ADMIRAL FREEMANTE

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1671, 11 February 1913, Page 6

ADMIRAL FREEMANTE

-NEW ZEALAND REMINISCENCES.

The. Navy .played an important'part itt the early history of the : Domiiiion, am} . ~ this is borno out by "An Episode ol the Now ' Zealand War," written by Admiral Sir V, Edmund Freemantle, at tho suggestion of t tho local, hen. secretary of toe'. Navy;;. I !,'' League, and appearing tn the ' current Vf issue of tho "School Journal." It is over ; sixty years einco Admiral Freemantle 6orved in the Burma Expedition; but he is still halo and hearty.' and is regarded , as an authority 'on naval muttiirs. . His, '•) father was oiio of Nelson's captains kt ', Trafalgar, and the present admiral may:., well bo described as a link with tho past. ' , , ■ When Mr. C. W. Palmer was attondlflg.i. a Navy League dinner in London in lOOti • ; lie had the pleasure of, meeting the M-i tniral, who narrated to him' efeveral ■ iiici-' ; dents of-New Zealand 'experiences. On ly one oooasion, when ' cruising , (ti Cook . \ Strait, a gun brig, of which ho was seoond 'in'.command, was'struck by a heavy southerly squall. "AH hands aloft to ' shorten sail" was the order given, and ho v. himself accompanied tho bluejackets, in their perilous task out on the yard-arms. . >. The present episode doals, .with the " j cue of,Mr.,Grace, of the' Church ;Mission- , ary Society, afld «mio friendly Native. >'■< who wore hold captives by tho fanatical I' Haii H&us at Opotiki. .The.then Lieutenant iiFjeonmiAlw fasstofgo M, H.M.W despatch! bo»t..,Eplip9o,-> of> -i iguns,.. with , >J Bishop Solwyn aboard, after some oxcit-, .1 ing experiences, was eventually .successful *' « in Rescuing Mr.-Grace, and the'friendly • Natives. . ;

11l ft later letter to Mr. Palmer, tho Admiral writes:—"My time in .Ncw.Zea-,, land was ft very interesting, one; ■ lihad//. Sir George Groj; on board my 'ship th'&V Eclipse several times, and was able to do, ■liira a good turn in going into tho Kin? Country, then in the hands of the' hostile',' .Maoris, and s ■ bringing down: 'William'; Thompson and tho Maori JCing. to 1 with tho Governor at Hamilton. I ran considerable risk, and Sir George Grey, hesitated nlgood while before ho mode up liismind to let mo bo."'' '!