A LINK WITH THE PAST.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13362, 2 March 1909, Page 9

A LINK WITH THE PAST.

TffE DALSTOX— EX-KAXOITIREI.

AN HISTORIC SHIP.

Considerable interest cer.trod y-p=ler<Jay in ihc r.rrivnl of the barque DnMon Rt Lyttcltrn from Biinlmry "VVert Australin. In thefo days of Urge' liners tho artve'r-t of a clee.p-wiiier sailing ?hip in LyttoHon- is a.

rare occurrence, but tho uitorort cf fiuppir.'<; people ai.d lon-,'shcrem<n in the arrival and Ix-Mhin--' of the ba-isten, was more apparent thβ-u usual, from the fact that the vessel was a. iink with -the lo;i£ past days when up the fleets of the New Zealand Shi.ppi.iß Company ar.d the Shaw, Savill and Aibior. Company. shi was flying iho 2Corwe.-;ian (lag. ar.<l was bnrque rigged, the. UalfUji »m recognised by her clipper bow, her peculiarly shay eel blerri., her rj-cc-p, ami her c-ne-time familiar black aid white tainted hull as the oIU und ntnor-g the irrcup of men en the wharf were tome who had sailed in her, and others who had assisted to lead her v.-ith wco! in the "■r-ever.-ties" and "eighties." "That's the old fiangitiki." s;:id or.c old man, "and many's the lime I wcrkrd aboard of her. And a fine ship she was too. Sh-e- w;is buiJt for the Kaet Indie? tra-do, acd her 'tween decks wero vyrv cie-ep, for &ltc earned many elephant:? "hen she was in that trade." The old ship is now nearly forty-six years oki, having been built in Hull in 1863, and she hua Ua.J a long, successful, and eventful career. In her early days she was known as the Scimitar, but after trading under that iiiimc for some years, she was purchased by the .\e»v Zealand Shipping Company, and was employed fer many years in the emigrant and cargo trade between London and New Zealand. In those days sh- w;-i justly regarded :is one of the "track" ships in tho trade, and ranked with the Turukiua as the largest ship in the conpany's fleet. The vessel was commanded for some tim» by Captain Fox, who was succeeded by Captain Jlilman, a wellknown master, who held command of the Rungitikei for many years. The vessel had a very successful career in the London-New Zealand trade, and made many smart passages, both outward and homeward. She carried many hundreds of emigrants from London to New Zealand ports, and there are doubtless many living in the Dominion today who caught their first sight of New Zealand from the drcku of the Rans-itikei. In Ihe iate "eighties" and early "nineties," the New Zealand Shipping Company "went in" for etcamera, and disposed of their sailing ships, and the Rangitikei passed into other hands. She was still a full rigged ship, but her name was altered to Dalston, under which she traded in many parts of the world, still under the British flag. A few years ago, however, she waa sold to Norwegian owners, and her rig was altered to that of a barque. The chief point of interest in connection with the Dalston was shown to a reporter of "The Press" by a ship owner, who pointed out that the vessel under Norwegian ownership is being "run" much more cheaply than any sailing ship of her size can bo "run" under the British flag. The Dalston ie a veesel of 1140 tons net register, and is manned by only fourteen men. Oil the other hand, the barque Rona, 618 tons net register, little more than half the size of the Dalston. is compelled under the New Zealand manning scale to carry fourteen hands. The Rona is registered in Lyttelton. It is stated that the wages paid to seamen in Norwegian vessels are considerably lower than those paid in British or New Zealand-owned vessels, while the provisioning scale in Norwegian vessels is also lower than in the latter.