MERCHANT NAVY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19451, 26 October 1928, Page 11

MERCHANT NAVY.

CAPTAIN,' BLACKBURNE HONOURED. [THE PBESS Special Servioei] WELLINGTON, October 25. Aix unexpected honour haa been conferred upon CaptainH. S. Blat&btifiie, of "Oriental terrace, Wellington, exnautical adviset- to the Marine Department, who. has been advised by ; cablegram that fye hag been Uiiatlinipiisly elected an honoraty membet df -the Honourable bf Master Mariners "for gredt services reildefed to the merchant navy." The cablegram notifying Captain Blackburne of,, his elec* tion was signed by the Deputy-Master, Sir Burton Chadwick, who is eminent in the nautical. worldj and -is deputy to the -Prince of Wales, who tanks as Master. In connexio'n with the above honour, Captain Blackburne received a letter recently from an old contemporary, Captain Thos. S. Angus,-"of "Prearie," Loughton, fessex, at otie time superintendent for the P. and 0. ,Lihe in London, and one bf the keenest of Btudeftts of navigation. This fine old gentleman —ilbw nearly 80 years of age—iii the Course of a thirteen page- letter, said: ''Now, I have something to tell j'ou which I have had soine hesitatioA about letting you know, as it might result in disappointment, but even if it does it will be gratifying to you to know the high esteem in which you and your labours are held by a verylarge number of seamen; About a fprtnight ago I happened to call on Mr Smith, secretary of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners. Whilst I Was there. Captain Chaplin, who has just beeh elected an Elder Brbther of Trinity House, came in with the proposal that you should be elected an honorary member of the Company. I don't know if he ever met you, but he pointed out that you are now well up ih years." Mr Smith pointed out that the honorary membership was very jealously guardefl by Sir Burton Chadwick, and up to the present only the most distinguished men have been elected. , Captain Blackburne, who 1b quite sensible to the honour, conferred upon him, could only suggest that it came through his authorship of various books on navigation, notably his "Hour Angle and Altitude Azimuth Tables," his "Excelsior ex-Meridiatt and Position Finding Tables," his "Modem Up-to-Date Navigation," and his "ABC Azimuth Tables," standard 1 works which are known throughout the world, but which have yielded their author practically nothing in hard cash, though conferring valuable assistance to navigating officers. Captain Blackburne was formerly of the P. and 0. Steam Navigation Company, whose service he left over a matter of principle. He came out to New Zealand in 1909, and took up the duties of nautical adviser to the Marine Department, from which he retired on reaching the age limit.