MAUNGATAPERE SAILOR ABROAD

Northern Advocate, 12 August 1935, Page 4

MAUNGATAPERE SAILOR ABROAD

A LETTER FROM HONOLULU. LINK WITH MAUNGAKARAMEA. In a letter to his parents, Mr Jack Draper, of Maungatapere. who is now Leading-Seaman on H.M.S. Dunedin, makes some very interesting statements. When his ship was at Honolulu, he was granted a fortnight’s leave, which he spent as the guest of a gentleman whom he met on the occasion of a previous visit. A most enjoyable time was spent in shooting and fishing. He was greatly thrilled when his host showed him five beautiful pointer dogs. One had been imported from Te Aroha and another from Maungakaramea, having been sent to Honolulu by Mr D. H. Walker. Leading-Seaman Draper had frequently been shooting with Mr Walker, when the dog’s mother was working, and it came as a very pleasant surprise when he found himself shooting in the Hawaii Islands, using a dog the mother of which he had been so well acquainted with at Maungakaramea. Truly the world is. very small. The pheasants in Hawaii, the writer says, are of the Chinese type, and much smaller than those in New Zealand. Their breasts are black instead of bronze. When the New Zealand warship was at Honolulu, members of the crew took part in a boxing tourney. In the heavyweights, the New Zealander. Ryan, won against the amateur champion, but the lightweights were hopelessly outclassed. Evans fought the Californian champion, Rosenberg, who, says Leading-Seaman Draper, “is the prettiest fighter I have seen. He put Evans down for six in the first round, and for the count in the second. Fulton took the count in the second round of his fight.” The Dunedin arrived at Papeete yesterday, and is due in New Zealand on August 30.