A PIONEER MARINER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 143, 11 March 1908, Page 6

A PIONEER MARINER.

THE LATE CAPTAIN KENNEDY.

MEMORIES OF THE OLDEN DAYS.

The late Captain v Kennedy, whoso death was announced yesterday, was a pioneer mariner in the; New Zealand coastal and Australasian trade.' Though he" retired from the sea in 1893, be continued to „bo well knblvn to New Zealand shipmasters, by whom [lis character and past career wero held in deserved; honour.' Flags on vessels in port and 011 the shipping offices were flown at.half-mast yesterday, out of respect, to the .veteran mariner who had embarked on his last voyajro.' ' v

Captain Kennedy was born'at Macrihanisii, Argyllshire, and married :ai sister of Captain Mail-tin,, in whose, steamer, -the Nelson,' lie first ,■ panic out to New Zealaind in 1554. Ho leaves a grown-up -family, of whom Mr. A. S: Kennedy,.-tho eldest son,' is in the 'Piiblio Works Department, Mr; W. ; A; -Kennedy is local manager of'the Union Steam Ship Company, and Mr. A. It. .Kennedy is in tlie Department of Internal Affairs. There are also, three daughters, Mrs.: Hiintly ' Eliott, of Chnstchurch, being one, and the others unmarried. - EARLY. ADVENTURES. The late Captain Kennedy -had himself prepared a very interesting, narrative of Ilia" earlier seafaring-experiences, which for purposes -of publication was placed at the dis-posal-of a ! representative of The "Dominion by ;the courtesy _of the family.,' The story calls .up other- times and-, other.: manners/ Ihe iron screw steamer Nelson; of 215 tons, ill which lio came out to the colony in 1854* was equipped with - two 12-pounder swivel guns and sis smaller , weapons in . case of trouble with the Maoris. The-Natives proving peaceful, all ..the > guns were landed at Nelson, except one-6-pounder,which was retained for signalling;, 'The late captain's first trip in New Zealand, waters was from Nelson to Wellington,'; and afterwards, to Lyttelton,. in Nelson,, of .which he was second officer. . ■

: One of our greatest troubles," his narrative .states, ,"was keeping our fresh-water tanks, filled. This we had to manage-by getting a supply of casks, 'filling them - at some clear, : stream,;., rolling them down to tho boat, and rafting -them' alongside, whoro tlioy, were; hoisted on deck and' started into the tanks: It. will -be understood. this process occupied a considerable amount of/time, .ind oil several occasions • we had to leavo Wellington minus bur customary supply.". The Nelson took all the Southern members of' the first General Assembly,' except ulioso': from Otago. to attend its -session in Auckland. The Otago representatives had started by. a sailing vessel for Sydney before | tho Nolson arrived from London. Tlio Otago men arrived in Auckland two days before the other : members, of whom they had more thamsix . weeks'' start. Mr. Kennedy:',had become skipper,of tlip Nelson .when she. was sold by nor, owners, ! and, deciding :to make New, Zealand -his home, he took charge of a cargo boat belonging to, the late Mr. James ;F. Wills, employed; in-lightening and ballasting ships.'. A month later ho took chargo of the schooner . Lady Grey, - bought . by., ; the late Major George Luxford and Mr. John,Vanihara. on 'her .arrival from., Princo Edward Island; In this, vessel of 65 tons Captain Kennedy mad? a trading visit to tho Chathams, and afterwards made several trips with station supplies .for the,,Flaxbourne.. and Stonyhurst .stations' of Messrs.',. Clifford and Weld. Trips to Sydney and' Nowc'astle followed, . and later,, on .transferring to'the steamer Wonga Wonga, Captain -Kennedy took somo of 'the- first eager miners to tho newly-discovered. gold-diggings at: Colling-' wood. . . .; - A PIONEER OF TRADE. Tho • Wonga Wonga, under • Captain Kennedy, jv(as.',the first, steamer to ' enter tlio Wanganui and Manawatu Rivers, and also Port Ahuriri.j; Travelling in those, days was. very different from;, the. modern stylo.■; . " There being no.' other ..steamer'. running. to Napier,"' states tlio lato'captain's narra-" ti-*\ej passengers 'were plentiful, and I have several times;' known tliat tlio ladies took up all tho cabin ' leaving the gentlemen' to.'find'. the/; best' .accommodatipp thoy,could amongst the cargo. . People, however, never','grumbled in those days, but accommodated themselves ; to; circumstances.!' Fares- from Wellington were, as followTo Nelson Kor Oollingwood £2, Wanganui £2, Napier £4,'..' .'- ' Captain' Kennedy was next- in command, successfully, ,of. the steamers Lord . Ashley and . Airdale, ..belonging toi the.lntercolonial. RoyaljMail CJompahy,:.afterwards;called, the Panama, ,Neiv Zealand, ' and 'Australian Eoyal Mail; Company- This Company hoped;to da great things in connection' with X contract. which it - took to carry, the , English rmails' via;' the Isthmus:of !Panama;;arid .the Airdale was', 'olio, of the four'new steamers specially purchased for this,service. ;v ; Ye|low fever .in thp • West Indies, however, caused; the. passenger - trado*,to dwindle down,- and * there beiufr little or no cargo to carry, it was soon found accessary-to, win<JxUp the- Company. .

