HOMEWARD BOUND.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13308, 8 January 1912, Page 1

HOMEWARD BOUND.

II M.S. POWERFVL'S CAREER

Tho flagship Powerful- hoisted- tho u'-ual farewell signals to Wellington on' 1 ui'sday of last week, aud amidst tho, sl'iii'is of '■j.tolling linme to Merry ''m-hiid" from the ship's band setWt 10. Portsmouth, via Hobart. The r nirer will carry the-flag of Vice-Ad-miiol Sir George King-Hall as far as liobart. At that »oH the Admiral Mil disembark with Lady King-Hall to await the arrival" of tho new l!ag,hip, Drake. Ti:e Powerful meets tin? Di.'ko at Colombo next month. ,

Originally built at a cost of £674"----870, the Powerful, .which wiU'ondher fighting days 011 her return to Portsmouth, and be converted into a trainjug ship, has had an interesting career (says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph"). She was constructed at Barrow, being launched.in 1895,-and is a sister ship of H.M.S. Terrible. When equipped-for sea the Powerful and the Terrible ranked as tho> largest ships of the class in the world. Her first commission was for tho China Station, where tho cruiser spent two years. During this time she went to Manila and spent some months there protecting British residents while tho American-Filipino war v.as raging. The Immortalito relieved the Powerful in tho East, but before leaving she passed through a. lively time during the Russian war scare of 1898. On one occasion jit this stage of her career matters became so serious that the Powerful was cleared for action. Subsequently tho Powerful1!! crew policed the newly-acquired port of Wei-lisii-v.oi. Orders to return to England worn followed, when the ship called at Singapore, by orders. for Captain Lambton to take tha Powerful with all despatch to Capetown, via Mauritius. This was at the time of tho Boer War. Tho cruiser embarked at Singapore 800 of the Yorkshire Light Infantry, with horses, baggage, and munitions of war, and those were landed at tho Cape in record, timo from the Eastern port. At this time the Boers were already crossing the British border, and it is on record that the Powerful was the lirst ship to send assistance. The good work accomplished is already well known. It is not generally understood, however, that the Powerful was the only ship to send men to Ladysmith, and this was only made possible by the prompt action of her captain, who grasped the situation and accepted the great responsibility, instead of awaiting instructions which would have crime too late. The subsequent reception of the ship and lie:1 crew when she readied Portsmouth are looked at as remarkable incidents in tho ship's history. The next commission was for tho Australian Station, and oxactly six years ago the big cruiser took up moorings in Farra Cove with the iiag of Vice-Admirnl Sir Wilmqt Hawkworth Fawkes at the masthead! Sinco.then she' has frori time to time visited all the principal Australian and New Zealand ports, and also cruised through the' Sout'.i Seas, and in tins connection lias probably done more stcannng than tho averago warship is called upon to do.

A shocking thing has happened (writes "Atticus" in the Melbourne

"Leader") in connection with tho building of tho new Sydney Trades' Hall. Tho committee has been made aware of the shameful fact that iron bars manufactured at Hoskins Bros.' foundry during a strike have been put into the building. Think of. the ig.loir.itiy to stout unionists of owning a-hall buttressed with bars manufactured by black-k'g labour! Thorc was nothing else for it; part of -the hall .ins been ordered down, and the. nonunion iron is to bo toi'H out. How fortunate it is that tho discovery did not come later. Suppose it transpired that tho foundation stone had been squared by a free labourer! I cannot imagine how true unionists hope for happiness in .1 paradise entirely of non-union origin."

There was a wonderful scone of enthusiasm at tlio farewell performance nf the Aiollia Grand Opera Company

it Her Jvlajcstv's Theatre, Ifelbourne. .Madame jl^l'ia and' tlio iiKMiibe.rs of 'ier foipjwny wi'i'e ;>ccordi-<l an ovatioii that wilj long bu rtsnu'mherod by thos" that figured in it. It appeared as ii: tiio audience would unvcr grow tired if appliiitding. Kvory seat in the re■or/cti stalls and dress- circle whs wr-l at a guinea. A special train, leaving Melbourne shortly before six o'clock, took the complete company to Sydney.

Crabs are put to a (]ue;?r uko on certain parts of the Devonshire foreshore-. They are used to catch rabbits. Having located a promising burrow, a snarer takes a crab and affixes a short length of lighted candb to its shelbaclc. The liel»iviour of a crab which finds itsMj in. a narrow c:iclosure is well known, it begin:- to run. It therefore starts away up tlio burrow at top-ra-to, and presently .\);;trUT Bunny is horrified at siidii of a jog-trotting flan:c coining for hissanctuary of .sanctuaries. Off h? goes for the other exit—only lo find himself, when ho ciuargies, in a. trap.

A young Limvood lady, who-was voting for the first time in her lifo, caused some amusement iv one of the Avon polling booths. fr!:o was about to put her ballot papers i:i tho ballot boxes, when ibo suddenly halted, and exclaimed. ''1 linvc forgotten to sii".i them." It bad in bn explained to hor that the secrecy of tho ballot was a sacryd and inviolable thing.

Miss Giimwood, of Uangiora. recently had the misfortune to .break her arm in a v«vy singular man nor. She was driving in a vehicle, and :i dog rushed out, and when endeavourto .hit the dog with tlio'whip'Kltr> struck her arm against the splashboard, breaking it.

The fiv&t wedding preasnt couvoyod by ,-iovnplnnc was brought to Print'CKK Zita v>'< J'ari;!:!, who was married recrtiitly to t*:o future Austrian E::iperor. Archduke Carl Franz Jorci'. Tho Princess's home at Sehivarzau linear the. W'ienerneustadt aviation ground, which she has visited frequently. In recognition of her inrvre.sfc, the eii^inbcr, Warehalowski, floy; to Schwarzau, and alighting in fror.t of the chateau, handed tho Prince?" a silver model of a-flying machine as a present from himself .and other pilots.

An official nf 011a of the Wellington hanks stated to a "Dominion" reporter on Wc<lnesdiiy tliqt a num'hor of gilt sixpences are at prosent in circulation, having been passed off a> lialf-sovoreißns. The imposture, though crude iv- conception, has ]ioo;i carried out with a certain amount of skill, the words "six pence" being; neatly obliterated on tlio silver coin priorto its transformation in the gilding bath. A gor,:l enough imitation has been prodiieM ia this way to deceive shopkoopors and othorr., and one or two of the coin.s have even been passed by. tho bank tellers and only detected upon :r snbsco.iicnt .and more leisurely, scrutiny. Members of the general public will therefore do well to carefully osa'mine any half-sove-reigns that come their way.

"It is ill arguing with a hungry roan," says the old proverb; but it is worse playing tricks with a sick ono. When the doctor orders Brandy, • he means the Best Brand". Give your patient the beßt, Martell'a.