H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 9 June 1913, Page 5

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

VISIT TO WESTPORT. (By Telegraph—Press Atsociation.) WESTPORT, Lost Night. . The visit of H.M.S. New Zealand on Saturday roused a lot of interest in Westport and district. There wa s a large gathering of children, under the care of the teachers and parents, from town and country. The Harbour Board tug went out shortly before .9 a.m. with the Mayor, Chairman of the Harbour Board, and other representative citizens; The sea was rough, but the Mayor (Mr Leaver) got aboard, and met Captain Halsey, who expressed regret that the weather was nob sufficiently favourable to permit the children to go aboard and inspect the vessel. He senfa word of cheer The tug made two further trips in the day, circling round the ship. The steamer Rakiura also acted as a tender. The two vessels enabled some hundreds to get a good view of the warship. Much dsiappointment was, however, felt over the failure of ' the Tutanekai to leave Grey mouth, especially so because both theMapourikaand Taviuni had worked the port outward yesterday, and came to Westport. . In the absence of the Tutanekai, the Harbour Board put on a train service, which carried some thousands of people round to the end of the. western breakwater, from which position they got a fairly good view of the battleship, lying from a mile and a half to two miles off. A reception committee made splendid arrangements for the care of the visiting children, who, with the teachers and others, were given a hearty meal on their arrival in town, and another just before their departure in the afternoon. _The Mayor state s that he could easily have billeted another 150 children in town Although there was a fairly heavy sea in the afternoon, there were intervals when the warship could have been hoarded with little or no risk; but the shortage of tenders, and the large number of visitors to be afforded an opportunity of seeing the boat from such advantage as was offered by the tenders available, decided the authorities against the transfer of passengers to the battleship. In the evening. a magnificent .searchlight display, was given by the warship, which later sailed for NeLon.