BROUGHTY FERRY, DUNDEE. — On the 24th October, 1868, the barque Betty and Louise, of Hamburg, was stranded during a strong gale on the Cruivie Bank, near Buddon Ness. The Mary Hartley life- boat was quickly manned and launched, and succeeded, after some difficulty, in rescuing the vessel's crew of 9 men, and in landing them in safety.

GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK.—On the 25th October, the brigantine Francis, of Shields, was totally wrecked, and afterwards sunk on the Cockle Sands during a strong W.N.W. wind, and in a heavy sea. The Mark Lane life-boat went out and brought safely ashore the vessel's crew of 4 men.

On the 10th December, during a heavy gale from S.S.W., the brigantine Ino, of West Hartlepool, was observed making for the shore in an apparently sinking state.

It subsequently appeared that she had been in collision with the lugger Ranger, of Yarmouth. The Duff surf life-boat went out and took off 17 men from the vessel, which included the crew of the lugger, they having gone on board the brigantine. The latter subsequently went ashore opposite the North Star Battery, and became a total wreck. The Mark Lane life-boat was also promptly launched, proceeded to the assist- ance of the two vessels, and ultimately, after some hours' exertions, brought the lugger safely into Yarmouth harbour.

RAMSEY, ISLE OF MAN.—On the 11th December, the brigantine Jane, of Work- ington, and the schooner Prudence, of Aberystwith, drove ashore, in a very strong wind, near the North Pier, at Ramsey, Isle of Man. The Two Sisters life-boat put off through a heavy sea, and succeeded in rescuing both crews,' consisting of 8 men.

The life-boat went off again in the afternoon, in reply to signals of distress from another vessel; but the crew succeeded in saving themselves in their own boat.

BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE.—On the 30th October, during a gale from W.N.W., the schooner Theodorus, of Liverpool, was stranded on the north-west end of the Salt- house Bank. The Robert William life-boat put out and brought ashore 12 of the crew.

The life-boat Wakefield, stationed at Ly- tham, also went off and rescued 3 men from the same vessel. Subsequently the last- named life-boat again went off, and, with the aid of a steam-tug, succeeded in bring- ing the schooner safely into harbour.

ANSTRUTHER, N.B.—On the 19th Sep- tember, the fishing-boat Active, of Cellar- dyke, N.B., was observed in distress during a strong E.N.E. wind and in a heavy sea, off Anstruther. The Admiral FitzRoy life- boat put out and brought the boat and her crew of 4 men safely to land.

STROMNESS, N.B.—On the 6th October, during stormy weather, the schooner Victor, of Grimsby, was seen riding at anchor in a dangerous position in Hoy Sound. The Saltaire life-boat was promptly manned and launched, and assisted to bring the schooner and.her crew of 5 men safely into harbour.

SiLLOTH, CUMBERLAND.—On the 10th October, the Angela and Hannah life-boat went out, during a fresh breeze from the S.W., and saved a man, who was found on a raft, formed of two ballast boards and a gaff. He had belonged to the smack Rover,' of Annan, which had sunk about three miles off that place; he had floated about a mile before the life-boat picked him up.

CAISTER, NORFOLK.—On the 23rd Octo- ber, the S.S. Ganges, of Hull, was stranded on the Hasborough Sands during a strong wind and in hazy weather. The Birming- ham, No. 1 life-boat went off and remained by the vessel four nights, until she floated off the sand, and was towed into Yarmouth Roads by some steam-tugs, accompanied by the life-boat.

On the 30th November, the barque Annie Scott, of Arbroath, was stranded during a strong wind and hazy weather on the Cross Sand, off the Norfolk coast. The same life-boat went off and succeeded in saving the vessel's crew of 9 men. They had taken to the ship's boat, and were driving rapidly away to the northward, when they were overtaken by the life-boat. The vessel was subsequently towed by a steam-tug into Yarmouth Roads.

The same valuable life-boat afterwards went to the assistance of the barque Honfleur, of Sandiford, Norway, which was likewise stranded on the Cross Sand, and succeeded in taking that vessel and her crew of 13 men to a safe anchorage off Winterton.

