NEW ISLAND SCHOONER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 163, 23 July 1901, Page 2

NEW ISLAND SCHOONER.

FOR THE COOK GROUP

CHRISTENED BY THE GOVERNOR

The christening- of the new auxiliary screw three-masted schooner Countess of Kanfurly by His Excellency the Governor yesterday was a very interesting" and pleasant ceremony. The Governor was attended by the Hon. Hill Trevor and Capt. Boscawen, A.D.C.'s, and there was n large attendance of ladies and gentlemen invited. The following' is the list ot invitations to the ceremony:—The Primate and Chaplain, Mrs Cowie, Canon Nelson. Mrs and Miss Nelson, Canon Mac Murray, Or. J. Logan" Campbell (Mayor). Mrs Campbell, Mr and Mrs Kidd, Mr Wilson (town clerk). Dr. and Mrs Parkes, Mr and Mrs Thome George, Misses Thome George, Mr Moss Davis, Mrs and Miss Davis, Mr and Mrs :X. A. Natnan, Rev. and Mrs Gillam, Mr and Mrs Bagnall, Mrs K. ID. Isaacs and Miss Isaacs, Colonel and Mrs White, Mrs and Miss Boscawen, Mr and Mrs Kensington. Mr and Mrs H. Brett, Mr and Mrs Wilson. Mr and Mrs 11. liorton, Mr and Mrs T. W. Leys, Mr and Mrs J. M. Erigham, Mr and Mrs Prank DiHinghain, Mr George Dunuett, Miss Dunnett, Mr and Mrs T. F, Cheeseman, Mr and Mrs 11. Li, Morton, Mr nnd Mrs Seegner, Mr and Mrs Mueller, Mr and Mrs .7. 11. Upton, Professor Brown. Mr and Mrs Tibbs, Mr and Whitney, Mrs MeP.cth, Captain and Mrs J. E. Heed. Captain and Miss Reid, Mr and' Mrs 11. 1). Heather, Dr. and Mrs Hope Lewis, Mr Alfred Walker, Mr and Mrs Edwards, Mr Rose (Collector of Customs), Captain Morrow, Mr Major Lane (builder of the schooner), Mr W. T. J. Beil, Capt. M. T. Clayton. Fifty-six Boys from St. Stephen's Native School, Parncll, attended, under the manager, Mr J. B. Smith.

The native boys sang the, lOOih Psalm in, Maori, after which the Primate offered up prayer as follows: "0 Thou that sittest above the water floods, and stillest the raging of the sea, accept, we beseech Thee, the supplications of Thy servants, for all who in this ship, now and hereafter, shall commit their lives unto the perils of the deep. In all their ways enable them truly and godly to sent; Thee, and by their Christian lives to set forth Thy glory throughout the earth. Watch over them in their going forth and in their coming in, that no evil befall them, nor mischief come nigh1 to hurt their souls. And so, through the waves of this trouble-

some world, and through all the changes and chances of this mortal life, bring them of Thy mercy to the sure haven of Thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen."

Hia Excellency then christened the schooner by breaking a bottle of champagne on the bow of the vessel. His Excellency said: "I name this schooner the "Couutess of Eanfurly." It gives me very grwjt pleasure to .perform this ceremony at the special request of Makea Ariki and the other arikis of Itarotonga. When the idea of building a schooner for the fruit trade of these islands was first considered, it was not known that the boundaries of this colony were to be extended to the islands, and therefore it may 'possibly be that this schooner is not to be used exactly for the purpose and in the manner in which it was originally intended. The intentions were that money should be borrowed somewhere —and the New Zealand Government camo forward when the money was required— for the purpose of building a schooner to carry fruit, and encourage fruitgrowing in some of the islands not regularly visited by steamers, and so enable the people, by the production of fruit, to reap some benefit by their labour. The Union Steamship Company, no doubt, considers the schooner has been built in direct opposition to them. Such is not the case. The schooner has been built in direct opposition to no one. It is purely for the purpose of gathering together the produce from the outlyittg islands, and, if necessary, to fill her time in, to carry certain cargoes to various ports of New Zealand. The people of Auckland naturally fear that the destination of the schooner may be Wellington. Well, possibly, on an odd occasion or two, it may be Wellington. It is necessary that this schooner should make as much money as is possible for the growers of the fruit., and whereever the market is likely to be best, I presume the fruit is to be sent. It is a well known fact that in the past two or three years the native growers of oranges and other fruit have sometimes been at a loss by growing their fruit and sending it to market. Much of that may be their own fault; it may be due to bad packing, to the want of grading, and to the bruising of the fruit when packing. But we know that the native will not con- ! tinue to grow fruit if he is to be at a loss thereby. On the contrary, he expects to meet with some reward for his labours, and we must in some manner enable him to arrive at that position, so as to encourage production, and enable more money to pour into these Cook Islands. I, who have visited these islands on two, but too brief, occasions, can only inform you that they are most lovely islands, and that the' Maoris who inhabit them are as nice a people as you could desire to meet. In naming this vessel I desire to wish her good luck, and I trust that she may carry out the purpose for which she was built, and that she may be a benefit to the inhabitants of the islands. To Captain Woreley, who is now taking charge, I wish God-speed and a prosperous time in the 'Countess of Eanfurly.' "

At the conclusion of His Excellency's speech the boys of St. Stephen's * School sang "God Save the King" in Maori, and at the call of Mr Allied Kidd (Chairman of the Harbour Board) three cneers were given for the "Countess of Ranfurly.."

Tbe schooner then went clown the harbour for half an hour's trial spin, under her oil engine, which worked very smoothly and well. The motive power is supplied by a Union oil engine (from Messrs W. A. Ryan and Co., the local agents), of 85 horse power, giving' the vessel a speed of between 7 and 8 miles per hour. Mr B. Spinks, the firm's engineer, was in charge. There is also a very handy little winoh on deck driven by the oil engine. Everything in the engine room, ran freely and well, and about 4.30 o'clock the vessel was back at the Railway wharf with her excursionists. The St. Stephen's school boys enlrven-

Ed the trip by singing a number of songs in chorus. On arrival at the wharf those on board were invited by His Excellency to the Harbour Board shed, where afternoon tea and light refreshments were provided. The new schooner's dimensions are: Length, 115 ft; beam, 25ft; depth of hold, lift; tonnage, about 195 tons. The frame? arc of pohutukawa and hnrdwood, and the planking of kauri.