JAPANESE SURPRISE VISIT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1170, 4 July 1911, Page 4

JAPANESE SURPRISE VISIT.

* TRAINING-SHIP AT MELBOURNE. The Japanese mercantile cruiser Taisel Maru, a four-masted (auxiliary steam) barque, arrived nt Mclbourne'on June 30, as a surpriso visitor. She had for som« time been unsuccessfully endeavouring to communicate by wireless. The Taisni Maru left Yokohama on 00. tober 2(i, 1910, for a voyage to the Falkland Islands, Capetown, and Wellington, with a complement of 151 men all told. These include the captain, 13 officers, 91 cadets, and 46 crew. Since the vessel started out, the itinerary has been modified. Tahiti was touched at, and Melbourne substituted as a port of call in •place of Wellington. The first few weeks of the voyage were marked by exceptionally rough weather. A week was spent at Papiete, a week at Port Stanley, near the Island of Tristran d'Acuuna. On the way to Cape Town the ship during a gale lost the three loiter topsails. Two agreeable weeks were spent in Capo Town. The Taisei Maru is to remain ten days in Melbourne. She will then leave direct for Japan. This is lier sixth cruise. On previous voyages sho has visited Australia, Manila, California, Hawaii, the Fiji Islands, and the West Coast of South America. The vessel, which was built for a commercial, company, was appropriated by the Japanese Government during the Russian war as a water tender ana transport, and was utilised in the blockade of Port Arthur. After the war'sho bocamo the property of the Government Nautical College, and was placed under the control of the Deiiartipent of Communications as a training-ship for cadets for the mercantile service. _ ' Captain C. Furuya, who served in tho wars against both China and Russia, is in command. lie is now on the reserve list. The officers are chiefly graduates of the Nautical College of Tokio.,