THE SAMOAN CONTINGENT

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 180, 4 September 1914, Page 9

THE SAMOAN CONTINGENT

PLEASANT PACIFIC CRUISE. FIVE WARSHIPS FOB CONVOY. (Sun Special.) WELLINGTON, September 3. A private letter received in Wellington to-day from Noumea gives an interesting account of special interest to the people of Wellington of the voyage of the Moeraki and the Monowai with the advance guard of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The letter states thatrthe two vessels left Wellington early 011 the morning of August 15, and steadied up the East Coast till they were abreast of East Gape on Sunday morning. For the following two days a north-easterly course was taken, the troopships proceeding under easy steam. The weather was good up till Tuesday morning, but, although for a few hours the seas were rather heavy, conditions on board the vessels were excellent. About mid-day on Tuesday, August 19, a convoy in the shape of H.M.S. Pyramus, Psyche, and Philomel, came into view, and with these the ,vessels changed to a westerly course, Noumea being reached on the 20th. The troops here were given exercise on shore, and the French population gave them a hearty reception. On August 22, H.M.A.S. Australia and the cruiser Melbourne, of the Australian Squadron were sighted off Noumea, and the five warships convoyed the troopships to Suva. ' The letter describes the sight of the five men-o'-war near Noumea as being exceptionally fine, and the letter concludes with the anticipation of an enjoyable cruise to Samoa, via Suva.