To Nana's Friends

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 46, 23 February 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

To Nana's Friends

My Dear Little People,— Have you, ever heard the little poem: Perhaps some day a Galleon, As proud as proud can be, Will pass the window where I sit. With pennons three times three, A painted ship from Long Ago Who's lost her way at sea. To-day a galleon has come floating into our pages, and a very lovely picture it makes, too, don't you think, boys and girls? It is called the "Star Galleon," and Propeller is going to tell the bigger boys how to make a model of it.

Although we do not see this type of vessel sailing in our waters to-day, once upon a time they were the only ships that were in use. The Spaniards built them first and used them to carry treasure from the rich South American mines home to Spain. They look like treasure ships, too, don't they?

These were the boats, too, that fought against Drake and his gallant men at the great battle of the Armada; that went travelling across oceans to discover new lands, and that pirates rode away in to plunder other ships. So. you see, these galleons have a great history.

And aren't they pretty, too? Wouldn't you love to see one come flying up the harbour, the sails white and shining, and bowing to their shadows in the water. Wouldn't it be fun to sail away in them to new and strange lands, to fight with pirates, to have all sorts of thrilling adventures? Oh, well, we can only dream of those things nowadays, as galleons faded from history many hundreds of years ago. Love from NANA-