QUEER NOTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21119, 29 February 1932, Page 5

QUEER NOTIONS.

TRAVELLERS BY SEA. MANY PECULIAR WHIMS. [from our own correspondent. ] SYDNEY. Feb. 18. The hurly-burly of Australian city life hns no appeal for Mr. A. B. Beddow, aged 76, of London, who is a passenger by the Mooltan which reached Sydney this week. Mr. Beddow will return to his native city without having set foot on Australia. He is enjoying the voyage thoroughly, and spends his days-pac-ing up and down the deck. He is determined not to leave the vessel until it arrives back in London, and is not the least interested in inspecting the cities at which he calls. He cannot be regarded a§ eccentric, though few people will be preparod to agree that his behaviour is quite that of a normal man. Ships' officers became to the peculiar whims of passengers. Ihey recall the journey of a former boundary rider in Queensland from Sydney to London. He was so accustomed to-the wide, open spaces that ho refused to enter the cabins or any other enclosed portion of the ship. Each night he had rigged for him on the deck a can wis screen, and although he paid a first-daks faro he slept on the 'deck every night, and had his meals there during the day. "None of your boxed-up cabins for me." he would saw The chief" Steward of a big passenger ship that trades regularly out of Sydney often tells of a woman passenger who came to him one night and complained about tho noise. Sho said she could not sleep, and that the noise would "sirnplv have to be stopped." Tt was some timo before it was realised that the woman was referring to tho noise of the engines, and when it was explained to her that if the noise stopped the boat would stop, she still insisted that something would have to be done about it. It was only with the greatest difficulty that she was prevented from rousing the captain. Sho did complain to the captain the next day. but he said that he could not do anything for her, and that made hei more annoyed than ever. She declared that she would never again book a passage by the vessel. A wealthy Australian who _ recently booked his passage to London in one of tlio modern liners insisted on retaining tho r'ght to brew his own tea throughout the. voyage'. This concession was granted to Ivm. Tie took his own special line of tea with him, and he did not ask for a refund of any portion of tho passage money!