Sailing of the Renown.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 44, 22 February 1927, Page 3

Sailing of the Renown.

Pageantry at the Departure from Portsmouth. Shining , like silver in the sunlight lOI.s. Renown pulled away from the Portsmouth railway jetty at 1.30 on January 6. Thus begran lie 34,000 miles Empire tour of the Duke and Duchess of York. A* the cruiser began to gather fpeed. a Royal Salute of 21 jruns was fired by vessel* of the Fieri. and more and more (nine crashed ont from land batteries as the Silver Ship sped int' , I 1.; ., *tr. Tγ •■■ • on the dockyard jetty had tboir h..-: > « « , Duke and Duchess as they stood at tbe bid* ol the promenade deck immediately alwvc their quarters.

The Duke alternately sahiUui and waved his hat.. Tun Ducbcfs, •srhobe f llver prey coat might have !wi) made to match the colouring of the Renown herself. waved her handkerchief, and. catching sight of her brothers-in-law, the three Princes, who had moved to a point of vantage near the jetty edge, fJirew them kisee* in response to their hei--waving. Then the Kanowrj. cheered on her voyage by great crowds on the beach at South sea and beyond, passed on. her greet and beautiful Inilk becoming shadowy and email. Ships of the Atlantic Fleet greeted her a.s she sped on; five flying boats dipped in salute and esoort.od her to the corner of the Isle of Wight: two destroyers abeid and two astern kept her company till sunset. As the smiling Duchess and the grave-looking Duke were waving their farewells to England, the hand of the Marines on the quarter-deck played the liveliest airs. Perhaps it wee in compliment to the baity Princess Elizabeth, perhaps it. was only a caw of the long arm of coincidence, but quite the liveliest air of all was "The Girl I Left Behind Me-" The Duke and ivgr«,« tiv t !o,,tr journey under the happiest oon«3i1 icui*. The lurk of the Navy was in, and the Railormen. in the fine weather Rent at the eleventh hour. n«hly lix<-<i uj. 1-, ih<ir cpirk and span traditions. The Renown had fijg« fljn.' a: hr n;.n<-I.s only: one was the Duke's S{an<3ar , ! w'jjoh «-(■ f-iaiK-k tht moment tlie Duke and liuoli■•*•(. K't i • «<t -<n the slajp. Rut without and about a!! ■•".))<•! »). j.> v.<je dr<-swd "over all." and Iteauiiful iii<-y |<««ked in their fluttering finery. Xaial pageantry in a]] ii* beauty, in all its wist fulness, began from the moment the special J rain from Victoria drew up at the ship side. The Duke and Duchess, followed by the Prince of Wales. Prince Henry, and Prince George, stepped down from a smoking compartment, and were greeted by General Seely, Hampshire's Lord Lieutenant, naval and military officers, and representatives of Portsmouth's municipal life. The ship was manned on every d<-ok. more than 1000 men standing with hands crossing those of their neighbours Captain .Sullivan and his oTioere stood on the quarter-deck, where also was mounted the •ruard of honour of Murines, Handshakes and the greetings on land came to an end. and the Duke, followed by the Duchess and his three brothers, walked up the gangway to the plaintive piping of the bo'eun's whisfe. Bugles and buezers directed orders, the band played the Xational Anthem, and the Princes stood at the salute on the quarter-deck. There were more handshakings :i-ore intrwliKtions, and then the Royal party disappeared into the privacy of the Duchess" drawing room. Here the intimate family farewells were w»id. and just beft-re 1.30 the Prince of Wales, Prince Henry, and Prince George were piped ashore after the National Anthem had again been played.