LONG SERVICE AT SEA

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 80, 28 December 1935, Page 14

LONG SERVICE AT SEA

Captain Spring Brown Retiring After a career of nearly 4S years at sea, Captain J. F. Spring Brown, commodore of the Union Steam Ship Company, and commander of the Royal Mai! liner Aorangi, which arrived at Auckland on Monday from Vancouver, is making his last voyage prior to his retirement, which will take place at Sydney at the end ot this month. Captain Brown commenced his sea career in July. ISSB. as an apprentice ollicer in the full-rigged ship Queen of Scots, owned by Donald Kennedy, of Liverpool. The first voyage lasted four years, eight months, ami the vessel was at Mauritius when a severe hurricane passed over the island in 1892. On another voyage, when the Queen of Scots was at Rio de Janeiro, the vessel had to remain there for three and a half months owing to a revolution. Later, when the Queen of Scots was bound to Amsterdam from Bombay, beriberi broke out on board and many of tlie crew died. On arriving at the Downs the sick wore put ashore and the vessel towed to Amsterdam. Captain Brown was not seriously a (Tec tod by the outbreak. Captain Brown then left sail for steam, and joined the Tyrian as third officer for the delivery of the vessel for the Howard Smith Steamship Company at Melbourne. He spent three and a halt years on the Australian coast in ships belonging to this company. In January. 1900. Captain Brown joined the Union Steam Ship Company’s service. as a third officer, and obtained bis first command in the steamer Wainui in 1910. From the time he joined the company until 1916. he was continuously in services across the Tasman Sea. During the war he commanded the troopships Mokoia and Willochra. transporting troops from New Zealand and Australia to Egypt. At the cessation of hostilities Captain Brown took prisoners of war from Now Zealand and Australia to Rotterdam. He then conveyed infantrymen from England to Archangel, later transporting Russian refugees to Baltic ports. Early in 1920 Captain Brown returned to the services conducted by the Union Company, and at different times was in command of the Makura. Marama, Maunganui, Tahiti, Sussex and Niagara. In February, 1931, he was placed in command of the Aorangi. and appointed commodore of the company’s fleet. Captain Brown has been a popular commander with both passengers and crew, and he will also be missed by a e large circle of friends ashore. lie will live in retirement in Sydney. Captain T. V. Hill, of the Niagara, will take command of the Aorangi, and Captain W. Martin will relio.'T Captain Hili. FROM EASTERN PORTS Union Company’s Narbada The Union Coni|ian.v’s chartered steamer Narbada, which left Calcutta on November 29, Singapore on December 8, and Samarang on December 10, arrived at Auckland yesterday. Bhe is expected at Wellington on Thursday, and will complete discharge ot her cargo of Eastern produce at Lyttelton. Timaru, Bluff and Dunedin. GOLDEN BEAR ARRIVES. Tlie .0. and O. Lino freighter Golden Bear, for which Messrs. Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd. .are agents, reached Auckland on Thursday evening from Los Angeles. She is expected at Wellington on Monday morning, and will leave again the same day to complete discharge at Australian ports. WAH’AHI’S MOVEMENTS. The Union Company’s islands freighter Waipahi is expected to leave Auckland today for Suva. She will later return to Auckland, proceeding thenee to Sydney. LIMERICK FOR LYTTELTON. The Union Company’s freighter Limerick is now to leave Wellington on Monday for Lyttelton. Dunedin, Melbourne and Sydney, at which ports she is to complete discharge of her cargo from the Pacific Coast. She will afterward return to Vancouver via Fiji and Apia. ORAMA’S VISIT. The 20,000-tou Orient liner Orama, which reached Auckland on Thursday from Brisbane, was scheduled to sail 'again yesterday for Wellington. She is due here at 8 a.m. to-morrow. The Orama brought to New Zealand some SOO tourists, and IS passengers from London. She will berth at Pipitea Wharf while at Wellington, and will sail again at 5 a.m. on Monday for Sydney in continuation of her cruise. WANGANELLA’S TRIP CANCELLED. Owing to the Australian seamen’s strike tlie sailing.of the Wanganella from Sydney for Auckland has been cancelled and her excursion cruise to northern ports from Auckland next week has also been abandoned. She was scheduled to reach Auckland on New Year's Day and to sail on her northern cruise the following day. SCOW ECHO TO SLIP. The auxiliary scow Echo, which is due back from Blenheim on Monday, will go on to the patent slip that day. and will sail again for Blenheim on Tuesday. MONOWAI ON MONDAY. The Union Company’s intercolonial liner Monowai, which left Auckland last Tuesday with about 300 passengers for a holiday cruise to Whangaroa, Russell, and Port Fitzroy. is due' back at Auckland today, and will be dispatched later in the day for Wellington. She is due here on Monday morning, and will leave again the same day on her return passage to Sydney. She is due there on Thursday. CANADIAN VICTOR LOADING. After being delayed by bad weather in tlie Tasman, the Canadian National freighter Canadian Victor reached Auckland on Thursday from Melbourne. She is loading there at present, and_ is expected to leave on Monday for New York, Boston and Halifax. TEKOA TO COMPLETE. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s Tekoa left Auckland on Thursday for Tokomaru Bay, where she is now completing Homeward loading. She is scheduled to leave to-morrow for New York, London and West Coast ports of tlie United Kingdom. THE COPTIC REPORTS. The Shaw. Savill vessel Coptic has reported by radio that she expects to reach New Plymouth at noon to-day: she is coming in ballast from Australia to load Homeward. She will complete at ’Wanganui. Auckland and Wellington, being due here on January 16, and will leave on January 21 for London, via Cape Horn and Las Palmas. MARAMA FOR MELBOURNE. Tlie Union Company’s Marama is to leave Wellington to-day for Bluff. Hobart and Melbourne, calling at Milford Sound en route if weather and other circumstances allow. PORT HOBART LEAVING. Tlie C. and D. Line’s Port Hobart, loading at tlie Glasgow Wharf, is scheduled to leave this evening to complete at Timaru and Port Chalmers, clearing on January 8 for London, via Cape Horn.