THE DAYS OF SAIL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 239, 8 October 1932, Page 4

THE DAYS OF SAIL.

EARLY AUCKLAND CRAFT.

ISLAND TRADERS.

FLEET OF SCHOONERS

(By THE LOOK-OUT MAN.)

As sailing vessels are now almost a thing of the past, particulars of the craft

that traded regularly in and out of Auckland in the 'eighties and 'nineties should

be interesting, especially to the older residents. Many will remember when all

the passengers and cargo had to be carried between London and Auckland in ships and barques, steamers being a rarity.

Those were the days of sail, when skippers would hang on to their canvas till the last moment. Most of the vessels in those days were ships, i.e., square rigged on all three maets. A few were barques, but the ship was the favourite rig. Amongst the Shaw, Savill ships to trade here were Crusader, Captain W. Scotland, who was afterwards master of the e.s. Kumara, owned by the same company; the Westland, Captain J. Muir; Soukar, Forfarshire, Halcyon, Captain Parker; Hermoine, Captain Roberts, and many others. Amongst ithe barques were the Himalaya, Lutterworth, Auckland, Akaroa and Hudson. The -barque Dover Castle was chartered by Savill, and arrived in August, 1875. Captain A. Culbert was master of the Dover Castle when she made the run from Belfast, Ireland, to Auckland, in 78 days. For two days she was hove-to in a gale of wind, and later she was becalmed for two days.

Amongst the New Zealand Shipping Company's ships were Waikato, Otaki, Piako, Orari, Wanganui and others. Their barques were not so numerous, but Mataura and Waimea were well known here. The Mataura was 'the first vessel to load frozen meat from Auckland for London, taking a cargo of mutton from the old Railway Wharf in 1883.

The Early Steamers. The New Zealand Snipping Company went into steam in 1884, their first steamers being the Ruapehu, Tongariro, Kaikoura, Aorangi and Rimutaka. All itheso vessels were built with clipper bows, and were barque rigged, with single topsails. They carried quite a good spread of canvas, and were very handsome craft. A model of one of the old steamers is now in the museum. They were all gradually sold to foreigners, as they eventually became too small. The New Zealand Shipping Company still retains most of its old names on their present fine steamers.

The Shaw Savill and Albion Company followed suit, their first steamers being the Arawa and Tainui, which had two funnels and four masts, being square rigged on the fore and main masts, with fore and aft sails on the other two. They had clipper bows, and were good to look at when under sail and steam.

The firm of Henderson and Macfarlane, whose house flag was a blue circular saw on a white ground, chartered vessels and sent them Home with cargo to London. Amongst these were the Border Chief, ship Amazon, a Swedish barque, and Beatrice Havener. This firm owned the barque India, afterwards lost at Hokianga; also the brigantine Rigno, lost at Flint Island. They also owned numerous schooners in the Island trade. The Auckland firm of William McArthur and Company owned several fine vessels trading to the Islands regularly. One was the brigantine Myrtle, Captain Lane, Maile (Tongan word for Myrtle), also commanded by Captain Lane. The Cygnet, commanded by Captain William Ross, now living, in retirement at Remuera, was a schooner of 56 tons, and was one of the fastest craft running out of Auckland, while Cygnet 11. was even faster. Maile left Hobart for Auckland in 1892 or 1893, and was never heard of again. The Agnes Bell was a topsail schooner, which traded to the-South Seas: also the Make Ariki, a very fast fore and aft schooner. Topsail Schooners. The topsail schooners Sybil and Annie Wilson were built by the late J. Barbour at Aratapu, Kaipara. They were sister ships, but Sybil was the faster. The Annie Wilson was owned by E. Mitchelson and Company. Sybil made a voyage to Japan under charter to L. D. Nathan and Company. The Annie Wilson was lost in the Islands. Sybil was sold to a Sydney firm, and employed in recruiting labour for Queensland. About 1910 she left Townsville for the Islands, and was never heard of again. She was then in charge of Captain Cranch. Transit, another good topsail schooner, ran regularly to the Islands, but she has gone the way of all ships. Pirate and Mazeppa were fore and aft schooners, and very fast sailers, as were the Agnes Donald and Three Cheers. The lastnamed schooner was built in 1882. and while being rigged alongside the Railway wharf the foremast fell and killed her master. She competed in the Anniversary Regatta in 1883, against the Louie, Annie Wilson and Fanny Thornton, and Three Cheers won. In a race from Newcastle. New South Wales, to Auckland in 1884, Three Cheers beat Oceola and Linda Weber fbrigantines). The Advance, Welcome and Sovereign did the round trip from Auckland to Rarotonga and back in one month. The Torea, Winifred, Kate McGregor, Eastward Ho, Cutty Sark, Telegraph, and Sea Breeze were all fore and aft schooners, and were fine; vessels, as were the topsail schooners Ivanhoe and Maleatoa. Edith, another good boat owned by W. Otto, was one of those that never returned.

A small topsail schooner was the Julia Pryce, Captain A. Clark. She once got ashore off Mangawai, when on her way to Auckland with a load of oranges, that strewed the beach for miles. She was refloated and repaired in Auckland, being finally lost at the Islands.

Other brigantines which carried no royals were Ryno, Myrtle (owned by W. McArthur and Co.), and Magellan Cloud. The Oamaru (Captain T. Richard, of Devonport) did the round trip to Raro■tonga in 31 days. The Oceola, Darcy Pratt, Ada C. Owen, Linda Weber, Flirt and Aratapu were all well known in the Island trade.

The scliooner Clansman went ashore near Gisborne in 1885, but was, refloated and repaired here, and converted to a topsail schooner. The Sarah Pile was lost in the Islands. Oceola was wrecked on the West Cbast. The Linda Weber left Gisborne for Auckland, but never arrived. The Ada C. Owen, Magellan- Cloud and Darcy Pratt were all lost in the Islands. Brigantines and Brigs. There were a few brigantines which carried royals trading here. Amongst them were Roderick Dhu, Aurora Borealis,<lka Vuka, Defiance (later a hulk for the Devonport Perry Co.), Nightingale (Captain Short), Lopwing, Stanley,, Peerless, Parnell, Douglas, Eileen Doonan, Anthous, Camille, Meg, Merriles, Seabird, and Lady Mabel. This rig is now almost extinct.

Another favourite rig" in the early days was the brig. The Vision, Naiad, Annabelle, and Robin Hood were registered at Auckland. The visiting craft of this rig included Wave, Wild Wave, Restless, Niagara, Albert the Good, Emperor, Star of the Mersey. The Annabelle was lost on Tory Shoal, Kaipara, about 1885. Vision was altered to a brigantine. About the last two brigs to visit Auckland were the Fairy Rock and Edward. The Vision, 158 tons, made the run from Newcastle to Auckland in 1893 under nine days. The Wave and Wild Wave were Tatsmanian owned. Fawn was a New Zealand owned vessel, but Niagara and Syren were registered at Sydney.

The smaller traders will be mentioned next Saturday. Any queries addressed to "Look-out Man," "Star" Oihce, will be answered.