A UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9840, 5 September 1903, Page 4

A UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT.

.Lady Itanfudy, who evidently w:is touched at this tribute from the men, then rose and said : "I beg to thank you very heartily for giving it to mo. I shall value it verv much, and every blot in it," Later in tho evening, Lord Hanfurly addressed a few words to those presej.-t. Ho was greeted with ringing cheers, such as were perhaps never below heard in Government House. After thanking the performers, he said that both he and Lady Ronfurly would treasure the album that had been presented to them. He made pissing reference to the good that was being done by the Seamen's Mission, here ,and to the fact that through the benevolence, of Mrs Williams they would soon have a comfortable home for sailors erected in Wellingto-n. Tliero should be such a home for seamen in every port in the Empire. (Cheers.) As they all knew, he was going back to his own home. That was the only reason why he wished to leave New Zealand, where he had spent so many happy veal's amongst them. (Cheers.) It was past 1 o'clock in the morning before the entertainment ended, and the last of the sailors had departed. One by one, men, women, and children — stoker ami steward, sailor and greaser— they filed out, saying good-night and shaking hands with Lord and Lady Ranfurly and Lady Constance Knox ns they went, all pleased with their experience, and the men ready to carry the fame of New Zealand and stories of the kindness and hospitality of the King's representative to tlie uttermost corners of the earth.

♦ SAILORS AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. Clouds of tobacco smoke, evidently from pretty strong tobacco (telegraphs the "Wellington correspondent of the H.B. Herald), were pouring through the doprs 'of the big drawing-room and the bail-room on Wednesday evening at Government House, and floating ceilingward in the main lia.ll. Inside were some 260 sailors and their wives, daughters, and sweethearts. There was even a. little baby of two or three months peacefully sucking at a feeding bottle, surely die youngest colonist who lias ever attended a, function at Government House. One of those unique and interesting entertainments given periodically to the seafaring men in port by the Earl and Countess of Rajifurly was in progress. The aides-de-camp, in faultjess evening dress, had handed round tobacco to fill the pipes of .nearly two hundred iniMi, and in the very front row, with the ladies of the house party and the concert performers, sat the Governor and Bishops Julius and Neligan, each with the stem of a well -seasoned briar between liis teeth, adding his quota to the pungent cloud. Music, song, and story whiled the time, away, and now and then a tun© mi a penny wliistle by some sailor man or a quaint and rousing sea song or cliajity, in which the whole lea-ther-lunged two hundred and sixty joined, would lend variety to the strange performajuce. She's my Flo from Pimlico — co— co. She's a lady from head to toe. Would give place to the quaint — Oh, we'll rail the cotton down, Or the fin© volume of chorus that follows the two-line solo of the famous and rollicking We're bound for Rio Grande. ■ After a sumptuous supper had . been served, a surprise presentation was made to Lady Ranfurly. This was an album bound in green leather, with the family crest on a silver shield. Inside the book were an illuminated address, a few original verses of farewell, and the signatures of some two thousand seamen, most of whom at one time or other have enjoyed the hospitality of Government House. Mr Moore, in making tlie presentation, said that in no other part of the British Empire were sailors invited to meet the representative of his Majesty the King, as had been the case of late years in New Zealand. In almost every part of the world there were at that moment seafaring men who would ever remember the kindness shown to them at Government- House, Wellington, by Lord and Lady Ranfurly. In the album which he now presented there were the names of seafaring men of eighteen different nationalities. These men had come from' the stokeholds and on-gine-roouis of steamers and from the dusty holds of the wind-jammers to sign their natives in the album us a token of tlie affection and esteem, in which Lady Raufurly was held by them, and he trusted, if any smudges or blots should meet her eye, she would not wind t them.