Mime. de Rossi performed the christening ceremony. The com-! pany then assembled in the offices for tea, and the toast of the} Shanghai and her owners was proposed by Mr. C. H. Arnhold.
Mr. Arvhold said that in a commercial port like Shanghai they were all able to appreciate the importance of the pilot service to the trade of the port. It was particula:- ly interesting to mark the different stages of the advancement of the Pilots' Association from the days when a sailing schooner was their home on the cruising grounds. This was followed by the first wooden steam pilot vessel, the A. M. Bisbee, and later by another of similar construction, the Yangtsze. To meet the demands of the present day, as also the requirements of the future, members of the Pilots' Association had gone another big step forward in iting the powerful and commodious steel vessel Shanghai, which he confidently believed to be as fine a pilot boat as could be found anywhere. The dimensions, accommodation and seaworthy character istles of the Shanghai would enable the continuance of work out at the station irrespective of weather conditions.
He would like to refer to the very able assistance received from Captain Mahon, manager of the Shanghai Licensed Pilots' Association, from Mr. Harold Fletcher, Lloyds Surveyor and from Mr. John Gray, the Association's consulting engineer, all of whom had worked with them in the most friendly manner possible.
Capt. Mahon, responding on behalf of the owners of the Shanghai, said it was the general opinion of the Shanghai Licensed Pilots' Association that the builders had constructed a very fine pilot vessel. It was quite possible that before long another vessel of that. type wou'd be built. Vessels coming to the port were continually getting larger and the pilot service must keep up with the times if it was to be efficient.
After proposing the health of the New Engineering & Shipbuilding Works, coupled with the name of Mr. A. W. Brankston, Capt. Mahon presented Mme. de Rossi with a handsome Satsuma howl, emblematie of the 12 months of the year, the carved blackwood stand ing a silver inscription of the occasion. for the presentation. souvenirs of the occasion. Mr. C H. Arnhold also, on behalf of the builders, handed Mme. de Rossi beautiful diamond and onyx brooch.
The new Customs tug, Yushing, for service at Chungking, was also launched.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.