Christmas at sea with the pioneers

Press, 24 December 1986, Page 17

Christmas at sea with the pioneers

By

JO-ANNE SMITH

From the shipboard diaries held in the Canterbury Museum archives, the main impression gained from accounts of Christmas on board ship in the 1850 s to 1870 s is the large amount of alcohol consumed by all on board — passengers and crew. Alcohol could be bought from the Captain and there were large supplies.

Henry Martin, in his diary on the Clontarf in 1858, writes: “The Sailors have been stealing Bottled Ale out of the stores they stole 64 dozen ninety six days out.” Alcohol was cheap; a bottle of stout 1 penny and a bottle of gin 3 pennies. Shipboard life was monotonous and cramped. The trip to New Zealand usually took three to four months, until the arrival of steamships, and up to 550 emigrants could be on board one Y

ship. While it was fine, they could come out on deck, although carefully segregated between steerage and cabin passengers; and single women were kept away from the single men. When it was stormy all were kept below deck in overcrowded conditions as long as the storm lasted, which was often four to six days. Any excuse was grasped to break the monotony; crossing the Line, birthdays — and, of course, Christmas. There was a difference between the Christmas Day experiences of cabin (paying) passengers and steerage (usually assisted financially). Richard Hayter, a paying passenger on the Isabella Hercus in 1851, □

describes his day: “Great preparations for the Puddings being the only thing in the eating way to put us in mind of Christmas, Salmon was served out for dinner. One of the seamen hung up in the centre of the main hatch a hoop ornamented with paper to serve as Holly etc. where all the single women were kissed which caused a great deal of fun ... the Captain gave a bottle of rum to each mess.” In the evening many of the steerage passengers were dancing on deck, but Richard Hayter passed his evening in his usual manner, playing cards. The Rev. Charles Alabaster, also a paying passenger, coming out on the Strathallan in 1858,

had his clerical duties as well. On Christmas Day he took the morning service and then christened two babies: William Strathallan Paget and Strathallan Hayes. It was not uncommon for babies born on a ship to be called after the ship.

The drinking got out of hand; at midnight, the Captain told him that he only had one man who could take the wheel and that the third mate alone was fit for duty. After a stroll around the deck, the Rev. Alabaster “took to my bed thus ending a Christmas Day whose like I care not to see again.”

The steerage passengers made a much more jolly time of Christmas. Jason Harmer, in his shipboard diary on the Waimate in 1874, gives a very full account of Christmas and the preparations leading up to it.. On the

24th, extra provisions were given out for cakes and puddings. There was a concert on deck until 11 o’clock and then all went to the cabin where the paying passengers were and sung carols and were given a glass of grog. His mess made a large Christmas cake which was stolen from the Cook’s Galley, tin and all. On Christmas Day, the Captain replaced the materials for the stolen cake and a new one was made. The mess was decorated by the women with paper chains, flags, and mottoes like “Three Cheers For Dr Cleghorn” and “God Bless the Governor of New Zealand.”

Jason Harmer painted mottoes on the inside of the hatchways with red paint in letters six inches long. He decided to name his mess Canary Row because there were three canaries and a goldfinch in it.

This started a vogue for naming messes; the single men named theirs. One was called Mahogany Street because two red-headed men lived there, and another Paddys Land because all the Irish lived there.

An imitation “Mistletoe Bough” was hung up and much use was made of this. The head steward was fined a bottle of brandy for kissing a married woman with his hat on. Jason Harmer bought some gin and stout and the Captain gave a bottle of stout to every married couple and port wine and nuts to the children.

Christmas dinner, enchanced by cake and pudding bought with them from England, brought on feelings of homesickness. Dinner was followed by dancing on deck, tea, then a promenade and concert. There was large scale drinking among passengers and

crew; some of the sailors fought and had to be handcuffed. The result of this was no sailors or emigrants were allowed to buy drink for the rest of the voyage.

Samuel Shrimpton also writes of the "general spree” which began on Christmas afternoon on the Royal Stewart in 1854. “The Captain, the chief and intermediate passengers sent us plenty of grog and we kept it up in first rate style all night. The Captain, the sailors and greatest part of the passengers were jolly well

drunk. The Captain was so hard put to it that he kicked the door of a certain married lady’s cabin to pieces.” After this spree, on December 18, he writes: "Our grog was stopped we struck work and turned gentleman for the rest of the voyage” another four days. The final word rests with Henry Martin on the Clontarf. “The people have been very busy making their Christmas Cakes and preparing for the event we are all very tired of Ship.” t f