On the 1st December, the coxswain of the North Briton life-boat, and 6 other men, with 2 horses, proceeded at midnight along the coast upwards of fcrar miles in the direction of Gramthorpe Haven, and there found a schooner on the sands, and her crew of 3 men preparing to leave her. She proved to be the Mary Ant, of Whitby, in ballast.

They assisted the crew ashore, and brought them back on the horses to Donna Nook.

They afterwards returned to the vessel, and safely moored her, and, whilst thus engaged, discovered another vessel throwing up signals of distress, and burning tar-barrels. It was then about 5 A.M., and the coxswain at once returned to the life-boat station, and sent messengers to call up the life-boat crew.

Soon all was ready, and the life-boat was launched; through the heavy gale holding up the tide, the horses had to go a mile and a quarter, belly deep, before reaching the outer bank of sand, so as to get to windward of the schooner; and the tide running so rapidly, the launching men, being up to their arm- pits in water, could not stand to pull the boat off her carriage, and were obliged to get into the boat, when the crew pushed her off and over the bank with their oars.

With great difficulty the vessel was at last reached. She proved to be the Esk, of Montrose. After making fast the life-boat by anchor and ropes, 6 of the vessel's crew were taken off, and the life-boat then made her way back, and grounded on the bank.

All hands (except the vessel's crew) then got out, and, up to their waists in water, dragged the life-boat as far as they could; but not being able to get her clear, they got out, except the coxswain, and waded up- wards of a mile to the life-boat house. All were so frozen and exhausted, that it was necessary to send for a medical man to re- store them. The coxswain remained with the life-boat and carriage on the bank, to secure them from loss or damage. He after- wards waded to the shore, but none of the farmers would again lend their horses to get the boat back. The coxswain and a coastguardman then waded back to the life-boat, and soon afterwards discovered another vessel with signals of distress flying about eight miles away. The two men again returned to the shore, and called up the crew and launchers, but not being able to procure horses, they were obliged to aban- don the effort to get the life-boat off to the vessel. The horses had been so injured by exposure to the severe cold on the first occa- sion, that it was difficult to keep life in, them for a time. The life-boat was afterwards got safely back to her station..