the coasts, wherever they could be of use.

These men, not being Jacobins, did not turn to the Government. They
understood that to bring their enterprise to a successful issue they
must have the co-operation, the enthusiasm, the local knowledge, and
especially the self-sacrifice of the local sailors. They also understood
that to find men who at the first signal would launch their boat at
night, in a chaos of waves, not suffering themselves to be deterred by
darkness or breakers, and struggling five, six, ten hours against the
tide before reaching a vessel in distress--men ready to risk their lives
to save those of others--there must be a feeling of solidarity, a spirit
of sacrifice not to be bought with galloon. It was therefore a perfectly
spontaneous movement, sprung from agreement and individual initiative.
Hundreds of local groups arose along the coasts. The initiators had the
common senses not to pose as masters. They looked for sagacity in the
fishermen's hamlets, and when a rich man sent L1,000 to a village on the
coast to erect a lifeboat station, and his offer was accepted, he left
the choice of a site to the local fishermen and sailors.

Models of new boats were not submitted to the Admiralty. We read in a
Report of the Association: "As it is of importance that life-boatmen
should have full confidence in the vessel they man, the Committee will
make a point of constructing and equipping the boats according to the
life-boatmen's expressed wish." In consequence every year brings with it
new improvements.

The work is wholly conducted by volunteers organizing in committees and
local groups; by mutual aid and agreement!--Oh, Anarchists! Moreover,
they ask nothing of the ratepayers, and in a year they may receive
L40,000 in spontaneous subscriptions.

As to the results, here they are: In 1891 the Association possessed 293
lifeboats. The same year it saved 601 shipwrecked sailors and 33
vessels. Since its foundation it has saved 32,671 human beings.

In 1886, three lifeboats with all their men having perished at sea,
hundreds of new volunteers entered their names, organized themselves
into local groups, and the agitation resulted in the construction of
twenty additional boats. As we proceed, let us note that every year the
Association sends to the fishermen and sailors excellent barometers at a
price three times less than their sale price in private shops. It
propagates meteorological knowledge, and warns the par