AT SEA WITH SIR GEORGE GREY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17658, 23 June 1919, Page 8

AT SEA WITH SIR GEORGE GREY.

PERILOUS VOYAGIS WITH A DRUNKEN SKIPPER. A LEAP MiOM Tllls PAST. An. Eipisodo in the ] *ifo of Sir Goorgo • Oroy formed the »ul>jccfc of an address delivered by Dr C. Prendorgast Knight ac i'w l [ l l l ; L '^ ,in K of the historical scction of th<> Wellington Philosophical Society. Tho main feature of'the address was a letter written by Dr Knight's grandfather—■ Charles Knight, the first Auditor-general of New Zealand-—to his stepfather, giving art account of tho l.'itUT end of an eventful voyage to Adelaide with Sir George- (then Captain) Grey. 'Hie following passag-eg occur in the letter, which is dated Adelaide, May 12, 1841 1 know that you will be delighted to hear tiiat, so far, 1 have done well, and that Captain Grey and liis lady are most kind to me. 1 iiavo every reason to believe I. am in high favour with him, ajid that he will take advantage of the first opportunity to assist me. 1 have been two daye in Adelaide; 1 am delighted with the country,, and full of hopes, with little, however, to justify them, 'lhe clumatc is so invigorating that ono hopes with only a shilling .in one's pocket, and pleased when wo know not why. But all colonial matters shall bo left to a future day. At present 1 will give you a brief outline of the extraordinary proceedings on boa I'd the Lord G-lenelg, with tho history of my singular metamorphosis from surgeon into captain of that vessel, and how I navigated her from King George's Sound to this port in perfect safety. My last letter informed you of my safe passage of the line and the mutinous state of the crew. Soon after that our captain became a most- shocking drunkard, and was at last perfectly incapable of taking charge of the vessel, so that tho safety of tho vessel and our lives were endangered by his drunkenness and grosa misconduct. He frequently made use of violent threats to tho crew and passengers, and was even guilty of personal violence towards them. One day he declared that "the ship might sink and be damned," and immediately afterwards pushed violently an<l purposely against his Excellency Captain Grey and myjelf as we were standing on the quarter-deck. In his drunken madness he ordered Mr Whichelo, the chief mate, oil work, and put Nathan Weir, one of the sailors, in .his place, although this fellow had been most violent and mutinous, and liad been put in irons and twice confined on j board during tho passage. On March 22 ; all tho men wero imjfrisoned in the forecastle with hatches down. This was dime in tho night time, when I came on deck I saw only the boys, the mate, and tho captain on dock; the last was drunic. I saw him fall down on the deck,- and helped up by someone, but I turned asido that I might not annoy Captain Orr by witnessing his intoxicated state. He kept tho men under hatches two days, when I ■wrote him an official note (I remember Old Crow's story, that the surgeon was the second officer in the ship), in which X informed him that the health of the men wito wero imprisoned in tho forecastle was likely to bo injured by longer confinement. On this noto he was induced to set the men at liberty, and amused himself day after day by throwing heavers and belaying pins at tho crew and officers, and carried on sail in a most frightful manner. Ho remained intoxicated for nearly a fortnight," alarming us by his insane conduct, and even in his drunken dreams roaring and bellowing out so as to prevent any sleeping near him. On April 5 Mr Whichelo, the mate, requested me to take the time of the chronometers while he observed the altitude of the sun. While doing this tho captain compelled me to desist, and rubbed tho observed altitude from_ the slate, and refused Mr Whichelo tlie use of tho chronometers. The captain went to bed without any observation of the sun, and this at a timo when our proximity to St. Paul's rendered it almost imperative to know the ship's true position. We were afraid, too,, that he would neglect to wind up the chronometers. We now learned that th e steward had frequently wound up the chronometers—when awake the captain was usually "skylarking" withthe oook and steward. ~On April 7 the captain was as drunk as ever. He fell down near the wheel, and was immediately fast asleep. He was dragged into the carpen ter's berth. His Excellenoy Captain Grey sent for me to witness the captain's situation, and say whether I thought him in a state of apoplexy. He was only exceedingly drunk. I took an observation of the sun without the captain seeing me, and,. according to my observation we were to sight St. Paul's Island at half-past 3 o'clock. We did so, not a little to my gratification! The steward roused the captain to see the land. The captain, in his drunkenjocularity, asked for a heaver to fling at it; but when on deck he "did not know where to look for land. Indeed, according to his accounts, we were 900 miles from tho island. When opposite the island, the mate and I took observations by my watch, and wo wont below to compare my watch with the chronometers, when the captain rushed below and swore he would take • the life of the person who attempted to pass into his cabin to observe the chronometers. As it was absolutely necoesary for our future saiety to know tho time of the chronometers, and as the mate and Governor Grey were present to protect me in case of violence, I requested Captain Orr to allow me to pass into his cabin for the purpose of comparing my watch with the ship's chronometer, which he then permitted. The Aext day being l calm he wont with the boys in a boat to shoot petrel; hewas quite drunk, and fell overboard; he ■was now almost imbecile; ordered tlie half-hour glass to be flung overboard, and was so immensely drunk as to fall helpless on deck. He invited one of the sailors to take champagno with him on deck. His drunkenness became so outrageous that the mate declared the ship in danger; he was sure wo were near land, but how near it was impossible to say without he could get command of the chronometers. The mate accordingly applied to me for a certificate as to his (the captain's) competency to take charge of the vessel. I declared him wholly incompetent. In consequence of my certificate, all the m,en -were called aft, and the mate took comfnand of the ship and declared his intention of running to the nearest port. Captain Orr was ordered to hold no communication with the men, and if he obeyed this order he' was not to bo placed under personal restraint. In the evening ho would persist in talking with the man at tho wheel,. and when requested to walk forward of the round house and keep himself quiet he defied Mr Whichelo, and avowed his intention of calling on tho men to protect and assist him. Ho was then forced below after great resistance on his part and frequent appeals to the men. A padlock was placed on his cabin, leaving liis cabin door open about two or three inches for the free admission of air. On April 23, the day after Mr Whichelo took command, wo were all suddenly rounded out of our • beds by the cry of "Land!" The ship was quickly put about, and when we had time to look about us wo found wo had narrowly escaped shipwreck on. Point D'Entrecasteaux, a few loagues to the eastward of the Leuwin. On tho 25th we' came to anchor m King George's Sound, Western Australia.