THE DORIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6813, 18 September 1883, Page 5

THE DORIC.

(The berthing of the Doric yesterday at the Queen-street Wharf, and the landing of her living freight of 600 souls in our city, marks it as a ''red-letter*' day in the annals of the port. Dr. Bhilaon, Health Officer, went down to the Dorio. in the Customs launch during the forenoon, for the purpose of seeing that the vessel had been thoroughly fumigated, and to pajss the passengers on board. .As sopn as the mail steamer Australia vacated the berth at the outer tee, and ' . steamed down the harbour on her voyage to Sydney, preparations were made on board the Doric for lifting anchor and coming up to her berthing at the wharf. She got under weigh shortly after one o'clock, in charge of the Chief Harbourmaster,.. Captain. Burgess, who brought her alongside the wharf in ex". cellent style. Meanwhile Dr. Philson was still busily engaged, on board examining and passing the passengers, which led to some little delay in effecting their debarkation, so that it was quite four p.m. before the gangway was over the side.

THE SCENE AT THE WHARF, The crowd On the wharf had commenced to assemble from nine o'clock in the morning, and whiled away the time by inspecting the mail boat Australia. Her Auckland cargo was still lying on the consisting Of huge piles of cases and mounds of well-filled sacks,, and as the nob'e steamer approached the Australia's vacated berths the immense crowd sei2ed every vantage point possible. Soon the piles of cases and sacks were mounted, aod the rigging of the barque Buttermere, and the steamer I Penguiß, speedily filled up by crowds of excited Onlookers. Quite as much curiosity was marifested by the Dorics at their approaching interview with the colonials, and a mental process of comparing nots.s was I evidently going on. When the Doric got close to the wharf some amusing scenes took place, caused by mutual recognitions between passengers on board and those on the wharf. ' Two or three of the Bteerage passengers had evidently, from their remarks* been here before, but whether they had got " deadheaded" again under our immigration system is not known. One grandmother on board got her eagle eye npon her grandchild on the wharf, and wanted the "dear infant" chucked op' to her over the bulwark to smother it with kisses,, but she had to bide her time.. A good deal of badinage was being exchanged by the spectators on the wharf with the Dorics, to while away the time, till Dr. Philson had finished his duty. Shortly after four o'clock the gangway was l«wered on to the wharf, and the process of debarkation commenced.

THE LANDING OF THE PASSENGERS. The appliances for landing were not the best that could be devised. The angle at which the gangway was placed made it difficult to walk on the Steps, and to add to the inconvenience there was only a hand-line on One side, so that the process of landing was tedious and difficult—each passenger in coming off standing a good Chance of slipping at the bottom, or getting a broken leg. Fortunately the stalwart seamen on duty, on each side, of the stage carefully handed ■ the women along, and carried the little ones, so that no accident occurred, '. Orders were given at the outset that .until the passengers were landed no one should he admitted on board, and to give emphasis to the injunction a notice board was fastened in the rigging, . s s "?is:£;SAMUSING SCENES.

