THE OLIVE BRANCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 302, 20 December 1895, Page 5

THE OLIVE BRANCH.

A NEW MISSION SCHOONER,

Yesterday ab 9 a.m., a large company assembled ab Mesers Lane and Brown's shipbuilding yard, Whangaroa, to witness the launch of the Loudon Missionary Society's schooner Olive Branch, which has been builb by them, under the direction of the Rev. F. W. Walker.

The dimensions of the vessel are : Length overall, 65ft; extreme beam 16ft; registered tonnage, 32.41. The vessel was much admired by all presenb. Messrs Lane and Brown deserve great) credit for the very satisfactory manner in which they have douo their work, and London Missionary Society will have cause for many years to coma to remember the firm with gratitude for the faithfulness of their work and the generosity of the terms upon which it has baen done. In proof of the interest taken in the undertaking by the workmen as well as the masters and also by the people in the surrounding district, they have made a very generous gift of a fine diagonal-built life boat, specially designed for swift work, which they are presenting to the vessel. A dedication hymn, specially written for the occasion by the Key. Mr Warner, who was present at the launch, was eung at the ceremony. The christening1 was performed by Mrs Warner, who gave a brief address, in which she spoke of tho many evidence* of increasing enterprise, and predicted that the next century would be characterised by united and world-wide efforb for tho uplifting and saving of tho more backward and unfortunate nations. After her address, Mrs Warner, in chriataning the boab, said, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, God speed the Olive Brunch." She then broke the bottle of water against tho bow 3, and, amidst loud cheers, the vessel. glided smoothly into the water. After this the Doxology was sung, and the company dispersed. The complete cosb of the vessel to the Society will be only £600 delivered at Thursday Island. The actual coab exceeds this amounb by a very considerable sum, but Mr Walker is bearing the whole of the extra cosb himself, and presenting the Society with ib, as ho ia firmly convinced that what ho has done will add to the health and comfort and happiness of many workers in New Guinea, and therefore indirectly inorease their efficiency and contribute to the greater success of the Society's work. The echooner leaves Whangaroa in aboub a fortnight's time for Thursday laland and New Guinea.