SHIP FROM EAST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23320, 13 April 1939, Page 13

SHIP FROM EAST

VISIT OF BOGGEVEEN HISTORIC NAME PRESERVED SERVICE IN THE TROPICS Making her first visit to New Zealand since 1919, the South Pacific Line's passenger steamer Roggeveen, which arrived in the stream late on Tuesday night from Saigon and Eastern ports, berthed at Queen's Wharf early yesterday morning. She is relieving the Tasman for one voyage, while the latter is receiving her annual overhaul, and she brought 16 European passengers, 10 of whom disembarked at Auckland, and 150 Javanese, natives returning home from Noumea.

Of similar design to thp company's other vessels, which call regularly at Auckland, the Roggeveen was built in 1915 and is of 4782 gross tons. She was named after- Jacob Roggeveen, who commanded the Dutch "Three Ship Expedition" on his voyage round the world to Java, via Cape Horn, in 172122. Phases of that voyage are told by a number of. charts and a portion of the original log book which adorn the walls of the ship's saloon. These charts are of never-ending interest to passengers. '

The master of the Roggeveen is Captain D. A. Zandhuizen, who has not previously visited New Zealand. He is a Friesian, and has been engaged in the South Pacific service for many years, although still a comparatively young man. He visited Australia once in 1916. He has been in command of the Roggeveen for two years, while she has been engaged on the African run from Shanghai, which takes three months to complete. She will return to that service after completing the present voyage.

The Roggeveen was designed for carrying passengers through ,the tropics. She is a neat little ship, with her hull finished in white, and her tall funnel painted a corn yellow. She has limited accommodation, but large holds, in which a great variety of Eastern cargo, including much maize, was stowed for the present voyage. The after quarters are filled with Javanese natives.