QUEEN OF FLEET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 85, 11 April 1938, Page 7

QUEEN OF FLEET.

EMPRESS OF BRITAIN. DUE AUCKLAND TO-MORROW. OVERLAND TOtJRS ARRANGED. Queen of the Canadian Pacific Railway's North Atlantic fleet, the world cruise ship Empress of Britain will jlide majestically into the Auckland harbour tomorrow morning for a four day>" stay. In Wellington, according to a Press Association message, the great white 42.000-tonner was barthed with amuch ease and in le.-s time than some vessels a fraction her size.

Lese than an hour after she passed Point Halswell on Sunday morning th<magnificent vessel —easily the large-: ever to visit these waters —was berthed alongside Pipitea wharf in Wellington. Every vantage point in and about the harbour was occupied by people watch ing the stately progress of the liner.

Owing to a storm met when nearinj tlie New Zealand coast. the Empress did not make her projected call at Milfnrd Sound. She made a smart passage up the West Coast of the South Inland and through Cook Strait, arriving off Pencanow Head -soon after 7 a.m. on Sunda v.

To-morrow morning Captain W. Beswick. senior of the Auckland Harbour Board's regular pilot*, will l>e on ihe bridge of the Empress bringing her in. She is scheduled to berth at Prince"wharf east at about a.m. For sont" days the dredge Hapai has l>een operating alongside the _l>erth levelling the "liim]*"' on the Iwittom to make a'>-"-lutely sure that the ship will have ample clearance. One of Britain's Be_t. The seven-year-old Empress nfßritai'i is regarded as one of the finest vesspV turned out of British yar<ls. She registers 42.34S tons gross and liesteam turbine engines are capable of ti2.")00 horse-power, which gives a sppc 1 l>etter than 27 knots. Two of her foilpropellers have been remoxed for tl.c purposes of the world cruise, and <n:" of her twin engine .rooms disconnected, so that her maximum speed is re<luce 1 to about 22 knots.

With a stay in Auckland of neavlv four days, passengers aboard th<' Empress of Britain will l<e able to tak" advantage of overland tours to places of scenic interest, while others will jotirnev overland from Wellington. Oil arrival at Wellington a party of -10 passengerset out on a leisurelv trip to Air-kland bv wav of Wntvanui. Taupo. \\airak"i. Rotorua anil Waitomo. They will ar:ivin Auckland on Friday morning and -pend the morning *i«rht seeing. Another iiartvis proceeding- through the National Park. Taupo. Rotorua and Waitomo.

Tinmediatelv after the vessel berths to morrow. :.0 or fiO touri-ts will leav-* by special train for Rotoma. while 10't will spend the day in Auckland and ditri.is. On Wednesday, the latter party will -jo to Rotorua.

J The ship will clear Auckland for Suva [at •"> p.m. on Friday.