On the night of the 16th December, the barque Strathleven, of Glasgow, was wrecked, during a strong wind W. by N., half a mile North of Float Bay, about seven miles from Port Logan.

The vessel was under double reefed topsails when she struck, and the night was very dark. An attempt was made to communi- cate with the land, and a boat was lowered for that purpose, but it immediately broke adrift with two men in it, who were thrown upon the rocks, and after great exertion, succeeded in gaining the shore. Information was at once forwarded to Port Logan for the Edinburgh and B. M. Ballantyne life- boat, which was quickly launched and on her way to the wreck. She found the ship- wrecked crew, 15 in number, clinging to the rigging on the starboard quarter, which was nearly under water, with the sea constantly washing over them. They were safely got into the life-boat, and brought ashore in a very exhausted state early in the morning. They said they could not have held on much longer, and expressed great gratitude for the services of the life-boat, and spoke in high terms of the manner in which she was handled.

[As recorded in No. 70. of the Life-loat Journal for October last, p. 740, a most re- markable coincidence occurred in connection with this service. The life-boat was exhi- bited in Glasgow on the 16th Dec., 1866, before being sent to her station, and the wife of the master of the Strathleven, accom- panied by her children, went to see the boat and put an offering into the subscription-box.

Exactly one year after, as above narrated, the captain's vessel was wrecked, and on the following morning he and his crew were providentially rescued by the very boat which his wife had contributed to support!].