was brought on shore safe by the life-boat.

"The account of Captain William Carter, of Newcastle, states, that on the 28th of November, 1797, the ship Planter, of London, was driven on shore near Tynemouth Bar by the violence of a gale; the life-boat came out and took fifteen persons from the ship, which the boat had scarcely quitted before the ship went to pieces; that without the boat they must all have inevitably perished, as the wreck came on shore soon after the life-boat. He conceived that no boat of a common construction could have given relief at that time. The ships Gateshead and Mary, of Newcastle; the Beaver, of North Shields; and a sloop, were in the same situation with the Planter. The crew of the Gateshead, nine in number, took to their own boat, which sunk, and seven of them were lost; the other two saved themselves by ropes thrown from the Mary. After the life-boat had landed the crew of the Planter, she went off successively to the other vessels, and brought the whole of their crews safe to shore, together with the two persons who had escaped from the boat of the Gateshead.

"Mr. Carter adds, that he has seen the life-boat go to the assistance of other vessels at different times, and that she ever succeeded in bringing the crews on shore; that

he had several times observed her to come on shore full of water, and always safe."

ACCOUNT OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND LIFE-BOAT.

"The Northumberland life-boat, so called from being built at the expense of his Grace the Duke of Northum berland, and presented by him to North Shields, was first employed in November, 1798, when she went off to the relief of the sloop Edinburgh, of Kincardine, which was seen to go upon the Herd Sands, about a mile and a half from the shore. Ralph Hillery, one of the seamen who went out in the life-boat to her assistance, relates that she was brought to an anchor before the life-boat got to her; that the ship continued to strike the ground so heavily that she would not have held together ten minutes longer, had not the life-boat arrived; they made her cut her cable, and then took seven men out of her, and brought them on shore; that the sea was at that time so monstrously high, that no other boat whatever could have lived in it. He stated, that in the event of the life-boat filling with water, she would continue still upright, and would not founder, as boats of a common construction do; that he has seen her go off scores of times, and never saw her fail in bringing off such of the crews as staid by their ships.

"It also saved (as appears from other accounts) the crew of the brig Clio, of Sunderland, when she struck upon the rocks called the Black Middens, on the north side of the entrance of Tynemouth Haven.

"October 25, 1799, the ship Quintillian, from St. Petersburgh, drove on the Herd Sand, from the force of the sea-wind at north-east, knocked her rudder off, and was much damaged, but the crew were brought on shore by the life-boat. The great utility of this life-boat is also confirmed by many other recent circumstances; one among which is that of the ship Sally, of Sunderland, which in

taking the harbour of Tynemouth, on December 25, 1801, at night, struck on the bar: the crew were brought on shore by the life-boat, but the ship was driven among the rocks.

"On the 22d of January, 1802, in a heavy gale of wind from the north-north-west the ship Thomas and Alice, in attempting the harbour of South Shields, was driven on the Herd Sand; the Northumberland life-boat went to her assistance; took, as was supposed, all the people out, and pulled away from the ship to make the harbour, when they were waved to return by a man who had been below deck. On taking this man out they encountered a violent gust of wind, under the quarter of the ship; the ship at the same time drove among the breakers, and entangling the boat with her, broke most of the oars on that side of the boat next the ship, and filled the boat with water. By the shock several of the oars were knocked out of the hands of the rowers and that of the steersman. In this situation the steersman quickly replaced his oar from one of those left in the boat, and swept the boat before the sea, filled with water inside as high as the midship gunwale: the boat was steered in this situation before the wind and sea a distance far exceeding a mile, and landed twenty-one men, including the boat's crew, without any accident but being wet."

ACCOUNT OF THE SCARBOROUGH LIFE-BOAT.

"To Mr. Henry Greathead, South Shields, the Inventor of the Life-Boat.

"The life-boat at Scarborough, which was built with out the least deviation from the model and the plan which you sent here at my request, has even exceeded the most sanguine expectations; and I have now received experi mental conviction of its great utility in cases of shipwreck, and of its perfect safety in the most agitated sea.

Local prejudices will ever exist against novel inventions, however excellent may be principles of their construction; and their were some at this place who disputed the performance of the life-boat, until a circumstance lately happened which brought it to the test of experience, and removed every shadow of objection even from the most prejudiced minds.

"On Monday, the 2d of November, we were visited with a most tremendous storm from the eastward, and I scarcely ever remember seeing a more mountainous sea. The Aurora, of Newcastle, in approaching the harbour was driven ashore to the southward; and as she was in the most imminent danger the life-boat was immediately launched to her assistance. The place where the ship lay was exposed to the whole force of the sea, and she was surrounded with broken water, which dashed over the decks with considerable violence. In such a perilous situation the life-boat adventured, and proceeded through the breach of the sea, rising on the summit of the waves without shipping any water, except a little from the spray. On going upon the lee-quarter of the vessel they were endangered by the main-boom, which had broken loose and was driving about with great force. This compelled them to go alongside, and they instantly took out four of the crew; but the sea which broke over the decks having nearly filled the boat with water, they were induced to put off for a moment, when seeing three boys (the remainder of the crew) clinging to the rigging, and in danger of perishing, they immediately returned and took them into the boat, and brought the whole to land in safety. By means of the life-boat, built from your plan, and the exertions of the boatmen, seven men and boys were thus saved to their country and their friends, and preserved from the inevitable destruction which awaited them. The boat was not in the least affected by the water which broke into her when alongside the vessel; and indeed

the boatmen thought it rendered her more steady in the sea. I must also add, that it was the general opinion that no other boat of the common construction could have possibly performed the service; and the fisherman, though very adventurous, declared they would not have made the attempt in their own boat.

"We have appointed a crew of fishermen to manage the boat, under the direction of the committee; and the men are so much satisfied with the performance of the boat, and so confident in her safety, that they are emboldened to adventure upon the most dangerous occasions. I have been thus circumstantial in order to show the great utility of the life-boat; and I should think it would be rendering an essential service to the community if any recommendation of mine should contribute to bring this valuable invention into more general use."

Management of the Life-Boat from the Boat-house to the Sea, and vice versa, as practised at Lowestoffe, in Suffolk.

"The life-boat may be launched from any beach, when wanted, with as much ease as any other boat by proper assistance. The distance from the boat-house, at Lowestoffe, to the shore is one hundred yards, and the boat's crew can run her down in ten minutes. When the sea does not tumble in upon the beach very much the boat may be easily launched by laying the ways as far as possible in the water, and hauling the carriage from under her.

"When there is a great sea on the beach the boat must be launched from the carriage before she comes to the surf, on planks laid across, as other boats are launched; the people standing on the ends to prevent the sea moving them; then with the assistance of the anchor and cable (which should be laid out at sea for the purpose) the boat's crew can draw her over the highest sea.

"Upon the boat returning to the shore, two double