The first Life-boat service rendered this year was that per- formed on the morning of the 1st January last, by the Life-boat Fair Maid of Perth, placed on this station a few months pre- viously ; and it was also the first occasion the boat had of inaugurating its good work.

It appears that the brig Morning Star, of Dublin, went ashore on the rocks to the west side of Horse Island, during a strong gale from S.S.W., and soon became a total wreck. The Life-boat was promptly launched about ten o'clock in the morn- ing, and towed by a steam-tug to the spot, when it was found that the ship- wrecked men had got on a rock, but that they could not reach the island. The Life-boat was then towed to windward of the wreck, but even then to drop down to it was attended with so much danger that it was decided, instead, to land some of the Life-boat men on the lee side of the island; and thus they were enabled with ropes to drag 5 of the vessel's crew through the surf; there was 1 other man, but he succeeded in swimming over to the island.

The 6 men were then taken to tho Life- boat and safely landed at Ardrossan.