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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2289, 7 September 1908, Page 2

Interest attaches to the arrival of the French barque Mux at Sydney tho other day (says the “Telegraph”), from the fact that sho has sailed several thousand miles seeking u charter, and, what is still more remarkable, is still open, for fixture. The Max is a steel barque of 2075 tons, hailing from Havre, and she has been sailing the ocean off and on, with nothing more than ballast in her holds, since November last year, on tlio lookout for a payable charter. Under the French bounty system, French merchantmen are able t'o do this long voyaging without serious loss to owners. In the ease of the Max she originally sailed from Cardiff last year for Hobart for orders. She reached the Tasmanian capital in March last, only to find, instructions t 0 proceed to San Francisco. In due course she set out on the long passage across the' Pacific, but, to the captain’s surpriso, when the barque sailed into San Francisco ho found order to return to Hobart, and there await orders. A depression in the freight market in Pacific Coast ports was responsible for the vessel being ordered back from iSan Francisco. Sho left there on May 22, and, after a hard buffeting with gales for a fortnight off the coast, made Sydney Heads. Tho captain intended proceeding to Hobart, but when tho vessel reached Green Cape fierce gales and high seas beset her, and she returned for shelter. The captain has cabled to his owners for instructions, and meanwhile tho vessel will remain at tho anchorage. Mr Donald Macdonald, writing in the “Melbourne Argus,” says that there can bo no more outrageous satire upon the American visitors than to represent them as talking the mysterious and extravagant jargon of the Bowery Boy. “There, is an American twang, barely noticeable, and rather pleasant than otherwise,” he says. “You hear it from all the officers and a great many of tho men, but the extravagant rubbish palmed off as pure American is never heard. They have certainly a gift of quaint imagerv, noticeable alike in the ordinary “A. 13. and the man of culture. This was very well illustrated when Mr Franklin Matthews, replying in a witty speech to the toast of ‘The American Pressmen,’ said that prior to this visit they all knew that Australia was on tho map,, but they were not quite sure that it was on tlio earth. In speaking of the relations between politicians and pressmen, Mr Matthews scored rather orettily off tho Prime Minister (Air Donkinj and tlio Premier of New South Wales (Air Wade), and did it with a bland, beaming face that gave added point to his remarks. He told a story about tile late Sir John AlacDonnld, Prime Minister of Canada, who, haying shaken off tho curb at a public dinner one night, and promised many things which lie had no intention of performing, was amazed to find that his speech had been faithfully . reported by a conscientious young journalist who had no idea of the dangerous nature of the bombshell lie was preparing. Sir John; racDonald sent for him, and when he realised the explosive nature of his notes, .ridiculed the idea that lie had said anything of the kind. He then handed him a copy of the speech 1 e had failed to deliver. In parting with the youth the eminent Caindian said. ‘Let mo give you a word - f advice, as a father to a. son. Never again attempt to report the utterances of a public man while you are under tho influence of drink,’ ”