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He must be less than man who can read unmoved and without a glow of admiration the account of such services and of those given in that institution's report. Take the rescue of the crew of the brig Sisters, of Whitby, on the 26th February last. It will serve as a suitable illustration of the dangers that have to be encountered by the skill, courage, and endurance that are needed of the brave fellows who man the society's life-saving fleet:

The Sisters was laden with coals, and had been driven on shore on the South Barber Sand off Caistor. Her signals of distress having been seen from the beach, the Caistor boatmen proceeded to launch the lifeboat there through a tremendous surf, the wind blowing a heavy gale from the East at the time, and the night being intensely dark. Under these difficult circumstances, although more than 100 persons were engaged in helping to launch the boat, an hour elapsed before she could be got off the beach and warped to the hauling-off anchor laid down outside the surf. Sail being then made on her, she worked to windward to the scene of the wreck, where the anchor being let go, she was veered down, but owing to the darkness and the fearful sea breaking over the vessel, it then took an hour to get the crew of 9 men into the boat, and that at very great risk, as the lifeboat was often lifted by the sea high above the vessel's sides, and several times dashed violently against her and on the sand, thereby incurring considerable damage; also losing one hundred fathoms of her rope gear, which had to be cut away on hauling off from the wreck. It was indeed life for life, but humanity prevailed in the courageous encounter, and the wrecked crew were ultimately got safely in, and landed through a heavy surf. Forty-five pounds were paid by the institution for this service, viz., £40 to the twenty men forming the lifeboat's crew, and £5 to the parties assisting to launch the lifeboat.

Englishmen in every part of the world may surely pause with pride over such chronicles of lifeboat services on our coast, as also over the reports of the cheerful liberality with which the National Life-boat Institution is supported, to enable it to continue and extend with unabated vigour its merciful operations on our coasts.

We will recapitulate some of these beneficent gifts, and allude briefly to the society's operations.

The Lord Chief Justice Erle, and the Corporation of London, and the members of the Royal Thames and the Victoria Yacht Clubs, contributed liberally for the safety of the seamen. A citizen of Newcastle-on-Tyne, to whom a legacy of £19 had been left, passed it over, not to his own banker, but to that of the institution. "N.L.," residing in Manchester, sent £250 to defray the cost of the Kirkcudbright lifeboat; and a stranger "who would not give his name," left at the institution a bank-note for £200. Mrs. E. Hope, carrying out the dying wishes of her husband, the Rev. F. W. Hope, gives £340 to buy a new lifeboat for Appledore, Devon. The ladies of Newbiggin realized for the funds £301 16s. by a bazaar; Mrs. Hartley and Miss Bertie Cator, promoting lifeboat funds, were enabled to raise six hundred

guineas; Miss Burdett Coutts, in her exhaustless beneficence, gave the cost of the Plymouth and Silloth lifeboats; Mr. G. J. Fenwick, of Seaton Burn, contributed £250 to provide the Tynemouth lifeboat. Miss Brightwell, honouring her father, pays the cost of the Blakeney boat, and calls it after his name; and certain travellers in the smoking saloon of the North Kent Railway, bethinking them of the claims of the National Life-boat Institution, extemporised a subscription to increase its resources. Even from Abo, in Finland, £50 is sent to the institution in admiration of its services to the shipwrecked crews of all nations.

We have a list before us of the names of upwards of one hundred wrecks, from which, within the space of two years and a half, 726 lives were saved by the lifeboats of the society. It is on this list— this trophy of success-that the committee of this institution found their latest appeal. During that period its establishments on the coasts of the United Kingdom have cost £27,260. They have voted £2,458 as rewards to the crews of their lifeboats, and £572 to those who, by shore boats and other means, saved 562 shipwrecked persons, in addition to the above 726; making a total of 1,288 persons saved from a watery grave during the last two years and a half. Since its formation, the insfitution has been instrumental, by its lifeboats and other means, in saving 12,680 lives; and having now 123 lifeboats under its management, it requires a large annual income to meet the demands upon its priceless services.

A SURVEYING TRIP THROUGH THE HOLY LAND.

H.M.S. Firefly, Alexandria, November 7th, 1862. Sir,-My last letter, dated September 29th, will have informed you of my return from the first trip through Galilee, having completed the topography to the Plain of Esdraelon.

