DIVERSION ON VOYAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19798, 19 November 1927, Page 12

DIVERSION ON VOYAGE.

PIGS LOOSE ON .STEAMER* SEA SMASHES STYES. LONG HUNT BY THE CREW* The monotony of tho voyago across tho Pacific of the Union Company's steamer Waitemata, which reached Auckland from San Francisco last evening, was relived by the presence of 12 Canadian pigs on board. leaving America the pigs were housed in properly constructed and roofed styes on deck. Stormy weather with strong head winds were encountered shortly after leaving San Francisco and at 1.30 a.m. on the second day from port a particularly hoavy sea broke on board and smashed the pig styes to matchwood. For some time afterwards the noise on board was like Bedlam let loose and tho seamen had a lively time trying to capture wet, greasy, shrieking pigs in the darkness. Improptu styes built out of tho wreckage were too frail to hold the frightened animals and before a second pig was caught the first one had broken out again. The animals tried to hide behind tho winches and in doing so they got smothered in oil. This made the crews' task harder as some of tho animals are very largo. When dawn broke the task had not been completed and tho watch coming on deck at four o'clock in the morning had to continue the greasy pig chase until all had again been safely penned. Animals, if tamo enough, are always made pets of at sea and tho pigs on tho Waitemata wero band-fed and spoilt by all the crow. The chief event on the voyage occurred on November 1 when one of tho Yorkshire sows had a litter of nine. Tho work of maternity nurse was left to the second officer with the boatswain as probationer. They carried out their unusual duties with zest but unfortunately one of tho litter "was born dead and another two died later, the result of the mother treading on them. During tho remainder of tho voyago the pig nursery was never free from somo members of the crow watching tho development of their latest pets.