IN August, 1825, seventeen months after the founding of the Royal National Life-boat Institution, a life-saving j society was formed at Boulogne, with the title " La Societe Humaine et des Naufrages de Boulogne." It was the first life-boat society established on the Continent, being a few months older than the two Dutch life-boat societies founded in the same year. Its founders were a Frenchman, M. Alexandre Adam, and an Englishman, Mr. John Larking, and from the beginning it has been administered by a committee of six Frenchmen and six Englishmen. It has a fine record. Eight hundred j and twenty-four lives have been i rescued from shipwreck by the society's life-boats, and 423 by life-saving lines ; and 1,574 bathers have been rescued from drowning. i When the society celebrated its ; centenary in August, 1925, the Institu-tion was represented by its present secretary, Lieut.-Col. C. R. Satter- thwaite, O.B.E., who went over in the new Margate motor life-boat Lord Southborough. At the inaugural cere- mony of the new Dover motor life-boat, Sir William Hillary, in 1930, repre- sentatives of the Boulogne society were present, and in August of this year the Institution was again represented at a ceremony at Boulogne.

The occasion was the naming of a motor life-boat, Alexandre et Louis Darracq, which La Socie'te Centrale de Sauvetage des Naufrages, of France, has presented to the Boulogne society.

She is 37 feet long, with two engines of 40 h.p. each, giving her a speed of between 8 and 9 knots, and she carries a crew of six. Her godfather is Vice- Admiral Lacaze, president of La Societe Centrale, and her godmother Mrs. Harvey, the great-great-grand- daughter of Mr. John Larking, one of the founders of the society.

Institution's Representatives.

The ceremony took place on 12th August, and on the morning of that day the Dover motor life-boat crossed to Boulogne, returning the same even- ing. She had a rough passage both ways, which took two hours out and two hours home.

On board were Commander Henry Strong, R.D., R.N.R. (ret.), repre- senting the committee of management, Mr. Walter Riggs, a member of the committee of management and honorary secretary of the Aldeburgh station, Dr. J. R. W. Richardson, honorary secretary of the Dover station, Lieut.- Commander P. E. Vaux, D.S.C., R.N., inspector for the Eastern District, who was in command of the boat, Captain A. L. Strange, R.N., inspector of coastguard for the Eastern Division, who represented the Board of Trade, Mr. C. R. Bryant, coxswain at Dover, Mr. R. Taylor, second coxswain,' Mr.

Harry Griggs, coxswain of the Hythe life-boat, and a crew of four men. The Calais motor life-boat, Marechal-Foch, which came to the Dover inaugural ceremony, was also present at Boulogne.

A reception was held at the Chamber of Commerce, followed by a luncheon at the Municipal Casino. The new life- boat was named, and the guests then visited the maison de secours which the Boulogne society maintains for the care of those whom it rescues. There fol- lowed the presentation of awards, and in the evening there was a gala soiree at the Casino.

Friendship between British and French Services.

At the luncheon M. A. Coppin, president of the Societe Humaine, in proposing the health of the godfather and godmother of the new boat, said : " I join in the toast with them with all my heart, the coxswains and crews of our life-boats of Calais and Boulogne, and above all those of Dover." He then recalled that in 1864 his father, captain of a three-masted ship of Dunkirk, was shipwrecked in the Indies and he and his whole crew rescued by an English ship, and concluded : " If I have the good fortune to be on earth and president of the Societe' Humaine, the committee of which has included members of my family for 63 years, I owe it to the British nation, and you will understand why I end my speech by raising my glass to the friendship be- tween Great Britain and France." Commander Strong expressed the congratulations and good wishes of the Institution to the sister society of Boulogne. In the course of his speech he said : " At the naming ceremony of the Sir William Hillary by our president, the Prince of Wales, we were proud to welcome representatives of your society, and we are deeply grateful to you to-day for giving us such a hospitable recep- tion, and this delightful opportunity of seeing your fine new motor life-boat, which will, I hope, for many years work in collaboration with our own service.

. . . May this beautiful life-boat, designed, built, engined and equipped with all the resources of modern science and skill, prove herself a valuable and efficient means of life-saving, as every- one here is sure she will, and by the deeds of her gallant crew add fresh laurels to those they and the Societe Humaine have already earned; and may she prove to be yet another link in the chain that binds our beloved countries in friendship and in the fellowship of the sea.".