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New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13491, 18 May 1907, Page 5 (Supplement)

The cruiser Diadem, which hag been relieved on the China station by the Bedford, had a curious experience on sailing for home recently. It is usual for ships going home at the close of a commission to fly an enormous paying-off pennant. That of the Diadem, on leaving Hongkong, says the Singapore Free Press, was a fine specimen of its kind, being about a thousand feet long, with the tail end decorated with a bladder beautifully gilt, and inflated with 'hydrogen to help the free end of the pennant to fly light. Just on coming out of Hongkong, the paying-off pennant fouled the rigging of a Chinese junk. With prompt alacrity the Chinese sailors of the junk cut off about a hundred feet of the Diadem's pennant, including the golden sphere that was its terminal glory, while, with an infinite sense of humour, one of these Chinese wags shinned up the mast of the junk and made the annexed portion of the pennant fast to the masthead. The Diadem continued on her way with sadly truncated pride, while the junkmen sailed gaily into Hongkong, all smiles, with the captured trophy from the .Diadem flaunting boastfully in the breeze. j