By Captain H. G. Innes, R.N., Inspector of Life-boats for the Western District.

[Each summer the Institution's steamtug, Helen Peele, which is stationed at Padstow, Cornwall, for the purpose of taking the two Padstow Life-boats out 7 J to wrecks, does a fortnight's cruise, partly as an exercise and partly to give the 'public an opportunity of seeing her. This year's cruise was across the Bristol Channel to Tenby, and then to Swansea and up the Channel to Bristol. It is one of the last cruises the Helen Peele will make, as a Motor Life-boat of the largest type is to be built for Padstow.] Thursday, 9th June.—The Helen Peele left Padstow at 1 p.m. on her Summer Cruise. "We waited till this rather late hour to start the trip to Tenby as we had a faint hope that our President might pay us a visit, especially as we Lad placed our little ship right under the window of His Royal Highness' room at the Metropole Hotel. Perhaps, as he was on a holiday, he thought the tug looked too much like " work." Anyhow, he went to play golf, and the most I can say is that he cast an (I hope) admiring glance or two in our direction.

And so to sea, as the great diarist might have said, and a very fine trip we Lad to Tenby, passing quite close to Lundy Island. The sea was smooth and the visibility very markedly high— foretelling rain.

We anchored at Tenby about 8.30 p.m., and here the Honorary Secretary gave me the welcome news that Ms Life-boat was " on service " again—had, as a fact, been out that very morning on what proved a successful motor trial.

Although the weather was fine, with, occasional showers, there is always something of a swell here, and we rolled about most of the night.

Friday, IQth June.—At 10 a.m. we weighed and proceeded for Swansea.

Weather moderate with a fresh breeze.

Close under the Worms Head we saw eight Brixham sailing trawlers at work, as pretty a sight as uncommon now-adays in the Bristol Channel, where we are more used to the Swansea or Milford steam trawlers : fine craft, but certainly no things of beauty.

On to the Mumbles, and while waiting here for the tide many schools of mackerel were seen, darkening the sea in aJl directions. Hooks and lines were over the stern quickly—we are Padstow mea with sea-fishing in our bones—but no rack. It was predicted by one of the crew, and an ancient fisherman, that, " Them don't take when they'm schooling," and so we found.

We entered the South Dock about 4 p.m., and. secured astern of a fine Brixham sailing trawler, one of the larger type and vulgarly known as a " Tosher "—why, I could not ascertain.

She Lad just sold her catch. Our skipper is an ex-Brixham fisherman, having been brought up in that rough school from quite early boyhood; so we soon had visitors on board. Later in the evening the tug was open to the Swansea townsfolk, but, as it was a damp evening, there were not many who took an interest in us. Quite a number of our fishing friends came on board, however.

At Swansea.

Saturday, th June.—The tug was open to visitors as usual. Some came on board in the morning, but the counter attraction of a sea trip in a " Campbell's Steamer" to Ilfracombe somewhat spoiled oui market in the afternoon.

Sunday, 12J& June.—-We kept " ourselves to ourselves," it being the Sabbath. As a fact, the Swansea citizens and citizenesses really got a better view of the Helen Peele from the dockside than one got by coming on board, and perhaps the thoughts of possible damage to their Sunday best may have kept them at arm's (or rather " leg's," as it was a good step over the gangway) length. This afternoon I went over to Cardiff to be ready for a Barry Dock inspection on Monday.

Monday, 13th June.—The tug open to visitors and a few on board, but as it was Monday, and " work while there is any going " is the Swansea motto, only the fair sex was represented. I got back in the afternoon to find half a dozen steam trawlers in from " S.W.

of the Smalls/' with good catches.

Generous souls, too; no sooner had they made fast than, round they came with parcels (as the city men say) of fresh fish—soles, whiting, magram (often skinned and palmed off for soles on the unwary), gurnet, etc.—all free gratis and for nothing, and promises of more next morning. No town or seaside dweller knows the taste of a Dover sole fresh from the trawl. The former as it only comes to them via Billingsgate and the fishmonger's shop; and the latter—well, because no one gets fresh fish at the seaside, it all goes to Billingsgate! On the way to Bristol.

Tuesday, Uth June.—6 a.m. under weigh, bat not so early but one of our " hands " has been twice to the good ship Oystermouih Castle—once for a generous " fry" of fish (about three stone!) and the second time for some " fat " to fry them in! At the dock gates we gave a " pluck " to Gem, a fine Brixham smack who was proceeding to sea on her " lawful occasion," now with all her pretty tanned sails set, but minus a breath of wind so early. We took her right down to the Mumbles Light—much to her joy—where we left Gem with a fine breeze springing up to take her to the westward. Helen Peele shaped course for the Scarweather Lightship, on our way to King Eoad and Bristol City. As we got near the vessel the idea was conceived to give her some papers and surplus fish, and, better still, some " squid" as bait.

A hail soon brought the Lightship's men alongside in their " small boat," and the fish and a big bundle of papers and magazines were soon transhipped.

