WINTER CRUISES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 86, 28 April 1937, Page 10

WINTER CRUISES

-Preas assocIatioiLi .

Dominlon Warships

(By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Last Night. All three sea-going vessels of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy are to leave Auckland within the next few weeks to make their annual winter cruises to the Pacific islands. The sloop Wellington will sail on May 4 and return on August 3, the Leith will leave on June 7 and return on September 18, and the flagship, H.M.S. Achilles, wilii leave on her first cruise away from NeW| Zealand since she has been on station on june 12. In addition to undertaking her usual patrol duties, the Wellington is to take a party of scientists to Cahton Island in the Phoenix group for the purposC of observing the eclipse of the sun, The expedition is to be led by Mr C. B, Michie,' of Kaitaia, and will arrive at the island on May 26. ' Special instruments are being take'n by the party and it ds expected important data will be obtained from observing the tocal eclipse," whieh will be seen only from the Phoenix islands. The programme for the Achilles has not yet been,finally approved, but aftet leaving Auckland on June 12 she will make her first call at Nukualofa and then go on to Suva." The cruises of the two sloops will embrace practically all the island groups of the South Pacific and the warships will call at Polynesian, Melanesian and Micronesian islands. It is noticeable that the Leith is going this year from Suva to the New Hebrides. Last *year, when 'H.M.S. Dunedin planned to go to the New Hebrides lirst, it was found that thc quarantino regulations in Flji gpverning vessels com|ng from a recognised malaria belt, would interfpre with thc old flagship 's programme, so the visii to the New Hebrides was caHcelled/