LIFE OF A PIONEER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20989, 28 September 1931, Page 8

LIFE OF A PIONEER.

CANTERBURY NONAGENARIAN*

MEMORIES OF LONG VOYAGE.

The ship Mystery, ■which arrived in New Zealand in 1859, and which, on the return journey to England, bore out its sinister name by vanishing from all keD, brought, among its pioneering passengers, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Mcintosh, newlymarried, and eager to take their part in the development of a new country. Mr. Mcintosh died several years ago, but Mrs.Mcintosh, who celebrated her 94th birthday last Friday, is well, keen of intellect, and the possessor of a fund of interesting information regarding early days in Canterbury. The voyage to New Zealand in the Mystery occupied five months and, owing to lack of pi-oper food, 18 children died on board. The ship encountered storms and calms and at times so slow was her progress that a biscuit, tossed overboard at night was still alongside the ship the next morning. Each passenger had to be equipped with enough clothing to last for some time, as there was no means of procuring goods in a place which boasted * only a church and three hotels. The passengers landed at Heathcote where they received their first sample of milk for five months. During the voyage all the drinking water, had to be strained through a muslin bag in order to keep the insects out of the cups.