COLONIAL SAILING SHIPS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20290, 24 December 1927, Page 17

COLONIAL SAILING SHIPS.

FAMOUS CLIPPER CANTERBURY, FAST SAILER OF EARLY DAYS. Of all the celebrated ships which sailed out of Otago Harbour between 1875 and 1899, the Canterbury was probably one of the most plea ring to the eye. A handsome dipper of 1242 tons, the Canterbury was built by Robert Duncan in 1874 for Patrick Henderson. She sailed the seas for over 40 years, and in the 'seventies and 'eighties brought thousands of immigrants to New Zealand. ' The Canterbury haft" the reputation of being one of the fastest and most comfortable ships engaged in the trade between England and the Dominion. She made many remarkable passages out 'and Home.

Most of the Canterbury's voyages were made after Patrick Henderson amalgamated with the Shaw, Savill Company. The Canterbury was exceptionally fortunate in avoiding the heavy gales usually met with in the Southern Ocean, The ship made 22 voyages from England to New Zealand, and it was only on the last two passages that she suffered any serious damage. TERRIFIC GALE ENCOUNTERED.

On the first of these two particular passages to Otago under -Captain Collingwood, who had been transferred from the Margaret Galbraith to the Canterbury, the: latter ship left London on September 9, 1898. She did not dear the land until eight days later. The equator was crossed on October 15. On October 19, when the ship was logging 10 knots, an apprentice fell overboard from aloft, but the, vessel was hove aback, and the youth was rescued by a boat’s crew. The Canterbury rounded the Cape of Good Hope on November 6, and on November 27 she encountered a terrific gale from the southwest, with very high seas. The Canterbury was hove to for several hours, during which she rolled and strained heavily, endangering all the fixtures about the decks. One sea which thundered on board washed away the solid teak rail on the forecastle, and did other serious damage. The ship was thereafter favoured with moderate weather to the Snares, which were sighted on December 9. She arrived at Port Chalmers anchorage on December 17.

The Canterbury’s second stormy passage was made tb e following year, when bound from Glasgow to Port Chalmefis. This was the third longest voyage made by the ship between England and New Zealand. Her longest passage out was in 1902, when she occupied 134 days to Wellington. Her second longest passage was in 1895, wnen she was 117 days from the English channel to Napier. ' That the Canterbury could sail fast is shown by the fact that in 1881 she made the passage from Glasgow to Port Chalmers in 76 days, port to port, and 73 days land to land. The ship made some rapid Homeward passages. On one occasion she sailed from New Zealand to London in 69 days.

CANTERBURY’S EARLY VOYAGES. Some interesting details concerning the passage of the Canterbury from Glasgow to Port Chalmers in 1877 are given in “ White Wings.” The details were supplied by an Auckland resident, who came to New Zealand by the ship when only 12 years of age. When he supplied the details to the late Sir Henry Brett, the writer had a very vivid recollection of in. cideuts which happened on the voyage, and of the fascination of life aboard a stately ship of sails. One incident related concerns the actions of the steward, who awakened the suspicions of his chief from the fact that he always carried a slop, bucket forward to be emptied. One day the chief made an investigation, and lying in the bottom of the bucket was a bottle of grog which the steward had purloined from the lazarette. Placed in irons, confined two days, and degraded to “ brass man was the punishment meted out to the steward, while an apprentice was mastheaded on a charge of being an accessory before the aC \Vhen the Canterbury was south of the Cape of Good Hope she was pooped by a following sea, which so frightened two nursemaids that they grasped the wheel and made it impossible for the quartermaster to trim the helm to meet the situation. The sea swept the decks. A boy was found under the hencoop, and another lad was thought to have been washed overboard, but he was found pi the single girls’ quarters, where he had been washed from the poop by way of the main deck, so far as the mainmast, and then aft again. Owing to the condenser developing a fault, the emigrants were, against the doctor’s advice, served with cask water taken on board before the ship left nn*,land. The use of this water resu ted in an outbreak of fever, and several lives were lost. When the Canterbury reached Port Chalmers she was placed in quarantine for two mouths. It was stated attciwards that some of the male passengers escaped from quarantine by swimmin a ashore. , . , . . Many amusing pranks were indulged in during this voyage. One prank caused much amusement. It concerned the singe girls. These were quartered apart, and the sailors were forbidden to converse with them. One day a sailor dressed up a mop to resemble one of the crew. He placed it in such a nosition that it looked like a man talking to the girts through the iron grating of the Jiatcn. The mate was out for amusement, and, collecting the saloon passengers he went to the break of the poop and threw a bucket of water over the supposed man. The watch and the girls were highly amused when the mate discovered that no had swamped a dummy. The writer of the details refers to the time the Canterbury sailed among icebergs for two days; to the enjoyment obtained by the young male passengers in being allowed to keep the watch with the mate; to the dire trouble which arose through striking one bell too many one morning and rousing the cap tain too early; to the old emigrant who wore a tall hat and frock coat to the church service held round the windlass, over which was draped the Union Jac.c ; and to the women who smoked cigarettes while in bed and sot the bedding alight. The saloon passengers by the Canterbury on this voyage included Mr and Mrs Macauley, of Totara South. Oamar i. Mr mid Mrs A. Grnv au,d family, ?f Auckland, and Mr and Mrs Thomas Melville and family, who resided in Auckfor many years.

