By the end of September there were no fewer than nineteen decoy ships which had been fitted out in the one port of Granton, and nine of these were sailing ships. It will therefore be of interest to show how in this month such vessels were being employed in their double capacity of warship plus freighter. The barquentine _Merops_ was discharging a cargo at Runcorn preparatory to loading coal for Cherbourg. The topsail schooner _Dargle_ was discharging a cargo at Lerwick, and then loading herrings for Farnborough. The _Fresh Hope_ was about to leave Liverpool for Belfast, where she would load with cork ballast for Halifax, Nova Scotia. The _Baron Rose_, another 900-ton schooner, was about to leave Newcastle with cork ballast for Halifax also. The barquentine _Rentoul_ was on her way with coal to Cherbourg, the barquentine _Imogene_ was on her way with coal for Lerwick. The topsail schooner _Viola_ (alias _Vereker_) left Granton with coal for St. Valery-en-Caux. The iron schooner _Cymric_ was taking coal from Granton to Cherbourg. Another three-masted schooner was carrying coal from Granton to St. Valery-en-Caux. In addition, there were a dozen steam craft from this same port acting as Q-ships. In another part of the British Isles our old friend _Helgoland_ had yet another fight with a submarine. This was on July 11, 1917, in the neighbourhood of the Scillies, and this was another occasion when two ships with sails shelled each other, but unfortunately it was another of those calm days, and hazy. At the outset the enemy’s shells passed over the _Helgoland’s_ fore-t’gallant yard as the latter was just drifting with the tide. Then the motors were started, and at 500 yards both guns and the Lewis guns gave the submarine a warm time, so that she was seriously damaged and had to escape by submerging. [Illustration: Q-SAILING SHIP “RENTOUL” This barquentine was commissioned as a Q-ship in March, 1918, was well armed, but was also employed simultaneously in carrying coal to France.] [Illustration: Q-SAILING SHIP “RENTOUL” The crew of the 4-inch gun. To face p. 190]