She was blowing her fog-horn, and we •were glad to leave such a noisy craft astern.

By 5 p.m. we were up at King Road looking out for our pilot. With him on board and a young flood under our keel we were soon steaming up the Avon. Past Avonmouth with its oiltanks and liners. Past " Hangman's Dock," where pirates are said to have been executed in the good old days.

Past " Adam and Eve," badly in need of a coat of paint—two heroic figures, one each side of an ancient gateway, " Sea Mills " from whose creek or " pill" John Cabot is said to have set sail to find Newfoundland, or Terra Nova as it was called then. Up a tree-lined reach where, in the old " clipper " days, the top-gallant and royal yards of the vessels used to brush the boughs of the oaks in passing. Under " Cook's Folly," a wonderful house perched high above our port side. The river now running alongside the magnificent " Portway," we had a good view of this new road from Bristol to Avonmouth, the finest road in the Kingdom. Under Clifton Bridge, hanging above us in the haze like a giant spider's web spun from clifE to cliff.

Arrived at the Cumberland Basin our pilot leaves us. He had rendered us his services most kindly free of charge, and had added to our obligations by his lively descriptions of all the sights on the way up, from the banana ships at Avonmouth to the tobacco warehouses at Bristol City.

From the Cumberland Basin we were our own pilots to our berth at St.

Augustine's Bridge, where we secured— right in the heart of the city—at 7 p.m.

On the way we passed the smart B.N.V.R. training-ship, not forgetting to dip our red to her white ensign.

Over a. Thousand Visitors.

From Ibth-l'dth June.—We lay at Bristol, the occasion of our visit being the Bristol City Life-boat Day on the 16th, and tie delegates' visit in connection with the Life-boat Conference on the 18th.

I should not like to guess at the number of visitors who came on board here, it probably runs into four figures.

On the Day we dressed ship " rainbow fashion " and tried to look our smartest, an effort rather spoiled by heavy showers, each longer than the last. Our boxes were kept busy—the two we had on board—by their collectors, but I wish the public had been busier with their money. A very active A.B. of the Bristol Division R.N.V.R. shook one box, one of our crew the other. We could not claim any of the collections for the tug, of course. Mr. Hartly Hodder, the very energetic Honorary Secretary of the Bristol Branch, saw to that.

I should like here to pay a tribute to the very good work which Mr. and Mrs.

Hartly Hodder, and all their helpers did that day, in spite of rain. It was 10 p.m. and later before all the money was safely banked. The workers— quite an army of them—must have been dead beat.

On the Saturday afternoon Mr.

Hodder had arranged for motor drives into the surrounding country for the delegates. He most kindly included me, and my charming hostess for the afternoon took me a very enjoyable round before " casting anchor " at Mrs.

Horace Walker's " At Home." We went along " Portway," even more wonderful than it looked from the river, to Shirehamptom, and Aust, where in the old days, before tie Severn tunnel was made, travellers from the Welsh coast landed for their ten-mile drive to Bristol, and from all accounts the ferry from South Wales to Aust was not to be lightly undertaken, lion Acton we visited, much prettier than, its name. Altogether, and in spite of rain, a lovely run.

On Sunday Mr. Hodder provided an organ recital at St. Mary Redclifie— pronounced by experts to be the finest parish church in England. It certainly has a wonderful organ and organist.

Early on Monday we were under weigh again, steaming through the basins and locks and down the river now full of daft coming and going. Quite exciting navigation, too—passing the big ones— knowing as we did that a touch on the bank would probably mean the end of Helen Peele ! At noon we entered the docks at Portishead and secured the tug. The afternoon was spent in removing some of the Bristol mud and cleaning the snip generally.

Tuesday, 21si June.—Lying at Portishead the tug was open to visitors as usual, but there were very few about.

Wednesday, 22nd June.-—We left the docks at 11 a.m. and proceeded down channel for Clovelly. We had the ebb tide •with, us but also a westerly wind against us, which latter we could have very well done without. As it was it sent up a short high sea which suited the tug's " pitching period " admirably.

By the time we had got half-way across Barnstaple Bay there was quite a sea on, and as Clovelly did not look like much shelter we pushed on for Hartland and home (Padstow). The tide had now turned against us and it was a tedious " plug" to Tintagel, dark and forbidding in the twilight, and needing little imagination to see Merlin at bis incantations. Thence to Pentire, 10.30 p.m. and cold. No lights to guide us, but our skipper knows Ms way and we are soon over the Doom Bar—past the buoys-—and alongside by 11 p.m.—a good day's run for a 26-year-old.

Thursday, 2Zrd June.—The day was spent coaling and later cleaning, the inevitable sequel, and so ended the cruise. On the whole, I think it aroused interest in what visitors there were, and it kept the Institution before the eyes of the South Wales and Bristol public.

Rain spoiled a good many of our days, and if a great deal of money was not collected—and we did not do so badly at Bristol—the " bad times" must be borne in mind.

As regards the tug and her equipment, no fault could be found, and the conduct of the crew was, as usual, excellent..