FRENCH GUNBOAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1937, Page 3

FRENCH GUNBOAT.

VISIT TO AUCKLAND. ALSO LINER ILE DE FRANCE. FIRST IN SEVENTEEN YEARS. Again this summer one of the six French gunboat.- of the Amiral Charner class may visit Auckland when en route to Sydney for docking flml cleaning. A few months ago the Rigault de (lenouilly. which is at present in Sydney in preparation for sailing for the Indochina station, to which she will be attached, called here, and a previous call was made by the Savorgnan de Brazza. The Snvorgnan is at present operating on the Pacific station, based at Papeete. Tahiti, in conjunction with the training schooner Zeloe. The tisual custom is for the gunboats oil colonial service to s|tend a year on the various stations in rotation. Hence it is anticipated that the departure of the Rigault de (ienouilly for Tndo-Chiim will result in another of her class being dispatched from another station to replace her.

Another and possibly more notable arrival flying the Tricolour during the coming few months should be the giant He de Franoe, 43,4.">n-tou transatlantic liner of the Compagnic flenerale Transatlantique. One of the Auckland representatives of the company this morning stated that tile vessel definitely was coming to Kew Zealand when making a world cruise, but he had =o far received no advice regarding he." itinerary.

A visit by b French merchant vessel i< a. rarity in X«\v Zealand water*. for although *hi[>s of th«t nationality nro engaged in services; between Australia and Xew Caledonia, and hot ween Xew Caledonia. Tahiti and other Pacific inlands, tliey have no occasion to put into these ports. The last ship under French colours to berth in Auckland was. it is l>elieved. the La Perousp. which now runs in a freight and passenger service between Sydnev and Noumea, together with the Pierri Loti.