VOYAGES OF TRANSPORTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14983, 9 August 1919, Page 7

VOYAGES OF TRANSPORTS.

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. The. transports Matatua and Ulimaroa arrived at Auckland, the f miner this morning and the latter last night. On the Matatua. were 682 soldiers from France, while tho Ulimaroa brought 1092 troops from Egypt. The Matatau did not anchor m the stream until this morning, when she berthed (at.j'9 o'clock.-' Although ; the ship was fairly crowded, / she was not uncomfortably so for a troopship. The food wafc remarkably good. The voyage on tho Matatua was an uneventful one. She left Tilbury docks on June 28, 'and the only port of call was Colon, where the soldiers went ashore for a few hours at night. During the trip, educational classes have been carried out. The attendance at the classes was compulsory, except for about 25 per cent of the. soldiers who were engaged on fatigue duties. The numbers attending the various classes were , as follows :— Economics 31, English 28, mathematics 7, surveying and applied mathematics 6, bookkeeping 62, advertising 13* live stock 117, beekeeping; 64, cabinet-making and design 14. The health of the troops has been good, except, for a few cases of mumps. Amusements of various kinds helped to kill the monotony of the voyage and the presence of the New Zealand Artillery Band , helped m this direction. The band liajj returned as a unit after playing at \\< number of depots m England. The officer commanding the troops is .Major A ( . B. Williams, D.S.O. The men for southern towns among the Matatua'^ draft were transhipped to the Ulimaroa, m which they will leave for their homes. The UHmaroa left Suez on June 30, and except for the tail-end of a heavy monsoon ;in the Indian Ocean, and a heavy s^vell iv the Australian Bight, the weather was fine. Two days were spent nt Colombo, where the ship took on enough water and coal to carry her to New' Zealand. The men were allowed ashore both days and earned the thanks -of tho general for their excellent behaviour.