Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Quarter of a Century.] TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1903. A HUTT VETERAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 7418, 24 March 1903, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Quarter of a Century.] TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1903. A HUTT VETERAN.

TiiEiiE is now residing at tho Ilutfc a veteran in his seventy-third year, who is not only part and parcel of our own little history in New Zealand, but who in the long, long ago rendered distinguished services abroad in the Persian Gulf. We refer to Mr Henry Jackson, at one timo tho hoad of tho Wellington Provincial Survey Stat! and tho lather o£ Mr 11. J. K. Jackson, of Mastorton. It is fifty-seven years ago since Mr Henry Jackson wont out as a cadet to India. Writing to a friend in this district, who is interested in Persia, Mr Jackson says : " I have ridden on horseback from Suesa, noar tho head of the Persian Gulf, along tho foot of the Backtiari mountains and through Kourdestan to Mount Ararat, where the three frontiers, llussian, Turkish, and Persian met at that time. Erom thence to Trebisonde on the Black Sea and on to Constantinople. I was on the Turkish and Persian frontiers for about a year attached to tho English Commission under Colonel, afterwards Sir Eon wick Williams, of Karo, for the delimitation of the Turco-Per3ian Boundary. I have therefore seen moro of Persian country life than falls to many Europeans. My duty was to climb the loftiest mountains for observation, and i may safely say I am tho lirst that over climbed many of them. I was afterwards two yoars in Constantinople working out and preparing tho plans."

In tho same letter Mr Jackson makes reference to tho old Indian Navy in the following terms:—" During last year I had tho pleasure of visiting one of tho lioyal Indian Murine vessels, the ' Dalhousic,' that brought over the Indian Contingent for tho Commonwealth celebrations. There aro about eighty vessels all told, including ono or two iron-clads for harbour defences, a few torpedo boats, and the remainder transports and river servico vessels. They do not fly a pennant. Royal Naval Captains aro Naval Pircctors, ono at Bombay, another at Calcutta, and a third, tho chief man, hoists his llag on tho' Himalaya, at Simla, boing navol adviser to iho Governor-General. Bombay is sea head-quarters. Tho crew of the ' Palhousio ' was L/ascar, all told 120. First Commander and four Lieutenants wear tho li.N. liescrvo uniform, with fcho Star of India over anchor button. In fact they aro fast growing into what the old Indian service was, so what a pity that tho Indian Navy was over done away with. It was ix gross political blunder."

Tho extracts wo lnivc published from our friend's loiter are of some special interest, as a record of tho valuable services rondered to tho Empiro of ono of our own veteran settlors, who, in the natural course of things, must soon bo passing away, and joining " tho great majority." Wo havo amongst us many men whoso past lives havo been fraught with stronuous scientific labour on behalf of their country, and yet wo somotimca let them drop from memory " unwept, unhonoured and unsung." For tho past sixty yoars Great Britain has been tho only guardian of that pirato-haunted aoa, tho Persian Gulf, keeping its highway open a.t much cost of life and treasure It seems hard that, liow-a-days, the Empiro should bo ousted from its okl-tiino chargo by the incursion of miserable German and Russian diplomats. There is some reason to boliove that this nearest and most direct route to India and tho Colonies will bo a bono of contention, boforo long, between tho Great Powers, and that the Persian Gulf, or its entrance, will havo to bo fortified, liko Aden or Gibraltar, or become tho scene of a naval light. Here, in Now Zealand, we may well honour a pioneer explorer liko Mr Henry Jackson, who belongs to us, and who, in the past, has devoted timo and. onorgy,

in a dolostablo climate, to tho special work of building up tho J'lmpiro of which wo aro all so proud.