THE inaugural ceremony of the new motor life-boat was held at Aberystwyth on 20th April, in the presence of a large audience. The Earl of Lisburne, Lord- Lieutenant of Cardiganshire, the Bishop of St. David's and the Mayor and Mayoress of Aberystwyth took part in the ceremony. Guards of honour were formed of boy scouts, girl guides and members of the fire brigade, and the singing was led by the Chor Y Castell, accompanied by the town band.

There has been a life-boat station at Aberystwyth since 1862. It has had five pulling and sailing life-boats, which have rescued fifty-two lives.

The motor life-boat replaced a pulling and sailing life-boat last year. She is of the light self-righting type, 35 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 10 inches, specially designed for stations where the life- boat has to be launched off a carriage or the open beach. This type of life- boat is fully described on page 76.

This boat has been built out of a gift from the estate of the late Mr. Frederick Angus, of Poole, Dorset.

The Earl of Lisburne presided. He gave a short history of the station, pointed out that in its seventy-one years it had had only three honorary secretaries, and paid a tribute to the work of the present honorary secretary, Lieut.-Colonel J. C. Rea, and the pres- ent coxswain, David Williams, who was appointed in 1891, so that he has served as coxswain for forty-two years.

Lieut.-Commander G. R. Cousins, D.S.C., R.N., district inspector of life- boats, described the boat and, ori behalf of the donor and the Institution, pre- sented her to the branch.

The life-boat was accepted by the Mayoress of Aberystwyth (Mrs. P. B.

Loveday) and dedicated by the Bishop of St. David's (the Right Rev. D. L.

Prosser, D.D.), assisted by the Rev.

T. A. Roberts, M.A. (vicar of Holy Trinity and the Mayor's chaplain) and the Rev. R. J. Pritchard, M.A., repre- senting the Free Church Council. In the course of his address the bishop said: " When the call comes for service, the life-boatmen never ask: ' Am I expected to go ? ' Their minds are made up. They go without hesita- tion. We should all go through life more happily and more securely if, like the life-boatmen, we remembered that we too have duties which allow for no hesitation." The life-boat was then named Fred- erick Angus by Mrs. Angus, the widow of the donor.

Thanks to the Donor.

The Mayor of Aberystwyth (Alder- man P. B. Loveday) proposed a vote of thanks to those taking part in the ceremony. In the course of it he said to Mrs. Angus: " We are specially indebted to you, who have come a long distance to name the life-boat. We also thank you for the part you played in making it possible for the Aberystwyth branch to possess such a fine life-boat.

Your husband's memory will be kept alive in this town by this splendid gift." The vote of thanks was seconded by Alderman T. H. Edwards, and the life-boat was then launched.

At the end of May Mrs. Angus enter- tained the crew and some of the mem- bers of the committee to supper. The mayor, as chairman of the branch, presided, and a telegram of thanks was sent to Mrs. Angus..