LAUNCH OF THE REMUERA.

... c ....... . DUMBARTON'S. LABGOLST STEAMER. (From Onr Special Correspondent.) LONDON, June 9. , 'Vyhen, the Rotorua was launched last year ou the, Clyde, she, was described 'as the lar*Wt ship Dumbarton had' ever 'built. But this record- passes now to the Bemuera, built for the. N.e\y Zealand Shipping Co. by , Messrs. ~W,. Denny Bros., and. launched a\i Dumbarton. on Wednesday of last week. The Bemuera is'"the- biggest and- heaviest ship Dumbarton has; turned out.'

airs. Rhodes, the. wife of Mr. A. E. ; Q. Rhodes, of Christchurch, performed, the naming, ceremony. After- the, ship ha.d been safely launched a large party of guests were entertained to lunch in the -fraerng office in Messrs. Denny's shipyard. ' Mr! James- Denny proposed success to the Remuera and the good health of her godmother. He went on to say that the Remuera was one of a series of vessels they had built for the same o.wiaer3. It was. a matter of twenty years since they •built the first vessel for them, but during the last six years they had had on hand, for the New Zealand Shipping- Company, all the time, a,t least one vessel. The Remuera was to tirade, 'between this, country and their most enterprising and valued colony, New Zealand. In this way she would strengthen a sentiment which was very much in the air at present. She would be a,n, Jnxperial. trader, and on. that ground she laid .special claini on their good wishes/ ' (Applause.) Before sitting down Mr. Denny presented to Mrs. Rhodes a handsome jewelled pendant as a souvenir, of the, occasion-

Mr. Rhodes, replying, expressed the, ( thanks of his wife, and went on to say, that the company had been satisfied; with Messrs. Denny's, work, and if this boat proved a,s good as their Orari they would be perfectly sa-tisfied with her. The Orari had now made eight round; trips "between New Zealand and London, travelling 210,000. miles, and had never, been stopped for any defect in her en-; gines and boilers. The New _ Zealand] Company's boats were getting bigger, although " unfortunately they could not have the largest boats because of the limitations of the ports they traded with. Still, their boats were of a very respectable size, and there was ample trade in New Zealand for bo.ats- of their, size, and bigger. The, trade, seemed to grow with the years, though this it was not s.o good, and in the future he ha 3no doubt' it would increase as it had done in the past. (Applause). Colonel Denny gave the toast of "The Owners of the §hip." He spoke of their 1 enterprise in going in for larger ships every time, and never scrupling to new patents, such as the combination engine, the success of which they had, proved. Tbe Remuera is. generally similar to the cpropany's Ruahine and Rotorua, also built at Dumbarton. Her length, between perpendiculars, is. 484 feet:- breadth, moulded, 62 feet; and depth to upper, deck, 35 feet.