SAIL SPREAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 35, 11 February 1935, Page 9

SAIL SPREAD.

SLOOP LEAVES.

LABURNUM FOR SINGAPORE.

BABE SIGHT IN HARBOUR.

A man o'-war under sail, a rare sight tlicso days in any Empire harbour—| was the picturesque spectacle presented on the Waitemata this morning when H.M.S. Laburnum left Sheerlcgs wharf for North Australian ports en route to Singapore. The departure of the sloop recalled two significant milestones in the progress of the British Navy. Heading the lint in length of continuous services on the New Zealand station, the Laburnum is the last independent command in the Empire's sea forces to burn coal and wear sail. Incidentally, the departure also turned back some of the pages of Auckland's maritime history to bring to life the days when warships with sails set were a familiar sight to the old inhabitants of Auckland. As the Laburnum this morning, flying her 235 ft paying-off pennant, from "truck to keelson," nosed her way into the stream, with her sails spread and coal smoke issuing from her funnels, she communicated, figuratively, the message: "Here goes the last of the oldtimers." That, of course, was not the real message, which said, simply: "Goodbye." This farewell signal was flown in response to the "bon-voyage" messages signalled from H.M.S. Dunedin and H.M.S. Philomel. Both cruiser and training ship hoisted the tidings: "Goodbye and good luck." The sightseers who gathered at the sloop's side were, obviously people with more than a passing interest in the ship's company. This was made clear when the time arrived for personal farewells. Girls were in the majority, and more than one wisp of cambric was employed for a purpose other than waving. There was the usual degree of excitement when, the farewells still a poignant memory, the Laburnum slipped away from the berthage. There had been parades of the guard on both Laburnum and Philomel, but the cheering was reserved until the last minute. Cheers for the ship's companies of the Philomel and Dunedin were given from the Laburnum, and there were rousing responses from the cruiser and trainingship. t . With traditional naval promptitude the sloop left the wharfside at 11.30. Several minutes later she hoisted at her foremast head a shape representing an undersail with funnels up, as prescribed in the International Code. This was to denote that the Laburnum was proceeding under sail as well as under steam. With her sharp grey bows turned towards the channel, the ship hoisted her sails —first the fore mainsail and then the mainsail and the main staysail. It was an inspiring sight for those who had accepted as a vantage point the Esplanade instead of the < wharf. Through a glassy sea the little sloop slid smoothly on her way, a colourful combination of the old and the new.