Just after mid- night of the 1st May the coastguard re- ported that a vessel had fired distress rockets from a position 400 yards south of Portland Bill. She had gone ashore at the bottom of the cliffs. The sea was smooth, and a light westerly wind was blowing, but there was a thick fog.

At 12.25 A.M. the motor life-boat William mid Clara Ryland was launched.

The honorary secretary then went to the top of the cliffs and by sound signals directed her through the fog. Guided in this way she crept in, and was able to find the wreck, the motor vessel Westlaan, of Groningen; but by this time the life-saving apparatus, which had also been called out, had taken off six members of the vessel's crew, including two women, leaving only the captain and engineer on board. The life-boat stood by, and' when the Westlaan was refloated by tugs at 7.30 A.M., five life-boatmen were put on board her in place of the crew who had been rescued. The life-boat reached her station again at 9.30 A.M.— Rewards, £13 25. 6d..