CUPID ON THE SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20058, 22 September 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

CUPID ON THE SEA.

ROMANCE OF CRUISING. IN MATRIMONY'S NET. WHITE STAR LINER'S TRIP. SEVEN MARRIAGES ARRANGED. After a cruise round the North Capo the White Star liner Calgarie lately returned to Liverpool with the announcement or no fewer than seven marriages engagements. This is an outstanding examplo of tho seductive charm of tho sea in bringing about marriages, but it is not by any means a record, even for a single voyage. When the famous yacht Midnight Sun took up the running of tourist trips to northern seas, she established a record on her first voyage by bringing together nearly all the eligible spinstera and bachelors on board; even two of her officors became-engaged before tho voyage was over. Ono eventually married a woman of title, while another became the son-in-law of a tobacco king. For years afterwards the famous old vessel was known as the Love Ship, as sho seldom kept her unmarried officers for more than two or three voyages. Since the Midnight Sun began to take tourists on long sea trips many liners have followed suit, but tho real attraction to the liner companies did not manifest itself until the shipping slump of 1922. Many big ships swung idly at thoir moorings with skeleton crews on board. Shipowners were losing fabulous sums every month in insurance, harbour dues and upkeep. Valuable ships which cost fortunes to build were maintained ready to take up service at any moment in tlioir regular trades. Half-way Round the World. Then tho happy idea of running a cruise half-way round tho world struck one company as a good scheme; there were many war profiteers, particularly in America, craving for new excitement. It was decided to make a test with ono of tho newest Glasgow liners. A carefully-worded advertisement appeared in the press on both sides of the Atlantic to tho effect that if sufficient passengers could bo found a famous liner would leave a British port, calling at New York en route to embark passengers for a tour round Africa via tho Cape, returning via Suez with stop-over ports during the tour. The result was surprising. Passengers besieged tho ticket office. It was a revelation to the shipping companies. Keen business bachelors seeking new fields for enterprise flocked on board. It was tho opportunity mothers had long awaited. Men had been too busy making money to think about marriage. It was tho old story of starlit tropical nights gliding through the seas of romance. Even the hard-grained bachelors could not resist the alluring charms. One after another were caught in tho net of matrimony, until every availablo spinster was commandeered. Thirty-three marriages resulted from that tour. Officers Also Enmeshed. It is not only passengers who are concerned in this great matrimonial plot. There is one instance on record of an officer on a liner who became the victim of tho daughter of a wealthy banker. But she had to cross the Atlantic for seven voyages before she got him! " George was the worst woman-hater I ever met," she confided to a friend after they were married. " I had to chase him thousands of miles before I brought him to his senses, and then he came to the silly decision that wo must wait until he got a command. " But when I got him to that stage the rest was easy. Ho does not know to this day how promotion came so quickly George still insists upon retaining his command." Ship-made marriages, however, arc not always a success. A young officer Ira veiling in India, the heir of a nobleman, fell in love with a charming Frenchwoman. Nothing would satisfy the impetuous youth but marriage immediatelj on the arrival of the liner at. Bombay. Tho newly-created Hon. Mrs. "X" ob jected to a life in India, and persuaded her husband to resign his commission instead of joining his regiment. This was easier said than done. First there was the family to consider, secondly no permission had been requested from tho W T ar Office. Tho marriage must bo kept secret for tho time being. End of the Romance. Leaving his wife at a hotel in Bombay, the young officer proceeded to tho hill station to lay the facts before his colonel; finally, three months' leave of absence was granted to allow the officer to return to London and make arrangements for his wife Unfortunately for the woman, the liner called at Marseilles on her homeward passage, for tho newly-married couple had barely crossed the gangway before tho wife was arrested. That ended tho ship romance. It transpired that 1 the woman was tho wifo of a Marseilles baker, and had absconded with a false passport, taking with her the whole of her husband's savings. The Hon. " X" was her third " husband." Sho was on her way to India to join her second when sho met him on the liner. There was another case of a widow who married the commander of a famous liner, a splendid man of ripo experience in command of big vessels. lie gave up his command to marry the alleged rich widow with " silver mines in Mexico," only to find t7>st she was an absconding charwoman of a banking house in Baltimore.