A STAUNCH OLD SAILOR.

Evening Star, Issue 14631, 29 July 1911, Page 4

A STAUNCH OLD SAILOR.

JAMES STEWART. Captain' Stewart died at 5 o’clock this morning.. He was a homely Scotch sailor with a will of his own and an cldfaeiiioned sense of duty. To most him casually ho might have seemed blunt, precise, unaccommodating. Men who knew him used to say that no was guileless and straight and honorable, ready to sacrifice himself and to dare 'any penalty in defence of what be 'believed to be the truth. James Stewart hailed originally from Fife, and was brought up in Burntisland, and served his time at sea. He went to Victoria in the fifties, and, after experiences on the goldfields there, he and a man named Simpson bought a little schooner, the Spec, and sailed Itor to Dunedin, using i her on the trade between Otago, the Tnierj River, and the Molyueux. Subsequently Captain Stewart went Home, taking with him Ida wife. She travelled as a passenger, and he- was on the ship’s articles. He had the topsail schooner Dunedin built at Dundee, and sailed her out to New Zealand, hie wife and daughter being on board. The little green-painted vessel traded up and down the coast, and became known in many little ports. Captain Stewart was a thorough sailor—one of the sort who could, .safely feel his way about a. coast that close in was at that time indifferently charted and badly lighted. To this clay a shoal off West Waiicairai is named “ Stewart’s Breakers.” He war the first to locate this danger spot. The Dunedin traded successfully till the s.s. Taiarca for the Bhuw-Saviil Company. This steamer got into trouble on the inside of Dog Island whilst making for port on her maiden voyage, and stuck for a while. Upon reaching DuUodin she was given to the mastership of Captain Stewart. That would he about 1875 or 1876. She was put into the Timaru trade, and Captain Stewart retained command till she was sold to the Union Steam Ship Company, when ho was transferred to the Beautiful Star. Shortly afterwards he was sent Home by the Harbor Board to bring out dredge 222. He steamed her out, and had some adventures by the way in that unwieldy craft. During dirty weather in the Bay of Biscay the pumps got choked aud the vessel filled. Many a man would have her and the whole crew. Captain Stewart, being a strong swimmer, dived into the bilges and got the pumps cleared. It was a feat only possible by a. strong and brave man. Captain Stowa.rtafterwa.rds took 222 to Melbourne, and brought her back after the hiring term. He also steamed her to Wellington. After that he retired from the f-ea, a good many years ago, and settled down to a quiet Hie at hus residence in Manor place. He was an ardent advocate of Bible in schools, and a consistent and inflexible supporter of the No-license movement. Mrs Stewart still lives, and the members of the family are Mrs J. Inglis Wright, Mies Mary Anne Stewart, Robert Stewart (a teacher at Kingedown, Timaru), two girls in business at Wellington, and Harry {a teacher at Wanganui). The de-c-wised was in his 79th year.