Plymouth.

ON the 3rd October the Plymouth Lifeboat was launched shortly before 10 P.M., in a strong southerly gale, with heavy rain and a very heavy sea, to the help of a vessel which had been driven ashore on the eastern side of the breakwater. She was found later to be a four-masted barquentine, the Yvonne, of Marseilles, with nineteen men on board. The Life-boat when launched was taken at once in tow by the King's Harbour Master's steamboat. This boat had already been injured in the gale, having been dashed against the pier by the heavy seas, and she was handled most skilfully by her Coxswain.

Her engines were working badly, and there was a great deal of water in her engine-room — the leading stoker, in fact, was standing in water up to his waist; but in spite of this she brought the Life-boat out until she could be taken in tow by the Government tug, Rover, which had been ordered out by the King's Harbour Master, Commander Freyberg, R.N., as soon as news of the wreck had been received. The tug towed the Life-boat out to sea, standing by all the time, and Commander Freyberg himself, who was on board the tug, boarded the Life-boat when the wreck was reached. It was not found possible to rescue the crew when to windward of the wrecked vessel, and the Life-boat returned inside the breakwater, and anchored to leeward. The Yvonne had been thrown right on top of the breakwater, over which the waves were washing, and the crew weie able to drop on to it, and then jump into the sea. Seventeen of them were picked up by the Life-boat and one by the tug, and, when it was found that the nineteenth man was missing, Commander Freyberg landed on the rocks and searched the breakwater. This he did at great personal risk, and it was only the fact that the tide was falling which made it possible at all. No sign of the missing man was found, and it was feared that he must have been carried out to sea. Commander Freyberg returned to the Life-boat,and she eventually reached shore shortly after 2 A.M.

The Committee decided to show their appreciation of this meritorious service by making the following awards : To Commander Freyberg, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum ; to Coxswain W. J. Williams, of the Harbour Master's steamboat, and to Leading Stoker .1. Harvoy, of the steamboat, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum and monetary rewards; to the remainder of the steamboat's crew, Letters of Appreciation and monetary rewards; to the Master of the tug Hover, a Letter of Appreciation and a monetary reward, and monetary rewards to all the members of his crew; to the Coxswain and crew of the Life-boat, adi ditional monetary rewards and a Letter of Appreciation..