At 6.15 P.M. on the 19th March a telephone message was received from Kentish Knock Light- vessel reporting that a barque, appar- ently on the Kentish Knock Sands, was burning flares for assistance. The crew of the No. 2 Life-boat Civil Service No. 1 were at once assembled and the boat proceeded to the Sands. When pro- ceeding through the Roads the Life-boat saw the Trinity boat Irene at anchor, and, as the wind was light, Coxswain S. Clayson requested the master to tow the Life-boat; this he generously con- sented to do. When the S.E. Knock Buoy was reached the Life-boat slipped the tow rope and proceeded to the vessel, which was still burning flares for help.

She proved to be the barque Matador, of Bremen, bound from that port to Trini- dad, with a general cargo. When the Life-boat arrived alongside the captain at once employed the Life-boatmen to try and get the ship clear of the sands.

Ten men were placed on board shortly after 9 P.M., and they continued to jetti- son the cargo until 4.30 next morning.

In the meanwhile the Life-boat procured the assistance of a tug and arrangements were made for her to come near to the ship as soon as there was sufficient water. At about 4 A.M., the tide being . five hours flood, the tug was able to approach the barque, and eventually the vessel and her crew of twenty- two hands were taken into safety. The vessel was afterwards towed to London, and the Life-boat returned to her station, where she arrived at 8.30 A.M..