Early on the morning of the 22nd De- cember, during a strong W.N.W. wind, large signal lights were seen in the direction of the West Scroby Sands. The same life-boat went out, but, after searching about for some time, could not discover any vessel in distress, and therefore returned to the shore. Some hours afterwards, a small ship's boat was seen in the Wold drifting to the northward. The life-boat again put off, and overtook her oft' Winterton, and rescued 4 men, who gladly availed themselves of her services, it being impossible for them to land in their own boat. They belonged to the schooner Pioneer, of Exeter. During the previous night a steamer had been in collision with their vessel, which had sunk in about fifteen minutes. One of the schooner's crew got on board the steamer, and the others took to their own boat.

Soon after dark on the 28th December, signal lights and rockets were seen in the direction of the West Scroby Sands, by the beachmen at Caister, on the Norfolk coast. The same life-boat was at once launched, and, proceeding to the sands, found the brig Bilboa, of Seaham, striking very heavily in a most dangerous way, so that if the wind and weather had continued bad, she must soon have gone to pieces.

The sea was terrible, and the vessel could not be approached very closely. The crew, however, 6 in number, were fortunately saved by means of ropes from the life-boat.

After rescuing the men, and while the boat was on its way to the shore, signals were seen from a vessel on the South Scroby Sands, and the life-boat proceeded in that direction. A Gorleston life-boat, however, was seen approaching the wreck, and the Caister life-boat, therefore, returned to the station.

The following account of an additional noble and great service recently performed by the same valuable life-boat cannot fail to be read with much interest. These details have been furnished by the Rev. G. W.

STEWARD, the local Hon. Secretary of the In- stitution. On the morning of the 1st Decem- ber last about seven o'clock, the beachmen, during a strong wind from N. by E., with squalls, saw what appeared to be a dismasted vessel at the back of the Scroby Sands with signals of distress in the rigging. They at once proceeded off in the large life-boat, the Birmingham, and found the upper part of a barque which, it appears, had struck on the Hasborough Sands about half-past ten o'clock the previous night. This portion had broken away, and drifted to the spot where it was seen from the shove, and by the time the life- JANUARY 1,1870.] ;THB LIFE-BOAT.

289 boat reached it, it had floated down the coast as far as Yarmouth. It consisted of the bul- warks (which on the lee side were under water), deck, and a few planks below, and was little more than a raft, but it had on it the whole of the crew, numbering 14 men, •of a wrecked barque of 447 tons, named the Helsingoe, of Elsinore. The poor fellows had been nine hours adrift on it in a terrible sea and the weather very cold.

The difficulty of getting them off, in the midst of the heavy sea, was great, and the life-boat was a good deal damaged, for, on account of the ship's broken mainmast, spars, &c., the boat could not approach the wreck to leeward, and had to be taken to windward, and to get at the crew she had to drive alongside, and time after time she grated with great violence against the wreck, from which the ship's bolts were projecting.

Some of the life-boatmen said the boat would be dashed to pieces; but others re- plied, " We must save the poor fellows!" And ultimately, after gallantly exerting themselves for nearly an hour, the crew of the life-boat had the great satisfac- tion of saving the whole of them. None but daring and experienced men could have accomplished this rescue. The boat was subsequently towed into Yarmouth harbour by a. steamer, each side of the pier-head being lined with spectators. The rescued men were then landed and taken to the Sailors' Home. They were respectable and well-behaved men. The mate had his shoulder injured, and was taken to the Hospital, where he was afterwards seen very cheerful and happy. The master, when offered a little rum by one of the beachmen, declined it, saying, "There was too much poison in it for him." The hull of the ship, which had been left behind, afterwards floated off the sand, and finally came ashore southward of Gorleston Pier.

The crew of the life-boat received a double reward from the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION in consideration of their gallant services on the occasion.

SENNEN COVE, CORNWALL. — On the night of the 23rd October, the government lighter Devon, was totally wrecked during a gale and heavy sea on the Brisson's Rocks.

At,daybreak one of the crew was seen from the land, and the Cousins William and Mary Anne of Bideford life-boat put off and rescued him with the aid of a rocket which was fired from the life-boat by Mr. SYL- VESTER MORRISON, Chief Officer of Coast- guard. The rescued man bears the same name, GEORGE DAVIS, as the husband of the lady who presented the life-boat to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

MUNDESLEY, NORFOLK.—On the 10th November, the brig Roclidale, of London, was wrecked, and afterwards sunk, off Has- borough, during squally weather. The Grocers life-boat went out and rescued the crew of 7 men from the ship's boat, to which they had taken, on their vessel sinking.

