HOSPITAL SHIP WORK.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13975, 11 September 1917, Page 7

HOSPITAL SHIP WORK.

■ a CHAtLtirs'A'ceotJira. tEY. r. T. READ OF THE MARAMA AT II AY WARD'S THEATRE. The lecture given in Hayward 's Theitre last night by Chaplain F. T. Re'ad, leriling with/the work of the Hospital ship Marama,, drew a large audience. His Worship the Mayor (Mr R Milligan) presided, and iii a cordial speech welcomed'. Chaplain, Scad. The lecture was made more interesting by n large number of lantern slides which Wore shown of tho. various places visited . Chaplain, Read . was presented with a camera bv the congregation of- the Cargilf Road MethodistChurch before he left Duncdin, and tho views 'shown • were of a highly educational nature. The lecturer also possesses the gift of explaining and conmenting on his pictures in a very entertaining maimer, and an enjoyable hour and a-half were spent by the audience. The photographs were shown on the screen by Mr D. Sinclair, the lantern being kindly lent by Mr F. Milner, M,A. Tho chaplain commenced his lecture with a brief reference to Belgium, He then took his audience with him to Albany, Colombo, Canal, Cairo,

Salonika, Malta, Gibraltar, the South of France, Southampton, London, Havre land Dublin. The pictures shown of Salonika enabled the lecturer to familiarise localities anil historic buildings to his hearers by quotations from "the Bible, in which references were made to aIL" these historic buildings. When speaking of Malta and ibe ship's visit to that historic place, Chaplain Read said that this place was referred to in the Bible as the island of Mclita. The pictures shown dealing with the South of France were extremely interesting, the collection including collie excellent views of old Roma 1 ; buildings, which are still in an excellent state of preservation. The series also included a number of views of historic towns and buildings in England, i Referring to the work of the llaramn ' the lecturer said that the ship first clinic into close touch with the reality of war at Alexandria, where she took on board 500 soldiers who had been in the wintry retreat from Serbia, They were mostly British' Tommies. Many of them wem mere boys, some seventeen and eighteen years of age, A large number Were suffering terribly from frostbite. Duriug her absence from New Zealand the Marama had. steamed equal to' • 52.000 land miles, and had carried over 13,000 British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, New Foundland, and even German sick and wounded soldiers, The vessel's record ,was one to be proud of. ns only seven soldiers hail died out oi the 13,000 carried. The lecturer went on to explain that the, Marama was later engaged in the 'cross-Channel run. She had cots for 550 cases, but on one occasion she tool: on board at Havre in less than five hours 1636 sick-and wounded soldier?. The Marama made three trips to the Mediterranean for sick and. wounded soldiers. She also made' twii; itviv" across the English Channel, and visited

Havre on ten occasions. It was. at HavWtfiaffii'e'gfeater parribf jfiWl Ves--1 sol's noble work ins carried out. Chaplain Read said that flic service which he ' attended in Westminster Abbey would live long in his memory. The service' was attended by his Majesty the King and soldiers from all parts of the world. At the conclusion of the lecture Cha ilain Read expressed his thanks to his Worship the Mayor for presiding, to the'Rov. J.,A. Lochore for undertaking the arrangements in connection with the lecture, and to the lanternist and to the lender of the lantern, and also to the' audience for the attentive and appreciative hearing accorded him. The takings, which amounted to £1!! 10s 3d (gross) will be devoted to the chaplain's fund for the sick and woundded on the next commission of the hospital ship. Donations may still be made to the fund by anyone who desires to nssist.