St. Mary's, Scilly Islands.—At 6.45 on the morning of the 22nd of July, 1955, the coastguard telephoned that a vessel had gone aground on a reef near the Seven Stones lightship. At 7.10 the life-boat Cunard was launched.

The sea was calm, there was a light northerly breeze, and it was one hour before high water. The life-boat found the S.S. Punia, of Panama, a vessel of 2.197 tons laden with phos- phates, fast on the rocks. The master's wife and twenty of her crew of twenty-four had abandoned the steam- er in two of her boats and had secured to her stern. The life-boat went alongside the Punta, and after some time took off the master and three men. She then stood by.

During the evening the master asked the life-boat to take him, his wife and all of his crew to a French tug which had arrived that afternoon. The life- boat did so and continued to stand by.

The tug skipper and master later reboarded the Punta to see if an attempt could be made to refloat her.

She was holed forward and had a list to port, and as it was feared that she would sink at once if she was pulled clear, no attempt was made to refloat her. The men rejoined the tug, and at 8.30 the life-boat took on board twenty of the steamer's crew. She landed them at 10.45.

It had been decided that the life- boat should put to sea again the next morning to bring from the tug the master, his wife and three other menand at 9.30 that morning the coast- guard reported that the Punta had broken in two. At 10.10 the life-boat was launched again in dense fog.

She took on board the five people and arrived back at her station at 1.15.

The owners made a donation to the funds of the Institution.—Rewards: 1st service: to the crew, £28 13s.; to the helpers on shore, £2 8s.; 2nd service: to the crew, £9 16s.; to the helpers on shore, £2 8s..