JAPANESE VESSEL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1920, Page 3

JAPANESE VESSEL.

THE FIRST TO ARRIVE HERB, REMINDER OF HOME. The first Japanese steamer to visit New Plymouth, the Atsuta Maru No. 2, 2170 tons gross register, which arrived in the roadstead from Newcastle on Wednesday night, berthed at the wharf yesterday morning. The Atsuta Maru was built at Tokio in 1017, and, with three other Japanese cargo vessels, she was chartered by a Sydney firm for the Australasian trade. She is 278 ft. in length with a 42ft. beam and a depth of 21ft, The vessel is in command of Captain S. Shintane, who has with him the following officers: Chief, Mr. S. Kdbayashi; second, Mr. K. Arima; third, Mr. K. Miyazawa; chief engineer, Mr. T. Kowno; first, Mr. It. Okubo; second, Mr. S. Nakayama; chief steward, Mr.' T. Marugami." Captain Sargent is travelling with the ship as the representative of the owners. The crew numbers forty, all being Japanese. Speaking to a Daily News representative yesterday, the" chief officer, S. Kobayashi said that on the trip from Newcastle the crew showed much eagerness to catch tlte first glimpse of Mount Egniont, as they had heard of its peculiar resemblance to their own Fuji Yama. When Egmont first hove in sight every_ man was on deck, excitedly acclaiming Egmont's equality with the famous Fuji Yama. In his own Japanese way the officer said that a wave of homesickness passed over the ship's company as they approached the almost exact counterpart of their, sacred mountain. It was a glorious day, he said, ; the climate being almost identical with their own, and the general contour of the land ahead turned every man's thoughts homeward. The presence of the Atsuta Maru No. 2 at the wharf excited considerable interest, and during the afternoon a number of visitors inspected the vessel, and it was amusing to notice the various attempts at conversation with the members of the crew, none of whom was able to speak English intelligibly. The vessel will probably'be in port for about six days, and on completion of the discharge of her cargo of .WiO tons of coal, she will return to Newcastle.