THE EDWIN FOX

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 105, 6 May 1933, Page 24

THE EDWIN FOX

Passengers,, to-Picton -from Welling- ■ ton may see in the harbour an old hulk. Few know its history, but there was. a time when it was one of the best known 'ships *in New Zealand waters, and1 there' are still, some old residents in_ New Zealand who camo out in her from" England*. Some particulars bf the ship arc given in Brett's V White' Wings;" ■ i Her elliptifcalTstefn, says.Mr. Henry Brett, which once boasted square windows—a I style that sufficiently boasts her age—still has the remains of the elaborate geroll-work ■ with' which the builders used to adorn the old wooden bhips, and the name "Edwin Fox, Southampton," is still legible. Dismantled and stripped of everything, the old barque has defied the hand of time, and is likely to do so for many years to come,.for she is built of good solid teak, and now, '..seventy-seven years after she left tho launching ways in Calcutta,, which was her birthplace, her timber is as sound as a bell. She has been in ' her present position for 24 years, wrote Mr.- Brett in 1924, and is now used as a storage hulk for coal and other materials of a non-edible nature- by tho New Zealand "Refrigerating Company. For thirty-two years she sailed the eeas.' She was a. full-rigged ship of 836 tons, built to the order of the famous East India Company. In 1878 her rigg was changed-to that of a barque. About the year 1873 she was bought by the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, and •in that year she made her first trip to New Zealand, with 140 immigrants, Lyttelton. being her first port of call; She arrived on 27th June after a rather tedious passage of 114 days from Brest. Captain Johnston, who was in command, reported that during the voyage there had been six deaths. In 1874 the Edwin Fox sailed from London on 23rd December, and arrived at Wellington on ,18th April, 1875, bringing 259 immigrants. She originally left London on "4th November, but during a gale at Deal lost her anchor, and put back. The vessel was then under tho command of Captain Walpolo. On resuming her voyage sho ran into and sank a collier schooner, and the Edwin Fox drifted on to the rocks at Deal. She was towed off and docked, and finally left on 23rd December under the command of Captain Davis. In 1878 the barque sailed for Nelson with 244 Government immigrants, and arrived at her destination on 18th November. Sho was then 25 years old. Another passage was made to Lyttelton in 1880. The barque sailed from London on 7th January,: and arrived on 3rd May, Tinder the command of Captain J. Phease, making tho run in 115 days. She brought, out 20 saloon, 12 secondclass, and 77 .steerage passengers. For the most part fine weather was experienced, light winds prevailing. There were many complaints over the sleeping accommodation. Some of the quarters, were almost in darkness, and some, bertha met with water finding its

way down the side of the ahip.^ The passengers also complained of tho scantiness and quality of the food. This was tho easo with a large number of tho ships bringing immigrants in the early days. Some of tho passengers were booked for Auckland, and came on by steamer. Tho same year, on 31st December, tho Edwin Pox sailed from London for the Bluff, and, arrived there on 19~th May, 1881, making a long passago of 139 days. The Edwin Fox came once more, in 1885, to Port Chalmers, under tho command of Captain Patcrson, the run out having occupied 110 days. During her long sea life, the ! Edwin Fox saw some stirring times. On l one occasion, in tho English Channel, she had a close call in a furious gale. Tho crew managed to get at some cases I of spirits, and were nearly all drunk, bo the passengers had to turn to, man tho pumps, and do what they could to save the ship. Eventually, leaking badly, she was towed by the' Steamer Copernicus into Brest. On another occasion she grounded on tho Goodwin sands, but was successfully refloated from that grave of gallant ships, and towed back to London for repairs. With such a sound old; hull, the Edwin Fox did not suffer the usual fate of the wooden craft, and she played rather an important part in the early days of the freezing industry in New Zealand. There were no land freezing works when the industry started. The freshly-slaughtered carcasses wore taken straight aboard the ship, and there frozen. Refrigerating plant was fitted in the Edwin Fox in London by the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company,

and she was sent to Dunedin to act as freezing and store ship to the other vessels of the company that had been fitted up to carry frozen meat Home. This was in the year 1885. After being at Port Chalmers for a few years the Edwin Fox was sent up to Lyttelton, and then to Gisbornc, and later to tiro Bluff, and finally she was sent to Pie ton under engagement to the Wairau Company. After two seasons sha was bought by the Christchurch Meat Company (later the New Zealand Refrigerating Company). A season later the company built works ashore, and the old vessel was stripped and hauled up in shallow water, where she now lies, and is used as a coal hulk for tho works.