IN Lloyd's List for 4th May appeared the following announcement under " Malvoisin." " Boulogne, May 3.—The Malvoisin, a British ketch plying regularly between London and Calais, was wrecked at 5 a.m. to-day on the shore to the west of Calais Pier, not far from the Casino.

The vessel was in ballast and broke up on the rocks, but the crew were saved in their own dinghy. The vessel is considered a total loss—Reuter." So comes to a tragic end a vessel which had a long life and a very chequered career.

She was built in 1883 and three times Life-boats have been out to her help.

The first time was in January, 1905, when she went ashore in a S.E. gale at the mouth of the Thames, bound from Gravelines to Goole. The Margate No. 1 Life-boat, twenty-three miles away, was called to her help. She found the Malvoisin with her rudder gone, her bulwarks smashed, her sails blown away, and the seas making a clean breach over her. With the greatest difficulty the Life-boat got alongside and rescued the crew of four, who were all utterly exhausted.

The Life-boat was out over ten hours in the height of the gale, and the Institution awarded the Silver Medal to the Acting Coxswain, S.

Clayson. Two days later the Lifeboatmen, with the help of a tug, succeeded in bringing the battered ketch herself into harbour.

She was then over twenty years old, and a less stout-hearted vessel might well have succumbed. But the Malvoisin went on her lawful occasions in safety for another twenty years before she needed the help of the Life-boats again.

Then twice within four months she was in distress. She had anchored in the Downs about midnight on 9th November, 1925, in an N.N.E. gale, with very heavy seas, while on her way, in ballast, from Whitstable to Calais, and made signals for help. The Deal Life-boat went out, and her crew of four were again rescued. The ketch herself was left riding at anchor, and, later on, was brought into safety. Then, on the night of 5th March, 1926, one of the two Lifeboats at Aldeburgh, in Suffolk, went out in answer to flares of distress, and found her, on her way from Hull to Woolwich Arsenal, with all her sails blown away.

The Life-boat stood by her all night until, in the morning, she was taken in tow by H.M.S. Dee, the Fishery Protection Gunboat, which towed her into Harwich, the Life-boat keeping with her until she was in safety.

Now, at the age of forty-six, she has at last succumbed—but, once again, her crew were saved..