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Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 128, 1 June 1935, Page 21

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THE LEITH'S MASCOT

THE EXPLOITS OF GINGER

After an absence of over six months, Ginger, a cat who holds the proud position of favourite mascot in H.M.S. Leith, has rejoined his ship, says the "New Zealand Herald." Ginger, who is a valuable Persian, was guilty, of technical desertion at Brisbane, during the voyage of the Leith from England to New Zealand last year, and since then he has been the subject of innumerable letters and even cables. Intensive inquiries finally traced his whereabouts in Australia and he was sent to New Zealand by the Wanganella. Ginger was only a kitten when he was first brought on board the Leith at Chatham in August, 1934, shortly before the sloop's departure for New Zealand. In distinction to the ordinary run of ships' cats, he was a feline aristocrat of unimpeachable- pedigree and as soon as he joined the" ship he was at pains to assert his superiority. The two ordinary cats who lived on the lower decks he utterly ignored. He seemed to sense almost immediately that the captain was the most important person on board and, as such, entitled to the most comfortable quarters. Thereupon Ginger proceeded to make the captain's cabin his own abode. HABITS ON BOARD. During the voyage from England, Ginger revealed himself as a cat of settled and fastidious habits. . Every afternoon at the stroke of eight bells —four o'clock according to shore time —he would leave the captain's apartments and mount to the bridge to join the captain and the officer of the watch during sunset hours. He maintained his exclusive habits and the only time he would visit the ward room officers was when they were dressed for dinner and assembled on "the quarter deck, where they invariably dined in the tropics. Ginger made this visit a nightly function. Affection for the cat increased as the voyage progressed and at every port of call great care was taken by officers and men to see that he did not stray ashore. However, when the Leith was leaving Brisbane for Auckland the word went round that Ginger was missing. There was a hurried consultation with the wharf manager, who promised to do his best to find the sloop's pet and to forward him to New Zealand with the Duke of Gloucester's cruiser, H.M.A.S. Australia. The Australia arrived in December and Ginger was not on board. The officers and men of the Leith had only one consolation. They suspected that had Ginger enjoyed the privilege of travelling with Royalty he would never have descended to the level of a small sloop. ON COASTAL STEAMER. Ginger was given up as lost, but a few weeks ago Captain Oliver' Bevir, of the Leith, received a cablegram from the wharf manager at Brisbane. It stated: "Your Ginger cat has been located on board s.s. Oorama, voyaging between Brisbane and Melbourne." A letter was sent to the captain of the Oorama, from whom it was learned that Ginger had walked on board after the Leith's departure. He made several voyages round the Australian coast, but when the Oorama was paid off at Sydney, the chief steward decided that Ginger was too fine a cat to be allowed to lead a roving life and accordingly took him to his home in a country town in New South Wales. Captain Bevir then communicated with the Oorama's chief steward, asking if Ginger could be restored to his first ship. The response was prompt and courteous. Ginger was brought to Sydney, placed on board the Wanganella, and travelled practically as a saloon passenger on. the voyage to Auckland. One of the Leith's officers collected Ginger from the Wanganella, placed him in a basket, and transferred him to the sloop. Ginger fought fiercely, but, when the basket was opened in Captain Bevir's day cabin, he jumped out, surveyed his surroundings with a knowing air, and then settled himself in his former favourite position—the top of the captain's roll-top desk. Ginger is once more perfectly at home.