A TRIP TO MILFORD SOUND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 73

A TRIP TO MILFORD SOUND.

THE XE PLUS ULTRA OF XEW ZEA-

LAND SCENERY

Bi- G. A. R.

II The next day we went ashore in company with Captain Fairchild) and a few sailors to erect a tombstone over the grave of the sailor formerly belonging to H.M.S. Ringarooma, who was drowned in Milford Sound a few w. n eks pi eviou&ly The grave was situated on a small tongue of land at the foot of the Bo wen Falls, and the blinding spray from the latter blew in our faces all the while — indeed', that solitary resting place will never be dry, foi the spray falls on the spot all the year round. It was a depressing and melancholy business, and vie were glad -to find ourselves once more on our floating home, though drenched through as usual.

The roadinakers having all come aboard we left Milford Sound, in all its magnificent glory, before daylight next morning, and dropped anchor in Anita Bay, which is situated just outside the sound. It was still raining in the sound when we left, but in the bay a beautiful fine day greeted us. Axiita Bay is a lovely little inlet, scarcely half a mile in width, and well protected from the open ocean, while luxuriantly wooded fhills slope down to the water's edge in places, and in others they recede a short distance before small teaches of pebbles and shells. In order to prevent the steamer from slewing round the anchor was dropped over the bow, and a cable from the stern was madis fast to a large tree on shore. Captain Fairchild said he had come here to give us a. day's fishing, as Anita Bay was famous as a fishing ground. We required no further invitation, and in a very short time we had cast out half a dozen lines. Several of the crew likewise joined in the sport, andi all of us were soon fully occupied in hauling up blue cod as fast as the lines touched tli© bottom. A crayfish, net was also lowered, with some " strong "' pork attached to it, and before noon arrived! over 80 crayfish lay sprawling in the stern scuppers, vainly endeavouring to crawl up the bulwarks. Three monstrous conger eels were also added to the morning's catch, which the chief officer immediately skinned, cut up into slices, salted, and carefully placed in a barrel of brine. He might have spared himself the trouble, for this barrel was washed overboard during the gale we encountered on the return voyage. But of that hereafter. Verily we were in an anglers' paradise ! Towards noon, however, the sharks paid us a^ visit, and drove all other fish away. Three of the great ugly brutes were caught, one being over 7ft in length. As they would; have broken the lines if any attempt had been made to haul them on board they were pulled close alongside, struggling furiously, until the second officer ended their careers with a repeating rifle. "When all resistance on their part was over they were hauled on deck and cut open "Suffice it to say that the almost proverbial buttons and) other undoubted evidences of a repast lately partaken at the expense of some unfortunate human being were, on this memorable occasion, conspicuous by their absence.

In the open sea beyond a heavy sea was still running, and a strong northerly wind was blowing. But no evidence of the war raging between the elements outside reached us in Anita Bay. which is entirely sheltered by the surrounding hills from both windi and sea, and the water was unbroken by even a ripple ; while among the veidant foliage all round us the sleepy nodding of the treetops alone betrayed the presence of the gentta breeze which almost imperceptibly rustled their delicate plumes. We landed on the beach during the afternoon and gathered) a few small pieces of greenstone among the pebbles. There is a tiny creek that sparkles in and out among "the hush, and over the rocks, and finally discharges its limpid waters into the bay, named Greenstone Creek, in the vicinity of which the largest and best specimens are always found. However, the sailors were ashore in the foresoon, and they had anticipatel us. Some of them returned with very large and clear pieces, many quite flawless, while those we managed to obtain consisted mostly of small slabs and smoothly-worn pebbles, of no very remarkable quality.

