PENZANCE.—On the 17th May, soon after 10 A.M., a mounted messenger armed at Penzance -with the HOTS that abrig was ashore at Perran, five miles eastward of that port. The wind was blowing strongly from S., and the sea was somewhat heavy at the time. The rocket apparatus at Marazion was at once got out and taken to Perran, and several rockets were fired over the vessel, which was from 500 to 600 yards from the shore, but the crew appeared unacquainted with the method of using it, for they merely hauled in the hawser, and fastened it on board without hauling in the block. One of the men, however, got ashore over the line.

A barge manned by young fishermen put off from St. Michael's Mount and went to the vessel, but the crew refused to leave her. At Penzance it was feared that the rockets could not reach her, and therefore the Life-boat was launched and proceeded tinder sail to the spot; she went alongside, but no notice was taken of her, the master being unwilling for the crew to leave the ship. The sea however was gradually increasing, the wind veering to the west, and the vessel was in a most dangerous position, she being in the breakers, full of water, and surrounded by rocks. The Life-boat remained by her for some considerable time, and finally 5 of the sailors got into the boat, leaving the master alone on board. He positively declined to leave the vessel. The boat then rowed off some distance to seaward, and after waiting some time, the wind continuing to veer to the westward, and the sea increasing, they returned to the brig, and the captain was again urged to come on board. He still refused to do so, and as the boat had been struck by several heavy seas which nearly swamped her, and three oars had been broken, it was thought advisable to return ashore with the 5 Frenchmen, The 5 rescued men were accordingly safely landed at Penzance.

Soon after the boat left the wreck, Commissioned Boatman GOTJLD, of H.M. Coastguard, who was with the rocket apparatus, volunteered to undertake the perilous drfty of going out along the rocket line with a letter from the French Vice-Consul urging the captain to leave the vessel. He succeeded in getting under the bows of the brig; but the master still determined to remain where he was, and GOULD, who had been washed away from the rope by the heavy seas and nearly lost, was hauled back to shore in a most exhausted state.

Meanwhile the vessel was fast breakingup, the masts fell over the side, and the master, who had by that time taken refuge in the rigging, was hurled down and buried in the debris. For some minutes it was feared that he was lost, but he was then seen amongst the wreckage, and eventually got hold of the foreyard, the sail on which somewhat sheltered him.

The coastguard then fired more rockets over the wreck; the captain seized the line attached to one of them, with great difficulty he then hauled off a life-buoy from the shore, and placing himself in. it, he was hauled ashore. On his nearing the land the coastguard men formed a line hand in hand, waded as far as they could into the surf, and when he got within reach they firmly grasped him and brought him safely ashore. After landing the 5 men the Life-boat was again on her way to the wreck to make another effort to induce the master to avail himself of the services of the boat, when she was recalled by signals indicating that he had been rescued.

The vessel proved to be the French, brig Ponthieu, bound from Pomaron to Liverpool with a cargo of iron ore..