H.M.S. VICTORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18299, 16 January 1923, Page 10

H.M.S. VICTORY.

PLEA FOR RESTORATION. The following letter recently appeared in tlio London Times:-—" Recently, accompanied by one of.. mv sons (as, in like manner, I was conducted by mv father 45 years ago), I ugain visited the Victory, now undergoing external repair in a Portsmouth dry dock. Many changes, for the •worse, in the condition of the ship have occurred during that interval of iiire. A 1 few of the most glaring examples .«f van--1 dalism may bo briefly noted. "Wardroom, ! gunroom, and officers' quarters have 'disappeared completely, and Nelson's and : Hardy's cabins them, while the, ! quaint promenade deck running round outside the stern of the ship lias long ago vanished. » "The ancient, shot-holed sails are hidden ; away in a glass box,' unrecognisable as • sails at all,, and totally useless as exhibits. • They are aired once a year, I was told. The main deck, robbed of its fine old row ) boats and of all character as the heart : and centre of a fighting ship, lias been covered in to form a museum and picture , gallery interesting little show in it:» i way, but totally but of place as it stands. j- The -Scarred wooden infests and fphis . have been replaced by iron structures, "?iul the hempen cordage by steel hawsers, , while the famous ship's bell was Jo'ig ago t wantonly -broken up arid the fragments I distributed as souvenirs. • The enormous . anchor, so typical of old-time woodon I ships, now adorns' Ssrethsea"beach.' ; ■ , '' So, without doubt, might the cata- [ logne of injury be expanded. What, is not" , desired is to restoro the vessel, in every j possible detail, to the conditions prevail-' .. ing in those" evehtful •_ days when the greatest of British aiuniirals lived, fought, : and died aboard her."