the
sails were set, and soon after, through God's mercy, the rescued men
were landed safely in Ramsgate Harbour. So, we repeat, the lifeboat is
almost indestructible.

That she is insubmergible has been proved by what has already been
written, and our space forbids giving further illustration, but a word
about the cause of this quality is necessary. Her floating power is due
to _air-chambers_ fitted round the sides under the seats and in the bow
and stern; also to empty space and light wood or cork ballast under her
floor. If thrust forcibly deep under water with as many persons in her
as could be stowed away, she would, on being released, rise again to the
surface like a cork.

The self-righting principle is one of the most important qualities of
the lifeboat. However good it may be in other respects, a boat without
this quality is a lifeboat only so long as it maintains its proper
position on the water. If upset it is no better than any other boat.
It is true that, great stability being one of the lifeboat's qualities,
such boats are not easily overturned. Nevertheless they sometimes are
so, and the results have been on several occasions disastrous. Witness
the case of the Liverpool boat, which in January 1865 upset, and the
crew of seven men were drowned. Also the Point of Ayr lifeboat, which
upset when under sail at a distance from the land, and her crew,
thirteen in number, were drowned. Two or three of the poor fellows were
seen clinging to the keel for twenty minutes, but no assistance could be
rendered. Now, both of these were considered good lifeboats, but they
were _not self-righting_. Numerous cases might be cited to prove the
inferiority of the non-self-righting boats, but one more will suffice.
In February 1858 the Southwold boat--a large sailing boat, esteemed one
of the finest in the kingdom, but _not_ self-righting--went out for
exercise, and was running before a heavy surf with all sail set, when
she suddenly ran on the top of a sea, broached-to and upset. The crew
in this case being near shore, and having on cork lifebelts, were
rescued, but three gentlemen who had gone off in her without lifebelts
were drowned. This case, and the last, occurred in broad daylight.

In contrast to these we give an instance of the action of the
self-righting lifeboat when overturned. It occurred on a dark stormy
night in October 1858. On that night a wreck took place off the coast
near Dungeness, three