DONNA NOOK, LINCOLNSHIRE.—On the 11 th November, the fishing smack Emperor, of Grimsby, was stranded during squally weather near Grainthorpe Haven. The North Briton life-boat put out and re- mained alongside the vessel some hours until the tide fell, leaving the smack firmly settled in the sand.

WlTHERNSEA, YORKSHIRE.—On the 21st November, the smack Mary, of Hull, was stranded during hazy weather, about a mile and a quarter south of Withernsea. The crew of 5 men of the distressed vessel were anxious for the aid of the life-boat, as they felt they were in imminent danger, for in attempting to launch their own boat, with their clothes on board, it was immediately swamped. Fortunately the Pelican life- boat was quickly alongside and saved the shipwrecked crew.

CULLERCOATS, NORTHUMBERLAND. On the 21st November, the brig Robert and Sarah, of Blyth, struck on the rocks at Cullercoats during a strong southerly wind and heavy sea. The Palmerston life-boat was quickly launched and saved the vessel's crew of 8 men.

YOUGHAL, IRELAND.—On the 22nd No- vember, the schooner Mary Jane, of Pad- stow, was stranded in a strong wind and heavy sea near Clay Castle, on the Irish coast. The vessel had only started from Youghal that morning, but in consequence of stress of weather she had to be anchored.

Her anchors, however, dragged, and she soon after went aground. The William Beckett of Leeds life-boat went out and rescued the vessel's crew of 3 men, landing them in safety.

TRAMORE, IRELAND.—Early in the morn- ing of the 29th November, while it was blowing a moderate gale from S.S.E., the Austrian barque Mea was observed at anchor, in a. dangerous position, in Tramore Bay, on the Irish coast, with a steam-tug near her. The Cambridge University Boat Club life-boat, Tom Egan, was launched, with the view of taking a line from the tug to the vessel; but on arriving near the barque it was found that the tug was already made fast to her, and as the boat's services were not then required, she re- turned to the shore. About 12-45 P.M., the Mea was again seen to enter the Bay, the tug having been obliged to leave her, owing to the severity of the gale; and as j the vessel appeared to be drifting ashore, the life-boat was again launched, but in consequence of the heavy sea, and the furious storm then raging, it was found impossible to reach the vessel. At ten j o'clock the life-boat was again drawn to | the beach, and after repeated efforts, she j was eventually launched, and succeeded in rescuing the whole of the vessel's crew, 17 in number, and in bringing them safely ashore. The vessel soon afterwards be- came a total wreck.

KIRKCUDBRIGHT.—On the 30th Novem- ber, the schooner William Henry, of Belfast, was totally wrecked on St. Mary's Isle, near Kirkcudbright, during a gale from S.S.E.

The Helen Lees life-boat put off and suc- ceeded in saving the vessel's crew of 5 men.

ST. ANDREWS, N.B.—On the 29th No- vember, the smack Canton, of Scarborough, was observed with signals of distress during a strong wind. The Annie life-boat went off and succeeded in placing the vessel in comparative safety outside St. Andrew's Harbour at 10 P.M. The life-boat then left her, with the understanding that if the men on board should require any further assistance they were to show a light. About 11 P.M., this signal was shown, when the life-boat again went off with a pilot; the vessel's cable was slipped, and she aud her crew of 4 men were forth- with brought safely into harbour.

CAMPBELTOWN, N.B.—On the 3rd De- cember, during a strong gale from S.S.E., and in very thick weather, the steamer Flying Mist brought information from Car- raidale, thirteen miles N.'E. of Campbeltown, N.B., that the barque William Gillies, of Greenock, was lying off there dragging her anchors and likely to go on the rocks, and that the crew could not land in the heavy sea then running, and were in danger of losing their lives. The Lord Murray life- boat was immediately manned and launched, and proceeding to the spot in tow of the tug, took off the vessel's crew of 15 men and placed them on board the steamer.

The life-boat was then again taken in tow and all returned safely to Campbeltown.

The vessel was in a very dangerous po- sition on a lee shore when the life-boat arrived alongside.

