PACIFIC ISLANDS CRUISE

Southland Times, Issue 23208, 25 May 1937, Page 8

PACIFIC ISLANDS CRUISE

THE IMPERIAL SLOOP LEITH (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, May 24. For the second time since she was commissioned by Commander Tudway at Wellington last December the Imperial patrol sloop Leith will leave for the Pacific Islands in a fortnight’s time, when she is to begin her annual winter cruise. The other sloop Wellington left on a similar cruise on May 4, part of her duties being the embarkation of a party of scientists who intend to observe the solar eclipse from Canton Island in the Phoenix group. This party joined the sloop at Suva last Friday and will be landed at Canton Island tomorrow. Leaving Auckland on June 7 the Leith will make her first call at Suva and her cruise will later embrace the New Hebrides and the Solomon Islands groups, Nauru, Ocean Island, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Samoa, the Tongan group and other islands before she returns to Auckland on September 13. The Wellington’s programme provides for visits to additional groups, and with the flagship Achilles leaving on a similar cruise on June 12 arrangements have been made this year for one of the most comprehensive patrols ever made by ships on the New Zealand station. The Leith is also to embark the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific (Sir Arthur Richards) who is also Governor of Fiji for a cruise of the islands under his jurisdiction. This will be the first visit of inspection made by the High Commissioner since he assumed office last year, and it has been placed at his disposal to make his task of covering the enormous area of his domain much easier than it would be if he had to make arrangements for the chartering of a private vessel.