INCIDENTS IN A SEA VOYAGE.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1740, 8 November 1862, Page 5

INCIDENTS IN A SEA VOYAGE.

IJY AN AUCKLAND SETTLER.

The following account of a passage in the Wigram , in 1847, from Calcutta to Sydney, via Madras and Hobarton, has been compiled from the log, and handed to us for publication, by one of the passengers now settled in Auckland. The voyage was certainly of a different character, although not a very agreeable one, to those passed in passenger ships ; and the object for which, we suppose our correspondent wishes us to publish it, is to show how much better managed these things are (or ought to be) in the British merchant navy at the present time. AYc'should certainly recommend him never again to tempt tbo dangers of the deep, but to take a wife and farm (if he does not already possess both), ami raise potatoes and picaninnies lor the benefit of bis adopted country: — About the year 1847, the barque Wigram, of about 450 tons, was engaged to sail from Calcutta to Madras, from Madras to Tobart Town, and from Hobart Town to Sydney. At that time the average passage from Calcutta to Madras was about six days, although on the occasion referred to it took about three weeks. In sailing down tbo river from Calcutta, the barque run into a big ship, and lost its jib-boom and Some other spars and ropes. When lying in the roads in Madras, the weather was exceedingly sultry, and there being a number of Arabian horses below, tlie atmosphere there was too close to be comfortable, consequently one or two of the passengers, as well as the second mate and tlie carpenter, about 9 o’clock, took their beds before tlie “ cuddy ” door. They had been long in that position till the chief mate ordered the beds to be removed, if not, he would throw water upon them. The parties already referred to refused to remove their beds, and the mate threw tlie water, then threatened to throw them overboard. From little to more a scuffle ensued between one of the passengers (now in Auckland) and tlie mate, in which encounter the latter came off second best. The same evening, about eleven o’clock, tlie mate went into tiic cabin of the only lady passenger then on board, and annoyed her fora considerable time, but, failing to accomplish his base design, he came out, ami after a consultation with one of the saloon passengers, who passed by the soabrequet of “ Billy Delante,” tlie two mixed some drug in a tumbler containing brandy. The mate again (bund his way into the lady’s cabin, and tried hard to induce her to drink, but she steadily refused to do so. She begged him to leave her cabin, or she would report him to the captain when he came on board in tlie morning, but he continued to insult and annoy her till about 3 o’clock in the morning, when at last she rushed out of her cabin, and screamed to the other passengers for protection, which was at once granted. (This conduct of the mate readily accounts for his anxiety to get the beds removed from the cuddy door). At daylight, the mate offered some spirit to the passengers in order to insure their silence as to his shameful conduct, but tlie bribe was refused. As soon as the captain came on board, the lady lodged her complaint, but the captain turned on his heel, stating that it was impossible for him to go to sea without a mate, and that lie had no time to got a fresh one, as he was bound to sail that morning. Before leaving Madras, the passengers were joined by a “Mr. Hounslow,” (a collector of tributes at Madras), his wife, and family, who had engaged passages to Sydney. After tlie captain’s refusal to dismiss the mate, tlie lady above referred to went into her cabin, and was not seen outside again till about midnight on the second day after leaving Madras, when a Portuguese, who was steering the vessel, suddenly sang out in Portuguese, “ there’s a woman overboard.” Thecapt. and some of the passengers were speedily on deck, ami a small hen-coop was thrown over. The figure of a woman was distinctly seen in the distance. 'I he ship was put about, a boat lowered, but ten minutes or more had by this elapsed ; and whcn[theJhoat had reached within twenty or thirty yards of her, her clothes, which hitherto had kept her floating, appeared to get too heavy, and she sank, screaming fearfully. It was supposed that the lady was one who had loft New South Wales in company witli a “ Mr. John Thomas Wilson,” a merchant at the same place. She had been living witli his family in India till he died, and it was also supposed that, on this lamentable occasion, she was returning to her friends in New South Wales. She had taken the conduct of tlie mate very seriously to heart, and very likely in a half sleepy state she hail fancied that he was again in her cabin, and, to escape his clutches, leapt out at tlie cabin window. However, the mate shortly afterwards met with fearful retribution. About a fortnight after the lady was drowned, a little boy was by tlie mate ordered up aloft to do do something to the rigging, and after getting up a certain height, tlie boy naturally felt timid, and refused to move further. Getting a rope’s-end, the mate went up to punish the poor trembling fellow, but before getting that length, in stepping from one place to another, the mate missed his footing, and, with a fearful crash, fell with his back upon the capstan. At first ho was put into his cabin in tlie cuddy, but he soon began to smell so strongly, that lie had to be put between decks, where lie died after suffering nine or ten days’ fearful agony. There being no professional doctor on board, Mr. Hounslow used to treat him, and, to his credit, showed him every kindness until his death. In his great agony he used to groan fearfully, and on such occasions it was nothing uncommon to hear some of the men say, “ Serve tlie devil right, after treating the lady so.” Shortly after the death of the male, a row took place between a Lascar, who persisted in annoying tlie horses, and a passenger who had them in charge. The Lascar was knocked down, and in consequence the passenger, by order of tlie captain, was to be put in irons. However, lie only got about an hour’s confinement without tlie irons, and was then set at liberty. The same Lascar was shortly after drowned, when attempting to draw up a bucket of water. For managing the ship, the only Europeans left were tlie captain, second mate, and the carpenter. Four Fortugucsc, or “ sea conics,” as they are called, were for steering tlie ship ; all tlie others were Lascars.

During the passage, in a gale of wind which lasted about a fortnight, tlie sails were all blown away. Some of them were blown into mere rags, as the captain couldn’t get the terrified Lascars to go up and put them in order. One morning, tlie captain found that the vessel was drifting on to some land, called “Cape Luca,’’ about the coast of Van Dicman’s Land. He got fearfully annoyed at tlie cowardice of tlie Lascars in not assisting to work the ship. The Lascars used to crawl hack as fast into their holes as the Europeans could draw them out. One was told by the captain that if lie crawled back again, be would doctor him ; and, crawling back, with a handspike lie was so effectually doctored, that lie never spoke more. During tlie gale, the cuddy was frequently half-filled with water, and Mr. Hounslow got so disgusted that, although lie had taken out passages for himself, wife, and family to Sydney, lie would go no further than Hobart Town in tlie Wigram, but took another vessel. After staying about a fortnight in Hobart Town, (where, by the way, the captain brought a nice young lady on board, very much against the wishes of her parents or guardians), the vessel sailed for Sydney, and the weather getting milder, tlie Lascars took to their work, and the vessel safely reached its destination, the only additional disaster being tlie death of one of the Arabian horses, which had broken its back during tlie gale. Thus ended that unhappy passage. Amicus.