ORE ATHE AD'S LIFE-BOATS. 211. 



from the deck to the thwarts, and a cork fender outside sixteen inches deep, four inches 

 wide, and twenty-one feet long-, nearly 7 cwts. of cork being- fitted to the boat altogether. 

 Greathead's curved keel was, however, the main point, and he is regarded as the inventor of 

 the first practicable life-boat. From 1791 to 1797 his first boat was the means of saving the 

 whole or larger part of the crews of five ships. Notwithstanding all this, no other life-boat 

 was built till 1798, when the then Duke of Northumberland ordered one to be built at his 

 own expense, which in two years saved the crews of three vessels. Others were soon after 

 constructed, and before the end of 1803 Greathead built no less than thirty-one, eight of 

 which were for foreign countries. In the beginning of 1802, when two hundred lives had 

 "been saved at the entrance of the Tyne alone, Greathead applied to Parliament for a national 

 reward. Possibly it is more remarkable that he obtained it. 1,200 was voted to him, to 

 which the Trinity House, Lloyd's, and the Society of Arts added substantial presents. The 

 Emperor of Russia sent a diamond ring to the inventor. 



After this, one might have reasonably thought that life-boats had become a recognised 

 institution and a national necessity. Not so. For years afterwards there was hardly an 

 advance made, and there was no organised society to work them. The Government was 

 .apathetic. In 1810, one of Greathead's life-boats, carried overland to Hartley on the coast 

 of Northumberland, rescued the crews of several fishing-boats. On returning toward the 

 shore, the boat got too near a fatal rock-reef, and was split in halves ; thirty-four poor fellows 

 a moment before the savers and the saved were drowned. The authority before cited 

 says that even now several of Greathead's boats exclusively rowing boats are to be found 

 on the coast; the oldest one is that in the possession of the boatmen at Redcar, it having 

 been built in 1802. On seeing this fine old life-boat, which had saved some scores of lives, 

 Account Stratford de Redcliffe composed some years ago the following verses, which were 



.set to music : 



" The Life-boat ! Oh, the Life-boat ! 



We all have known so long, 

 A refuge for the feeble, 



The glory of the strong. 

 Twice thirty years have vanished, 



Since first upon the wave 

 She housed the drowning mariner, 

 And snatched him from the grave. 

 * * * * 



The voices of the rescued, 



Their numbers may be read, 

 The tears of speechless feeling 



Our wives and children shed ; 

 The memories of mercy 



In man's extremest need, 

 All for the dear old Life-boat 



TJniting seem to plead." 



As already stated, the important movement for saving life from shipwreck languished for some 

 time. To Sir William Hillary and Thomas Wilson, then one of the Members of Parliament 

 for London, is due the organisation of that most excellent society which has done more in the 

 ause of humanity than, perhaps, any other whatever, and has done it on means which even 



