ESCORTING HER IN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1723, 14 April 1913, Page 6

ESCORTING HER IN.

FLOTILLA & GALE. FROM HEADS TO ANCHORAGE. . Sixteen steamers, big ami little, met tlio warship at"\Vorser Bay, and cscorted lior up harbour, null a flotilla of smaller craft, deterred by tho boisterous weather from making the trip down harbour, joined tho procession as the New Zealand reached Point Jerninglmm. The ' unpleasant weather of the forenoon did not prevent tho excursion steamers being crammed 'to capacity. 'l'ho steamers engaged rouged in size from tho graceful Mararoa (which carried some two thousand excursionists) down to the little Pilot. Cabinet Ministers and members of Parliament went down to meet the warship in the Tutanekai,'and the Hine1110a carricd heads of Departments and their womenfolk,- On board the Duchess were a thousand juvenilo members of tho Navy League, trained to sing pat-riotic-songs and choruses, and the tug Terawhiti. carried some 250 adult and juvenile members of tho samo organisation. Tho training ship Amokura and the Janie Seddon, which carried tho flag of tho marshal, Captain Johnson, were other prominent units in tho welcoming. FIRST SIGHT OF HER, The steamers had all assembled in or near AVorser Bay beforo the warship was sighted. By those oil board the Hinemoa she was first seen off Pencnrrow at about ten minutes to one. A mist lay over the water, and tho Dreadnought loomed through it a tall (as it seemed looking at her bow 011) slender shape of grey, her outlines ill-defined and her ensigns just visible ns flickering gleams of white at either masthead. The Navua, running out of harbour, had the honour of being the first vessel to exchange salutes with the warship as she entered port. It was only when the battle-cruiser came comparatively near to the wailing steamers tlmt her giant size and massive proportions could lie appreciated. In her rigonf of outline she looked just as ominous and uzl.v as a first-class v.'ar-

