H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 35, 11 February 1913, Page 3

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

SHOWING THE FLAG

I TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE NEW ZEALAND. . (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 3rd January. Every New Zealander who can get down to the sea anywhere in the Domi aion will probably have a chance of seeing the New Zealand Dreadnought in being. I believe the programme, which haa been sketched, out, includes even a visit to the bar bound West Coast of the South Island. The official programme, which provides for the New Zealand being detached from the flag of Rear-Admiral Lewis Bayly for the greater part of a year, lays down the route roughly for the outward voyage. On the voyage out she will call at St. Vincent, Ascension, and St. Helena, and then go on to Simon's Bay, where such a powerful ship has never been seen before. It is possible she will also visit some of, the other South African ports, and then leave for Hobart. The New Zealand's visit will probably commence at Auckland, whence the battleship will proceed round the North Cape and down the West Coast of tho North Island, calling at New Plymouth, Hawera. Palea, Wanganui, and any other place wheie there is a convenient roadstead and some amount of population. She will look in at Nelson, and then go down the ' West Coast, showing off Westport, Greymouth, and Hokitika, and continuing, probably, right round Puysegur Point to the Bluff. It is the intention to look in at several *of the sounds, the most remarkable visit, surely since the days of Cook. Oamafu and Timaru will be included in the ports visited on the return to Wellington by the East Coast, and the circumnavigation of the two islands will be completed before the New Zealand leaves again for Europe. She will, in short, "be shown practically wherever there is anyone to look at her, and the sojourn in New Zealand wat«rs will occupy about three months. { The homeward route has not yet been stated, but in accordance with a. recent pronouncement? of the 'First Lord it will probably be by way of South America, where the British flag badly wants showing again in some strength. The Ger-man-Von 1 der Tann has ploughed many seae, notably in South America, and the West Indies, where nothing British better than a second-class cruiser has been seen; so the New Zealand will in all probability make up for this by calling at the Indies and possibly going on to Canada. ' " j CAPTAIN LIONEL HALSEY. The officer who will take the New Zealand out is not a stranger in those waters, for he was for some time ia one of the .vessels on the Australian station. Captain Hakey is not new ,to this kind of .work. Ho commanded the Good Hope when that vessel took Mr. Chamberlain to South -Africa; and during the war in South Africa he was in charge of the '4.7 gun, in the Princess Victoria Battery of the Coye Hill Redoubt during ttte siege of Ladysmith. Towards the end of the war he was executive officer to Admiral Sir Hedworth Meux (Lambton), and he -was generally , in charge, for a time, of all the naval guns. His promotion to commander in 1901 was in recognition of his services in South Africa, and he became captaui in 1905. He is one of the youngest officers of his rank. , The chief executive officer of the New Zealand 'is Commander Henry E.» Grace, a eon of the famous cricketer.