CASTLETOWN, ISLE OF MAN. — During a heavy gale from the S.W. on the 4th December, the intelligence was received at Castletown that the schooner Vision, of Drogheda, had struck on a reef of rocks near Strand Hall, about two and a half miles from Castletovvn. The crew of the Commercial Travellers' life-boat were quickly mustered, and within fifteen minutes of the information being received, she was on her carriage being transported along the beach to the scene of the wreck. In thirty minutes from the time of starting the life- boat was launched through the raging surf in the most gallant style, and amidst the cheers of hundreds of spectators, soon reached the wreck, from which she took off the crew of 5 hands. The life-boat then proceeded to Port St. Mary, where she safely landed the shipwrecked men.

PORTMADOC, NORTH WALES.—About midnight on the 4th December, during a strong wind from the S.W., and in a heavy sea, the ship Castilian, of London, bound from Quebec to Liverpool with timber, took the ground on the south side of Portmadoc Bar.

Early on the morning of the 5th December her position was seen from the shore, and the life-boat John Ashbury, stationed at Criccieth, was immediately launched and proceeded, in tow of a steam-tug, to the wreck. There was a heavy surf near the vessel, but with great difficulty 18 men were rescued by the life-boat and placed on board the steamer. Three of the vessel's crew had, unfortunately, perished in at- tempting to reach the land in one of the ship's boats.

HASBOROUGH, NORFOLK.—On the 10th December, during a fresh gale from S.S.E.

and heavy cross-sea, the schooner Atlanta, of Kirkwall, in the Orkney Islands, after striking on the Barber Sands, on the Nor- folk coast, went ashore on Hasborough outer bank. The Huddersfield life-boat, stationed at Hasborough, at once went off and suc- ceeded in rescuing the master and 3 of the JANUARY 1, 1870.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

291 vessel's crew. The following morning the vessel was got off the bank, but owing to a sudden change of wind, she was again driven ashore, and the same life-boat went off and brought ashore the remainder of the crew, consisting of 3 men, and also 4 beachmen who had assisted in getting her off the bank.

MARGATE.— 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.

LOOE, CORNWALL.—On the 14th De- cember, during a gale from the S.W., a vessel was seen in distress off Looe Island.

The life-boat Oxfordshire stationed there j was quickly launched through a heavy surf | to her assistance, and succeeded in bringing | her and her crew of 6 men safely into har- : bour. The vessel was the schooner Mail, of j Alloa, from Rouen to Glasgow, with a cargo of grain. She had left Plymouth the previous day, and on making the Lizard,' encountered a tremendous gale and shipped several heavy seas, which shifted the cargo. The master, who was a stranger to the coast, then tried to run to the land, and would have beached his ship, if possible, had he not fortunately rounded Looe Island, and come in where he did. The prompt assistance of the life-boat, it was stated, had saved the vessel from almost certain destruction, and probably the lives of the crew also.

POOLE, DORSET.—On the 15th December, during a heavy S.S.E. gale, two French vessels, mistaking this harbour for that of Portsmouth, struck on the sands at East [ Looe and West Looe respectively. The ' Manley Wood life-boat was soon launched and on her way to to the wrecks. The first ! proved to be the lugger Augustine, of Port L'Abbe; and the life-boat brought her and i her crew of 4 men safely into harbour. The life-boat also went to the assistance of the second vessel, La Jeune Erneste, of Bor- deaux, but found her abandoned and full of water.

HOLY ISLAND, NORTHUMBERLAND.—On the 21st December, during a sudden gale from the S.E., a fishing coble was seen j making for the shore. On reaching the bar ! the sea ran very heavy, and the other fisher- men, seeing the imminent danger their com- ! rades were in, immediately launched the i Holy Island life-boat Grace Darling, and with its assistance the coble and her crew of 2 men were brought safely into harbour, ALDEOROUGH, SUFFOLK.—On the 24th.

December, during a strong wind from S.S.W., signals of distress were observed from the brig Fuchsia, of Whitby. The.

Aldborough life-boat was quickly launched and proceeded to her assistance. She had run into and dismasted the schooner Dia- mond, of Goole, near the Shipwash Sand, 3 of the crew of which latter vessel boarded her, and finding her in a sinking state, ran.

her on a shoal. The life-boat soon arrived and took off the 3 men, landing them in safety. One poor fellow was drowned whilst endeavouring to get from the schooner to.

the brig, which vessel had been previously abandoned by her own crew, of whom no, tidings could be obtained.

ABERYSTWITH, SOUTH WALES.—On the 25th December, during stormy weather, the smack Castle, of Aberystwith, was totally wrecked at the mouth of the bar.

