Temporarily

Van Rees to be Laid Up Temporarily

WHEN the Royal Packet Navigation Co.’s steamer Van Rees (3049 tons) arrives at Batavia from Port Moresby on April 9, she will be laid up for six weeks’ overhaul. At present the Van Rees maintains a regular service between Saigon and Sydney, calling at Java, Papua, Rabaul (New Guinea), New Heb rides, and New Caledonia. She will re enter the service from Batavia on May 29.

The Van Rees’ run will be taken over by the Van Spilbergen (3236 tons). It is un derstood that the genial master of the Van Rees, Captain J. Blaauboer, will not command the relieving vessel, but will go on six weeks’ furlough.

Another K.P.M. liner, the Nieuw Zee land, running on the Australia-Batavia line, will also be withdrawn temporarily from the service to enable her to proceed to Holland to be re-engined. She will be replaced by the Royal Dutch Packet steamer Op Ten Noort.

Mr. L. K. Bryant, a pioneer motorist of Victoria, who built the first car in Aus tralia in 1900, has returned to Melbourne after nine years’ residence at Rabaul, New Guinea.

Rev. X. Haller, of the Marist Mission, Leauvaa, Upolu Island, Western Samoa, left Apia by the Makoa on January 17, for furlough in Australia.