THE STEAMER KAPU.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 300, 18 December 1902, Page 2

THE STEAMER KAPU.

The third trip of the Coastal Steamship Company's new steamer, the Kapui, took place in the harbour yesterday in ths presence of a number of gentlemen who had been invited by the manager of the company, Mr J. Dunning - . The little steamer acquitted herself in a most satisfactory manner, the machinery running smoothly, and free from vibration. Great credit is due to the Messrs Dunn, Smith and Co., who were entrusted with the fitting: of the machinery, and to Messrs Massey Bros, for the excellent boiler supplied by them. . Refreshments were provided, after which Mr Westwood, of the firm of Dunn, Smith and Co., proposed the "Success of the Coastal Steamship Company," coupled with the. name of the manager, Mr J. Dunning. He said the company was small, but compara-. tively new, and it was growing. That the trade was increasing was evidenced by the settlers agitating for still another boat Mr W. C. Sharp, of Mangaw*i, said: As regards the machinery and boiler on the Kapui, he. as an old engineer, could say they were a credit to the makers. Mr Dunning, responding , to the good wishes expressed, said he felt proud of the position to which the Coastal Steamship Company had attained—a position it had justified by its intrinsic merit, by the enormous service it has rendered to the public, and some of the Northern districts more particularly. The company has done, and are doing, an increasingly larpe trade making.it obvious for some time past that their three steamers—K&panul, Kawau. and Kotiti—were quite inadequate for the work they had to do. The e.s. Kapui was built, and he was satisfied she would be a worthy addition to the company's fleet, t was not the only thing in her favour that she had been locally built. He could safely say there w*re no better designers or builders for coastal work than the shipbuilders of the Auckland province. The Coastal Company's steamers are abundant proof of this assertion, and he was confident the Kapui will sustain their reputation as owners of fast, comfortable, pbpular and good sea-going steamers.