FROM LONDON TO AUCKLAND.

New Zealander, Volume XXIV, Issue 2612, 17 March 1866, Page 4

FROM LONDON TO AUCKLAND.

BEING THE DIARY OF A PASSENGER BY THE SHIP ‘ITLCOATS.’ | CON 1 IN'UI-1> ]

A larch o (continued .) This was carefully washed, skewered, and numbered, and, as I said before, taken up to (be cook ; but judge of my surprise, at twelve o’clock, when I went to fetch the same, to see a shrivelled up bit of what appeared to bo mahogany, attached to two enormous rib bones, and with the ominous “ No. .1 ” upon it. There could be no mistake about it—it was the same piece f had taken up; but oh! how sadly changed and altered. However, ft belonged to “ our mess, ’ there could be no doubt about that, and T must make the best of it. So I picked it up very carefully by the string, and took it below, when its general appearance was pretty well anathematised by No. 5 moss in general. However, f set to work “ to carve” (being captain for the fir-t week), and hid the five individuals around me be ;n hungry, God help them ! for upon a fair division of the to-called beef, after separating It from the bone, there remained for each p rsnn about an ounce and a half, nr, at the very utmost, two ounces, of a leathery and stringy looking substance, certainly as unlike beef I bail ever bad anything to do with as could possibly be imagined. However, the quantity was not of much importance, for the first mouthful was enough for our fastidious stomachs, hitherto unaccustomed to such oceanic delicacies, for one and all returned it to their plates with a most woeful contortion of countenance —and proceeded to the second course ! And here let me say that afterwards, with one or two exceptions, our moss never again drew theig beef, for It was an utter impossibity to eat it unless regularly famished—and even to this we became accustomed before the end of our voyage. It was nut only ns tough as leather and ns salt as brine (the cooking of it in salt water the which did not improve), but it had a flavour savouring of the scum collected from the boiling of so much—certainly not good meat together, which made it most unpalatable, even could its rough grain and snltncss have been removed —and as for getting any fat about it such a thing was unknown. AVith regard to pork the case was very dif-ferent-fine fat belly pieces often came to our share, and were most gratefully received. AYe used to pay particular attention to “ pork days,” and take great care to be up to the cask early, so as to have a good chance of getting a nice piece. I have, often seen the different “captains” nearly fighting to see who should first be served. 'l’be preserved beef, too, wo could oat, although there was generally a slight taint with it—even in the cold weather ; white, when the weather was warm, it generally turned st'nking in a few hoi rs. Indeed, it was literally the hardest matter in the world tn exist at all, for the biscuits (like the beef, they were uneatable, being like so many cakes of wood,) were not drawn once in a dozen times. AVheu drawn they were soaked and made into pudddings, with the aid of flour, raisins, ami si'o-ar ; and often have I enjoyed such, and esteemed them the highest luxuries imaginable, and when I could get a lump of such cold pudding, I would go and sit upon the forecastle and consider it the nlium cum digit Hale of maritime felicity. Hut it was impossible to afford one more than once a week, unless under extraordinary circumstances, or, it any were tempted to make a couple of such puddings, they had to run short of sugar before Saturday, when they would invariably rue their extravagance. So that, in point of fact, we chiefly lived on our half-pound of flour per diem per adult, and our preserved beef and pork (which hitter did not shrink in the cooking half so much as the beef), and little, extras which the ship allowed. I can truly say, that, never in my life, did I have such a spare diet ns onboard tbc ‘Ulcoats,’ for at no time after my own little luxuries which I brought with me were gone, had I more than a pound of solid food a day. 'faking everything that was allowed, including salt beef and biscuits, there would, of course, be more than this, but I ate neither the one nor the other. Some

people mny say that, under the circumstances, being at sea, and having nothing to do, this was sufficient; hut L take the liberty of differing with them—and 1 think this is a subject which should certainly be looked into a little closer by ship owners and agents, so that those leaving their own country could go to New Zealand and elsewhere, without being literally halfstarved. The substitution of half a pound of (lour extra per diem, in lieu of the same weight of biscuits (which arc only eaten by some of the heartiest of the single men), and an additional pound of pork per week, instead of the beef, would he a change for better, which would entitle the shipowners and agents to the very best thanks of the emigrating population of the British Islands.

March filh.—Still a foul wind ; nevertheless at 2 o’clock the captain gave the order to weigh the anchor and do our best, and so sail was again made on the ship in the midst of a heavy rain. We had considerable trouble with the anchor, but as there were so many willing to assist, it at length broke ground, and the ‘Ulconts’ was fairly off for the last time. And so we began nur old game of tacking, In the disgust of our skipper, who impatiently paced the poop, whistling for a fair wind. At 4 o'clock, finding it almost dead in our teeth, the order was again given to let go the anchor, when, as by a miracle, the wind suddenly shifted and came strongly from nur quarter, ami away we flew at a spanking rate before it. Before dark we bad passed tbc lighthouse —in fact wc went so close to it that 1, fancied I could have thrown a stone a-shnro. And now, night having come on ns, while most of the passengers retired to the privacy of their berths, 1 procured pen, ink, and paper, and wrote a last few lines to send ashore the next day with the pilot who would then leave us. During the night the wind increased, and ship doing 12 knots. March 7th. —Splendid sunshiny morning and fine fair wind still on our quarter. AVc were now abreast of (he Isle of Wight, the high land of which was to bo seen some six or seven miles off. We here made the signal for a boat to take off our last pilot, and soon after breakfast a small cutter winch seemed to sail like the wind, bad approached us. AT e then backed our mainyard, and a boat put off from the cutter. As our pilot was pulled from the ship tve saluted him with three cheers, which he answered bravely, standing up and waving Ids cap. Our yards were then squared, and away we (lew before the wind, still hugging the coast, which appeared to us for the most part bleak and barren. And now began the sca-sickness in good earnest, and it was not for many days that the passengers showed themselves on deck, or indeed at. all ; but lay moaning in their berths, giving the miserables to those of the passengers who fortunately ailed nothing themselves, but only causing the purser and those belonging to (be ship to laugh at their misfortunes. Below it was fearfull cold, and not much better on deck.* Oh ! how we wished wo could have been allowed a fire, for what with the sickness and the cold together it was truly most uncomfortable.