SIR ARTHUR. QUILLER-COUCH, Professor of English Literature at Cambridge University, and Commodore of the Fowey Yacht Club, presented to the Institution on 26th July at Coverack, Cornwall, a motor life-boat which has been built out of a legacy from his cousin, the late Miss Margaret Quiller- Couch, of Looe.

Coverack has had a life-boat station since 1901, and its life-boats have rescued ninety-four lives. The motor life-boat, which replaces a pulling and sailing life-boat, is of the light Liverpool type described on page 520.

The ceremony took place in the harbour, in the presence of hundreds of people, and the motor life-boats from The Lizard and Falmouth were present.

The singing was led by the St. Keverne Band. Mr. W. T. Lamb, the chairman of the branch, presided, and after the new life-boat had been described by Lieut.-Commander H. L. Wheeler, R.N., district inspector of life-boats, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch presented her to the Institution. In doing so he said: " My excuse for the part I am taking in this ceremony is that this life-boat comes to Coverack from the last of three cousins of mine, Maria, Sarah and Margaret, daughters of Richard Quiller- Couch, of Penzance, physician there, and naturalist of some renown in his days. The honour of standing here is not of my deserving, but I value it nevertheless. It is an act of piety in memory of those three ladies, and you present, who are Cornish men and women, will understand that their love of their county should survive in some tangible form, and also their pride in the seafaring stock to which they and I belong.

" You know the old legend of the sirens whose song was an enchantment to lure ships to their doom. Too often this siren coast, these few miles of it, have translated that fable into sorrow- ful fact. Beautiful coast as it is, it has between its points and the open sea one of the deadliest reefs in England.

Our fathers could tell of the Despatch transport and the Primrose, of eighteen guns, wrecked together on one terrible night, the former only a few yards from where we stand ; and of the emigrant ship John, lost in 1855 with 200 lives, and of the Mohegan.

" It is, I believe, because of increased vigilance and prompt service and a wieldier boat that, for close on forty years, like tragedies have been averted.Now we have a fine, serviceable boat and a crew worthy of her." Commander E. D. Drury, O.B.E., R.D., R.N.R., chief inspector of life- boats, received the life-boat on behalf of the Institution and presented her to the branch, on whose behalf she was received by Mr. P. D. Williams, J.P., C.C., its president. The Bishop of Truro (Dr. J. W. Hunkin), dedicated the life-boat, and Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch then named her Three Sisters.

A vote of thanks to Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and the others who took part in the ceremony was proposed by Mr. W. T. Lamb and seconded by the Rev. H. Vyvyan, honorary secretary of the Cadgwith branch..