ship should. Interested eyes were turned upon the long guns projecting from their turrets i'ore and aft, the elaborate tracery of the wireless installation connecting tlio extremities of the masts, the galleries rising tier above fier, and all the other features of the grim grey leviathan which grew more and more formidable in appearance at every yard of approach. .Bluejackets were ranged along the decks from end to end, but almost the only visible activity was t!iat t of the men who were engaged in hes t viug the lead. There was no cheering aboard the Hinemoa as the warship opened the bay, but faint "hurrahs" sounded over tho .water from other of tho waiting steamers, and every steam-whistle in the Hoot sounded i> lively note of welcome. Tho great white ensign flying at tho stern of the warship slowly dipped in acknowledgment time after time in courteous response as she swept past. PROCESSION & THE GALE. 'The intended .fleet procession in wa' e of the battleship was to some extent upset owing to ';ho fact that some of the ■smaller craft found it , poisible to maintain the pace set against the stiff head-wind that was still blowing. An orderly arrangement of the steamers in lines had been planned, the Hinemoa being deputed, to follow immediately in rear of the' warship and the Tutanekai and Amokura to lead lines of steamers on the right and left respectively. The front lino of the procession maintained its position tolerably well, save that the AiuoIcura' dropped astern for a time, but most of the other steamers fell awav in a more or less scattered rearguard which nevertheless provided as fine a spectacle as could have been desired, each vessel steaming along bravely iu the teeth of the fresh northerly. Every steamer was adorned with stream's of .fluttering bnnting which showed up bravely against, the lowering sky and tho heavy grey tumble of the harbour waters. As they approached tho upper harbour the steamers closed in and they rounded Point Jerninghaui, in tolerably close formation. MAORI VYHLCOME. Passengers cm the Hinemoa included about a dozen members of the Ngatiawa tribe, with their chief, Mr. Daniel Mana Love. After the procession started the Maoris gathered on tho forward deck of the Hinemoa and greeted the warship ahead with a haka and chants of welcome. .They repeated their quaint performance time after time,to the evident interest of bluejackets stationed about the stern of the battleship. A few launches braved the trip down' harbour and got a dusting for their pains, but tho yachts had to abandon their intended rendezvous at Evans" Bay and did not join the procession until the warship passed Point Jerningham. Afterwards between twenty and thirty of.them came out from the boat-harbour and added'a fringe of spray-wet sails and gleaming hulls to the already picturesque ..procession. Before, the warship reached the upper harbour the weather had sensibly improved in one important respect. The sun; which until then had been hidden, broke through the clouds, and added colour and brightness to. the scene, in which cold grey tones had hitherto predominated. The silver-bright muzzles and tompion tops of the guns on the warship sparkled brilliantly, and the flags and bunting on tlie steamers showed up bravely, in the sunlight. Hillsides and\the harbour waters, which previously 'had been drab and dull, were bathed in light. A prettier transformation could not well havo been imagined. "LET GO ANCHORS!'.! , Tho New Zealand reached her age two and a half cable lengths off the" King's Wharf, and dropped her anchors as two o'clock was striking. Immediately afterwards long boat-booms were swung out from either side, and accommodation ladders wero dropped. Sovcral of the attendant steamers, the Hinemoa, Aiuokura, and Tutanekai among tho number, stopped for a time within, easy reach of tho warship, in order that their passengers might observe tho activities aboard, but tho Mararoa continued on her way to tho wharf, her excursionists giving the warship three rousing cheers as they passed. The Duchess ranged up to windward, and the juvenile Navy. leaguers, whom she curried, sang their songs. Oil board the New Zealand the band played "A Life on the Ocean Wave," and. a working-p.u-ty set about hoisting out tlio captain'ii barge, a big steam launch. .This craft was stowed on an elevated platform, and-was hoisted out bodily by means of a powerful derrick. The crew tumbled in. as the launch. reached the level of the deck. Steam had been got up beforehand, so that the boat was ready for scrvico as soon as it touched the water. For a quarter of an hour there was an animated scene around the , warship. Steamers clustered on every side, and launches raced, about, threading in and ■out amongst the waiting craft: At length tho steamers drew away one after another, passengers cheering as they departed, and before long tho last of tho excursionists had been landed at one or other of the wharves. THE CAPTAIN LANDS. Captain Halsey, accompanied by Lieutenant Boyle, lauded to make an official call upon the Governor about half an hour after his ship had anchored. NAVY LEAGUERS. Besides the Duchess, the Terawhiti was set apart for-' the jiso of Navy Leaguo members. Aboard the Terawhiti were Mr. C. W. Palmer (secretary), a. number of adult members of the league, and boys attending Wellington College and St. Patrick's College, who arc members of tlie league. Mr. l Palmer wishes to make. it known that, by inadvertence, some of tho i Wellington College boys did not receive tickets entitling them to make the harbour trip in. tlie Terawhiti. Ee forwarded tho • tickets on Friday afternoon, not I knowing that it was being observed at i the college as a half-holiday. ' I ■ Pictures of the Duchess, with the children aboard, were taken on Saturday, and will be sent Home to be reproduced in "The Navy," the official' organ of tho Navy League. THE MUSICAL WELCOME. The Navy League juvenile members, to tho number of a thousand, who made the harbour trip in tho Duchess, supplied one of the brightest features in tho day's proceedings. After the warship had anchored, the- DucheSs was brought close ira and the ch tdrou sang a number of patriotic songs in a fashion that delighted all who heard them. The programme included: "Ladsi In Navy Blue," "Hearts of Oak," "'A Life on the Ocean AVave," "A Song of Empire," and "Rule Britannia." The children were assisted by the City Band, which played a number of accompaniments, arranged by Lieutenant nerd. The band also played "Men of Merry England," "Lads In Navy Blue," and "Sons of the Sea." Another band engaged was the Central Mission Beys' Band, which made the trip in the Stormbird and played a number of selections during the afternoon. REPRESENTATIVE WELCOME, i In all, something over six thousand excursionists must have gone down the harbour to meet and welcome the warship. Those who travelled in the Government steamers included the Chief Justice (Sir Kobert ,Stout), the other members of the Supreme Court Hencli, with the exception of Sir Joshua AVilliams and Mr. Justice Sim, the Prime Minister (the Hon. AV. F. Massev). tlie lion. AV. H. Ilorries, the Hon. '11. D. Bell, the Hon. AV. Eraser, the Hon. A. L. Herdman, and the Hon. It. H. Rhodes. Others who attended.were: Messrs., It. Triggs and A. D. Thomson, Assistant Public Service Commissioners, tho heads of a great majority of the principal Departments iu the public service, and numerous members of Parliament from various parts of the Dominion. Most of the Ministers, officials, and members were accompanied by their wives and daughters. All the local public bodies were also strongly represented aboard the welcoming fleet. Tlie steamers which took part in tho procession from AVorser Bay were: The Tutanekai. Hinemoa. Amokura, .Tanio Scddon, Mararoa, Terawhiti, Admiral, Duchess, Cobar, Aranawa, Stormbird. Queen of the South, Nikatt, Iltiia, and Pilot.