A SUBSCRIBER in Quebec, in sending his annual gift of £5 wrote: "It may be of interest to you to know that when a boy I was employed by a firm here which every summer shipped by sailing vessels to Great Britain, many cargoes of square timber and sawn lumber, and thereby I came in contact with many seamen. Realiz- ing what a hard life was theirs I acquired a great sympathy for them, and upon reading R. M. Ballantyne's book entitled The Life-boat, decided that should I ever be in a position to contribute to your work I would do so.

"My first donation was £5 in 1893, and this amount I have contributed since. There were some years when I was unable to contribute, but eventu- ally made up for them, for according to my records, the enclosed makes £280 which I have contributed in 56 years." In thanking him for his letter the Institution sent him its latest publica- tions and in reply he wrote: • "They made me realize that you are doing a more wonderful work than I had any idea of, and gave me the satisfaction of being able to contribute to it even in a small way." With the second letter came an addi- tional gift of £10..