The Canterbury made 14 voyages from England to Port* Chalmers between 18/5 and 1899. a summary of these passages being as follows:

The Canterbury made one voyage to Auckland in 1890. arriving on January 21, after a passage of 93 days. She made one outward voyage to Napier in 1395, arriving on December 24, the pas save thus occupying 117 davs. The summary of her outward passages to Lyttelton are as follows Sailed. Arrived. Davs Out. June 6, 1874 Sept. 2, 1874 ‘B7 Aug. 2, 1884 Nov. 2, 1884 91

The summary of the ship’s outwar pasages to Wellington arc as follows: Sailed. Arrived. Days Out. July 31. 1885 Oct. 25. 1885 86 June 1, 1886 Sept. 13, 1886 104 Oct 19, 18S7 Jan. 23. IP3B 96 Oct. 11, 1901 Feb. 21, 1902 134 On the voyage to Port Chalmers m 1881 the Canterbury averaged 210 miles daily on the run through the Southern Ocean. On the voyage out to Napier in 1895 the ship signalled Taiaroa Heads and Lyttelton for orders. The Canterbury was sold to a Norwegian firm in 1905. She was still afloat in 1915. When she made her first visit to Lyttelton in 1874 she was under the command of Captain Rtrachan, and Lor subsequent commandeis were Can!aids Anderson. Leslie, M Millan. Culbert. and Collingwood. There was another ship named Canterbury, a vessel of 970 tons, which was launched in 1857, and christened bv Lady Lyttelton. The ceremony took place a" public gathering at the East India Docks, when the main portion of the first Canterbury pilgrims embarked. This ship arrived at Lvttrlton on August 19, 1857.

Sailc d. A r ■riv ed. D. ays Out, Sept. 1. 1875 Nov. 19, , 1875 79 Sept. 28 , 1877 Dec. 29 , 1877 92 Nov. 3. 1830 Jan. 19, , 1881 76 i Sept. 30, , 1881 Dec. 16, 1881 76 Land 1 to land 73 Sept. St , 1882 Doc. 11, , 1882 81 Land to land 78 Aug. 8, 1883 Nov. 2. isa3 86 Land 1 t o land 77 Aug. 31. , 1888 Dec. 1, 1888 92 Oct. 7. : 1890 Jan. 9. 1891 91 Sept. 2, 1891 Dec. 12. , 1891 99 Oct. 11, 1892 Dec. 31, , 1892 79 Land 1 t n land 75 Oct. 12, 1894 Jan. 8, 1895 88 Oct. 16. 1896 Jan. 8, 1897 F3 Sept. 9, 1898 Dec. 17. 1893 99 Sept. 2, 1839 Pec. 12, 1899 110