A DUMMY HELMSMAN
A long time ago a garrison of New Zealand soldiers had been cut off 'by the Maoris, and were in a very desperate plight. An old sailor was placed in command of a ship which had to ascend a river which flowed past the besieged soldiers’ camp. The task was very great, as each time the sailors fried to ascend the river the Maoris assembled' on the banks and shot the helmsman. The captain at length found a way out of the difficulty. He made an image of a sailor and placed it* near the wheel, so that it seemed to steer the ship. He then steered the ship by means of chains, and was thus able to control it without danger to himself. The Maoris thought the dummy was Teal, and threw many spears at it They wondered why it did not fall, and they concluded that a devil was steering the ship. 'When the ship reached safety the dummy looked more like a pincushion than anything else. - The captain earned the title of “Taipo,” which means devil, from the Maoris.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19260313.2.167
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12394, 13 March 1926, Page 16
Word Count
185A DUMMY HELMSMAN New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12394, 13 March 1926, Page 16
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