A middle-distant port side view, just off the bow, of the cargo steamer City of Cardiff (1906) aground almost broadside-to the cliffs in Nanjizal Bay [Mill Bay], about 2 miles south-east of Land's End. The ship is creating a lot of smoke/steam from the funnel. Lines are running from the cliffs to the ship, fired from rockets by the Sennan Cove rocket brigade. A person is hanging in the breeches buoy almost half-way between the ship an shore, as they are being hoisted along. Large waves are breaking on the shallows just behind the stern of the ship. The photographer was standing on the cliffs above the bay looking north-west out to sea.

The City of Cardiff was on passage from Dartmouth to Barry Roads in ballast when it was forced shore in heavy weather on 21 March 1912. Despite laying anchors to prevent the ship being driven further in shore under the cliffs, the cables broke and the ship ended up broadside-to. The Times newspaper reported this on 22 March 1912: 'The steamer City of Cardiff, 3,089 tons, during the strong westerly gale yesterday afternoon went ashore at Millbay, two miles south-east of Land's End, while on a voyage from Havre to Cardiff in ballast. All lives were saved by the rocket brigade who landed 23 men and two women, the wives of the Captain and the chief officer, and the latter's little child. The ship is lying under close to the cliffs on a rocky bottom.'