"LURE OF THE PACIFIC"

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18233, 18 November 1924, Page 2

"LURE OF THE PACIFIC"

EXPEDITIONS LEAVING ENGLAND. The South Sea Islands have always been regarded as a novelists paradise, a kind of Arcadia, where everything is quaint, Ibcautifal, and primitive, and to minds nourished on li. do V ere totackpoole, Jack London, and .Robert Louis Stevenson the Sou*ch Pacific has remained a world of eternal romance, where the iniiuenoe of the West has

Out faintly intruded. There passed through Auckland J the last American steamer a gentleman, iUr who is the attvance agent ior an auventurous pyrty who expect to leave linglaud within the course of a few months, en route to the tioutli Sea Islands and Isew aJand. , is peaking to a "Star" representative, Mr Uanough said that many expeditions were shortly leaving England tor the South Seas, but the expeuition de luxe was that-of the 300i)-ton motor yacht Westward, commanded, by Lieut.Communder Holiywed, which hoped to clear England within the course of a few weeks. This finely appointed vessel was carrying with it some of the best known English sportsmen, who were making a ten months' cruise of the South Pacific and New Zealand coast, returning to England, via Suez and India, whore, she would conclude after a brief sojourn at ports en route. The Westward is a present fitting out at Southampton, and is taking on an extensive collection of all manner of weird and wonderful things. She has two motion picturo cameras, is fitted with developing an $ dark room, has pi arsenal that would put Paul R-ainey to shame, and has also a "comfort" chest that would necessitate a serious detour of the American Prohibition ports. "England is weary," remarked Mr Darrough, when interviewed, " and the wet Bummer that has been experienced is only an added incentive for people to travel. 'Most of thei leisured classes of England find the usuallv stereotyped resorts beginning to pall,. Doauyille and Biarritz no longer appeal, while most English tourists have run the gamut of Continental watering-places, and are beginning to look afield for fresh worlds to conquer." "What are your immediate plans? ' "I must confess that there are none. I am just going to confirm the arranged itinerary by cable, and shall then join my party. We hope to do the Paumotus, Rarotonga, Morea, the Society Islands, Papeete, Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji, New Zealand, and then we shall, visit the northern islands, Solomons, etc." Continuing, Mr Darrough said that England was in a great turmoil re<sultant upon the unsettled state of Parliament. "We are all people akin in likes-and dislikes, we have an abhorrence of searching for collar studsi, dressing for dinner, morning coats, and we shall just lapse into the primitive for the few months we may." Mr Darrough remarked that the Westward should arrive in New land somewhere about the beginning of February. •