On the 1st October 1 quitted Haifa, taking Mr. Hull with me, and proceeded to Mohraka, along the summit of Mount Carmel. The baggage and tents having taken a wrong road, we were forced to return to the village of Esfia for the night.

The next morning, starting early, we fortunately found the missing tents, &c., under Mohraka, in the plain of Esdraelon, all safe. Ascending the Um el Falim ridge, we reached the small village of Refferim (not in Van de Velde), and, the following morning, Um el Falim, a considerable village on the summit of the ridge; a most commanding situation, from which we obtained a fine round of angles.

October 4th.-Reached Arrabeh, the principal village of the district, passing through Sheik Zeit and Nebi Sibil (not marked in Van de Velde), overlooking the plain near Jenin, Gilboa, and all to the eastward. Here we remained the 5th, Sunday.

6th.-Sending the tents and baggage on to Sebastiyeh (Samaria), we struck to the eastward and ascended a high peak over Fendikuniyeh, overlooking the Merj el Ghurruk and the plain of Samaria. Thence we descended to Burka, prettily situated at the foot of the hill, and reached the tents at sunset.

7th.-Taking the high road to Nablus, which led through a well cultivated and watered valley, we reached the city in three hours. Procuring a guide, we ascended Mount Ebal on foot (horses cannot go). This is the highest point of the Samaritan hills; from which an extensive view is obtained. Returned to the tents, pitched amongst the olive and fruit trees below, near the spring, over the eastern shoulder of the mountain.

8th. On rising this morning we found Yakob esh Shellaby, the head of the Samaritan sect, outside the tent. This was their Feast of Tabernacles, and hearing that some English travellers had arrived, he had come to offer himself as guide to the summit of Mount Gerizim, where the whole tribe were assembled, performing their devotions, &c. We gladly availed ourselves of his kind offer, and soon mounted our horses. The ceremonies have been so well described by Mr. Rogers that I shall not allude to them. These interesting people number about 149. They live apart from the rest of the world. Yakob has established a school, which is kept up principally by donations from travellers passing through. They are generally excessively

poor.

Having witnessed the ceremony and obtained a good round of angles, we descended by the eastern pathway on its northern side to Jacob's Well, which at this season was dry. It has been purchased, with a portion of ground round it, by the Greeks, who intend building a monastery or church over it. We then crossed the valley to Joseph's Tomb, which belongs to the Samaritans. Returning to Nablus, we partook of a Samaritan dinner under the hospitable roof of Yakob esh Shellaby.

9th. Leaving our tents pitched, and accompanied by Yakob, we were early in the saddle. After riding along the plain to within a mile of Howara, we suddenly turned to the right, passing through the village of Burun,-a rascally set and the greatest thieves in the district. Crossed the head of a valley and ascended the peak Sluman el Farsi, a very conspicuous point with a nebi on its summit, and visible from Gaza to Carmel. We had throughout called it Alam Uda, as in Van de Velde's map that mountain is certainly the highest and most defined. However, Alam Uda is farther west: it is in its right position, but badly drawn. Here we experienced more than ever the difficulty in procuring the right names of the villages, &c. The ignorance of the Rasarts (?) is quite remarkable, for beyond the immediate vicinity of their own village they are totally unacquainted, showing the sad state of the country.

10th.-Taking leave of our friend, we followed the Carcuan road to Howara. Thence turned eastward by a rugged path, passed through the villages of Kubalan Tell-Fit and Kuriut,—a wild district;

descended to Seilun (Shiloh); through Ternus Aya to Sinyil, situated near the top of a high ridge.

11th.-Descending through a deep ravine to the East of Et Tell, we came on to the great road, which we followed for half an hour; when, turning to the left, ascended by a very rough road to Mezrauh, on the summit of the ridge. Continuing South, in an hour reached a ruined massive-built square, tower which stands on the extreme point. Round it are very extensive ruins of an old city. This point is called El Burj. I believe it has not been visited before. Large cut and bevelled stones are scattered about in every direction and it has the appearance of having been of some strength. In Van de Velde's map a Burj Azzil is marked, but the villagers did not know the name. Passing through Selwad, we joined the main road near Yebrud, which now runs along the eastern edge of a precipitous ravine.

We reached Bireh at two p.m., and after a short halt pushed on to Jerusalem, where we arrived late, after sunset; pitched our tents outside the Yafa Gate.

