INTERESTING CEREMONY AT THE MANSION HOUSE, DUBLIN.

A VERY interesting ceremony took place on the 6th March last at the Mansion House, Dublin, when the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor of that city made (at the request of Miss Swifte, the founder of the " Dublin Home for Starving and Forsaken Cats ") a presentation of a large silver medal to Mr. Aubrey F.

Chaplin, of The Firs, Rugby, who, when an apprentice on board the trading-vessel, the Hawkesdale, of Liverpool, 1724 tons, which was wrecked on the Long Sands, between Margate and Clacton-on-Sea, saved the life of the ship's cat, when twenty-four of the crew were rescued under great difficulties by the Margate and Clacton Life-boats belonging to the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION.

Through her connection with the Dublin Life-boat Saturday Fund, Miss Swifte heard of the circumstances, when she determined on having a silver medal with a suitable inscrip- tion presented to the young apprentice (then only seventeen years of age), in recognition of his brave and humane conduct, and in respect for the young man who had, almost at the risk of his own life, saved that of his pet, the ship's cat, and asked the Lord Mayor to be so kind as to make the presentation, which he was pleased to do. Mr. Chaplin only arrived from Liverpool on that morning to receive at his lordship's hands the reward of which he was deemed to be worthy.

The medal presented is of large size, manu- factured by Messrs. Waterhouse, and on one side bears the following inscription:—"Pre- sented to Mr. Aubrey F. Chaplin by Miss Alice M. Swifte, founder of the Dublin Home for Starving and Forsaken Cats, in remembrance of his brave conduct in saving the life of a cat, at almost the risk of his own, in time of shipwreck"; and on the obverse side is an embossed wreath, with an engraving of a cat and "Freddy." Amongst those present at the ceremony were: Miss Swifte, of Whitechurch Lodge, Rathfarnham, Sir Thomas F. Brady, Miss Wilson, Mrs. Reid, Miss Ellis, Miss Brady, Miss Burtchael, Miss Swifte MacNeill and several others. A letter was read from Lady Ardilaun expressing her great regret in not being able, in consequence of absence from Dublin, to be present to have the pleasure of congratulating the preserver of the cat on his act of bravery and humanity. Letters were also received from Sir Francis Cruise, M.D., and several others.

The following is an account of the ship- wreck, and how the cat's life was saved:— The BawTcesdale, a trading vessel of 1724 tons, belonging to Liverpool, was on her voyage, bound from Hamburg to Melbourne with a mixed cargo, including amongst the rest 500 pianos "made in Germany." Mr.

Aubrey F. Chaplin was an apprentice on board the vessel. There was also a very fine cat named " Freddy" on board, which was so kindly treated by Mr. Chaplin that he used to follow at the young apprentice's heels (he was then only seventeen years of age) up and down by the hour as he paced the deck when on watch. It was the apprentice's second voyage. After leaving the Elbe the vessel encountered violent winds and rough weather, and by some mistake she got out of her course for Melbourne, and eventually ran aground on the Long Sands between Margate and Clacton- on-Sea, and lay there, a prey to the fury of the winds and waves. An attempt was made to launch the boats, but directly the first was lowered, it capsized, and three men were drowned. Soon after the other boat was broken from its fastenings and lost. For six hours the crew remained in suspense, expect- ing that the ship would break up or the masts would fall, the sails having been torn into shreds by the gale. At last the signals of distress were observed, and the Life-boats from Clacton and Margate belonging to the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION were seen coming gallantly to the rescue.Then there was considerable difficulty in getting the men, one by one, from the ship into the Life-boats, for as they were lifted by the waves to the ship's level, the men had to jump over and clutch the boat's ropes as best they could. At this crisis, when the uppermost thoughts of all on board might have been to gave himself alone, Chaplin re- membered his pet cat, and another apprentice remembered a dog also on board, and asked leave to rescue them. The dog was seized by the second apprentice and thrown over into the friendly arms of the Life-boat's crew, whilst Chaplin ran below to hunt for the cat, which he found sleeping soundly, unconscious of the danger around, but in another moment Chaplin had dived into the storeroom and found a sack, into which he tied " Freddy." When he reappeared, the captain of the Life- boat took for granted that he had been to fetch some valuables from the cabin, and protested that he could only take "live cargo"; but when he learned the true contents of the sack, it was allowed to be thrown over into the boat, and Chaplin followed, being one of the last to leave the ship. The poor cat was nearly drowned from lying in the water that had washed over into the boat, but his rescuer had no intention of relaxing his humane efforts. Wet, and cold, and half stupefied by a blow on the head which he received when getting over the ship's side, he lifted the sack with its living freight on his knees, and kept it there between three and four hours, while the Life-boat was struggling back through heavy seas to Clacton, a distance of over fifteen miles. On that occasion the two Life- boats saved twenty-four of the crew, besides the dog and cat. " Freddy," the cat, has ever since been safe and well, and is a great favourite in the residence of his rescuer's parents at Rugby.