BACK FROM ENGLAND

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 243, 6 October 1939, Page 3

BACK FROM ENGLAND

REV. R. MORGAN RETURNS LUi’itrcSSKl) WITH TUJL* (■umALTAR LM PR PON A HI.IC Rev.U. Morgan, of Opotiki, who lias just returned to Opotiki alter a trip to England i.s very impressed with the? wonderful sights throughout the trip. Air. Alorgnu left New Zealand on February 17, hy the “Alonteray”, bound for Sydney and thence to Hobart on the “Oreades”. • At Hobart apple* were poured on board for two days and nights. Mr. Morgan spent a (fciy in Alelbourne sightseeing in the beautiful eitv, and also visited Adelaide which is situated on a large plain. It i,-> a city of churches, and spires can be seen in ail directions in tins very prosperous city. At Freeinantle, the seaport of Perth, and the youngest eitv in Australia, there is a solid mass of buildings. Here more apples were taken on board, and large beautiful''grapes were on sale at Id. per In. i'Yrui here the “Oreades” set sail for Colombo, calling at Coens Islands for mail. The passengers saw the island where the German raider “Hnideu" had sheltered, and also the island where she was run ashore in a badly battered state. The water in these parts was beautiful varying from light to dark blue. At Colombo the passengers saw ea-ieru life mingle with that of the we-t. Hu llock carts ran alongside modern lorries, and rickshaws competed: with cars. It was a town of beautiful parks with Mowers of exquisite, hues. Here business was very active although the method of beating merchants down to a reasonable price sftemed the accepted plan. Hie harItrur of Colombo was beautiful and! sheltered many ships. Aden left all growth behind, sand and rock making the city, which is lying at the base of the mountain, a very hot place. .Passengers \ i.-i *tl the wells of the Queen of Sheiba. which r veal a most wonderful pie-e of on - g ■;<•< ring, the wells being hewn out ot so'id rock. Oldv these passengers making the t •••, tn the Pyramids disembarked at Puez. the remainder making tin. 1 trip Prong b the canal to Port Said, where they were rejoined by the visitors to I, - Pyramids. The canal is about lo" mres long, and- is not straig’it. ae.d h t wide enough lor two stops to P >,s -'. Cargo ships pull to the side. Her..ship,' ear and train run side-by-side throughout the 100 miles. Mr. Moii was particularly interested in seeing tin*-, reputed spot where Moses led

out that the repeal of the arms embargo would favour England and Franco who command the seas. “It is fortunate we are able to enact a law which is likely to keep us out. of the war and. at the same time, put us on the side of humanity and civilisation.” lie said.

THE ITALIAN STAND NO PEACE INITIATIVE NF.CTBAMTY DKSIBF'I) LONDON. Oct. 4. It is officially stated in Rome that Italy ivill take -no initiative of anv kind. This is in reply to the suggestion that Signor Mussolini was' preparing to call a peace conference. The Rome newspapers still show a strong feeling towards neutrality.

the Children -of Israel 0 to the Red Sea.. Sailing into the Mediterrahiun ..the travellers came to Naples and were reminded of the old saying, ‘“See Naples and die.” It was a striking town, not unlike Auckland, hut, in ■ Mr. Morgan’s opinion, iiot"so pretty as Auckland!, it is said that the town has greatly improved in recent years, hut the side streets are only, three or four yards wide. .Pompeii was and unearthed-C:Jj<irtions of the city/ where walls of private residences, butchers-’ and tailors’ shops, still stood. There .was, a museum of varß ous articles of interest recovered duning the excavation/ - A port not often called at is Hillofranche, hut the “Cmules” made a call on this trip." - It is a seaside residence only three / miles from .Monte Carlo. The ship nlko called at : .'l/«K£lf)h, the bay 6f the French fleet,-and qliito a number of French, naval vessels were in. the liar hour. Ciju/.altar was the next port of cal,}' /Morgan describes it as a great rock two niilej* long by lialf a mile wide, fortified from end to end, and inside and outside, with huge guns completely commanding the western' entrance .to the Alodierranean. Here natives in their old reel coats walked through very narrow and busy streets in which there was just room lor onp ear and one person on the footpaths. All the British warships were away at their stations.*

WljUil the ship-readied Southampton Mr. Morgan was' very pleased to see the land of his parents. A large number of airships > including “Yankee .Clipper” were in port. The passengers lauded at Tilbury, on the river Thames. Mr. Morgan was greatly impressed with London, and visited! many of'the old places about which he had read. It was not a. place he would like to live in, hut the countryside wascharming, acres of bluebells, primroses, daffodils and violets presenting a sight never-to-be-forgotten. Ln Wales, where Mr. Morgan's ancestors used to live, he visited many old places. Mr. Morgan left London on August 7th. for New Zealand in ‘ the “Itijmitaka,” while war talk was still on, hut he heard! no talk of war breaking out at the time .By the time he got to Panama, war was declared. When the ship left Panama it sailed under the admiralty, the navigation lights being just, a slit in. the front which did not distance. The decks were black and all torches and wireless sets were called in. All the interior of the boat was dimly lit except the cabins, which were in darkness. The “llinmtaka” was white from the decks upwards and immediately the crew started to paint the ship a less conspicuous colour. Volunteers -were called from among tin* passengers, and Mr. Morgan along with many others gave* assistance. For the remainder of the journey tlie ship followed a zig-zag course and did not see another ship, at l iving safely in New Zealand.