2300 SOLES UP THE AMAZON.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 121, 22 May 1909, Page 15

2300 SOLES UP THE AMAZON.

BRITISH CRUISER'S UNIQUE TBIP. 1 A memorable and unprecedented voyage 1 vi-.ir. brought Iα n successful close on Mo:-----doy. April 5, by the arrival of the British rriiL-irr Pcloruß at Plymouth. ' ■I,'niuuilrrloneil cearly three years ago, ele ' station. l:i November she was ordered to ", Soulh America, trtacro at Mone Video she Joined the second cruiser squadron. Oα Ilio departure of that squadron (or Eng'and ebo v.-si: ordered up tbo lllvcr Amazon. She reached Pun, at the znnutb of tLo imi»D, m> Jnouary 1L An enthusiastic welcome w;::. given bcr there, so BriTlsh. warsnlp bavins Tlsited that port for years. I.f.i-iD.fT Para on January IS. tie Fclorus, vlili'b la tt twjn-scren- protected third-class cruiser of 2135 Kit?, steamed £300 miles up the Amazon right through the heart of South America in Iquitos, less ihsrj 500 miles from tlic Peclflc coast. Nearly a mouth. Including stoppages, uras cecapled la tie voyajre. ■ At Pirn tlo Amsson Is neiriy a mile mljo. bat "ihe rker sraduallr nnrrows until »t Ifialtos It Is less tifla 1000 ft in wldtli, or about -three times the ship's length. So chart of Ibe river eilsts, end the «aly .iE.-|nt.iDce flip nfflcers bnd In cavigatiea T-ns the local knovrledge «f a fen- natives they embarked at varlons points aloas the liver. tjrest care , had ( be clsed ly Capt. Craig nnd bis oScers Iα traversing the ever-narrorrlog channel of tiio grent rlrer, nnd all tfce way up the precnutfon was taken of ancaorlos at nlgbt. Beyond, hotfever. the uncertainty ana element of risk incidental to the navigation ot uocbartered waters, n» difficulty was encountered. NATIVES ASTOSIBHED. Manaos, 000 miles from Para, was reached on January 26. Tlere a stay ot ten days wos made.' The Brazil-Peru frontier at Tabatinga was pasted on February li, acd the vessel arrived at Iquitos on the l'~ib. At c«ry place at whlcn the Peloras stopped, particularly at Iquitos, a magnificent reception was given to the chip, nnt only by the little colonies of British settled on the river, but by tie native authorities. Only twice before. It Is Mia, his the Amazon been navigated by warehlps. once by an American, nod many years ngo by an Italian. Bui both, these vessels tvere snail river boats. No warship approaching the sire of the Peloras has tver before been seen to far up Ihe river, and the astonishment and enthusiasm of the natives at tie sight bt tho vessel were boundless. Although drawing 17ft of water, the Pclorus found an ample depth "f water right up to Iquitos. Her ttay there- and at Manoos and Para, was marked by a brilliant round it festivities, (or ihe white ensign displayed ]n those waten iraa warrolj greeted. On the return vnyagc the Pctorus left Iquitos on February 23, and wltb a Ov» dnys' stop at Manaos, Para was reached on March 0. With the current Iα ber ftv. our, the Pelorus made a quicker \oyajro down, nnd bctow Mjr.no.-, ac the writers .widened, she eteamccl at sight The health of the crew was tenmkabl? good, .iltiuusb. they anScred from excessive brat, particularly at nlgbt