MARGATE.—At 8.30 A.M. on the 29th November, a message was received at Margate from the Coastguard at Epple Bay, stating that a barge was ashore half a mile east of that place; at the same time the Coastguard at Birchington reported a barge, with colours upside down, anchored off that station. The Life-boat Quiver No. 1 was taken by road, on her transporting carriage, to Westgate Bay, where she was with difficulty launched, the heavy seas catching her and throwing her across the carriage. Sailing through the heavy surf, the boat worked towards a vessel which was seen to have a flag of distress flying, passing on her way a barge but finding nobody on board.

On reaching the vessel, which proved to be the ketch Flower of Essex, of Harwich, she was found to be nearly underwater, and it was only with very great difficulty that the boat was enabled to get alongside and rescue the crew of three men and two dogs.

Then, working to windward, the Life-boat went to another ketch, the Enterprise, also belonging to Harwich, and rescued her crew of three men. This vessel was riding so heavily that she dipped her bowsprit under her chain cable, pulling the bowsprit and top-mast out of her just as the Life-boat left with her crew.

Again working to windward in the teeth of the gale she managed to reach the Lord Beresford, also ketch rigged, of London, from which four men were rescued, nearly an hour being occupied in effecting the rescue, the boat being twice carried away from the vessel, over which the seas were sweeping fore and aft. One more vessel was signalling, and the Life-boat worked up to her, the'sea being then as heavy as any of the crew had ever seen it, and rescued the crew of four men and a dog from the ketch Eustace, of Rochester, after which the Irife*boat made for homo with all speed. On reaching the harbour so much wreckage was encountered, together with sunken boats, that great difficulty was experienced in getting to land, the fore air-box was stove in by a piece of timber, and the rudder was unshipped by another large piece, but eventually the shore was reached and all safely landed.