Eyemouth.—Shortly before noon on the 6th March, when a whole S.S.E. . gale was blowing, the Coastguard re- j ported that a vessel was in distress off j St. Abbs Head, and in urgent need of j assistance. The Eyemouth Life-boat | Anne Frances was promptly manned, j and the boat proceeded in a very heavy sea towards the vessel indicated. She proved to be the schooner Livlig, of Norway, carrying a cargo of pit props, and eventually she became a total wreck.

After an hour's hard work the Life- boatmen succeeded in getting alongside.

The vessel was on her beam ends, and the crew of seven hands were taking j refuge in the rigging, but as the Life- j boat approached her she fortunately j righted. Even so considerable difficulty was experienced in rescuing the men on board, who were somewhat exhausted.

Seven men, including the captain, were saved, but one man was washed over- board and drowned before the arrival I of the Life-boat. j Owing to the direction and force of the wind Coxswain Miller knew it j would be impossible to get back to Eyemouth. He therefore decided to take the shipwrecked men to the Firth of Forth. This journey was a perilous one, and both the Life-boatmen and the crew they had rescued had a very | trying experience. Time after time the Life-boat was swept from end to end by heavy seas, and when the boat, after many hours at sea, reached Granton, the men were numbed and exhausted from cold and exposure.

When they landed the Naval Autho- rities took charge of the Life-boat and attended to the men's immediate neces- sities. They then proceeded to Leith, where they spent the night, and next day returned to Eyemouth by train.

When the weather moderated they once more returned to Granton, and took the boat back to her station. In this case the boat was handled with considerable skill by the Coxswain, and a very good service was performed in unusually bad weather, and the Com- mittee decided to mark their apprecia- tion of the good work by bestowing the Bronze Medal of the Institution upon the Coxswain, William Miller, and by giving him and each of the other members of the crew an additional monetary reward.

Hythe.—The ketch Mazeppa, of Har- wich, a small vessel of seventy-two tons, came to anchor in Hythe Bay about midnight on the l-2nd April. At about 2.30 A.M. the vessel dragged her anchors and drifted towards the shore, and the master, realising the danger, , made signals of distress. In response the Life-boat Mayer de Rothschild was j launched. The vessel had been kept i under observation, as it was feared that | she would come to grief in the prevailing j gale, and directly the signals of distress were made the boat proceeded to her j assistance. It was, however, only with considerable difficulty that the boat j reached the ketch. Endeavours were made to save the crew of two hands by throwing ropes on board, and one man ; who jumped into the sea with the rope attached was successfully hauled into | the Life-boat. Before the other man could be taken off the Life-boat had ' to stand clear of the wreck as the' dangerous seas made it impossible to , remain near her. The Life-boat veered j down to the ketch a second time, and this time the other man aboard was also saved, by being dragged through the sea into safety. As soon as the man had been picked up, the Life-boat's cable was cut, in order to get her clear of the wreck, and she then returned ashore. This service was admirably carried out in very rough weather, and the Committee of Manage- [ meiit awarded the Bronze Medal to ' Coxswain Dearman, and gave him and each of the other members of the crew an additional reward. They also gave the Bronze Medal to Wright Griggs, an ex-Second Coxswain, who volunteered to go out on this occasion and act as Second Coxswain, the regular man having refused to put to sea.

Peter-head.—At 2 o'clock in the morning of the 2nd April Coxswain I Cameron received a telephone message , from the Coastguards stating that some vessels were firing rockets and burning flares in South Bay for assistance as I they were in distress. A strong E.S.E. ! gale was blowing with a very heavy sea, ; and the weather was very cold with snow showers. • The Coxswain pro- j ceeded to the Life-boat house, and, on I arrival, found that there were sufficient I men there to man the boat. She | was launched, and by this time it had been discovered that two large steamers were ashore in the bay. The boat was manoeuvred until she was in a suitable position to anchor, and was veered down to one of the stranded vessels. Just as she was about to effect communication fey means of a rope the engine suddenly stopped owing to water having got into the motor compartment.

The boat was shipping tremendous seas at the time, and it was quite im- possible to open the hatches as the boat was being filled time after time. She commenced to bump' on the rocks, and it became necessary to hoist her masts and sails in order to prevent her being wrecked. By this means she was got clear of the heavy breaking seas, and it was decided to return to harbour under sail in order to put the engine in working order. This was done, and the boat returned once more to the distressed vessels. This was accom- plished without any mishap, and the whole of the crew of one of the vessels, twenty-one in number, were landed in safety. The Life-boat then returned to the second vessel, but only five men elected to be landed, the others refusing to leave their vessel.

Next day it was reported by telephone that the remainder of the crew, who were still on board the second vessel, were in danger, and the Life-boat was dispatched to save them. The boat was worked down under the lee of the vessel and took off the men, fifteen in number. She then proceeded ashore through very heavy seas, which con- tinually broke on board. While the Life-boat was being launched on the first occasion she shipped a very heavy sea, and two of the crew were so badly hurt that it was necessary for them to have medical attention. Both the vessels from which the crews were saved were in the Government Service, and were bound at the time to Cromarty Firth with a cargo of coal. In recognition of the skill displayed upon this occasion by the Coxswain and the crew of the Life-boat the Committee of Management awarded the Bronze Medal to Coxswain Cameron, and granted him and each of the crew an additional monetary reward.