RUAHINE ARRIVES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 6

RUAHINE ARRIVES

WITH 890 RETURNED TROOPS. The transport Kuahine, which arrived in port on jlouday evening, was berthed <it the King's Wharf at 7 a.m. yesterday, niul ail soon a£ the gangways were uiuuu ■last the process of disembarkation commenced. .Such is the completeness of Captain, Prictor's arrangements that pveryone was ashore within twenty minutes of the first man, not only the S9O troop.;, but 210 other passengers, including 139 women (including soldiers' wives) and 31 children. The returned draft was in charge of Lieut.-C'oloncl E. S. M'Qunrtie, M.C.., of Wellington. Notwithstanding the early hour and the chill atmosphere, the 'men were given a right hearty welcome home. The Mayor and Mrs. Luke, tojre, as usual, on hand : with warm greetings and comforts in the form of fruit and cigarettes.. At the Call of the Mayor those on the wharf gave thre? hearty cheers for the draft as the hull of the steamer grazed the wharf. . The Patriotic Society's Band was in attendance to lend tone to the proceedings, and the Volunteer Motor Corps, under Captain Pryor, turned out' in good force to drive the men to their respective destinations.

Tho troops embarked on the Kuahinn at Plymouth, and had good weather during the voyage iintil within a few days of New Zealand, when the sea became choppy. Tho vessel stayed a week at Newport News to take-"in a cargo of coal, and whilst there the War Community Service entertained them all splendidly. In particular tho hospitality of the people of that dear old Virginian town Richmond was particularly appreciated. The men had read in many American novels about "southern hospitality"— they were given a good opportunity of sampling it at Richmond. Aq there was no necessity for delay in the Canal Zone, no shore leave was granted, but the wonders of that great piece of engineering that connects two. oceans held the meii' entranced as thev "tobogganed" from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

All the men for other parts were dispersed yesterday. The men for Auckland left by the 12.25 p.m. train, and those for Wairarapa and AVoodville by the 8.5 a.m. train from Lambton. Those for Palmerston North, YVanganui, and New' Plymouth left the Thorndon station at 8.4 n.m. The Nikau carried forward tho Blenheim, Nelson, and West Coast members of the draft Inst evening, and those for the south left by the Mararoa at 7.45 p.m. yesterday. One praiseworthy and thoughtful act on the part of the Mayoress's Committee was to place an ample supply of sandwiches on the train ""to keen tho boys going for an hour or two." A motorcar load of these was provided free by Messrs. Gamble and Creed, of Willis Street.