The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. THURSDAY, MARCH 27. 1913. NEW ZEALAND'S BATTLESHIP.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 March 1913, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. THURSDAY, MARCH 27. 1913. NEW ZEALAND'S BATTLESHIP.

Vims of English newspapers lately to hand give interesting details of tlu« Royal visit, to the battleship New Zealand, which this dominion has presented to the Government of Great Britain as an earnest of New Zealand's appreciation of her duty to the Empire of whieli she forms a part. Cable advices reached us last month a.s to the leading features of the inspection, but there are many other aspects of tho visit that will prove interesting to dwellers in these islands. Notably so are the details given in the Daily Mail's overseas edition regarding the visit of King George V. to the midshipmen's gun loom and the cooks' galleys. The account goes that through a confusing assembly of parliamentarians and odicers, sailors and marines, the King strode forward for an inspec-tion-of the ship. Hi; went to the bakery and the galley, where ton cooks Ave re at Avork. and the visitors "sniffed up the foaming broth" with appreciation. The bread—baked daily for a ship's company of nearly 800—was fit for a palace. The King spoke of it Avitli iroal appreciation. "When T first Avent to sea." he remarked, ''we had weevily biscuits and maggoty bread!" The King climbed through the manhole into tho forward barbette, whieli contains two twelve-inch guns. The guns' croAvs were at their stations. and they let off a "pretending" 850 pounds of metal, at over 2.000 feet a second, by as gentle a pressure a.s that demanded by the firing of a pop-gun. Then the King descended by tho electric lift to the starboard engine-room, and Engineer-Comman-der Turner explained the mysteries of the place--Avhieh wore not ,so surprising, after all. to the King who has himself acted as stoker in a battle-cruiser.- The captain's suite. Avhicli would do credit to Mayfair, Avas visited, and then the gun-room. the holy of holies of the midshipmen. Midshipmen make their own laws. and a shout of laughter, starting with the King, and extending to all the. visitors, uprose Avhen it was discovered that the decorations were in the Suffragette colours of purple, white and green. On tho forebridge the King saAV the, now gyroscope compass (Avhieh comes from Germany). It is non-magnetic, yet after a preliminary twirling for a few hours it always points north, with not more than tAvo degrees of error in any part of the globe. The long cruise round the Avorld Avill give "it a complete trial, and if it turns out as Avell as is expected it Avill be adoptexl in the warships of the fut-

ure. Male hip a round of the men's quarters on the lower deck, the King showed a senilism's interest in all tho improvements which have heen made for their comfort, and ho chatted with several of the men who wore mortals. He went into the port look-out. He discussed with the Admirals, the First Lord, and Captain Halsey several of the newer inventions. He was introduced to Peloru.s Jack, the mascot of the ship, a bulldog five months old, given by Mr Pomoroy, of New Zealand. He is, of course, named after the white dolphin which has for many years met tho steamers crossing Cook Stnait, New Zealand, and accompanied, them to port. Two photographs wore taken on the quarter deck, one of the officers and visitors with the King in the centre, the other of tho King and the officers alone. To the officers the King said: "I wish you an interesting and enjoyable cruise, and I hope you will come hack safely next Octoher. Goodbye!" All the officers saluted as the King was piped over the gangway.

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