During a strong southerly wind and heavy rain, on the 14th De- cember, signal guns were heard from the lightship in the Prince's Channel. The Quiver No. 1 life-boat, stationed at Margate, was launched, and proceeded across the Margate and Tongue Sands, and up the Channel, and discovered the sloop La Jeune Fanny, of St. Malo, on the Girdler Sands, in a heavy sea. After some difficulty, the life-boat got alongside and boarded the vessel.

Press of canvas was then put on, and the sloop was forced over the bank, the tide rising at the time, and brought safely into Margate. From the position in which the ship lay, she must soon have been broken up, and the crew of 5 men drowned, had not the life-boat gone to her aid. She was con- stantly under water, the sea repeatedly making a complete breach over her and the life-boat, and the service of the latter was attended with much danger..