AT the suggestion of the Prince of Wales, the President of the Institution, the first presentation in England of the film " The Black Journey" was given in aid of the Life-boat Service, at a Gala performance, on 16th January last. The film is the record of a wonderful expedition by Citroen cars, through the whole length of Africa, from Algiers to the Cape. The expedition was under the leadership of Messieurs Haardt and Audouin Dubreuil, the explorers, who five years ago were the first to cross the Sahara Desert by automobile. Much of their second journey was through British territory, the expedition touching Northern Nigeria, and passing through Kenya Colony, the Tanganyika Territory, Rhodesia and the Union of South Africa.

The Prince saw the film in Paris, and was so much impressed that he suggested it should be shown in Great Britain. M. Andre Citroen at once offered to give the first presentation in aid of a British charity, and the Prince suggested that the charity should be the Life-boat Service.

M. Citroen arranged that the film should be shown at the Plaza Theatre, the Management of which generously placed the theatre, the orchestra and the staff at the entire disposal of the Institution for the evening.

The Prince of Wales not only attended the gala performance, but gave a dinner party before it, his guests being the Duke and Duchess of York, M. and Mme. Citroen, M. Haardt, M. Audouin Dubreuil, Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey, Comptroller of the Prince's Household, and Lady Halsey, Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Institution, and Lady Baring, the Hon. George Colville, Deputy-Chairman, and Lady Cynthia Colville, and Mr. George F. Shee, Secretary of the Institution.

The theatre was full, and among those who were present in addition to the Prince's party, were Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught, the French Ambassador, the Duchess of Portland, Vice- Patron of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, the Marquess of Londonderry, the Viscountess Bertie of Thame, Chairman of the Central London Women's Committee, Lady Florence Pery, Honorary Secretary of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, General Sir George Milne, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Viscount Chelmsford, late First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Southborough, President of the Civil Service Life-boat Fund, Sir William Tyrrell, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Lord Lugard, late Governor-General of Nigeria, Major- General the Lord Edward Gleiohen, and Admiral Sir William Goodenough, Vice- Presidents of the Royal Geographical Society, Major-General Sir Ernest Swinton, Brigadier-General Sir S. H. Wilson, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir Ernest Wild, K.C., Recorder of London, members of the Committee of Management, and members of the Central London Women's Committee.

The performance opened with a tableau vivant, showing the meeting of Livingstone and Stanley, and during the film the orchestra played specially arranged music, including five pieces based upon native melodies which had been recorded during the journey by a member of the expedition.

At the end of the performance the Prince of Wales and M. Citroen went on the stage, and the Prince, after speaking of the nation's pride in its Life-boat Service, thanked both M. Citroen and the Plaza Theatre for their generous help. He recalled the fact that five years ago, in December, 1923, M.

Citroen had helped the Service by giving on its behalf the first presentation in England of the film of the " Sahara Expedition," and that on that occasion the Queen had been present. He was able to announce that the performance had contributed over £1,000 to the funds of the Institution.

The actual sum was £1,086 10s. Id.

Thanks to the generosity of M. Citroen and the Plaza Theatre this is the whole sum realised by sale of tickets, donations, and the sale of programmes, without any deduction for expenses. It even includes £5 of tips given to the cloak-room staff, who had asked that Life-boat collecting boxes should be put in the cloak-rooms.

As recorded elsewhere M. Citroen has been elected an Honorary Life-Governor of the Institution.