LETTER FROM A BLUEJACKET.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1214, 24 August 1911, Page 5

LETTER FROM A BLUEJACKET.

TEEATMEN'T IN AUCKLAND AND HEBE. Somo days ago wo received from Mr, Cecil Palmer, secretary of the local branch of tho Navy League, an intimation that it was extremely unlikely that certain treatment, which hud been jncted out to members of the ship's company of the Challenger in Auckland, would bo repeated in Wellington. • AVo have now re- i ceived a letter from one of the ciw of '■ tho Challenger which sneaks for itself. It is as follows — H.M.S. Challenger. , August' 23. ' Sir,—May I appeal to you for a small pnace-'in your columns to draw attention to tho fact of how deeply tho men of the ChallrniJer appreciated tho sociability and • courtesy shown to them by citizens of- ■ Wellington during our short stay ill this port. At our first port of call in New Zealand, (Auckland), the doors of- amusement were closed to us on account of our wearing the uniform of His Majesty Kiuc George V, and we were not allowed to associate with tho skating community of Auckland, but we are ull very pleased to acknowledge that such was not tho case, in Wellington—the city where wo received > the idndest welcome to our homo waters, and the pity that we all lovo so well. It was very interesting to us to sco so many of Wellington's citizens on board last Sun. day to look over the ship, and this proved to us that "Jack" was thought as much, of by the people of Wellington as he is by his own people. Wo all noticed it very much, especially after our long cruise to the various island* in the Pacific, and nloiiß the coast of South and Central America, among iicoplo who could not !>peak our language, though, to be sure, we received a very warm and hearty welcome frem the r.eoplc nf the different Bcpnblics, especially in Chile.

But, as soon as we touched shores of the land that, flies the Union Jack—the fine that we all look upon with pride—and, on going on shore for the first lima for sis months anion? our own kinsmen, we fiuml out, to our great surnrise, that we were not wanted at its places of amusement, But wo lenve Wellington with n fine frelin» towards eycrvbidv, thanking them sincerely one and nil for their sociability and courtesy.—l am, cte.. BLUEJACKET.