People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20452, 2 November 1934, Page 6

People and Their Doings .

A New Zealander Writes of the Hospitality of Dr James Moffatt Original Ideas at the Harbours’ Association Social : The Old Way of Naming a Ship.

CHARACTERISTIC NOTE was struck at the social tendered last evening to the delegates to the conference of the Harbours’ Association of New Zealand. Mr C. 11. Clibborn. the secretary of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, had devised a competition most suited to the interests of the guests, each of whom was presented with a number and an answer card. Everyone present wore some symbol or object suggesting the name of a harbour, port or town in New Zealand. Many original ideas were displayed. Lyttelton was well represented, the most popular interpretation being a picture of a weight marked 20cwt or 22401 b. with the inscription, “ short weight.” Westport was defined as a compass with the West point accentuated and a picture of a bottle of port. Gore was a popular choice, some guests having chosen a bull charging with lowered horns, while others wore what looked like a scarlet blot. Difficulty in guessing what a piece of raw steak represented was solved later by its wearer, a member of the Lyttelton Board. He claimed that it stood for “ Aka-raw,” although very few guessed its import. Other tokens were a bottle of water (Stillwater), England’s admiral (Nelson), towering cliffs (Bluff) and a fox with a 20cwt measure (Foxton). One of the most confusing was Kaukapakapa. 'J' WEN TV THOUSAND dusty, forgotten manuscripts lie in the wine cellars of the King. They are the plays which the Lord Chamberlain has licensed during the last twenty-five years. Recently they were removed from the vaults of the Office of Works and transferred to the wine cellars of St James’s Palace, where they join the rest of their brethren, thus forming a complete collection of all plays licensed and performed since 1852. Since 1824 the Lord Chamberlain has been compelled by law to keep copies of all plays he licenses. At first they were sent to the British Museum, but now the Lord Chamberlain has to look after them himself.

< 'THE LAUNCHING of the new Cunarder } by the Queen at Glasgow serves to remind one that the christening of a ship did not always follow the simple modern ritual, writes a London correspondent. In Tudor ; times the christening of a vessel of the 1 Royal Navy was performed by an official 2 known as the King’s Lieutenant, after the ship had taken to the water. On the quar- .. ter deck a pedestal was erected and on this was placed a silver goblet full of wine, i The Lieutenant went on board xo an act companimSnt of drum and trumpet music, t marched up to the goblet and took a deep draught of the wine. Then he poured some 1 of it on the deck at the four points of the 3 compass, and having again helped himself f | to the contents of the goblet, he threw it . i and what was left of the wine into the • i water as an offering to Neptune. i | This practice was discontinued when it 1 i was discovered that certain of the King’s - I Lieutenants, with an eve to their own enrichment, stretched a net under the water 3 l alongside the ship and salved the goblet, t which they afterwards sold. ! & & PAUL, brother-in-law of Princess Marina, has made the art gallery which he has founded in Belgrade his greatest , hobby. He is continually adding to it and f has bought for Belgrade the El Greco pori trait winch is at present on temporary ex- ; hibition at the National Gallery in Lon- * don. II is wife and her sister. Princess f Marina, have always taken the greatest in- > terest in the Belgrade gallery and are as : | pleased as the prince that it is now re- - : garded by experts as a perfect example I ;of a national gallery in miniature. Princess 1 | Marina has a wider knowledge of modern British painters than the average wcll- : ! educated English girl, but then she is an , 1 artist and portrait painter herself and in- > hcrits her love of art from her painter j I father.

I)R JAMES MOFFATT’S visit to New Zealand is bound to increase interest in his great ecclesiastical scholarship, but Mr lan W. Fraser, writing in the “ Outlook.” recalls some of his homelier qualities. Dr Moffatt is “ exceedingly tall and excecdingly thin.” he says, with sparkling eyes, and’ his hospitality is greatly appreciated by all British students who go to study at the Union Theological Seminary, New York. All foreign students are invited to the “ Moffatt’s Christmas Dinner,” with its traditional turkey and Christmas pudding. Speaking of Dr Moffatt’s encyclopaedic knowledge. Mr Fraser says: “ His industry is phenomenal. Apart from a few hours for food and sleep, it seems as though he spends the whole day with his books. His accomplishments cover so many fields that one cannot grasp their full significance. He is very musical. It is a treat to hear him sit at the piano and talk about old and little-known hymns, or illustrate some of the. revivalist horrors under which he has suffered in different places. Not least among Dr Moffatt’s qualities is his genial wit. When he takes a night off at the theatre he chooses for preference a comedy. And, though I am not sure whether this should be classed as comedy or not, he is a great baseball enthusiast.” CIXTY YEARS AGO (from the “Star” of November 2, 1874) : Northern Agricultural Show’.—The total number of entries received for this show, which takes place on Thursday, is 245, made up as follows;—Sheep. 79; bulls, 7; other cattle. 33; horses, 83; pigs, 8; sheepdogs. 6; agricultural implements, 19; dairy produce. 5; local manufactures, 5. The show will be held in a paddock owned by Mr F. M. Rickman, situated on the Ashley Road, about a quarter of a mile from the railway station, and with a view to enlivening the proceedings the committee have engaged the services of Herr Bunz’s brass band. The usual dinner will take | place *at Sinclair’s Junction Hotel in the j evening.