Robert Michael Ballantyne

Battles with the Sea Robert Michael Ballantyne

Before following our brilliant lifeboat-this gaudy, butterfly-like thing of red, white, and blue-tothe field of battle, let me observe that the boats of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution haveseveral characteristic qualities, to which reference shall be made hereafter, and that they are ofvarious sizes. (A full and graphic account of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution-its boats, itswork, and its achievements-may be found in an interesting volume by its late secretary, RichardLewis, Esquire, entitled History of the Lifeboat and its Work-published by Macmillan and Company.) One of the largest size is that of Ramsgate. This may be styled a privileged boat, for it has a steamtug to wait upon it named the Aid. Day and night the Aid has her fires "banked up" to keep herboilers simmering, so that when the emergency arises, a vigorous thrust of her giant poker bringsthem quickly to the boiling point, and she is ready to take her lifeboat in tow and tug her out to thefamed and fatal Goodwin Sands, which lie about four miles off the coast-opposite to Ramsgate. I draw attention to this boat, first because she is exceptionally situated with regard to frequency ofcall, the means of going promptly into action, and success in her work. Her sister-lifeboats ofBroadstairs and Margate may, indeed, be as often called to act, but they lack the attendant steamer, and sometimes, despite the skill and courage of their crews, find it impossible to get out in the teethof a tempest with only sail and oar to aid them. Early in December, 1863, an emigrant ship set sail for the Antipodes; she was the Fusilier, ofLondon. It was her last voyage, and fated to be very short. The shores of Old England were still insight, the eyes of those who sought to "better their circumstances" in Australia were yet wet, andtheir hearts still full with the grief of parting from loved ones at home, when one of the most furiousstorms of the season caught them and cast their gallant ship upon the dangerous Sands off themouth of the Thames. This happened on the night of the 3rd, which was intensely dark, as well asbitterly cold