MORE ONECA EXPERIENCES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4244, 27 October 1874, Page 3

MORE ONECA EXPERIENCES.

(From the Otago Guardian, Oct. 20.) It will be remembered that, during the examination of Dodds, the second mate of the Oneca, one of the witnesses (Frederick Travers) asked the magistrate if he might say something “ on his own account.” And, this being objected to by counsel, ho expressed a desire to be allowed to come ashore next day to interview the magistrate. This was aeceded to, and, after hearing the lad’s story and ascertaining his bodily condition, Mr. Mansford sent him to the Dunedin Hospital. One of our reporters visited Travel's there, and obtained from him a statement of his treatment on board the ship. Whilst the trial of Dodds was pending we suppressed this ; but there no longer exists any reason for withholding it from publication. The following is the STATEMENT OP FREDERICK THAVERS. I left New York [in the Oneca] on June 6. I shipped as an ordinary seaman. It was my first time to sail with Captain Henry. The ship did not call at any port on the way. About two days after leaving New York the captain hit me with the ropes. I was pulling at a rope, but he said I was not pulling hard enough. He hit me once over the head and once round the body. He also made me climb the backstays for two hours one day. I asked him to let me down, but when I did so ho used to reply, “ Get up there, you young devil.” I struck on a rail, and was nearly going overboard. He then told me I could go below. The captain and his wife came on deck while I was on the backstays. They laughed at me. He hit me every day with the rope's end. Some time after the Ist of September I hid myself away in the chain-locker for three days and four nights. The second mate had threatened to club me, and to cut my heart out. It was fear of the captain and second mate which led me to hide myself in the chain-looker. When the second mate came down from aloft on a cold day, he used to say to me, “ You son of a then get hold of me, and jerk and kick me round ; and when that would not satisfy him, he would take the rope’s-end, and knock mo round for awhile. It was the second mate’s treatment, rather than the captain’s, which caused me to hide myself away. I never complained to the captain of the treatment I received from the second mate. I was nearly starved to death in the chain-locker. John Green saved my life. While he was engaged making a canvas bucket on the deck, he heard me hollaing, and came and drew me out. I had tried to get out before myself, but I could not. It was dark in the chain-locker. When I came up I had to hang on to the rail before I could walk. No one knew that I was in the chain-locker until Green heard me hollaing. The first mate came to the scuttle with a lantern, and looked down and saw me. Green then reached down and lifted me up. I saw no daylight until I came up. The first mate asked me why I had gone down there. I was afraid to tell him, because I thought that he was with the captain. I saw the captain about five minutes after coming up, and he asked me why I had gone down the chainlocker. I replied because I was clubbed too much. He asked by whom, and I replied by the second mate. The captain then said thathe guessed I deserved it. I went down the chain locker at eight o’clock at night. On another occasion the captain hit me with the rope’send, and kicked me two or three times in the ribs. The second mate also hit me twice over the feet with a belaying-pin. That crippled me. Ho never passed me by without hitting mo. I came out of the chain-locker on Soj>ternber 10. It was about a week before I got into Port Chalmers that the second mate hit me with the belaying-pin. One day subsequent to September 10, I and Robert Sharp were folding up the mainroyals. The captain called us down, and boat us with a long piece of ratline stuff—that is a rope’s-end about Ift. long. He hit us with it around the body and logs. Ho hit me five or six times. We botli ran away. We had to go up again. The second mate came up with a strap, and beat us over the head and round the body. Ho beat me first, and then Sharp. He kicked mo in the ribs and breast. It was blowing a gale of wind at the time, and the captain said that big fellows like us ought to be able to fold so small a sail. When the second mate came up with the strap I slid down. This was not quite a week before we got into port. Sharpe was beaten round the deck. One day I could not get my boots, and the second mate called me in my stocking feet. I asked him to let mo go below to got them and put them on. He said that ho would put a pair of Manilla boots on mo. By that ho meant the rope. He then sent me to the look-out, where I remained four hours. I have said thefsocond mate, “ Please, sir, stop licking me but he then clubbed mo worse, so I asked him no

more. I have asked the captain, also, not to “lick” me, but he used then to “hek me harder. I used then to run away. I got clubbed once so that the clothes fell off my back. The second mate once hit me with his shut fist, and blackened both my eyes. I was reeving the middle staysail-sheet. Ho spoke tome. I said, “Sir.” He then hit me between the eyes, and the blood began to spurt. I bled all over the ropes and poop, and on the deck This took place about two days before I went into the chain-locker. He skinned my nose, besides blackening my eyes. I did not complain to the first mate of the treatment I received from the second mate, because I thought he was with the captain. My feet were hurt by having been compelled to climb the backstays. I am a native of Liverpool, and eightaen years of age. I went to America when I was two years old. I went to sea at the age of fifteen ; since then I have been on board American ships, except during two months, which I passed on board English vessel, and six months during which I was not at .sea at all. I was never beaten on board any other ship, but always got good treatment There were four other lads »n board besides me, but I was the worst treated. The captain let me go below on our arrival at Port Chalmers, because, I suppose, he was frightened that I would tell. The first mate always treated me well. Ido not know of anything else. I have witnesses to prove my statements. I can assign no reason why the captain and mate ill-used me.