OUR ILLUSTRATIONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVII, Issue XVIII, 31 October 1896, Page 589

OUR ILLUSTRATIONS.

THIS picture of Lady Grey, taken from a rare photo of a painting, is of particular interest at this time. The other day information was received from London that a reconcilation between Sir George and his wife had taken place. It was pretty generally known among colonists that an estrangement of very long standing existed between them, but, of course, delicacy forbade reference to the matter. Now that they have been united we may be excused for touching on an incident in the life of Sir George that has had such a happy ending. Lady Harriet Grey was the daughter of the late Sir R. W. Spencer, formerly

Government Resident of Albany, Western Australia. She was married to Sir George, then Captain Grey, on his return from an exploring expedition in Western Australia in 1839. At the time of her marriage she was about seventeen years of age, Sir George being ten years her senior. Lady Grey was a very pretty woman, rather petite, and of a bright disposition. Many old Aucklanders can recall her to mind as she appeared during Sir George's first Governorship of New Zealand. The only child of the union died when Sir George was Governor of South Australia, to which colony he was appointed in

1840, being transferred to New Zealand in 1845. At the present time Lady Grey is about 74, and her husband 84 years of age. The Presbyterian mission steamer ‘ Day spring,’ which struck on a reef off Newcastle, New Caledonia, in the middle of this month, was quite a new boat, having been built during the latter part of 1895. She was constructed by Messrs Macky and Thompson, of Glasgow, at a cost of 19s jd. Her total cost, as delivered in Australia, was 14s 7d. She was an auxiliary screw, three-masted, schooner-rigged steel yacht, of 340 tons gross measurement. Herdimensions were : Length, 147 ft ; breadth, 23ft ; depth, 10ft. She was used for Polynesian work in the New Hebrides, having taken the place of the merchant steamer * Katoomba.’ Particulars of the disaster are not to hand, but it is considered that it was due to some accident in the machinery. When the vessel struck, the captain, mate, engineer and seven others got safely ashore, but a boat with seven of the crew was missing, and has not yet been heard of. Her occupants were Messrs Carmichael (chief officer), Lamoor, De Francis, Johnson, Wittson, and Brown.