THE VICISSITUDES OF WEST COAST TRAVELLING.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1929, 12 October 1874, Page 2

THE VICISSITUDES OF WEST COAST TRAVELLING.

[to the editor.] Sir — I am not one of those persons who, if a train is five minutes too late, or if a coach breaks down on the road, at once " writes to the ' Times.' " Whenever I start upon a journey I do so with the full knowledge that I may be the victim of circumstances which neither engine nor coach driver can control, and prepare myself philosophically accordingly. This philosophy is not only necessary, but becomes an instinct whenever a traveller embarks on board a steamer bound to any of the West Coast ports. He calculates upon the possibility of detention — of perhaps being landed at some other port than that to which he was booked, and is prepared to run the risk without grumbling should his unfavorable anticipations prove true. But at the same ' ! time lie expects — and has a right to expect — that those to whose tender mercies he commits himself as a passenger will provide all available means for his convenience, comfort, and safety. It is only j when these obligatory conditions fail to ] be complied with that a good honest growl is excusable. Now, sir, I intend to indulge in such a growl, although I shall do it in as mild terms as possible, and would not growl at all did t not think that I had some good grounds for doing so. I, with my wife, two children, and servant, were passengers from Wellington to Grey mouth by the Albion, which, after a rough passage, arrived off the Grey on Saturday morning, the 3rd instant, early, waiting for the tender. I, with oilier passengers, auxiously looked out for the Dispatch, and watched her repeated endeavors to get outside with intense interest ; but our disappointment at her failure was for the moment compensated by seeing the Waipara steam out gallantly, and put out, as the passengers thought, to us, but she shaped her course for Hokitika. Captain Underwood decided to take the Albion on, and on the way he picked up the Waipara, and gave her a tow to Hokitika, but too late for the tide. The passengers were warned to be up by 2 a. m. on the following morning, and you can imagine the discomfort of such an early rising to sea-sick women and children ; but up all were at the appointed time, and waiting shivering for nearly an hour, when we were informed that the Waipara would not take us in then, but would be out again at about 5 o'clock. Of course, sleep was out of the question, and all waited discontentedly the time of departure. Captain Underwood made every preparation for the transhipment of passengers. The luggage was brought on deck, the boats were swung in from the davits, the bulwark nettings removed, and everything made ready for the speedy exchange of passengers — but no signs of the Waipara. At last, after two hours waiting, the p.s. Titan came out, but would not come alongside, and the consequent delay occasioned by undoing everything that had been done before, and the tedious transhipment by boat, resulted in the loss of the tide, and the confinement of the West Coast passengers on the tug steamer for the greater part of the day, a heavy swell rolling at the time, and no other accommodation but a small stuffy cabin half filled with mail bags and baggage. At last we got in at Hokitika in the afternoon. Of the subsequent experiences of myself, family, and fellow passengers, I can simply say that they were terrible ; but I cannot complain of them, as they arose from causes entirely beyond the control of anyone. But what I wish to point are the facts that, first of all, there was no apparent reason why the Waipara did not take the West Coast passengers ashore on her first trip — it was equally inexplicable to the passengers and to the captain of the Albion ; — second, that Captain Underwood was left under the impression that the Waipara would return speedily, and that he made arrangements accordingly; and third, that no intimation was given that the services of the Titan were likely to be required until the Waipara arrived in the Hokitika river, at which time the Titan's fires were cold. I can assure you that the whole proceedings ' were stigmatised by the captain of the Albion in the most forcible terms that a seaman could use, and he went so far as to denounce generally the arrangements made for tendering the ocean steamers at both Hokitika and Greymouth. I am perfectly justified in stating that, on this occasion, an amount of inattention and neglect of the comfort and convenience of passengers was perpetrated by the agents of the Albion which was nothing short of disgraceful, and to my own knowledge this sort of thing tends very much to discourage persons from visiting the West Coast by sea. It is only fair to add that the inevitable discomfort occasioned by the crowding together of passengers on the tug Titan, was lessened as much as possible by the kindness and attention of her captain. To conclude, and I speak from experience, there is vast room for improvement in the tendering of the ocean boats. I have heard the captains of various steamers complain in far more bitter terms than I feel inclined to indulge in with regard to thia matter. I am, &c, A Passenger by the Albion. Greymouth, October 10.