CRUISE OF THE H.M.S UNDINE.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 236, 7 January 1888, Page 5

CRUISE OF THE H.M. S UNDINE.

H.M. schooner Undine, belonging to the Australian station, has just returned to Sydney after another of the many successful cruises she has made among the South Sea Islands. Her track on this occasion has been confined chiefly to the New Hebrides, Banks and Loyalty Groups. In the New Hebrides group she visited Aneityum, Tanna, Eromanga, Havannah Harbour, Sandwich, Ambrym, Mallicolo, Penticost, Aurora and Aoba, and in the Banks Group the vessel touched at Santa Maria, Vanualava, Uriparapara and Valua, Matters were all quiet at the islands visited, m,ore especially in the Banks Group, where striking illustrations of the §ood work done among the savages by je English missionaries were given. The missionaries, by their hospitality, gained the hearty goodwill of the crew of the Undine,and the many entertainments given on shore in honor of the visit of the representative of the British navy tended to makethe trip enjoyable. In theßanksGroup the Undine met the Southern Cross with Bishop Selwyn on board, and the usual exchange of courtesies took place. At each of the islands visited the natives thronged on board in large numbers to trade, and from suu - set to sunrise, whilst' at anchor, her decks presented a most lively appearance. The natives on the whole were well behaved and they seemed to take great interest in the little vessel and her gallant xirew. -In the Loyalty Group the natives • complained' of the tyranny of the French towards the different tribes, especially in the matter of compulsory education by the French missionaries.' The natives seemed; in favourof the teachings of the English, missionaries, but failed torecognise the French, who, to Borne extent, are held responsible for the expulsion of the Rev. J. Jones from one« of, the islands. This action on, the part of the /French is, likely to leas to, spme trouble, in the Loyalty Group. The , Undine, calledat the French hmilitarvrf por.ts^.fat,; Pout Sandwich and Havannahi Harbour, ,and the 1 captain gleaned from the French commandant that he had orders to eyapua^e.the l^ew Hebrides at the end, of January, the French* , warship I?ives being retained to tajte ,the men back <to Noun\ea v F,eyer jwas still 'prevalent in the French, camps,, and' judging frpm the condition of etoipe of A the.men,{they, will ,not t , be sorry. -»when i.thei arrives; for their,- departure,, t for, Noumea*. •The French New, Hebrides sQompajiy .ar^ ''still at » work, in .the t grqup,i i b}\ying I .lan(l'| /r,om the'nati-vreSj-an^, qgt^M?h.im?^adiflg , 'sijatipn^. ljy / AJ - (^qrth Sandwich the* 6Hp>am,iof ,the:Vy nd^ne ;P beaird , that,.^, jFrench^ (companx^had 'j Pities '.at worK- n^^M n g'*P».^ s Q m^ 9k %s&#ss sites along./jihepbaßJ/.; .^heHihip^cpinfxany,Qbtainedia^^plendid/yiew. of jhej vf)\cdnQ\(iti . XaAria o ( n kiie crju.se. \ T,ho, yokfenois^ounded ,§n_ f the >hich';, fi $ N ||i,ay§ij[li§mv pvro]|ftie4 $$$k the,sulphu),)bed> v^S^mS^VSPm^i

treachery of the bush tribes located in the the vicinity. The undine left the New Hebrides on the Ist inst., at noon, and •after d splendid run of 39 hours anchored' in Noumea. There she received orders to proceed to Sydney, and on the 15th the voyage was commenced. The Undino cleared the Havannah Pass with an 11 knot breeze, which, however, gave out next day. and was followed by light winds and very fine weather to port. The Heads were entered early yesterday worning, and the vessel took up moorings in Farm Cove. Tho Undine will " pay off" here shortly, and with the Uarrior, another schooner will be sold out of the service. Captain F. R. Pelly, the commander of the Undine, has been appointed to tho charge of H. M.S. Lizard, which left England for Sydney on November 28 to join the Australian squadron. The Undine left H.M.S. Swinger at Noumea. Her officers had been engaged on some long-standing boundary disputo in connection with some land on Sandwich Islands, which we understand 3ias been satisfactorily settled.