GREAT WORLD CRUISE

Shannon News, 27 July 1928, Page 3

GREAT WORLD CRUISE

BACK WITH THE SPOILS.

MONKEYS AND MOONSTONES

DOZEN BETROTHALS ON VOYAGE

Parrots, monkeys, canaries, ukuleles, chips of stone from the Great Wall ot of China, bottles of holy water frov.. the Ganges, Japanese kimonos, moon/ stones from. Ceylon, mandarins' hats, and tea tied, lip iin picturesque •bundle.-' were among the problems that con fronted the. customs officers at South ampton. recently whenthe Canadian liner Empress of- Australia returnee, after a six months' cruise round tlu world. '...■..' In spite of the fact that somo of the' parrots had been trained to answer when the customs official aske< the question: "Have you anything U declare?" hundreds of pounds miisi have been collected during the afternooi Twelve engagements and no divorce: were reported by the ship's purser. Passengers enjoyed the greatest diver sity of weather, ranging from a snow storm in Naples to brilliant sunshine ii, Egypt. This is the first time that a roum the world cruise has started and endei at a British port, and enormous consign ments of food had to be stored away in the ship when she left Southaniptoi last year. There were 112,000 eggs 370 crates of apples, 65,000 Dottles ol beer, 5000 cigars, and 34,000 pounds of sugaiyamong the stores consumed since the vessel sailed.

The route was via New York to Gibraltar, Algiers, Monaco, Port Said, Bombay, Hongkong, Shanghai, Yoke hania, San Francisco, and thence back to England. Christmas day was spent in the Holy Land and New Year's eve in Cairo. Miss Helen Bourne, one of the passengers, operated the lever elevating the Empress c p Aus alia from the Pacific to the Mirafiores Lake, a height of 54ft., while passing through the Panama Canal. '' It has been one of the most wonderful tripe I have ever made," said the captain, Commander Latta. "Weather conditions were wonderful and we did not once meet a rough sea."

The Customs House resembled an Eastern market when all the spoils of the journey were examined. The problems of the silk duties caused much anxious deliberation, and many curios were left behind by passengers unwilling to pay the duties. A ukulele was. among the deserted spoils. The first engagement on board was announced eight weeks after the vessel had left Egland, and the other 11 followed in quick succession. j>