SHIP BROTHERS' PRIDE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10220, 14 December 1893, Page 3

SHIP BROTHERS' PRIDE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— Will you kindly insert a few lines for the information of tho young people and others who are not directly interested in the good old ship whose arrival in Lyttelton will be celebrated to-morrow. Shipmates will know all 1 can tell them and a deal more. The Brothers’ Pride (so named by the owners, Messrs Miles Brothers) sailed from London on July 23, 1883, and arrived at Gravesend the samo day. After waiting a day or so for a captain we got one, a Scotchman named Alexander Glendiuing. The doctor was, I think, an Irishman named Fitzherbert M’Dermot. Wb left Gravesend on July 26, and passed the beautiful little towns of Dover and Folkatone and the white cliffs of Albion. On July 27 we passed Hastings and Beacby Head, and in the evening lost sight of the Isle of Wight and the coast of France. On August 1 nearly all hands were sea-sick. I forget the number of people on board, but there must have boon fully three hundred. August 4 brought an addition to our number by the birth of a child. The first death occurred the day after, and a little excitement was caused by the bursting of a bonili soup tin. On August 1 we met tho Mayflower, of Liverpool, bound for Falmouth, It was soon known she would take Any letters which might be sent to England, and there was a rash and a ory for pens, ink and paper; then quietness for a few minutes, and a bag of letters was taken in one of the ship’s boats to the passing vessel. At this time we had a lot of sick people on board, and bnt for a few light, genial spirits, like Torrance of Spreydon, Hanson of Eiccar* ton, and a few more I could mention, time would have pressed vary heavily on ua. On August 17 we sighted Porto Santo, one of the Madeira Islands, and on August 20 a passenger eold his wife. She was only considered worth £5, and waa knocked down at that figura. Her husband has been for years, and still is, an inmate of the Sunayside Asylum. Up to Sept. 9 there had been five burtha, but sickness was making sad work, nine deaths having occurred to data. On Sept. 13 we were in company with the ship Herbert, of Boston, bound to the Cape of Good Hope, from Cardiff, in South Wales. On Sept. 16 we creased the equator, and the day was given up to fun and mirth, and goodnatured chaff. Sept. 23 was a red-letter day, being selected for the celebration of the marriage of the ship’s second mate and a young Scotch lassie. The ceremony was followed by dancing, singing and all kinds of music, including the dreadful bagpipes. At this time we had the company of three chips bound from Ragland to the Cape and Bombay. There was no wind, and the sea being calm, bathing was indulged ‘ in freely. On Oot, 1 a regular cleaning took place, and the chip was clothed with a fresh set of sails. Our joy waa broken by the death of a woman, the widow of the first man who died on the Brothers’ Pride, and she left behind her a little boy from twelve to eighteen months old. What became of that boy is a question often asked, .bat I cannot learn anything of him. Many of hia shipmates would be very glad to meet him. About this time the captain announced that he would call at Capo Town, in South Africa. We arrived in Table Bay on Oct. 18, and went ashore at Cape Town on the 19fch. The town is a most beautiful place, situated, like Lyttelton, at the foot of a Hill, and stretching along the beach. The houses are low and white. There are decent public buildings and largo Botanical Gardens# A few days previous to this the Alabama, commanded by Captain Sims, had been in the harbour. Captain Wilkoa was outside the heads waiting for him with tho northern man-of-war, the Vanderbilt. Tho Alabama took advantage of a heavy fog, ran out of the harbour past the great Vanderbilt, and gob away. While we were in the harbour the Vanderbilt came in to look for tho bird, but it bad flown, and we were all pleased. Wa left Capetown on Oot. 23, sailing round Robin Island down the harbour, and away to Now Zealand. On Nov. 11 we passed Amsterdam Isle, and on Nov. 13 encountered the roughest weather and seao we had yet met with. By Nov. 17 our loss by deaths had reached thirty-one. Torrance and I used to work sway with a little coffee-mil!, grinding the coarse oatmeal fiacr for gruel for the sick. On Nov. 25 wa mot tho first fog encountered since leaving the Old Country, and on Dec. 6 could be seen the long-looked-for country of our adoption. Another ship, called the Bahia, was creeping up the coast, for Lyttelton. She left London a day before us. The Brothers’Pride was dodging about, but could not get into the harbour. On Doc. 8 the David G. Fleming and our ship were trying to reach the harbour, but tho David G. Fleming got in first, and at once the wind turned to a sou’-wester and our ship was compelled to stay outside. Then our captain turned to tho north and swore he would tako the ship to South America, which threat brought forth screams and tsars from the woman. Ha let the. ship go till wo could see the windmill at Leithfield. which had recently been removed from Windmill road, Christchurch. The ship waa then put about, and we entered Lyttelton harbour on Deo. 9 and were put into quarantine in Camp Bay on the following day—Dec. 10,1865 after a voyage of one hundred and forty days. Daring that long voyage connections were made and acquaintances formed which cannot be severed or forgotten in this life. One marriage, one sals of a wife, eleven births and forty-six deaths (and I believe four others in Camp Bay) made an unenviable record. Let us hope it will never be broken. Now our reunion on Deo. 14 (Thursday next) will be like a meeting of soldiers who fought a battle together thirty years ago, to celebrate their victory.—l am, &0., H. B. KIRK.