AN HISTORIC SHIP.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 293, 8 November 1934, Page 8

AN HISTORIC SHIP.

JOSEPH CONRAD’S COMMAND

After serving for over 30 years as a coal hulk in Hobart, Tasmania, a very famous sailing ship lias been taken out to sea and scuttled (writes a paragraphist in the Navy for September), Japanese scrappers not being attracted by sailing ships and Australian labour being too dear to have her broken up in the country. She was the Otago, a little iron barque of only 348 tons, built in 1869, but with a wonderful reputation for speed. Her great claim to fame, however, is tha.t she was the first and only command of Joseph Conrad, who constantly mentions her with affection in his books.

He retained the command for rather less than a year, for her regular employment was on the Australian coast with occasional trips to Mauritius, while Conrad’s ambition was to get into a sailing ship carrying passengers with whom he could discuss his literary ambitions. So he gave up the command of the Otago to ship as mate in the Torrens. Here he met Air AV. H. Jacques and Air John Galsworthy as passengers, showed them his manuscripts, and. obtained the advice which subsequently made Him one of the foremost British novelists.