FIRST. COOK STRAIT CABLE; • ; ; In 1863 Captain Kennedy ■■ was appointeda warden of tho newly-formed Marine Board ;■ consistuig of:a president, four t wardens, and . an ongmeor surveyor, which 'preceded tlis - Marino -Department, While lie heldthis y position . the ■; Government' decided.-.to . order/ a ; submarine telegraph. cable, - to.. connect -tho two islahds. K "of '■ .New > /Tho.' steamer/ Sandfly was requisitioned 1 to-. take soundings across Cook-Strait; 1 ; and- Captain Kennedy l was' placed in charge of the work; which occupied - over a. webk-.. /"I. maysafely say;''' his Recordstates"that I took .with my o\va ; hands every cast 'of. the lead that was taken I. beforo>tho : Cooki,Strait ordered." - The-first cable was a very large one, en- '• closing-"three; coreiij or conductors;vwoighing'. 10 tons to the nule. ■ ; ■'v.... . j WITH PRISONERS TO THE CHATHAMS. During the Maori war, Captain Kennedy was employcd for iiiiie. months jjy the Govern- • incut-, m carrying' troops and stores m the St/! X Kilda''to Vt^iG ''different stationsoccupied. by 'the" Defence Force. When disturbances : ■in - : the ' Poverty SBay district ' had - been quoiledj' and ; a number. : of Natives taken. prisoner?!,, he', had to tako. them to the Chaih&m Inlands, : for which two trips were,;: neceßsary;'.' ; v 'At',;jirst tho-Natives of- .the;,'; group wore extremely . 1 reluctant to _ receive their' unexpected guests, but Capt-ain Ken- /. riedy,' in whom tliey' .had learned to repose ■/ confidence,;was able't6 allay .their scruples,:' and' tlio prisonerß . wero' placed on shore; in ' an- encampment guarded by Lieutenant TuKe', \ and 35 soldiers.;Tho;- Natives living at /Wai- 'V tangi* allotted. the' newcomers lanQ to ! form. V thpir encampment,' build whares,' and ■'• culti- ■ vato gardens: if they wished..'; . But Captain. Kennedy soon 'saw . that they would not bo ;■"'. willing• residents. ; : ' . . •- • ''Many of tho prisoners," ho" has written.. '" understood . and could speak ' English,; and I had frequently .oonversed witli them.- I found that , although, they were ' not dissatisfied, with their .treatment, they all had a . hankering to got -back to ' New Zealand.'' . Thihgs' : 'went on peaceably enough until the guard- was recalled, and I was sent down, with Jtho 'St.- Kilda to bring' thoirl back,,' leaving only a sergeant £nd two men in , charge of the prisoners. Having occasion to see Colonel'Haultaini who was- then Defence Minister,-1 "expressed"my fear., t-liat .they",, would find, their way back by some means. Ho. replied, ' Nonsense.. The natives there will '.look' after them.' I said; ' Yos, if they ,are paid for doing, so, but not unless they ' are.' 1 This: I fqlt.quite sure . of, knowing the . feelings of tho natives on. the whole transaction. ' V"-;- 1 ;";-!''''

" Not very I6ng afterwards my words wcro voriiied,; as.' the. prisoners seized tho. schooiiet Rifleman at Raiting!,. and tied up'the captain on tho beach; :\vhere*t.ho tide would flow 'over him at high water. , They then compelled tho mate to navigate the Vessel to Now Zealand. ' Then followed the Poverty . Bay massaore,: with atrocities.''; • ' LATER LIFE. : ■''AO ■ After a term ofiso'rvico under tho Wellijigton Steam, Navigation Company, Captain Kcnne'dy, transferred,'-in 1876; to tho Union Company. Prior to his retirement, in 1893, lie went tlyough the whole flcfct as master. ■ The funeral of the late Captiin Kennedy,, which jrill be of a: private nature; will tai« nlaco to-day,. '