CIRCUMNA VIGA TION IN A WAR CANOE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12326, 20 July 1903, Page 6

CIRCUMNA VIGA TION IN A WAR CANOE.

TWO INTREPID MARINERS.

: - THE TILTKUM'S ARRIVAL. When the Tilikum dropped her anchor in the harbour on Saturday evening at halfpast six she held the distinction of being the smallest oversea ship that ever visited Auckland, at least manned by white men. Of course, the Maoris were here before, but even they could not possibly have com© the distance travelled by the plucky Canadian, Captain Toss, for he has reeled off exactly 13,830 miles, direct distances only being considered- Well, the Tilikum arrived after a fair passage from Napier, she having been exhibited at most of the ports in New Zealand on her way hither, and looks a quaint craft, so cranky that as you step on board ovei she goes like an outrigger. Hewn from a log of cedar by the Alaskan Indians, she is in her 44th year, is rigged as a three*masted schoonei, is 38ft overallwaterline, 6ft beam, and draw? 22in of water. Her cabin is 8l"t long by sft wide, by 4£ft high, and contains one bunk. Stores sufficient for two men for six months are carried, and two tanks, each of 60 gallons, is enough water for 90 days. Captain Voss and Horace E. Buekeridge (the mate) are men of many adventures, and ,_prove interesting conversationalists. The captain, on being interviewed, said lie left Victoria, 8.C., on May 21, 1901, but through stress of weather did not sec the last of the Canadian coast until July 6. Three times they were driven back and bad to shelter before they took their final departure. Then 58 days were spent at sea and 5600 miles covered, until Penrhyn Island was reached. Samoa was touched at, and some time spent at Suva, Fiji. Here Mr. Luxton, the Canadian journalist, who made the trip so far, loft, taking the steamer to Sydney, a Mr. Louis Begent peine shipped in his place. Five days out from Suva this unfortunate man lost his balance and fell over the side, nothing more being seen of him. The craft wai put about and lay in the vicinity foi over 12 hours, but nothing mere was seen of the unfortunate man, despite tho captain's repeated calls. Captain Voss was then alone, without e mate or compass, meeting weather described as awful. Gale after gale was met. The fore mast was smashed, ' and had to be taken out, spliced and reatepped— difficult and dangerous feat in a heavy sea. For 23 clays this lasted, and 1200 mile 3 traversed before Sydney Heads were made and Captain Voss picked up in an exhausted condition by the Customhouse launch on November 19, 1901. After visiting Newcastle the canoe sailed for Melbourne.' In Melbourne she. was dropped from a crane, tho hook breaking, and was split in three places, 15ft under the keel and 20ft on either side. This led to a lawsuit, which lasted five months. From Melbourne Ballarat, 1400 ft above sea level,, was visited, and thence she sailed from Geelong for Adelaide. Spending the Christmas holidays in South Australia, a course was shaped for Hobart, and then Invercargill, New Zealand. Only two tilings happened to mar the voyage hither. In Bass Straits she was running before a gale under her staysail. The hook of the fore gaff ran aloft by mistake. O'Connell, the then mato, went aloft to bring it down; his legs came away from the mast, and on its next roll dashed against his head, rendering him unconscious, and he fell over the side. The captain had just time to tie a life line round himself and jump over and rescue him. On regaining the canoe, it was nearly two hours before O'Connell regained consciousness. Twenty-foui hours out from Hobart a gale was met that blew with cyclonic fury for 48 hours. The caotaiu tried to run for Port Arthur, but was "too far to the eastward, so had to face it. He kept her running too long bofore heaving to, and she < shipped a sea aft, which deluged tho cabin and smashed the stove, etc. For the whole 11 days of the trip they were wet through, and foi four day;: without hot food of any kind, until a stove was improvised' from an old buoket and the cabin furniture used as firewood. After visiting various places in Now Zealand, the Tilikum sailed from Napier op Monday afternoon last, and met with head winds and calms on the passage. The canoe will.be exhibited during her stay in Auckland, and proceeds direct to Durban, South Africa.