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Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 12 February 1921, Page 3

The Chatham Islands Fishing Company's steamej Rama (formerly H.M.S. Torch) reached Lyttelton on Tuesday night on her first trip from the Chathams, after a heavy weather passage. There were 12 passengers aboard. The vessei carried 1200 sheep, consigned to Canterbury owners. The Christchurch Sun states that the Rama left "VVaitnngi at 6 o'clock on Saturday evening, last, and about midnight struck a howling gale, which continued with unabated fury until midnight on Monday. As little headway could be made against the force of the wind and heavy beam sea, the vessel was hove to for about 20 hours on Sunday, meanwhile drifting about 50 miles out of her course. The weather was so thick that it was- impossible to take observations. Throughout the voyage, however, she did not y^r) a sea, nothing but spray finding its *vay on board. A. number "of sheep Wl to thrown overboard, but when an PiMowance is made for the unusual conditions, the percentage lost was comparatively small. .Accommodation was made for some of the sheep awteen docks, the remainder being below ancl on the upper deck.