SEVENTY TEARS AGO.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17017, 14 December 1920, Page 5

SEVENTY TEARS AGO.

FROM ENGLAND BY THE RANDOLPH. A PILGSEVTS DIARY. Many interesting contrasts are suggested" by the perusal, after the lapse of seventy years, of the diary of a Canterbury pilgrim of his passage, with over two hundred others, in the good ship Randolph from England to the infant eottlement on the Canterbury Plains. Chief amongst theso are that the infant has emerged long ago from its swaddling clothes, and that the passage which then took over three months, can now bo 'done m oae-thira of the time. The diary kept Dy the late Mr J. P. (Leo is probably one or the many that wero daily entered Tip on board the Randolph, but is possibly one of the few now available. His son, Mr J. P. W. Leo. cf Cbristchurch. placed his father's diary at the disposal of a representative of "The Press, and some of the more interesting entriei may serve to revive old memories and may prove to be noteworthy on tno eve of Anniversary Day. ■Of the "first four ships" the Kandolph was the second in point of «ime to We Plymouth on Saturtlny, September 7th, ISSO, and the Charlotte Jane, which left at 8 p.m., an hour ahead ot the Randolph, was tho first to arrive at Lyttelton. on Monday, December 16th, 1850. the Randolph arriving in the afternoon of the same day. Ilie Randolph's passage was not without incident, although the. diarist, m one entry/refers to the "intensity of mm otony we have had to endure." For instance, the twelfth day out-September 19th — W aa crowded, more or less, \utn incident. The record for the dayvMj Spoke the barque Fortesque, bound from London to San Francisco; another birth (the second), the »»«**£ rival to be named Bandolphma (numbo. one being of the other sex, was named Randolph); a public auction; and at •night, "a dance in the steerage, the bfck cook as fiddler." Then, ia tje oarly part , of the passage, a goodly So? of o the^^? 9 + we^ 8 5 h ihe and spoken. The "intensity of the a boat lowered, and some of our nartv Polled -over there. . had Wh, and came back bringing ebout fourteen of their party to toe with us. After dinner fljey a quartette, etc.. for. us and "turned fn their two boais and our one before dusk." The following day the diarist was one of a party from the Randolph win* visited'the Active. "I .miist say," comments the diarist, "I am dolighted with some of their ways and only wish our English friends . would copy them at least in some of their good traits. . . This interchange of civilities on the high seas is rather romantic and a great relief after the .ntenfiity of monotony we have had to endure The the romance ended for the the French barque about 7 miles" • though she remained m sijmt till the 80th. October 4th was notable as the date upon which the Sir George Seymour was sighted; the ships were m latitude 7.20 and longitude 21.44. The Randolph lowered a boat and brought off from the Sir George Seymour Mr Cyrus Davie/"who was left behind at Plymouth, owing to his not showing. The Sir George Seymour, remained -in sight all the next day; on the 7th the diarist records that those on board the Randolph fancied they saw the Cressy —but Hwas only fancy. The black cook (already mentioned as the fiddler for the steerage dance) bobs up again in the diary, the entrv on October Btli reading: "Very little to tell to-day excepting that there was a slight altercation with the black cook who was rather suspected of having stolen some missing cheese. (He was exculpated after). X)n October 12th the Randolph was on, or just over "the line." There were "great disturbances on board, the boatswain and one of the middies personating Neptune and his wife. . . We had no tarring and feathering as the cap.tam would not allow it, very properly. Nor would be allow any extra grog to bo given them (the crew) lest they might create a disturbance. , ' On October ieth it is.recorded: "Formed a dramatic, company. Mr Williams read the play we first propose trying—'The Rivals. Before the play was produced some real dramatic happenings occurred on November 7th:—"There was a row among the sailors, Mr Scott (first mate) having reproved the man at helm, he was insolent telling him that he had steered n, ship before * he saw one! Mr Scott pave him double work for a week, which <he said he would not do, so he wae put in irons. Afterwards the men belonging to the man a watch came aft and told the captain they would not work unless the man was released. The.captain Raid that was out of the question, and ordered those men who meant to work to go on ono side of the deck; they all, after a little demur, did so. Then, after, there ■was a great row forward, <when it was found that the black cook had been humbugging tihe sailors and had given him a good thrashing. * The captain went to see what was doing, and received an unintentional blow fron> one of the sailors who was engaged in the affray, for which tho was handcuffed and put in irons. All were ultimately released, having said that they* ware Borry: and to show tho sailor character they drank the eaptain'a health that very evening. . . . We showed fight in the matter.: had entlassea on the poop, and the captain had a two-barrelled pistol loaded ready in oase anything really serious occurred. Some of the cuddy passengers got their firearms loaded." The sihip was in the vicinity of £he Cape of Good Hope when theso incidente took place. On November 25th "The Rivals" was duly produced, the diarist stating "with great eclat." The cast was' as follows: Sir Anthony Absolute, Captain Dale (tho master of t!he ship); Captain Absolute, Mr Boby; Sir Lucius O'Trigger, Mr Scott (the first mate): Bob Acres, Mr Bqyfield; Tag, Mr Fitch; ftivid, Mr Peel; Mrs Malaprop, Mr Williams; Lydia, Mr Iveeley; Julia t Mr J. P. Lee; servant maid to Julia, Miss Ellen Earle; servant maid to Lydia, Mr Cuddifordl (one of the middies); page, Miss Kate Williams; boy. Mr Edward Puckle. On December 12th Stewart's Island was lighted, and the diary ends with an entry on the 14th, with the ship almost becalmed fifteen miles from, land, evidently Banks Peninsula.