THE SOUTHERN CROSS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22520, 30 September 1938, Page 15

THE SOUTHERN CROSS

DEPARTURE TO-DAY FOB NEW HEBRIDES

ECHO-SOUNDING EQUIPMENT

INSTALLED

(maa assocuxio* tkmbax.)

AUCKLAND, September"*-

After spending a month at Auckland, the Melaneuan lUiwfon ship Southern Cross will leave port at noon to-morrow for Vila, in the New Hebrides. In addition to the Bishop of Melanesia, the Hi. Rev. W. H. Baddeley, and the usual staff and crew, there will be three young men on board -who have volunteered for service with the mission. They are Mr W. A. Holloway, an Englishman who has lived in New Zealand .for some years, and Messrs D. H. Baker and P. B. Armitage, who are both New Zealanders.

Mr Armitage has been responsible, while - the Southern Cross has been at Auckland, for the installation of electric-echo-sounding equipment, tne gift of an anonymous English donor. ?Che device, which -will be particularly Valuable when the tiating the badly-charted stretches or water among some of the islands which she visits, provides a continuous reading of depths of water through which the ship passes. It was used for the first time on Wednesday when the Southern Cross adjusted her compass at the compass dolphin,, and showed that it is fully efficient. The echo-sounding gear win not only be used in the islands as a protection for the ship, but also as a* aid to other mariners. The Southera Cross will now be able to make exaoj recordings of the various areas which are at present poorly-charted, and the information she obtains win be use* by the authorities in the preparatksi of new charts.

Mr Armitage's expert knowledge Of the device is regarded on board as the cause for considerable gratineatiosw In addition to undergoing Lloyd's survey, being fumigated, and bavins « number of details attended to while she has been in port, the Southern Cross has taken in a full stock at supplies.