ON the night of the 3rd of November, 1951, a south-west gale was blowing on the south coast of Cornwall, with heavy rain. The night was very dark. A small Spanish steamer the Mina Cantiquin, of Gijon, with a crew of seventeen, was steaming before the gale up the coast to shelter in Falmouth Roads. Just after two o'clock next morning she struck on Black Rock Head. She pounded on the reef for some minutes. Then she was washed off and blown north-eastwards, burn- ing flares and sounding her siren.

She had been badly holed forward and was starting to fill. It was low water, but the tide was still running to the south-west, against the wind, and making a very rough sea. The coast- guard on Black Rock saw and heard her signals. He rang up the coast- guard at Porthoustock, and at ten minutes past two he in turn rang up the Coverack life-boat station.

Full Speed to the Rescue Nine and a half minutes later the life-boat Three Sisters was launched, and her coxswain made full speed against the gale. There was every need of speed, for a mile south of Coverack was Chynhals Point. That point was only three quarters of a mile north of Black Rock, where the Mina Cantiquin had struck. The gale was driving her northwards to Chynhals Point, and the coxswain knew that she would almost certainly strike on it.

As the life-boat rounded the point, twenty minutes after she was launched, the coxswain saw the steamer. Her bow was pointing towards the shore and she was only fifty yards off the rocks where the seas were breaking heavily. The coxswain was certain that in a few minutes, she would be on them. He must act at once. He took the life-boat as close inshore as he dared go to the breaking seas, and turning came out again towards the Mina Cantiquin to run along her lee side. The waves were breaking right over her. Her forecastle was awash.

She was almost hidden in the seas. The coxswain called on the crew to jump.

They hesitated for a minute or two.

Then one jumped, and in a few seconds the other sixteen had followed him.

The life-boat made at once for Cover- ack and landed the rescued men there at 3.20.

Attempt to Save the Steamer Meanwhile the Mina Cantiquin had not struck on Chynhals Point. An eddy in the ebb tide had caught her and she had missed the rocks by a few feet. She continued to drift north- wards across Coverack Cove towards Lowland Point. When she was half- way across the life-boat came out again, and attempted to take her in tow. But in that sea it was impos- sible to put a man aboard her; a grapnel was thrown, but the line parted at once. The life-boat had to leave her to her fate, and she went ashore.

The life-boat herself, and her crew, passed a most uncomfortable night.

They were in the inner harbour at Coverack where the sea was so rough that several mooring ropes parted.

In the end the life-boat was taken for shelter to Falmouth Roads, 10 miles away, and it was two days before she could return to Coverack and be put in her house.

In recognition of the smartness of the launch and the skill and prompt- ness of the rescue, the Institution awarded its thanks on vellum to COXSWAIN WILLIAM A. ROWE.

To him and each of the six men of his crew it awarded £2 in addition to the reward on the ordinary scale of £4 14s. a man for the rescue, the passage to Falmouth and the rehousing of the life-boat. Scale rewards, to crew and helpers, £42 2s.; extra rewards, £14; total rewards, £56 2s.

The Gratitude of the Spaniards The Spanish Ambassador in London wrote to the Duchess of Kent, Presi- dent of the Institution, to thank her on behalf of the crew of the Mina Cantiquin. He also sent her from them a gift of flowers. To the secre- tary of the Institution he wrote send- ing his "heartfelt" gratitude and a gift of fifty guineas. The Spanish Life- boat Society awarded its silver prize medal to Coxswain Rowe, and diplomas to him and each of the six members of crew..