The Evelyn Wood life-boat went off and" placed 6 men on board to assist in saving the vessel if possible; but all attempts proved unsuccessful, and the life-boat afterwards went out again, and after three attempts succeeded in taking off 9 men and in bringing them ashore in safety. The life-boat's crew experienced great difficulty and danger in taking the men off, owing to the force of the heavy seas, and several of the oars were broken. The life-boat was reported to have behaved exceedingly well on the occasion.

APPLEDORE, DEVON.—About 1 P.M. on the 28th December, JOSEPH Cox, the cox- swain of the Hope life-boat stationed at Appledore, was informed by the coast-guard that two vessels were embayed, and would probably go on shore. He instantly assembled his crew, obtained horses, and dragged out the life-boat on her carriage, ready for action. The vessel most in danger was the Austrian barque Pace; and, as she tried to work out of the bay, the life-boat and her crew kept along the shore directly under her lee, moving along with her. At length she grounded. The life-boat was launched without delay over the Pebble Ridge, and dashed into a terrific surf.

The crew behaved most nobly; the boat at times was as upright as a ladder against a wall, and seas swept through her from stem to stern ; but they stuck to it, reached the barque, and managed to make fast to her.

The crew were all assembled under shelter of the cuddy, and not one would give a stern rope to the boat, or move from his position, excepting one boy, who ran to the side and dropped into the boat all safe.

More than five minutes elapsed without a soul stirring on board; at length eight of them made a rush together for the life-boat, jumped helter-skelter over the side, missed the boat, and fell into the water, but were all picked up but one. A tremendous sea now struck the boat and drove her under the counter, where the rudder was carried away, and old Cox much bruised, as he was jammed up against the counter, but his life- belt saved him, it being broken however by the collision. In vain did the life-boat crew appeal to the remainder of the men on board the barque to come to the boat; they would not stir; so the life-boat, se- riously damaged and with the loss of her rudder, was obliged to return to the shore, where she landed safely her crew and 9 of the Pace's men. Old Cox, notwithstanding the severe nip he had received, and the da- maged state of the boat, called for another crew of volunteers, and once more manned the Hope, he and his son and one other of the old crew going in her, and, to prove the readiness of the brave volunteers of North Devon, the boat was launched with one man too many on board. On this second trip young Cox steered with an oar in place of the rudder, the stern of the boat having been damaged. In this state they had nearly again reached the ship when a wave broke over the bow, swept over the crew, and carried young Cox (who was standing up steering with the oar) right over the stern. The loss of the steering-oar made the boat broach to, and the next wave found her broadside on, and rolled her over, throw- ing all the crew into the surf. As she righted, the younger Cox managed to get into her again, and one by one the brave fellows all got on board, excepting old Cox.

He had drifted some distance, and they had only three oars left; with these, however, they managed to turn the boat's head round, and at last the brave old coxswain was enabled to clutch the blade of an oar, when all but done for, and was got into the boat.

The life-boat again reached the shore, and was dragged up on the Pebble Ridge. For the third time volunteers came forward to man the life-boat; but a difficulty now arose. Besides the rudderless state of the Hope, unfitting her for service, the oars (save three) were all lost. Instantly a lot of horsemen galloped off, with Mr. YEO at their head, for spare oars, and in due time each horseman returned bearing an oar.

And now preparations were made to launch again the disabled boat; but it was dis- covered that the tide had turned, and had already dropped two feet; the danger was rapidly passing away; the remainder of the crew of the barque had climbed up to the mizentop, and moreover the third crew was not composed entirely of sailors. Those on the spot most wisely interfered, and would not allow the boat to be launched again, although there were four distinct crews of volunteers—two of which went off, and the third apd fourth were forcibly and wisely stopped. Eventually 3 men, one of whom was the captain, were brought ashore by men who waded out to the barque as the tide fell. Three others perished, in addition to one man who was lost in getting into the life-boat. Thirteen in all were saved. All might have got into the boat and been saved when she first went alongside, and all in'the rigging might have been saved had the men Jashed themselves there. It appears that the Austrian cap- tain would not allow his crew to go into tlie life-boat when she got alongside, nor suffer them to throw a rope to her. If the bold and self-devoted conduct of the North I Devon volunteers failed to achieve cora- ; plete success in dealing with this wreck, it i is a satisfaction to know that they did what they could, and did it nobly. Ordinary I life-boat service is one of no light peril; service in a partially disabled boat is neces- sarily still more hazardous.

