SAILORS ASHORE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 206, 1 September 1933, Page 3

SAILORS ASHORE.

VISITING CRUISERS.

TREASURES ON FLAGSHIP. PRINCESS MARY REMEMBERS. When the naval man comes ashore ho looks for fun and friends, and usually finds both. No wonder, then, is it that although the Australian Naval Squadron arrived only yesterday, the companies of both the flagship Canberra and her sister cruiser Australia have already made many friends In Auckland. Some (100 bluejackets were granted shore leave yesterday afternoon, and another big crowd wfll be on the hunt for fun and friends this evening; To-morrow and on Sunday shore leave will be from 1 p.m. to 7.30 a.m. The visiting cruisers were not open to public inspection to-day, but Aucklanders will have an opportunity of looking over the 10,000-ton Washington Treaty class vessels during the weekend. Arrangements have been made for both vessels to be open to" the public between 1.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to-mor-row and on Sunday. Memories of Trafalgar. For the visitor to the Canberra there is much of interest to be found in that part of the cruiser that is called the ward room flat. Outstanding among the exhibits is a silver plate that originally belonged to Lord Nelson's dinner service. The plate was presented to H.M.A.S. Sydney by the Navy League in recognition of her feat in destroying the German raider Emden off Cocos island and for the other services she rer.dercd during tlie Great War. An interesting reminder of the Battle of Trafalgar is contained in a glass case in the ward room flat. It is a copy of the London "Times" of November 7, 1805, containing an account of Nelson's victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets. Across on the opposite wall of the flat is a small figurehead carved in wood. It is believed to be one of a scries of carved panels that were originally carried in the stern gallery of H.M.s. Adventure, consort of H.M.s. Resolution, in which Captain Cook made his second voyage to Australia in 1774. The most treasured of the large number of sports trophies displayed is the Denman Cup, presented in 1025 by Lord Den man, a former Governor-General of Australia, for competition among ships of the Australian Navy. The trophy is competed for each year, possession of the cup being decided by a series of pulling races held at Hobart. "The rivalry for this cup exceeds that of all the other trophies put together," said one of the officers to-day. The cup has now been held by the Canberra for two years. The traditional ceremony of breaking a bottle of champagne across the bows of a new vessel was performed at the launching of the Canberra by Princess Mary. It was the first occasion on which Her Royal Highness had performed such a ceremony, and that she has not forgotten the event is evidenced by the fact that every Christmas she sends a message of good wishes to the officers and crew of the cruiser. Entertainment Programme. A wide variety of entertainments has been arranged for the visitors. Last oveniug petty officers and men were entertained at a dance in the Missions to Seamen Hall, and this morning a party of officers left for Rotorua. Commodore Burges Watson will give a dinner party to a number of officers this evening, and later a ball will be held at the naval base. Representatives of the Australian and New Zealand squadrons will meet in a Soccer match at Blandford Park to-morrow afternoon, and a dance for the companies of all four cruisers will be held at the naval base in the evening. An inter-squadron golf match will be played at Middlemore on Sunday afternoon. "Phar Lap" beats "Winooka." For the ship's company of the Canberra, one of the greatest successes of the boat races held during the cruisers' stay at Russell was the win that their racing whaleboat, proudly christened "Phar Lap," scored over "Winooka," a new boat of similar design belonging to the Australia. The contest was the outcome of a challenge for a special race—-both boats were debarred from competing in the ordinary inter-squadron competition— issued by the unbeaten "Phar Lap" oarsmen to the crew of the untried "Winooka." For the rival Australian crews the contest was a very serious affair, and when "Phar Lap," by winning two out of the three races held, proved herself the fleetest "sea horse" of the squadron, there was great rejoicing on the flagship. Different crews rowed in each of the three races. An official call made yesterday on the Canberra by Captain H. Hayashi, master of the Japanese mercantile training ship Shintoku Maru, was returned this morning by Captain F. C. Bradley, R.N., and Lieutenant-Commander LudevicE. Porter, E.N.