HUMAN CARGOES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 187, 9 August 1930, Page 10

HUMAN CARGOES.

PILGRIMS TO MECCA.

COOK MEALS ON DECK.

STEAMER HENZADA'S VISIT.

Strange sights have been witnessed on the deck of the British tramp steamer Henzada, which arrived at Auckland after a prolonged voyage from New York this morning. For 20 years the steamer was engaged in the trade between the United Kingdom and Burma, and on a number of occasions she carried pilgrims to Jedda, on the Red Sea, which is the port of disembarkation for Mecca. Ono of the religious practices obligatory on the believer in the Moslem creed is the pilgrimage to Mecca, and thousands of Mohammedans almost starve themselves in their own lands in order to make it. On the occasions that the Henzada' carried pilgrims she was specially chartered for the purpose, and carried no other passengers. The trips were always made at a period of the year when it was safe to bank on fine weather, and the pilgrims, usually about two hundred of them, were carried on deck. The travellers, according to one of the ship's officers, brought their own food and cooked it in galleys which they rigged up on the vessel's iron decks. Fresh water was supplied by the ship, but otherwise the pilgrims fared for themselves. Frequently the worshippers failed to bring with them enough food for the trip, and many of them were weak through lack of nourishment when they landed at Jedda. For his passage t!.o pilgrim paid £10. The visit of the Henzada, which was singularly fortunate throughout the war period, is interesting in that she is owned by P. Henderson and Coy., the concern which played so big a part in bringing immigrants to New Zealand in the middle of the last century. On her present trip the Henzada experienced fine weather until after passing Pitcairn Island, when she ran into a succession of westerly and southwesterly gales, lasting almost to port. Being in light trim the vessel rode the seas easily, and although showers of spray frequently 'swept her from stem to stern she was not severely buffeted. The adverse conditions, however, had the effect of reducing her speed considerably, with the result that she arrived five days before schedule. Unlike the usual run of tramp steamers that visit these parts the Henzada has accommodation for nearly 100 passengers. The only "travellers" for Auckland this trip were three young pedigree Jersey bulls- from the Elm Hill Farm, Massachusetts. The bulls were seasick for the first couple of days out, but after that they stood the voyage well and appeared perfectly contented with their lot when the ship berthed to-day. . ■