its purpose are among its great
recommendations.

When, however, life does not require to be saved, and when opportunity
offers, it allows its boats to save property.

It saves--and rewards those who assist in saving--many hundreds of lives
every year. Last year (1882) the number saved by lifeboats was 741,
besides 143 lives saved by shore-boats and other means, for which
rewards were given by the Institution; making a grand total of 884 lives
saved in that one year. The number each year is often larger, seldom
less. One year (1869) the rescued lives amounted to the grand number of
1231, and in the greater number of cases the rescues were effected in
circumstances in which ordinary boats would have been utterly useless--
worse than useless, for they would have drowned their crews. In respect
of this matter the value of the lifeboat to the nation cannot be
estimated--at least, not until we invent some sort of spiritual
arithmetic whereby we may calculate the price of widows' and orphans'
tears, and of broken hearts!

But in regard to more material things it is possible to speak
definitely.

It frequently happens in stormy weather that vessels show signals of
distress, either because they are so badly strained as to be in a
sinking condition, or so damaged that they are unmanageable, or the
crews have become so exhausted as to be no longer capable of working for
their own preservation. In all such cases the lifeboat puts off with
the intention in the first instance of saving life. It reaches the
vessel in distress; some of the boat's crew spring on board, and find,
perhaps, that there is some hope of saving the ship. Knowing the
locality well, they steer her clear of rocks and shoals. Being
comparatively fresh and vigorous, they work the pumps with a will,
manage to keep her afloat, and finally steer her into port, thus saving
ship and cargo as well as crew.

Now let me impress on you that incidents of this sort are not of rare
occurrence. There is no play of fancy in my statements; they happen
every year. Last year (1882) twenty-three vessels were thus saved by
lifeboat crews. Another year thirty-three, another year fifty-three,
ships were thus saved. As surely and regularly as the year comes round,
so surely and regularly are ships and property saved by lifeboats--saved
_to the nation_! It cannot be too forcibly pointed out that a wrecked
ship is not only an individual, but a national loss. Insurance