Finding considerable difficulty in procuring fresh water, we decided on going to the hotel, and making excursions round the Holy City from there.

12th, Sunday.-Attended Divine Service at our church.

13th.-Occupied nearly all day on and in the vicinity of the Mount of Olives.

14th.-I was completely prostrated and obliged to remain at home. The day, fortunately, was very cloudy, with a strong N.W. wind, which would have prevented our seeing any great distance.

15th.-Mr. Hull visited the convent of Mar Saba..

16th. The weather having cleared, we visited Nebi Samwil, and obtained an extensive round of angles.

17th. Strong N.W. gale, with rain occasionally, the clouds considerably below the mountain tops. Quitted Jerusalem, and pitched our tents near the Pools of Solomon.

18th.-Clear weather. Rode to a peak S.W. of the pools, overlooking the whole Plain of Philistia, Jerusalem, Olives, Bethlehem, part of the Dead Sea, with Jibel Tureidis in the foreground. Hebron was unfortunately hid by the high ridge near Halhul and Beit Anun.

19th.-Hebron, the district to the southward, was in such a disturbed state, that the pasha of Jerusalem refused us an escort. We had therefore to return to the tents, and decided on descending to the plain by the ridge north of Wadi er Rumani.

20th. Our road led through El Khudr, along a rocky ridge to Beit Atab and Deir el Hawa, a small village on a conspicuous peak immediately over the plain. Descending, we crossed the Wadi Ishmail, through Zanuah to Sarah, built on a spur of an almost isolated ridge.

21st.-Rode to its summit, and in half an hour got into a level road in the plain. Passing to the North of Khulda we reached the village of Abu Shusluh. Continuing northwards by Annabeh, Ji

nizu, and Hacbithek, pitched our tents at Beit Nibah, a considerable village bordering the plain, amidst thick groves of olives.

22nd.-Rode to Deir Abu Mishal. At about an hour from Nibala we passed the ruins of an extensive village, apparently of great antiquity. It is called Benaten. Many of the houses still standing are constructed of large roughly cut stones. Other similar remains were passed one hour further, with the remains of a square tower. The villagers call this Khurbet Dusirah. Abu Mishal stands on a rocky eminence, and is visible throughout the whole plain. A mosque, built on the foundations of an ancient fortress, crowns the summit, with the remains of a wall, extensive water tanks cut out of the solid rock, and quarries in the immediate vicinity. The modern village, built amongst the ruins and rocks, is small, and the people very poor.

23rd.-Taking the road skirting the plain, we passed the villages of Deir Turif, et Tireh, Kuly, el Muzeireh to Mejdil. Half a mile to the west of the village of Kuly, and immediately to the right of the road, stands a small but very perfect temple with Corinthian columns, now converted into a kibleh, or praying-place, and called by the villagers Nebi Zehar. 'Mejdel is a considerable village, built on a rocky hill, and rendered very conspicuous by a large building or palace belonging to the sheik, apparently built on the foundation of an ancient edifice.

Continuing our route northwards, we pass, near Kefr Kasim, considerable remains of a deserted modern village, and at sunset reach the small hamlet of Hableh.

24th.-Leaving our tents pitched, we rode to a peak south of the village of Jujus.

25th.-Having completed as much of the topography as my present means would allow, I decided on returning to Yafa by the plain, taking the road through Jiljilliyeh, El Mir, El Fejjeh, and Selameh. We reached the town at one p.m. and found H.M.S. Firefly at anchor.

During my absence plans of Kaisariyeh and Yebneh had been completed, which I shall forward as soon as ready.

Quitting the anchorage on Monday the 27th, we steamed to Yebneh, where I landed and examined the locality.

A ledge of detached rocks runs parallel to the coast, distant only 1 cables. There is no appearance of their ever having been connected by a mole; neither could I discover on or near them any large hewn stones. The centre block bears traces of having been quarried. Although there is fourteen to fifteen feet water inside, they would afford no protection against the westerly winds, and from the narrow space could, in my opinion, only be turned into a harbour for small coasting boats.

Ruins of a fortress or building still exist on its southern point, with portions of walls nearly buried in the sand.

Continuing our course, we reached El Arish the following evening. The weather was fortunately favourable, and without any delay we

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