A SWEDISH SHIP

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 249, 4 August 1930, Page 3

A SWEDISH SHIP

PASSENGERS AND CARGO. SOME UNUSUAL FEATURES. (Special to the "Guardian.") AUCKLAND, August 1. After a visit to the motor ship Mirrabooka one cannot but form a very high opinion of the Swede as a sailorman. The vessel, which arrived at Auckland late last night, is as spick and span as soap, soda and scrubbing brush can make her, and dirt on board her is as hard to find as sovereigns. A comparatively new ship, the Mirrabcoka is inaugurating a new service from the Pacific slope. Primarily she is a cargo vessel, but she is a freighter of a kind that is, seldom seen in this part of the world. She has accommodation for more than 20 passengers and this will compare favourably with that of any of the liners regularly engaged in the Home trade. Two of the staterooms have their own bathrooms attached and the fittings seem strangely out of place for a vessel of the class to which she belongs. There is a music room for the exclusive use of the passengers. The panelling of the walls is artistically inlaid. The dining saloon is tastefully fitted up and all the major nations of the world are represented by tho little silk flags that are on the tables. Then there is a hospital—"Sjukhytt" is the Swedish name above the door—which contains two bunks and a well-stocked medicine chest. Although the Mirrabooka does not boast a regular doctor she always has one when carrying passengers. The present "man of medicine' 'on the ship is Dr. Aren Stephens, a lady with a practice in Melbourne. Dr. Stephens is an Englishwoman by birth, although she has spent most of her life in Australia. She joined the Mirrabooka in Melbourne about four months ago for the trip to Europe, and will leave the vessel when she returns to Melbourne. Dr. Stephens had long been looking forward to a holiday away from her regular patients, and it was chiefly with this object in view that she joinied the Swedish freighter. As a matter of fact the trip has been much in the nature of a holiday voyage, as Dr. Stephens has had nothing more serious than a few minor cuts and bruises to attend to. When the Mirrabooka went to England Dr. Stephens visited a number of hospitals in London. Later she went to Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Gottenberg, visiting the hospitals in each city. She rejoined the Mirrabooka at Stockholm and was able to look round the hospitals at the various ports at which tho ship loaded in filling up for New Zealand. "I am a good sailor and I have enjoyed every hour of the trip," Dr. Stephens said this morning. The officers of the vessel describe tho ship's lady medico as a "great sport," and one of the mates says that slie can take her turn at tho wheel as capably as anyone else.