DEPARTURE OF THE NAUTILUS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8583, 9 September 1893, Page 8

DEPARTURE OF THE NAUTILUS.

The departure of the Spanish training ship Nautilus for Callao, which has been postponed from day to day for the last fortnight, took place yesterday at 12.30 p.m., and was the occasion of a good deal of interest to the residents at Port and a number of visitors from Christchurch. On Thursday afternoon the barque was taken alongside the Gladstone Pier for the purpose of taking in live stock for the homeward voyage, a supply of fresh water, store's, Ac. A crowd of people very soon found their way round to the pier to get a closer view of the vessel than they had yet had and to watch the operations of loading the stock and getting the barque ready for sea. One of the animals, while being taken on board, feU overboard and had to be towed round to the end of the pier, and so got out. The vessel was to . leave that afternoon at three o'clock, but owing to the absence of three or four of the crew, who had deserted, she could not sail. Among those who arrived some* what late at the side of the vessel was a number of young women, the Christchurch and Lyttelton sweethearts of the middies and sailors. The young women, seeing ropes being cast off and hearing officers giving, rapid orders, imagined that the barque was about to leave the wharf instanter, and locks of hair, pieces of ribbon, bunches of flowers, love-letters, and other souvenirs were hastily handed up the side of the vessel amid the derisive laughter of the crowd on shore. The appearance over the bulwarks of the trifling articles brought middies and crew with a rush to the vessel's side, where with gestures and broken English they made the girls understand the vessel would not sail till the morning, and arranged to meet them tbat evening, the j crowd in the meantime enjoying the scene immensely. Yesterday morning she was again to leave at 10 o'clock, but again she was delayed, this time by a truant sailor. However, he was captured and put on board, and the vessel finally -left the wharf shortly after 12. The Spanish colours were flying at the peak, and the New Zealand ensign I was run up oh the main mast, and saluted 'with a salute of twenty-one guns as the vessel passed out through the moles. A very large crowd watched the departure |of the really handsome vessel which had graced the Port for a period of forty-five days. Mr F. Arenas, Spanish Vice-Consul at Christchurch, and other Christchurch gentlemen went down to Port to see the visitor away.