Early on the morning of the 18th December the coastguard warned the coxswain that a flare had been seen to the E.N.E. The coxswain went to the look out, and after some time saw a red flare. A S.E., veering to S., gale was blowing, with a very heavy sea, and it was raining heavily, when the motor life- boat Agnes Cross was launched at 6.25 A.M. Heavy seas were shipped crossing the bar and the Ness Point, and the crew were soaked to the skin.

About one and a half miles N.N.E. of the look out the life-boat found the sailing barge Davenport, of Ipswich.

She carried a crew of three, and was bound with a cargo of coal from Grimsby to Rye. She had been driven back by the gale for about thirty miles, and had lost two anchors and cables and had her topmast broken. The seas were breaking right over her, and her crew were exhausted. She dropped an anchor, and the master asked the life- boat to stand by until it was seen whether it would hold, failing which he would leave his vessel. The life-boat stood by for some time, until the weather moderated, and as the barge was then all right, put back to her station. She reached there at 10.30 A.M.—Rewards, £26 Ss..