At 8 A.M. on the 13th December a large barque, which proved to be the Mermaid, of Cardiff, bound from Quebec to Liverpool with a cargo of timber—was seen at anchor just clear of the banks lying at the mouth of the Eibble, and displaying signals of distress. The Charles Biggs Life-boat was launched without delay, and was towed by the steam-tug Friend of All Nations as far to windward as the tug could safely go. The Life-boat then rowed a distance of two miles against wind aud tide to the distressed vessel. After pulling for some time the Life-boat fortunately fell in with the vessel's two boats containing the crew of the barque, numbering twenty-one men, together with the master's two daughters. They were all taken into the Life-boat and brought ashore. A strong W.S.W. gale was blowing at the time, the sea was very heavy, and in all probability the ship's boats would have been swamped if they had attempted to reach the shore in such a storm. The barque had become unmanageable, having lost her sails and rudder..