BRAUNTON AND APPLEDORE, DEVON.— On the 11th of January, the ship Penthesilea, of Liverpool, manned by a crew of 30 hands all told, left Newport, Monmouthshire, laden with coal, for the Mauritius. She was towed down the Bristol Channel and clear of Lundy Island by the tug Sformcock. From the time the tug cast her off a succession of strong S.W. gales were encountered.

Having lost several of her sails, the ship labouring heavily and making no headway, the captain determined on Sunday morning, the 19th of January, to seek shelter. He accordingly wore ship and sighted Lundy Island at 2 P.M. During the afternoon the weather became more dirty; heavy squalls of rain and sleet, accompanied at times with thick weather, were experienced. About 8.30 P.M., being doubtful of his position, the captain gave orders for the lead to be hove. Soundings were obtained in 15 fathoms. Very soon the ship bumped, it is supposed on the North Tail (the north side of Barnstaple Bar). All hands were at once ordered on deck, and directions were given for both anchors to be let go, and rockets were sent up and blue lights burned. Clearing the Tail, the ship was brought upby her anchors in Saunton Bay, at a distance variously estimated from a mile to two miles from the shore. During the night the port cable parted while the starboard one was being veered. She was seen, however, to be still riding to the remaining anchor, head to wind, which had veered from W.S.W, to W. and WN.W. At 4 A.M. on the 20th it was noticed that the ship was dragging, due, no doubt, to the influence of the strong tide, which was now running with its full strength, and at 4.30 she stranded in rather less than four fathoms of water, about threequarters of a mile south of Down End Point. Between 6.30 and 7.30 the crew of 31 were landed in safety in two trips by the Braunton Life-boat Robert and Catherine. Her signals of distress made the preceding night at about 8.45 were at once seen and replied to from Braunton Lighthouse, from the signal station at Badsteps Life-boat, at Appledore, and from the coastguard stations at Croyde and Westward Ho / The sound signals to assemble the crew were fired as quickly as possible by the signalman, and the Appledore men mustered speedily at the Badsteps Life-boat House. That boat, the Jane Hannah Macdonald, was launched at 9.30 P.M., rapidly and successfully, in twelve minutes' time from the opening of the doors to the time she was afloat and away. It was now blowing a fresh gale from the W.S.W,, the tide four hours ebb.

A tremendous sea was encountered at the bar. The crew, however, toiled at their oars for three hours, succeeded in crossing the bar, obtained an offing, and approached close enough to the vessel to make her out and even to see the men. The Life-boat was now struck by a heavy sea, several oars were broken, and she was swept ashore by the young flood, then making, a mile to the North of the Braunton Life-boat House. The crew got back to Appledore at 1 o'clock in the morning, -attetly exhausted with their efforts, but not discouraged, for as soon as they had obtained a change of clothing and taken a slight rest they started off again at 4 A.M. for Braunton, accompanied by Mr. FIELD, one of the Appledore Life-boat Committee, and arrived there at 4.30 A.M., just at the time the ship stranded. Mr, FIELD went to the Braunton Boat-house, and borrowed from the coxswain some oars to replace those broken, and a fresh attempt was made to launch the Badsteps boat, but without success. She was, therefore, abandoned, and the crew assisted during the remainder of the looming in teiwcbing the Braunton boat Robert and Catherine.

Nothing could redound more highly to the credit of the Appledore men than the way in which the coxswain and crew of the Badsteps Life-boat did their work that night, showing as it did of what stuff the Appledore men are made. In the meanwhile the Braunton crew, who are also drawn from Appledore, crossed the estuary with the second coxswain at 9.30 P.M., almost immediately after the launch of the other boat. On amoral at the boat-house the horses, which were already there, were harnessed to the carriage. The boat was taken into the water in preparation for launching, the crew being in their places. The second coxswain DOW asked WILLIAM JENKINS, an experienced pilot, to I take charge of the boat while he looked after the preparations for launching. To this he assented. The acting-coxswain, perceiving that the ship was now riding to her anchor, head to wind, and that the young flood had begun to make, resolved not to launch, as it would be impossible to reach her pulling across the tide at such a distance from the shore, and that if he attempted to do so the boat would almost, certainly be wrecked on the Downend Rocks. The boat was therefore taken away from the water, placed near the boat-house, and the horses put inside the house to shelter them from the weather.

Those belonging' to Braunton, four in number, were taken back to their stables, it being agrted with the owner that if they were required a signal should be made. A watch on the ship's movements was kept all night, and at four o'clock it was seen she was dragging-. A signal was accordingly made for the Braunton horses, and steps were at once taken to launch the boat. At 6.30, or about 40 minutes after high water, the first trip to the vessel was made. Fourteen of the crew having been taken on board, the boat was backed in towards the shore and was kept afloat, while the passengers were passed out to the men on the beach (among whom was Mr. FIELD), who were up to their necks in wafer, and landed by them. The boat then made her second trip, and brought ashore the remainder of the men.