Sunset and evening star, And one clear call {or me! And may there be no moaning of the bar When I put out to sea.

Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell When I embark; For tho' from out our bourne of Time and place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar.

THE verses which Tennyson wrote at the beautiful little Devonshire village, where he had often watched the restless flood ebbing and flowing over the bar, have received a consecration in the supreme sacrifice made by gallant Salcombe fishermen in their efforts to save life in the course of one of those furious gales which at times visit our southern coasts, and make the spot which called forth the poet's sweet and melancholy lines a scene of awful beauty, fit setting for a tragedy of the sea.

1 On the 27th October, 1916, a terrible disaster overtook the Salcombe Life-boat while she was crossing the bar on her return from service, and out of the crew of fifteen, thirteen were drowned, their bodies being cast up in the course of time, and receiving reverent burial in the spot which had so long been their home and the scene of their peaceful activities as boatmen and fishermen.

It was shortly before 6 o'clock in the morning of the 27th October when a message was received at Salcombe stating that the schooner Western Lass, of Plymouth, was ashore and in need of assistance. A furious gale was raging and the sea on Salcombe Bar was awful.

Without the slightest hesitation, how- ever, Coxswain Distin launched the Life-boat William and Emma, and pro- j ceeded in the direction of the wreck, i As she beat over the bar the Life-boat was anxiously watched by a large ! number of people who stood on the cliffs eager to see whether she could get through the huge breakers thundering ] over the bank. The gallant boat, how- ! ever, fully justified the confidence of her Coxswain and crew, as, shaking herself free of breaker after breaker, she got out into the less dangerous waters beyond, and shaped her course for Prawle Point, where the unfortunate schooner had driven ashore. After the boat had started a further message reached Salcombe, reporting that the crew of the vessel had been rescued by the Prawle Life-saving Apparatus, but of course the Coxswain knew nothing of this. According to one of the sur- vivors the boat reached the vessel under close-reefed sails, and found that her help was not wanted. She then started back for Salcombe. As she neared the land the sea got worse, and as they approached Salcombe some of the crew questioned the advisability of attempting to cross the bar. The Coxswain and the majority of the crew were, however, undaunted by the dangers which faced them, and shortly after 10 o'clock the boat headed for the broken water, the j sail being taken down with the exception of the mizzen. It was apparently during j this operation that the disaster occurred.

For suddenly, to the horror of the on- lookers, the stern of the boat was caught by a huge wave and thrown into the air. , Another sea turned her broadside on, and before anything could be done an overpowering sea completely capsized j her. The Life-boat, being of the non- j self-righting type known as the Liverpool j class, was completely at the mercy of j the waves, and in the awful conditionsof weather it was quite impossible tosend any help from the shore to succour the men, some of whom were now seen to be clinging to the boat which was gradually drifting out to sea with the ebb tide. The news that the Life-boat had capsized spread rapidly, and a party of men with life-buoys, ropes, and other appliances hurried along the rugged coast to Limebury Point where, if anywhere, it was thought there might be a chance of giving aid should any of the men be washed ashore alive. Unfortunately two only survived their terrible ex- perience, being thrown onto a rock some 40 feet or 50 feet from the shore, to which they were able to cling. Both men were much exhausted, but after many fruit- less attempts a thin line was flung to them which they secured, and, later on, stimulants were sent to them across the broken water intervening which con- siderably revived them. Finally a larger line with life-buoys attached was got to them, and both men were event- ually saved. They were at once taken to a farm, where the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Michelmore, did everything they could to alleviate their distress and care for them.

Shortly after the accident occurred a Relief Fund was opened for the benefit of the dependent relatives, and wide- spread sympathy was aroused and found generous expression, for the Salcombe men were a splendid type of fisher-folk, simple, brave, honest, and self-respecting, and the crew was as good a one as could be found on the coast.

Besides defraying all the funeral and other incidental expenses the Institution at once contributed upwards of £2,200 to the fund, and the Committee showed their appreciation of the valuable and indefatigable assistance rendered by the Chairman (Dr. Cock) and the Hon.

Secretary of the Branch (Mr. Charles Turner) by according them the Thanks of the Institution, inscribed on vellum and framed. They also recognized in a suitable manner the help given by Mr.

and Mrs. Michelmore, and those who made efforts from the shore to save the men..