SHIPPING LINK WITH EAST

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 192, 11 May 1937, Page 8

SHIPPING LINK WITH EAST

Maetsuycker at Auckland INAUGURATION OF NEW SERVICE Dominion Special Service. Auckland, May 10. From the islands of the Indies tlie 1 )utrh Royal Packet Navigation Company’s new motorvessel Maetsuycker arrived at Auckland this morning. It is her maiden voyage and on it she is inaugurating a new direct shipping service between New Zealand ami the Orient. Soundly built and beautifully appointed, tlie Maetsuycker is a typically modern ship and yet she brings with ner more than a suggestion of tlie glamour and mystery of the spice-laden islands through which she will ply her trade. There was a real sense of the picturesque about tlie new ship as she lay at anchor in the stream, her white hull and squat yellow funnel bathed in toe early sunlight. From 'tween decks came unaccustomed sounds of an Eastern language as brown-skinned Javanese deck passengers, on their way nome from Noumea, gazed out on a new city. Guttural commands from Dutch officers were answered with almost demoniacal activity by the Javanese and Malay seamen, while white-jacketed Chinese stewards busied themselves round the decks and the public rooms or paused in their own quarters to make their breakfast of rice with a bewildering play of chopsticks. On board the vessel everything was spick and span. The Dutch officers, all of whom seem to speak excellent English, were eager to make acquaintances in their new port~of call. Captain J. J. Kooper, commander of trie Maetsuycker, stated that the vessel had behaved splendidly on her maiden voyage, In his opinion she was ideally designed ami constructed for the trade in which she is to be engaged. The Maetsuycker was launched at Amsterdam in November of last year, and sailed for the East on January 16. Captain Kooper took over command of tlie vessel at Batavia. A glance at the vessel is sufficient to show that she was built especially for the tropics. There is a maximum of ventilation, and even on the lower decks the air is delightfully fresh. There is ample space ’tween decks for carrying native deck passengers between the various Islands. On her present voy.age the Maetsuycker took about 250 Javanese to Noumea, "where they will work as labourers in mines and on plantations, and she is taking about 25 back to Java. There is accommodation on board for 54 first-class passengers, and all cabins are roomy, bright and airy. On her present trip tlie Maetsuycker is carrying about 40 passengers.

The new vessel is named after Johan Maetsuycker, one of the early Dutch governors of the Indies, who was largely instrumental in arranging Abel Tasman’s voyages of discovery in the Southern Pacific. Over the companionway leading from tho main social hall is a fine metal plate with an engraving of the old Dutch governor, and another similar plate in the social hall itself bears an engraving of one of the early Dutch merchantmen, the ship Prins Willem.

High hopes are entertained for the development of the service between the Dutch East Indies and New Zealand. It was stated that there should be every opportunity for tlie export of primary products from the Dominion to Java and the East, while there was also room for expansion in the export trade from Dutch East Indies. If future development was in keeping with expectations, there was even a possibility that the company might build another vessel to replace the older steamer Van Re&s, which for the time being will maintain the new service with the Maetsuycker. After her arrival the Maetsuycker proceeded almost immediately to Chelsea, where she berthed to discharge sugar for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. A complimentary luncheon will be given on board to-morrow, when port officials and representatives of the business community will be the guests of the company. The Maetsuycker will leave Auckland to-morrow evening for Wellington, and after unloading cargo there will proceed to Sydney. She will then complete the round trip to Java.