OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 4

OBITUARY

- -CAPTAIN E. W. COZENS Captain E. W. Cozens died yesterday morning after a long and painful illness. The late Captain Cozens was bom in Liverpool, and for the past 35 years had been associated with maritime matters in'New Zealand. He obtained his master’s certificate at the age of 19 years, and had command of many ■'vessels under different flags, amongst them being the Colonel de Villibois Maruie, Antiope, Whangaroa, Wenona, Maroro, and Pelotas. Captain Cozens had a varied and interesting career. He . once accomplished the trip from Australia to New Zealand in five days in the scow Whangaroa. Perhaps his most notable achievement was when, six years after his retirement, he was offered and accepted the command of the Colonel de Villibois Maruie, a French ship whose captain had died in Wellington during the 1918 epidemic. Overcoming difficulties and opposition of the French crew, he completed in 60 days his contract to take the . ship to San Francisco. During the voyage the crew became so much attached to him that they refused point-blank to sail with the skipper from their own country specially sent from Paris to relieve Captain Cozens. There was nothing for it but for Captain Cozens to complete the voyage-to France, which he did. Beyond a couple of trips round New Zealand as pilot to Home steamers, this was his last voyage to sea. The late Captain Cozens was a resident of Wellington and Petone for the past 27 years, and he is survived by a widow, three sons, and three daughters.