" 'As' the passengers came down the gangway,' the crowd on the wharf kept up a running fire of good-humoured chaff. The first woman that Btepped on to the wharf was greeted with a cheer, and shortly afterwards another came along, bird-cage in hand, amid much laughter, and cries from the crowd of " Make way for the canary I" Some of the men carried their belongings with them ; Others from their costume seemed as if fresh from shooting on the Highland moors ; and one cannie Scotchman, not quite certain whether at the Antipodes he would again get a chance of a " square meal," marched down the gangway With a Bandwich in each hand,, and a reserve in his cpatails. The passengers almost without exception looked a fine healthy, respeotabie.-looking lot of people* One poor fellow, whose looks, as Dick Deadeye would say, were "agin him," was requested by the crowd to go back up the gangway again, bnfc pleading his right as a member of the " human race" to the hospitality of the colony, he "Was graciously permitted to take himself off. One or two jocular enquiries were made slso by the spectators as to whether any of "Carey's chickens" or dynamiters were on board, but the reply was in the negative,, and to the effect that there was nothing, worse .on board the Doric than Ribbon (Blue) men and Salvationists/. Before the tedious proctssof landing the passengers had been gOae through, those ou the wharf who had friends onj, board, and others whose business called them on board were getting impatient. Love scorns all. obstacles ; and at last one young fellow,, watching his Chance, darted up the gangway to board the Doric, but the stal* wart quartermasters on either side Went up the ladder three Bteps at a time, seized their prey in an instant, and instead of running the youth in, run him out. Shortly afterwards a Telegraph Office boy came along in the innocency Of his heart, with a telegram for some one on bpard, but he also was promptly ejected, and he came to the conclusion that " the wires Were working badly." At last'some highly-esteemed atid respected fellow-citizens, determined to Bee if " bluffing" would not be moro successful in effect* ing an entry, and some half-a-dozen gentlemen, led i by ..a. well-known auctioneer, drew ; together as a "forlorn hope," and boldly.! marched up. Vain delusion! the officer... on '-''duty hatred the way, and the irrepressible quartermaster was promptly on .the spot, so there was no help for it, but to make an.. undignified retreat, amidst the laughter of -.'-the crowd. The auctioneer wanted to parley, and impress on the mind of the susceptible tar that he wanted to see hid sisters, his cousins, and his aunts, but the sailor said he mußfc be going,, and he was gone. A few minutes afterwards the moat amusing, incident of the whole affair took place. Bis . Honor Judge Gillies passed through the crowd, and, in happy ignorance of the order given, and of what had occurred, went straight up. the gangway. The crowd began to cry out, "Put him back, too; make no fish of one, and flesh of another." But the remarks were quite superfluous. The quartermaster, in a twinkling, had the Bench, in his vycelike grasp. Tho Judge remonstrated; but the only reply was, "Can't help it, sir; if it was the ship's owner, orders mußt be obeyed." At this juncture Mr, Bstger, the local manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, who was on board,, got sight of what was going on, and, horrified at the contempt of Court which was being committed, began a series of pantomimic gestures to the sailor,, to the effect that the Judge should pass on ; but it was of no avail, and the officer on duty at the head of the gangway at last set matters right by releasing His Honor, who, throughout, kept his temptr and .self - control remarkably well. The I crowd jocularly asked the quartermaster if I he had ever had as much law as that in | his arms before, and cautioned him to keep I straight while in this port, as if he "went ! up" before the Bench, there was a twelvemonth in store for him to a dead certainty. Some of the passengers who had discm* barked tried to get back up the gangway for things they had forgotten to take with them, but the imperturbable quartermaster demurred to that: " The fact is, boys," said he, amid roars of laughter from the crowd, " I'm not sure you're Dorics; I can't well tell you with your Sunday clothes on I" Thus the afternoon wow on till all were disembarked. The Law having got on board, the authorities could not With decency longer exclude the Press, and in a few minutes some half a dozen representatives of the Fourth Estate got on board. The auctioneer, at this juncture, came up to time again smiling, and with the open sesame on his lips,, "Pr-sa!" passed in triumphantly, but the Recording Angel must have wiped away a tear as he made this entry, and recorded the literary fraud. THE VISITORS ON BOARD. Under the courteous guidance of the. purser, Mr. Thomas C. Owen, who is the right man in the right place—and has had extensive experience, iu his duties in. +he P. and O. Company's service aud on the Atlantic lines of steamships— tbe Press representatives were shown over the ship, A personal inspection justified all that has been said or written about this splendid vessel. Everything, that can minister to the safety, comfort,, or luxury of. the science can devise or 'money tp'be seen in the: Doric. In theiquarters of the im r . migrants every thing\yaai wkolesbmci eleahlyi

and the apartment* well ventilated. TEven there the.electric lamps were.fitted up for use. Mr, ■Owen 'speaks highly of the light/and BZjs they did-riot have ten minutes': trouble with it daring the whole passage .from England. The Swan, incandescent.; light is that used. The cooking arrangements for the saloon and. sleerage passengers were perfect.of their kind. Every quarter of the ship was visited under'the courteous ciceroheship of Mr. Owep, and the Doric was seen in her everyday dress. The impression left Upnn the minda ef the visitors who went on board yesterday was of the most favourable and. agreeable character. We may say in thiß connection that the inspection, of the vessel by the immigration authorities resulted very satisfactorily. All the arrangements .relating to the immigrants were found to be perfect. No complaints of any kind were made. DISPOSAL OF IMMIGRAFTS.

Mr. March, Immigration Officer for Christc.harch, sept away to their destination yesterday the immi£r»nt3 for Tauranga (8), for Gisborne (6), and Napier (3) by the Taiaroa and Gienelg. THE SINGLE WOMEN IMMIGRANTS. The arrangements with regard to them have been better devised than on any previous occasion, and the discreditable aur- ■ roundings of the Westffieatb. business was wholly prevented. Everything was done to minister to the comfort and eelf-respept of the youog women, who appear to be of a very respectable class. The matron speaks highly of their conduct under her charge, and as that lady is a strict disciplinarian such testimony js valuable. On the vessel coming alongside the wharf, they went down to their quarters, so that they were not exposed to the gaze and badinage, of the crowd. After the Other passengers had been debarked and the wharf, had be-n cleared of the crowd, they were brought ashore, to the number of 64, and taken in Crowther's' omoibuses to. the depot; under the care of Mr. Bro.phy, the Emigration Officer. The other single women left with their friends. In orde? to prevent the 1 annoyance experienced when the Westmeath. and Wanganui girls were at the depot, of disreputable men loafing in the vicinity of the buildings, a married constable has, been put on duty at the depot, and will remain there until the whole of the young women have found places or been taken away by their friends. These young women are chiefly for service, and may be engaged at the immigration depot (near the District Hospital) to-day, engagements to commence at eleven a.m.

THE PUBLIC AND THE DORIC. It will be seen by advertisement elsewhere that, in consequence of the short time available for .discharging the Doric, it will be impossible to devote a day to her inspection by the public. Admission will only be by ticket, aDd these may be obtained by con* sigaees and others, on applying at the office of the New Zealand Shipping Company, This will be a grtat disappointment to the general public, but the wisdom and necessity of the step, under the circumstances, will be apparent to everyone.