FRENCH CRUISER KERSAINT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1031, 21 January 1911, Page 9

FRENCH CRUISER KERSAINT.

PRESENTLY COIIING HEEE." ' Typically French ■in hull, and with' a very long ram bow,'-th? French cruiser Kersaiut, built at Kochefort in 1897, will shortly, visit Wellington. -She is at present lying in Waitemata Harbour. , Tho Iversaint belongs to . the Extreme Orient Division of the French. Navy, and has been away from France since 1901. She' was on the China station till four years ago, and was then transferred to tho Pacific station. During the last four, years she has been' the various French possessions in the Pacific. The Kersaint is a small vessel, measuring only .1243 tons, and with 2200 horse-power can develop 15 knots. tJigged as a barquentine, she has two large bai'bettcs on each side, \vhich make her- look, rather unusual. Her armament is, not large. Tho Kersaint will stay at Auckland till January 30. On leaving - tho northern port sho will como' on here, remainingfor a few days, and then go on to Dunedin, Akaron, and Lyttelton. Her visit-to Akaroa will ,be fraught with interest to her company, as it was tho scene of a stirring incident in tho early days which might easily have changed the tide of affairs for part at least of New Zealand. In July, 1840, steps were instituted to claim Akaroa as a French colony. The movement was discovered, "and Captain, Stanley, of 11.M.5. Britomart, hastened to the scene, and on August 11 hoisted the' British flag, taking.possession of the South Island in tho Queen's name, forestalling tho French only by a few hours.