THE WARSHIPS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1924, Page 4

THE WARSHIPS.

ENTHUSIASM IN AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, March 0

It is no exaggeration to say that the bluejackets of the visiting British Squadron conquered the hearts of the people of Berth and Fremantle during their several days’ visit there, and there were sad hearts on both sides when the great ships sailed away for Albany at the Week-end. Officers and men alike freely admitted that nowhere previously* in the Empire cruise had scenes of such extraordinary ■ enthusiasm been witnessed, and they expressed grave misgivings as to whether their gastronomical organisations would withstand such an embarrassment of hospitality should it prove typical, as it is certain to do, of their reception in other Australian and New Zealand ports. One quaint manifestation has been the liberal exchange of souvenirs between the visitors and the townspeople. The latter seemed to think that mascot,s in the shape of various forms of livestock were the surest means of pleasing Jack, and had all such offers been accepted, the ships.would undoubtedly have been converted into floating menageries. One man whoso choice of a pet takes tho curious form of a snake about four feet in length, which, to the discomfiture of his friends, lie sometimes carries about in his pocket, was quite hurt when, upon producing it over a friendly glass with several tars at one of the city hotels, a proffered gift of his little friend was hastily rejected. But the public generosity in the matter of mascots generally took a much nibre agreeable character. One of tho accepted sifts was. ; a pet wallaby, and its appearance oil board Hood was the signal for great excitement. The bewildered Australian hopped about the deck and spread consternation amongst many of the ten who bad not observed his arrival and to whom creatures of the kangaroo type were something new in the realms of fauna. Many unceremoniously leapt to a safe distance at his approach, suspecting that he might lie an uninvited guest of clangorous propensities, and there was general laughter when his master went up and stroked him and he fawned his hand in acknowledgment. A turtle from the north-west coast was also included in the list of accepted mascots but much reserve is being exercised in the acceptances, and only a few of the more polite parrots have been received after careful examination of their conversation. One officer explained that tho capacities in this direction of one bird which the Australians took to J 1 ’ ranee had become so notorious that the authorities were compelled to exercise great care against undue enlargement of the vocabularies of the ratings. The officers and men are looking torward with much enthusiasm to their visits to the other ports of Australia, at all of which elaborate preparations are bong completed, and there is already much talk of the wonders of New Zealand. Some are hoping to catch a glimpse of the thermal region and others are wondering whether they will be able to got a taste of the excitement of pig sticking and deer hunting and a little trout fishing. After the long restraint of the extended voyage, the men really prefer the field sports to town attractions on account of the welcome reaction that they afford as well as the opportunities of seeing something of the real lifo of the Dominions.

TOUR ING SQ UADI! ON. MELBOURNE, March 18. 't here was a public holiday in tumour of the squadron's visit. The people were everywhere, over 160,000 being packed along a route over which 1,500 bluejackets inarched. The crush was so dense in some places that people fought for positions, and broke the barriers syamping the route. Mounted police had the greatest difficulty in driving the crowd back. The horses, trampling on them, roused the ire of tile male section, who vociferously demonstrated against the police. Women shrieked and many fainted in the suffocating crush, to escape the invading horsemen. Some women are reported to have used hatpins to protect themselves.