The British Pavilion

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 278, 24 November 1939, Page 10

The British Pavilion

At the Centennial Exhibition, the transport section of the British Pavilion acts like a magnet to all who respond to the word 4 ‘travel.” It is so contrived that one has the illusion of being at sea, close to the great modern ships passing by. Watching the Queen Mary were two 4 4 young” octogenarians. Said one, 44 It was just about this time of year in 1875, when T had my eighteenth birthday- and landed in Port Lytelltou with £2. We crossed from Sydney in tho steam collier Easby. Those weren’t the days of speed records, and the voyage took seven days. The full complement of passengers was four.

“We carried a deck cargo of Australian oranges, and no one worried their heads over import restrictions, controlled prices, or Government marketing.

“When it was dark, we lads sat on deck and leaned against the cases of oranges. We soon made a hole in the tarpaulin tore some of the wood off the cases, and took enough oranges to our bunks to do for the next day’s dessert. Believe me, they were needed. The menus on the Easby were meagre and very solid—no vitamins in those days.

The Easby anchored in the bay outside Lytellton at Yam, and the captain told us to signal for a boat. ‘No captain,’ we said, 4 we paid our passage to Port Lytellton and its up to you to put us ashore.’

“The captain swore that he would fix us, and so he did. He gave us no food nor drink all day. By 6 p.m. we were too hungry to keep it up, so we signalled for a boat. After a bit of argument we paid the boatmen 2s. 6d. each, and when we got ashore, had one of the best meals I can remember.”

“I wonder what the passengers on the Queen Mary would say, if the captain held them up outside Southampton,” remarked his- companion.