His Grace offered a premium of one hundred guineas for the best model of a life-boat. The defects of the existing boats were pointed out as a guide to inventors, they being chiefly: "1. They do not upright themselves in the event of being upset. "2. That they are too heavy to be readily launched or transported along the coast in case of need. "3. That they do not free themselves from water fast enough. "4. That they are very expensive." A committee was formed to examine, and report upon the models. The offer of His Grace, and the conditions of the competition, were published in October 1850, and no expense or pains were spared in making them known. The interest and excitement produced by the notice were deeply and widely felt; the challenge was accepted by great numbers of people--amateurs, to whom to invent a life-boat seemed a laudable and holy ambition, vied with the boat-builders who had thoughts of professional reputation to give a spur to their humanity--speedily in all parts of England, and in many other parts of the world, busy minds and skilful hands were at work. In due time models came teeming in upon the committee in almost overwhelming numbers. Not content with asking for models of life-boats, the committee also asked for information upon certain defined points, the models sent in numbered no fewer than two hundred and eighty, while the answers to inquiries were sufficient to fill five folio volumes of manuscript. As for the models, every possible form and every possible principle seemed to find its illustration. There were boats designed upon the principle of Pontoons, of Catamarans, of Rafts, Steamers, Paddle-box Boats, North Country Cobles--every possible modification of the whaleboat, and of the ordinary boat; boats made of wood, of tin, of galvanized corrugated iron, boats with cork linings, with air-boxes, with water-ballast, with no ballast, tubular boats, boats a series of tubs, a series of boxes; to be propelled by oars, by sails, by paddle-wheels, by screws, to be worked by hand power, by steam power, by atmospheric air. The Committee might well feel overwhelmed at such a perfect rush of ideas and designs thus suggested for their consideration; and as they began to go into details, they found it almost impossible to decide which model was best, where the elements of excellency were so varied and so numerous, especially as they found that so large a number of the boats presented such excellent combinations of different good qualities. The committee therefore deemed it necessary to organize a regular competitive examination, assigning marks to different necessary qualifications, that they might thus be able to arrange the boats presented in an order of merit, dependent upon their respective combination of good qualities. The following is the list of qualities that were required in the boats, with the number of marks apportioned to each. 1st Quality. Rowing boat in all weathers 20