On the i afternoon of the 5th January, information reached this place that a large ship, with her foremast gone, was in distress 'in Car- digan Bay, about eight miles to the south- ward of Pencilan. The wind was blowing very strong at the time, with terrific showers and squalls, and a very heavy sea was running. Nevertheless, the Aber- soch Life-boat Mabel Louisa was most promptly got out and launched, and in about three hours she succeeded in reach- ing the vessel, which proved to be the ship Ireland, of Liverpool, 975 tons, bound to that port with a valuable cargo of rice and cotton. It afterwards appeared that on New Year's Day she had been aban- doned by the Master and crew, all of whom were landed at Cardiff and New- port. At that time the weather was very bad, and she was said to ba in a most perilous condition, the cargo having shifted, and there being a quantity of water in her hold. The vessel afterwards drifted along at the mercy of the wind and waves; and, on the weather modera- ting somewhat, two or three steamers took hold of her at different times, and tried hard to tow her into harbour, but failed to accomplish their object. Sis men belonging to one of them — the Egret—managed to board the ship, but four out of the six abandoned her again at the command of their captain. The two others remained on board until she drifted into Cardigan Bay, when she was saen by the steamship Rebecca, of Port- madoc, which endeavoured to tow her from her dangerous position. By that time she was fast driving, broadside on, towards the rocks off St. Tudwall Island, called the Half Tide Rocks, which were only about two or three miles under her lee. The moment the hawser became tight, however, it snapped, although it was a nearly new 6 or 7-inch Manilla rope. There was no other hawser available, and, as the wea- ther would not allow the ship to be boarded from the steamer, a gale of wind still blowing from the S.S.W., she could only remain by her for some time, until the Abersoch Life-boat was seen approaching, when the steamer took the boat in tow to the ship; and, after a long time, some of the crew of the Life- boat succeeded, though with considerable danger and difficulty, in getting on board the Ireland, the wind by that time having shifted to the N.W., although it blow with unabated violence. Another tow rope was then got to the steamer, but it quickly parted, and the Rebecca then proceeded to St. Tudwall Roads, where some vessels were lying at anchor; and from them she procured two fresh haw- sers, one of which was then attached to the Ireland, by means of which she was towed as far as the Roads; but before she could be brought to an anchor that hawser also parted. With the fourth one, however, she was eventually got to a plase of safety. Meanwhile those of the Life-boat crew who had boarded the ship, and others who were transferred to her from the Rebecca, had put things in order on board and set some sail; and with their help the vessel was safely anchored at 6 o'clock on the morning of the 6th Jan. She was ultimately towed to Liverpool by a steam-tug employed by the owners, after the water had been pumped out of her. It is hardly neces- sary to,add that the crews of the steamer and the Life-boat, and those who had gone to her from the Rebecca, encountered con- siderable risk, besides which they under- went very great exertion and fatigue; but, fortunately, their bravery and per- severance were rewarded by their saving from total loss a vessel and cargo which were admitted to be worth over 12,OOOZ.

In addition, the two men of the Egret would certainly have been lost with the ship but for these services.