THE BARQUE MARGIT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7847, 8 July 1911, Page 1

THE BARQUE MARGIT

SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

Captain Pettersen, of the Norwegian barque Margit, which arrived at New Plymouth on Wednesday, reported that mixed weather was met with until near Tasmania. Sometimes it was good, but they also had plenty of rough weather. . . but net rougher than was to be expected, on. such a voyage,-* The vessel had a* trying time on June, 20th, when on (tho south-east of Tasmania. It was fine that! day until about 3 p.m., when the wind changed very suddenly, and a. south-east , ■mle- began to blow with terrific force, in order to keep the vessel off the land they had to keep all sail eel and to press ou.'eo the barque had a lively time, iho upper and lower topsails were lost, some of the rigging parted, some side-post* were dmash«l, and a winch carried away. Ouco past the land they shortened sail, but the gale blew for two days. During the voyage'only one vessel was sighted, when in longitude 3Sdeg. east. ■ This war. believed to be the barque Duncraig. 'winch left Liverpool on the same day a* the Margit, and arrived at Wellington oa Sunday last. , , When questioned about the crews hehavionr during the. voyage. Captain Pettersen became reticent. It appeared, however, that one of the ordinary coalmen, a Russian Finn, was then in irons. He had been arrested on April 11th for refusing to work, and had remained under arrest since that date. “Heis & big, stout man," added the captain, “ana he said that if he had had a revolver and a knife he would have .killed us all. 1 look two knives from him.” . The arrested man did not resist arrest, bnt merelv used some insulting words. “ It was the crew that arrested him, not. me,” said Captain Pettersen, and from some further remarks which he made it would seem that the rest of the crew had a quarrel with the man Who was in irons. “There was lots more trouble, but I won’t tell you it all,” added the.. captain. “Won'll hear some more of it.” Questioning did not elicit any more definite statements, beyond an admission that the captain intended to communicate with the Norwegian Consul in New Zealand, and that there would probably be developments in the police court. I have been thirty-seven years at sea, and this is the worst voyage 1 have had, concluded Captain Pettersen. “Then the crew were quarrelling amongst themselves all the way acroaeK said the writer, interrogatively. “Yes.” was the reply. “ Were there any complaints against the ship?”. For answer, the captain merely shrugged his shoulders.