IN SOUTHERN SEAS. MOURNING KING EDWARD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 118, 21 May 1910, Page 9

IN SOUTHERN SEAS. MOURNING KING EDWARD.

AN IMPERIAL TRIBUTE. ALL CLASSES UNITED IN SORROW. YESTERDAY'S SERVICES. Yesterday the sad voice of tolled and muffled bells followed the sun's light all jound the earth, and minute-guns marked 'time majestically for IKing Edward fvH. The flags to-day have, flashed to the peaks, but sorrow has not been automatically banished from the people's Jx-arts by the mere passing of 20th DVlay New Zealand, first of the Empire to got the sun's good-morrow, was first ■with the pageant for the Peacemaker. The Antipodes began the great mourning for the Empire's Head a fortnight ago, and yesterday it was again the sad part of tne Antipodes to commence the chorus of sorrow that was to go around the globe. In London King 6 and sons of Kings* assembled to bow the head in moumrul farewell to a mighty monarch. There the old-world ceremonies made a scene, which some speculators assessed at a high commercial value (recently cabled), but in all the Red countries of the world the honouring of tne dead was as sincere as London's, though the pageants' did cot spell so much to ths eye. Wellington had a grey day, relieveu at intervals with sun-flashes. The city's bells had still air to send their grieving to the people, and the guns spoko with memorable solemnity — one, two . . . eixty -eight ImperhJ syllables for a King and Emperor. Wellington's tribute was ihe tribute of Auckland, too, and Christchurch, Dunedin, and the smaller towns. Press Association messages from every important settlement in both islands give an impressive picture of New Zealand's nistorica! yesterday — clergy and laity, civilia.no and soldiers, •U out to do their part for one who was ■the friend of all Here in the morning thousands of children in the heart-moving panorama in tho Basin Reserve, and in tho afternoon came a great ceremonial assembly on the lawn fronting the old Parliament Buildings, where ths Proclamation of Edward's son was read last week. The churches were one in prayer for the farewelled King, and the thousands of the people massed around the military made a spectacle of sympathy to be held iong in the memory of an observer.