PLYMOUTH, DEVON.—On the 28th De- cember, during a gale from S.S.W., the brig Flying Cloud, of Bideford, was run JASTJABY 1,1870.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

293 into by another vessel, and afterwards became a total wreck on Batten Reef. The Prince Consort life-boat was quickly launched, and succeeded in rescuing 10 men from the brig.

WORTHING, SUSSEX.—On the 28th De- cember the brigantine Hitena, of St. Johns, Newfoundland, was observed off Worthing with signals of distress in her rigging. A gale was blowing from the S.W., and there was a heavy sea on. The Jane life-boat was soon manned and launched, and some of the crew having boarded the vessel, she and her crew of 6 men, were taken into the Port of Shoreham.

PENZANCE, CORNWALL.—On the after- noon of the 6th December, information was received here that a large vessel was in a very perilous position in the bay, and the life-boat Richard Lewis, at Penzance, was at once got in readiness, in case her services should be required. Shortly afterwards a large barque was seen through the mist to drive ashore between St. Michael's Mount and the Long Bock. In five minutes the life- boat was on her way to the spot, which was reached in about ten minutes after the vessel struck. Unfortunately, they were too late to prevent 11 of the crew from leaving the vessel in the long boat, which upset when about half-way to the shore, and 7 of them were drowned, the remaining 4 being rescued with the greatest possible difficulty, and in a very exhausted state. The life-boat was promptly launched to windward of the stranded ship through a tremendous ground-sea. After a pull of more than an hour s"he reached the vessel, but as she was pulling under the stem, a great sea struck the boat, capsizing her and throwing all on board into the sea. The brave coxswain, THOMAS CARBIS, was jammed under the boat by some wreck, and very nearly lost his life, having to dive three or four times before he could extricate himself. When dragged on board he was apparently dead, and in this state was brought on shore. Another man, who had pulled the stroke oar, was carried away from the boat, and the crew were all so exhausted that they could not pull up to his rescue. Supported, however, by his cork life-belt, he floated to the shore, when a brave man, named DESREAUX, swam his horse out through the surf and saved the poor fellow. Capt. CAY, R.N., who ex- pressed an earnest wish to go off on this occasion, was also on board, and, with the others, suffered severely. It is due to him to say that his coolness and judgment, as well as his exertions, greatly conduced to the bringing of the boat, with her exhausted crew, safely to shore. The second cox- swain (HIGGINS) also behaved like a hero, and, though scarce able to stand, managed the boat, when CAEBIS was disabled, with consummate skill. When the life-boat reached the shore, volunteers were at once asked for, and HIGGINS, the second cox- swain, was one of the first to tender his services again. It was, however, thought advisable to secure a fresh crew, and in a short time this was effected, Mr. BLACK- MORE, the Chief Officer of the Coastguard, acting as the coxswain, and Mr. S. HlGGS, jun., the French Vice-Consul, also volunteer- ing as one of the crew. The struggle which now followed, can. hardly be described in anything like adequate terms. The boat had to be pulled to windward in the teeth of a tremendous wind and sea. Sometimes she would rise almost perpendicularly to the waves, and those on shore looked on with bated breath, fearing she must go over, and then, again she would gain a yard or two.

The way was disputed inch by inch, and at last the victory was won, and the remaining 8 men on the wreck were rescued by the life-boat; but no one who beheld the struggle will ever forget the manner in which the boat was managed. One of the brave life-boat men, while aiding, unfortu- nately had three of his ribs broken. In ten minutes after the rescue was accom- plished the masts went, and in half an hour the vessel was broken to fragments, which were strewn along the shore. She was the barque North Britain, of South- ampton, bound from Quebec with a cargo of timber. The rocket apparatus was quickly on the spot, and was most efficiently worked; and although the ship was too far off for it to render any help in this manner, it helped materially to save the 4 men upset in the boat. A line was fired over them, which enabled those on the beach to form a line, and then do that which without it they could not have dared to attempt. The value of the self-righting property in the life-boats of the Institution was strikingly illustrated in this case. In its absence some at least of the crew of the Penzance life- boat would undoubtedly have perished, but owing fortunately to this important provi- sion, and to the life-belts which the men wore, not a man of the boat's crew was lost.