JANUARY 24TH. - THURSO, CAITHNESSSHIRE.

At 12.5 in the afternoon a fisherman telephoned from Melvick that a fishing boat was in distress about seven miles east of Port Skerra, and the motor life-boat H.C.J.

was launched at 12.20. A whole southerly gale was blowing, with a very rough sea. She made a wide search, going as far as Hoy Head, but found nothing. About six o’clock, while she was still searching, she received a wireless message from the steamer St. Ninian that she had taken a fishing boat in tow seven miles north-west of Dunnet Head. The boat was the Fisher Boy, of Wick. A net had fouled her propeller. She had a crew of five. The tow-rope had parted and the Fisher Boy had been damaged.

Another tow-rope was made fast, but the St. Ninian had found the tow too much for her and had cast the Fisher Boy adrift. She stood by her until, at seven o’clock, the lifeboat arrived. They were then fourteen miles north-north-west of Dunnet Head. With difficulty, the life-boat passed a rope to the Fisher Boy and towed her to Scrabster, where they arrived at 11.20 that night.- Property salvage case.