VETERAN OF THE SEA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1710, 29 December 1919, Page 6

VETERAN OF THE SEA.

CAPTAIN 11. E. GREENSTREET. 92 VOYAGES~ROUND WORLD. MASTER MARINER SINCE 1881.. The sea is accredited as being a *hard taskmistrcss, but it has apparently made an exception in the case of Captain 11. E. Groenstrect, ex-Commodore of the New Zealand Shipping Company's fleet who, after a spell ashore of two years following his rolireinetit in 1917, arrived at Auckland by tho Huahino on Wednesday on a visit to the Dominion'. Despite his 60 odd years,

Captain Greenslroot has an air of health and vigour Hiddom eiiualled by men of 45 or iW. flis cheery personality and his wealth of reminiscence when ho can be prevailed upon to speak rifrthe past (says the Herald), have, endeared him to all who have come' into contact with him, and ho is probably tlio best-known master mariner in the-Now Zealand run. Ue is believed to have made more voyages round the world than any other living mail; While in the service Captain Green - street made 90 complete voyages round the world, or, including two through the Panama Canal, 92 between England and the Antipodes His present trip, when completed, will make the 93rd He has rounded

the (.'ape of Good Hope 95 times, and Capo Horn 75 times, has paused through! the Straits of Magellan 14 times, and crossed the Equator 192 times He f has travelled, approximately. 2,500,000 miles at. sea, has never had a serious mishap, and has never been oil' duty for a single day at soa owing to illness - ' Boni in 1851, Captain Groenstreet joined 11.M.5. Worcester qb'*,h cadet in August, 1866. Two years he went'to sea as a midshipman on tho Holmsdale, and then served consecutively as an A.8., third, I second, and first mate on various Vessels, trading to the Far East and Australia and New Zealand; until, in 1881, he was appointed master of the barque Mataura —the first ship to be fitted with refrigerating appliances. Captain Greenstinet's first steamer was the Aorangi, oil which he made two journeys as second mate and two as first, and in June. 1885, he was appointed master of the Ruapohu. From then on as com-' modore of the Now Zealand Shipping Company's fleet, he was given -the command of several new vessels as they were built. Captain Greehstreet retired in 1917, but he was prefoctly willing to keep at sea. The strain of navigation and responsibility at sea under tho conditions then prevading was very great indeed, however, and the directors of the company .wore convinced that he was thoroughly entitled to a rest. The veteran captain would not allow himself to remain idle, however. Immediately after his retirement from the merchant/service he took up Red Cross work under tho High Commissioner for New Zealand, and for many months did yeoman service in mooting New Zoalanders at Victoria Station, when they arrived on leave from France. Later, he took charge of the Now Zealand Red Cross Depot at Southampton.