AT the Annual Meeting of the Gov- ernors of THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the Central Hall, Westminster, on Thursday, the 28th April, Coxswain Howells and the crew of the Fishguard Life-boat were presented by the Prince of Wales with medals awarded to them by the Com- mittee of Management for their gallant service to the Dutch motor schooner Hermina last December. With the crew was Mr. William Morgan, of the life-saving apparatus, who had been awarded the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum and framed.

The presentation, though the chief, was only one of a number of ceremonies in which the Fishguard crew took part during their two days' visit to London.

Everywhere they were received and ! entertained as guests whom the people i of London were delighted to welcome ; and honour—and everywhere photo-graphers followed them. Arriving in London on the Wed- nesday afternoon, they were the guests in the evening of Sir Ross Smith at the Philharmonic Hall, where they listened to his lecture on his flight to Australia.

Sir Ross made a reference to their presence in the course of his lecture, and both he and his brother Sir Keith Smith saw them personally and welcomed them. On the Thursday morning the crew went sight-seeing, and then visited the House of the Institution in the Charing Cross Road, donned oilskins | and kapok belts, and were filmed and photographed. The film was specially taken by the Institution for its film record of famous crews. The meeting was to take place at three o'clock, but by half-past two the Fishguard crew were ready lined up to welcome the Prince, in front of a Life-boat and one of the new Motor Caterpillar Tractors for launching.

The Tractor had drawn the Life-boat through London in the early hours of the morning, and the two were: on view at Westminster all day, | attracting large crowds. A large crowd was waiting also when the Prince arrived, and, after being received by the Chairman, Deputy-Chairman, Secretary of the Institution, and Chief Inspector of Life-boats, inspected the crew and shook hands very heartily j with Coxswain Howells. The Prince was then shown the Tractor and the Life-boat, into which he climbed.

Before the Prince went into the hall j the Fishguard crew were conducted to their seats on the platform, close behind the Prince's chair, being loudly cheered by the large audience.

At the conclusion of the Prince's Presidential Address, in the full glare of brilliant electric lights, and to the clicking of the cinematograph machine and many cameras, Coxswain Howells ' and his crew passed before the Prince in the following order :— Mr. John Howells, Coxswain; Mr. Thomas 0. Davies, Second Coxswain ;Mr. R. E. Simpson, Motor Mechanic; Mr. Thomas Holmes; Mr. T. Perkins, Bowman; Mr. J. Rourke, Mr. D. Whelan, Mr. T. Duffin, Mr. J. Gardiner, Mr. W. Devereux, Mr. W. Thomas, Mr. R. Veal, and Mr. William Morgan, Member of the Board of Trade Life-Saving Apparatus. The only member of the crew not present was Mr. H. M. Mason, who was at sea.

The Prince pinned on each medal, and had a few words and a very hearty hand-shake for each man, while they were all loudly cheered by the audience.

After the meeting the crew marched to the Cenotaph, and there, in the pre-sence of a large crowd, Coxswain Howells laid a laurel wreath bearing the words: "A Tribute from a Life-boat Crew." From the Cenotaph the crew went to the House of Commons, where they ; were entertained to tea by Captain the Viscount Curzon, R.N.V.R., M.P., and by Major Sir Edward Coates, Bt., M.P., two members of the Committee of Management of the Institution ; and in the evening they attended the performance at the Coliseum, being the guests of Sir Oswald Stoll. They occupied the royal box, and, during the interval, were entertained by the Management of the theatre in the royal anteroom. When their presence in the house was announced, and pictures of the scene of the wreck of the Hermina were thrown on the screen, they were enthusiastically cheered by the audience.

Before they left London on Friday morning Coxswain Howells expressed the gratitude of the whole crew for the way in which London had received them.