JOSEPH CONRAD

Evening Post, Issue 12, 14 July 1936, Page 10

JOSEPH CONRAD

VOYAGE TO TAHITI

A STORMY TRIP

LETTER FROM AUCKLANDER

The stormy passage experienced by the full-rigged ship Joseph Conrad on her recent trip from the New Zealand coast to Tahiti is vividly described by a cadet member of the crew, Mr. Bruce McDougall, in a letter received by his mother, Mrs. K. McDougall, of Rata Road, Devonport (reports the "New Zealand derald"). This is the first advice Mrs. McDougall has received since the Auckland cadets on board sent a joint cablegram to their parents announcing their safe arrival at Tahiti after no word had been heard! of the ship for four weeks.

After telling of the Joseph Conrad's voyage from i^ord Howe Island to New Zealand, Mr. McDougall described the crew's excitement when the master, Mr. Allan J. Villiers, announced that they would be making a brief call at Wellington for provisions. They were doomed to disappointment, however, for the wind was right against them outside Port Nicholson, and they had to continue their course. . When near Wellington they exchanged greetings with the steamers Tamahine and Surrey. DINGHY IN HEAVY SEAS. An exciting incident occurred two days later when the ship's cat, Ginger, I fell overboard. "Although we were moving at a good speed," said Mr. I'cDougall,- "the skipper ordered the main yards to he backed, thus causing us to stop. The dinghy was then lowered with two of the older lads in it, but their rescue task looked pretty hopeless as a big sea was running and the dinghy was at times lost to view in the trough of the waves. One of the lads sighted the cat from the rigging, however, and albatrosses alighting on the water gave us its position. They searched around for a while, and were just giving up hope and returning when the cat was seen, and taken into the boat." Very cold weather was experienced on subsequent days and a heavy swell was running. The wind freshened considerably on May 30, and continued with heavy rain the next day. In the evening a gale had developed, sail was taken in, and the look-out changed from the bow to the galley-roof. The wind changed in a flash at 11 p.m. and the other watch was called out to help pull the yards around to face the wind again. COLD AND WET. i "We were flying along now and took in another sail in the rain before we went oft; watch at midnight," Mr. Me- ; Dougall added. "We were not sorry ■ to go below, as we were all cold and . wet. At 2 a.m. water came on board ■ and leaked down through our skylight, , causing us to get up and empty our , lower locker. • . "The dinghy was smashed at one end i and had to be cut, adrift in this watch, as it hung over the side in the davits. We also lost a lifebelt and a small ' ladder overboard, so do not get alarmed ; if any of these are reported to be picked up later on. It was very squally and we came on watch again at 4 a.m., having to put on wet things. We had very little sail on now, but with the following wind were moving at a good rate, ( although rolling terribly. This was the £ roughest we had been in, but she is a wonderful little ship and rides the waves beautifully." FUTURE MOVEMENTS. More squalls were encountered two days later and early in the morning the ship was- hove-to. That was because they were somewhere near the reefs seen by a sailing vessel, the Maria Theresa, long ago, the position of the reefs being doubtful. The ship continued its course at daybreak. The , stormy weather was not over, however, I and on two more occasions that week I the ship was hove-to. Big seas were E running and the ship pitched to and ? fro like a cork. When the weather * changed early in the next week they , were able to set all sail for the first l time in about eight days, after having £ handled the sails about 90 times in that c period. c

Pleasant conditions were encountered for the remainder of the voyage to Tahiti, which was reached on June 18, after a voyage of 79' days from Samarai. New Guinea. They expected to stay at Tahiti about a fortnight before proceeding to England by way of Cape Horn, the Falkland Islands, and New York.,