On the evening of the 19th November the steam drifter Flower o' May, of Banff, made to enter the harbour. She was returning from the English fishing grounds, and, being short of coal, had been towed about fifty miles before being cast off about two miles from Fraserburgh. A S.E. gale was blowing, with a very rough sea, rain and fog.

The drifter got into serious difficulties and made distress signals. Her signals were seen and the motor life-boat Lady Rothes was launched at 7.40 P.M. She found her about two miles N.E. of the Balaclava light. She had no fuel left, and her pumps were being worked, for she had shipped a lot of water and was in danger of sinking. Four of her crew of ten got into the life-boat, and then, as the rest did not want to abandon the ship, the coxswain asked a near-by trawler to tow the drifter in to Macduff.

The trawler master agreed, provided the life-boat accompanied them. A tow- rope was passed from the drifter to the trawler, which made for Macduff, escorted by the life-boat. They arrived at 4.20 A.M., and the life-boat crew, after getting some breakfast, left for home, which was reached at 10.45 A.M.

The life-boat had been out altogether for over fifteen hours and had un- doubtedly helped to save the drifter and her crew from destruction.—Re- wards, £24 10s..