A magnificent piece of seamanship, requiring every bit of skill that a pilot might be expected to possess, was witnessed by many interested onlookers on The Bund yesterday, when the massive bulk of H.M.S. Cumberland, the British flagship, was slipped smoothly and easily into position behind the British naval buoy. The pilot responsible for mooring her under conditions of exceptional difficulty was Captain E. Budgen, and he undertook the tricky task of manceuvring her into position stern foremost, without the aid of tugs, on to the buoy, and then swinging her stern around by means of the ship's propellers.
So well did he carry out his task that watchers from The Bund saw the whole thing accomplished in what seemed to be one simple, easy movement, The pilot on the bridge of the Cumberland, however, surveying a score or so of junks and sampans straddling across his path, probably had different opinions on the simplicity of easing the cruiser into position.
The flagship was expected up river at 10 am. promptly on the stroke her three tall funnels and superstructure, recently altered to accommodate a seaplane hangar, have into sight. The flagship, her length blotting out a large portion of the Pootung shore, nosed up to the bows of the U.S.S. Augusta. Then, aided by the British naval tug St. Briock, and the tug St. Sampson, she was swung around opposite the Garden Bridge.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.