CAPTAIN COOK

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12023, 29 December 1924, Page 5

CAPTAIN COOK

LANDINCj IN NEW ZEALAND. INTERESTING CEREMONY IN ' ENGLAND. On October- Bth, 1769, Captain James iCook, on his first great voyage of discovery in tho-Pacific, landed at a. point in.. New' Zealand where the progressive town of Gisborne now stands (says “United Empire). The anniversary is celebrated every year on the .spot.-where the great navigator - landed—now ‘marked- by a granite obelisk erected by the local residents to the memory of the intrepid Empite Builder., This year, as in previous years, the occasion ' was not forgotten, and in addition, the; children of ■ Gisborne forwarded to Matron-in-Cleye-, land—the little: Yorkshire village in which .Cook was born, referred tobv D'r Bradfield in his address on Sydney—their 6wn particularl tribute, the Union' JackSo on October Bth, 1924, exactly 155 years after' Cook’s discovery of New V.eoland. an emissary from the person of Major-T; R-. Kirk; M.8.E., presented' the- children’s gift to the Marten Parish Counoil. The flag, appropriate!)' enough, tvas received hy Mr H., \v. Bolckow, ohairman of the .council, .end owner of : the. estate on which Captain Cook was ..born. Sir James Allen, the High Commissioner, referred to Cook as “the one who had opened the way .to make New Zealand one of the most .prosperous or the overseas Domions, "’hue Major Kirk read a message from the - chairman and council of the institute ex-pressing-appreciation of the spirit which had prompted’ the children oV Poverty Biy to make their acceptable gift. Interest was added to the ceremony-by-the presentation by Colonel Palmer, C.3.E., of the-flag of Havfari. .tho- flag which, notwithstanding its American proprietorship, still. retains the Union J?ok, in the corner—for it was in the Hawanan Islands that Cook was murdered. Presentation of this kind ca-nnot fail to do immense good, and to he ■of, significance to' the future when the Emnire shall have passed into the keeping of the' Children of: to-day.