THE SHIP PEGASUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 248, 18 October 1924, Page 17

THE SHIP PEGASUS.

A LADY WHO CHANGED HER MIND. Sailing ships generally took so lon< coming out to New Zealand thai between the time of departure and tlu time cjf arrival here there was generallj plenty of time for passengers to changi their minds, particularly the ladies, and shipboard life is commonly admitted tc be conducive to flirtation. A story that illustrates this is told by Mr. W. K. Howitt, of Devonport. The incident occurred on the ship Pegasus, which made one passage to Auckland in 1865, arriving on March 28 after a passage of 94 days, and again in 1866, arriving on September 19, after a passage of 105 days. She was commanded by Captain Cornwall, R.N.R. Mr. Howitt's mother, who was a Miss Isabella Mackay, came out on the first trip of the Pegasus, and concerning that passage Mr. Howitt writes, "A story has been handed down that amongst the passengers were several young women who were coming out to be married to the sweethearts who had come out before them, that on the voyage out several of the young women had offers of marriage from the single men on board, and that one of them had gone the length of accepting the latest offer, much to the chagrin of her waiting lover who had sent home the money to pay her passage out. The rejected one, however, decided to have his revenge, and challenged liia rival to a combat; but the challenge -was not accepted, and then the aggrieved one, who was in good form after having felled about a hundred ecree of heavy jbqsh. on Sis Hewly-ecgpired laud, took

the law into his own ljaiide~irf3.ga T 9-tM new chum the biggest thrashing ■p***' gentleman had ever received v* his' life. The young woman was so disgusted with the "feeble efforts of her shipboard: admirer, that she flew into tlie strong arms of her oIH lover and was again, taken to his heart. They were married three days later in a house'in Princes Street, and lived for many years in Taranaki where they raised a large family. "3ly mother came out. in the Pegasus, and my father, who had come out previously, was supposed to meet the ship at Auckland, but she came in long before she was expected, and as he was then righting the Maoris down the coast below New Plymouth, difficulty was. experienced in communicating with him. When word did reach him there was difficulty in getting up to the Manukau, but eventually he secured a passage in a ten-ton cutter which took ten wcarv days to reach Onehunga. "The men and women who came out by the Pegasus were a well-educated lot, belonging chiefly to the middle walks of life, and included among the number were a good few professional men. Many of the passengers attained good positions in the colony, and were the means of bringing out many other desirable settlers."