THE MARGARET GALBRAITH

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 148, 23 June 1923, Page 17

THE MARGARET GALBRAITH

GOOD AVERAGE PASSAGE MAKER. EXCITING TIME IN THE ICE. (By HE.YRY BRETT.) XLIII. The Margaret Oalbraith, one of Duncan's ships, sailed under the Shaw, Savill flag, and made IS voyages to the four leading ports of New Zealand between 1873 and 1S!I!>, bringing a very large number of immigrants from London and Glasgow. She also made one voyage to Ivelson—the shortest passage made by this ship. She was a comparatively small iron vessel of 841 tons. She made,

good average passages, mostly between 00 and 100 days. In ISSO, in* command of Captain Fergusson, she ran out to Port Chalmers in S7 days, or 75 land to land. She left Greenock on October 23, IS7!\ had a smart run of 19 days to the Equator, passed the Cape on the fiftieth day out, and the Snares on January 5, arriving in port on January 7. The following year Captain Fergusson brought the ship to Auckland in 85 days from London Docks. The next best passage was made by Captain Cowan in 1873, when the ship arrived at Port Chalmers S7 days from Glasgow, and SI land to land. Captain Renaut, who brought the ship out on her last visit to the Dominion, reported a most trying passage. The vessel rolled out. rather than sailed out—occupying 115 days from London to Port Chalmers. All the ships arriving at Southern ports during the latter part of 1809

made long passages, owing to terriSc galee met with in the Southern Ocean, and all were, more or less, seriously damaged, including such clippers as the Canterbury, Oamaru, SVaitangi, Turakina, and others—the Taranaki making the best run of the season—93 days. In 1905 the Margaret Galoraith grounded on Farallan Reef, Buenos Ayres, and was abandoned. AMONG THE ICE, The Margaret Galbraith had a narrow escape of ending her career in 1893, when bound home from a New Zealand port. '"Before sailing," writes Mr. H. X. Burgess, of Auckland, who was second officer on the ship, ''we had instructions to keep a good look out for ice as a lot of it had been reported

by other ships that, had preceded us. After we got round the Horn and to the north of the Falkland Islands, the weather grew warmer and there was a perceptible rise in the temperature of the sea water, so we naturally thought we had passed the danger zone, and relaxed the precautions we had previous!}' taken. This had bren going on for two or three days when one night we had a marvellous escape. It was in the second dog watch. The weather was squally and thick from the N.W., and the air was full of strange noises, something like distant thunder. At this time no ice could be seen. We, however, took in some of the small sail. About four bells I caught sight of a. huge slab of ice a few feet above the water ) and stretching as far into the mist as I could =cc. I immediately called out 'down helm,' and it ivu only just in time. As we slithered alongside the ice I held my breath for a crash, but we just cleared it. We swung up into the wind, and you couul have jumped from our quarter on to the ice that had so nearly been our doom.

Sail was immediately shortened, and just as the day was breaking the weather cleared and a remarkable sight met our eyes. STRANGE 'BERGS. "We were surrounded by *bergs of all shapes and sizes, right in our wake there were several big fellows, and how we had cleared them has always been a mystery to mc. The day proved fine, so with a fresh S.W. wind wa made sail again and sailed through the 'bergs the whole day. For the next three or four days we were among tho ice. One 'berg we passed was from 14 to 16 miles long and about 150 to "20f> feet high. Another ''berg we called 'Cleopatra's Needle,' a practically square column of ice about 200 ft. to 300 ft. high. Another very striking 'berg was one we called 'Castle Rock.' It was a beautiful "hummocky , island of ice, several milee long, with what ap-

peared like a big black basaltic rock stretching out of the top of it—not unlike Castle Rock at Coromandel. After sailing for three or four days in this field we were clear of it for a. couple of days, when the climax came. As the black clouds lifted we sighted a I veritable continent of ice stretching away to the eastward as far as the I eye could reach. It was a wonderful : sight. We sailed along the edge oi ihe i continent all day, finally getting clear in the evening." In an article from the pen of Mr. Burgess, published on October 21 last I year, a much fuller account of these J ice fields was given. ' Following are the passages made by the Margaret Galbraith to NewZealand:—

REQ{JIESCfi.T. J GOLF-BABY'S LULLABY. --E. Kiizabctb Barri'tt, in iLc "Knyal I "'' } Magazine." ' —"Londun JIor::;:; = - !'o.t."'

Left. Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Port to Por Dav5. London November 2, 1878 November 1, 1S80 July 11 February 7, 1879 January 25, 18S1 Kovcmber 9, 1SS2 Fcrfni5?on Fergusson Fcrgussoa 97 E5 118 TO WELLINGTON. London Septr/mber 13, l?si September 30, 1SS3 April 3 March 3 0 January 6, 1SS2 January 5, ISSi July 13, 1S90 June 30, 1S91 Ferfru=?on Carder. Car'Mi Can-lcn 117 93 101 S1 TO LYTTELTON. London January 17 April 00, 1S77 Fcrffiisson 93 TO PORT CHALMERS. Glasgow Loiulnn Glasgow London i _ - - ■ Novrnibcr ?, 1S7 2 i O.tober 3 I, 187-i Heplcjnber 2!>. 1875 > October 16. 1879 j October -f. 1SS4 | October 15, 1SSC j July 14 June 7 October 9, 1895 November 4, 1S0S January 30, ist3 | February 2, 1S75 January [i, 1ST-; I January , Bl ,sso | January C. IS S3 January 20, 1S8G j October 27, 1SSS j September ;?, ts.39 j January 26, 1S06 I February 27, 1S09 ' Cowan 87 ■ I anil to F em!. Si rvcl.li-s 94 I'ccb!.v< io4 (Land to Land, 7, Carrie n 93 Garden 917 Carrier. 10s (.anl.-n 1 O 4 Coliin(rwood 101 Renaut 115 (To Tie continued next Saturday.)