An Interesting Ceremony.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 10 July 1902, Page 4

An Interesting Ceremony.

The interesting ceremony of Throwing the Dart was performed at Cork Harbor on May 27 by the Lord Mayor in tS pKsenceTf a large and representative party assembled on board the steamer Glengariff on the invitation of his Lordship. The function a triennial one : is a survival of the period when the Mayors of Cork exercised the powers of Admirals of the Port and were accustomed periodically to indicate the limit of their authority by throwing a javelin into the sea some miles outside Queenstown at some point m an imaginary line drawn between Cork Head and Poor Head The start was made from Cork shortly after 12, and in less than SShiTT£ ce TT P °!fM Bt * hi ?y hß >'«l»» w« to be thrown wa h?Sfn- ? a a VL Or< °u ad 1D hlB Offioial rob « 9 and attended by the Civic Sword and Mace bearers, ascend, d the bridge Holdinir the javelin in his hand hi« Lordship spoke as follows — ' •rrJtS rU A? ° f th % a - l i cieut Charter ri ? hts ailli franchises granted to the Mayor and citizens of Cork and their Hieossors I Edwara Fitzgerald, Lord Mayor of Crk, ca,L the jav.hn into the sea, and declare that so far seaward as it falls , xtend the .ight* and dominion of the Corporation of Cork to and over the h.rb.r, as well as to the rivers, creeks and bays within the s^me ' Having concluded, the Lord Mayor rai»ed the javelin, and exerting considerable force cast it into the wateis, am d«i the loud cheers of the interested onlooker,. Ir, fell some distance from the ship and the Lord Mayor was held to have added appreciably to the territory over which his sucoewors held cwav. The shaft oftha javelin was of polished maio^any, a-.d the gflled head was orna mented with scroll work and shamrocks and loaded with shot sn as to cause it to bink after btrikmg the water. The gilt-edled feather had a white ground ornamented with the Cork arms aX rw h ?% c the harp and Bhamrock 9. It was de«i(f ,ied and ureoart d by Mr J Roche, Chief Clerk City Engineer* Department wWm prepared javelins used in similar functions during tL past 37