SHIP “AGRA.”—PUBLIC DINNER TO THE CHIEF OFFICER.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 699, 14 April 1852, Page 3

SHIP “AGRA.”— PUBLIC DINNER TO THE CHIEF OFFICER.

Ox Thursday evening last Mr. Leith, chief officer of the ship Agra, now in port, was treated to a sumptuous dinner at Barrett’s Hotel, by several of the passengers from London to this place and Otago, in token of their respect and admiration of his character as a gentleman and an officer during the passage from England. Mr. John Barr, engineer, late of Paisley, in the chair. Dinner was on the table at six o’clock, when the company, amongst whom were Messrs. J. H. Wilson, R. Hanson, D. Borrie, J. Wilkie, J. Sinclair, J. and H. Inglis, sat down to a splendid repast embracing all the delicacies of the season, got up in the usual recherche style for which the house is justly celebrated. Ample justice having been done to the good cheer and the cloth removed, the usual loyal toasts, the Queen, Prince Albert, the Army and Navy were drunk and cordially responded to. The Chairman then, in an eloquent and very humorous speech, proposed the health of their friend Mr. Leith, the guest of the evening, and “ success to him in his profession,” which was drunk with all the honours. Mr. Barr took that opportunity of publicly expressing his own and fellow passengers’ heartfelt thanks to Mr. Leith for his kindness and attention to them whilst on board the Agra, for which their entertainment of him that evening was meant as a sincere and homely, although he confessed a very inadequate, acknowledgment. Mr. Ifibth, in a neat and appropriate reply, returned his best thanks for the unexpected honour they had done him that evening, and the very warm manner in which his health had been drunk. He said that if he had fortunately succeeded in giving them satisfaction in the discharge of his duties on board, it was no doubt in a great measure owing to the ready co-operation and goodwill he had ever met with at their hands, and which rendered his task a comparatively easy, i f not indeed a pleasant one. He concluded by expressing a hope that one and all of his kind entertainers might find their brightest anticipations of this their adopted country more than realized, and that none of them might have reason to regret the important step they had taken in leaving their native land to form new homes hero. This great change in their life having

led to his acquaintance with most of them, as well as to their happy meeting that evening, he was the more anxious that their fondest hopes in this respect might be fulfilled. In separating from them, as he soon must, he should not readily forget the pleasant times they had spent together, more especially the gratifying circumstances under which they were met on the present occasion so flattering to himself both personally and professionally. The health of Capt. Maclean and success to the good ship Agra was then drunk with great applause and suitably acknowledged by Mr. Leith, after which “ The feast of reason and the flow of sour - went on enlivened by song and sentiment until a late hour. It being Good Friday eve however the company was obliged to break up much earlier than they otherwise would have done. Shortly before twelve o’clock the health of their excellent Chairman, with thanks to him for his conduct in the chair, was proposed and applauded to the echo, soon after which the party separated highly delighted with the evening's enjoyments, and apparently fully determined that “ come weel, come wae,” auld acquaintance should not be forgot “ for the sake of auld lan<? syne.”