The weather early in January had been very bad, and both sweeping and patrol work were impracticable. In these circumstances the enemy raider _Moewe_, disguised as a neutral merchant-ship, which had probably passed up the Norwegian coast and round the north of the Shetland Islands, laid an extensive and very scattered mine-field between Cape Wrath and a position about north from Strathie Point, on the Scottish coast, on the night of January 1st or 2nd. The work of the _Moewe_ was facilitated by the fact that the lights on Cape Wrath and Sule Skerry Island were necessarily exhibited at night for the sake of the large mercantile traffic using the Pentland Firth and the Minches. On January 6th, at 7 A.M., the pre-Dreadnought battleship _King Edward VII._, of the 3rd Battle Squadron, left Scapa for Belfast to refit, and at 10.47 A.M., when in Lat. 58.43 N., Long. 4.12 W., a violent explosion occurred under the starboard engine-room. Captain Maclachlan first reported that the ship had been torpedoed, but later came to the conclusion that she had been mined, as was eventually found to be, undoubtedly, the case. The ship heeled at once to starboard, and both engine-rooms filled. A strong westerly wind was blowing at the time with a rising sea. As soon as the report was received at Scapa the flotilla leader _Kempenfelt_ and 12 destroyers were sent out to assist and to keep the submarine under, if one were present. Tugs were also despatched. Meanwhile the collier _Melita_, which had arrived on the scene, proceeded to take the _King Edward VII._ in tow, assisted by the _Kempenfelt_; but the ship was very low in the water and unmanageable, and the tow parted. At 4 P.M., the battleship having by this time a heavy list, Captain Maclachlan decided to abandon her for the night, and the destroyers _Musketeer_, _Marne_, _Fortune_ and _Nessus_ were taken alongside her in a heavy sea with great skill; they embarked all hands without loss of life, although the destroyer _Musketeer_ received considerable injury from projections on the side of the battleship. The destroyer _Nessus_ and a tug stood by the _King Edward VII._ until 8.10 P.M. when she turned over and sank. The _Africa_, also of the 3rd Battle Squadron, _en route_ from Belfast to Scapa, passed safely through the mined area a few hours before the _King Edward VII._ was mined--a very fortunate escape!