Leaving Anita Bay at midnight on that most enjoyable Sunday we started for home again. Both my brother and I were asleep at the time, and neither of us heard the anchor weighed or the propeller throbbing. Half an hour later, however, we were aroused to a state, of consciousness by a tremendous crash of crockery in the steward's pantry, while at the same time the vessel was surging and rolling from

side to side, and the wind howled overhead, the fittings creaked \rith loud dismal groans, and it seemed to our startled imagination as if we -were in a veritable pandemonium of confusion. '" Insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rud-entum." The Hinemoa "was in the teeth of a strong northerly gale, and a tremendous «a -vras miming. Every now and then a monstrous "wave burst with a noise like a thun-der-clap ov,?r the bows, hitting the ship with a blow like a thousand sledge-ham-mers, and hurling tons of foaming water along the fonvarct deck. The vessel forgedL bravely ahead, but was unable to make more than &even knots an hour against the gale, instead of her usual 13 knots in favourable weather. Now with our prow pointing its dripping extremity to tli.? murky heavens as we rose on the top of a mountainous billow, now with it plunging into an advancing wall of green, while the ship staggers for a moment under the blow ; £he next , with an angry toss of her head, she shakes the water off, cindi darts forward once more into the blackness of the night ; now rolling in the trough of the boiling surge, tfuo&6

angry dark green walls rise far above our heiidfcj, we ever forge our way slowly ahead. As may be readily imagined, th» rolling and pitching of the vessel wore terrible, and only by holding on tightly to the side of the "bunk did we with great difficulty manage to pi event ourselves from being precipitated on to the floor. It is unnecessary to d-n ell at length on the horrors of that night. Let the gentle reader who has been in a similar piedicament recall his oAvn feelings on that occasion, and I doubt ' not that he will fully realise the condition of ours. It must suffice to add that neither of us slept any more that night, and that we also again fell victims to th.c most acute form of inal de irher. At last, however, the long weary hours of the night gave place to the grey glimmerings of the approaching dawn, 'which was soon supeiseded by broad daylight. The morning which broke was cheerless and bleak, ami the sky wore an unsettled and stormy aspect, while all around us was a dull leaden-hued waste of heaving billows, and the stern and forbidding coast loomed up in the distance on our right. At 7 o'clock we called in at Jackson's Bay in order to take on board a party of miners who were returning to Hokitika. Oh, how thankful we were for the brief respite afforded by this entrance into calm water, even if it only lasted for half an - hour ! There was no appearance of any living beings when we arrived, and after waiting some minutes without attracting attention the siren was sounded. As its weird shrieks echoed and re-echoed among the hills like the yells of a thousand demons let loose from the infernal regions we descried some people emerging from, some little huts on the beach. A boat was launched from the shore, which was soon alongside, and it was hoisted aboard with the men in it. We then proceeded out to sea again. The gale had almost died out, but a heavy broken swell was rolling in, which considerably retarded our progress. The sky was stormy and overcast with swiftly scudding jlouds, and the scene presented by the combined effects of the wild and tumbling sea, the threatening sky, and the stern and rugged mountain range on our right was both impressive and beautiful in its desolate grandeur. I am afraid we did but scant justice to the cook's excellent culinary preparations that day, for we remained huddled up on deck most of the time, both of us feeling the reverse zi comfortable, and heartily wishing the sea would subside. In consequence of the gale, our return voyage was protracted by some 12 hours, and next morning found us still at sea. About 6 o'clock I was awakened by the report of firearms on the deck just above my head, and presently the engines stopped, and the Hinemoa rolled to and fro like a log in the tiough of the sea. Crawling on deck to ascertain the cause, I perceived about 10 huge birds lioating dead or dying on the sea in close proximity to the vessel, while at the same time a boat was being lowered, and the second officer, repeating 1 rifle in hand, stood by giving orders. It appeared that the birds were albatrosses, which frequent in great numbers the wild and storm-beaten coast of the south-western portion of the South Island. After they had all been picked up, and the boat ■hoisted aboard, we continued our voyage. At 9 o'clock the same morning we arrived of? Greymouth. The sea was still very heavy, and was breaking right across the bar ; the wind was rising again, and altogether the weather was very boisterous. Ui:der the most favourable circumstances, Captain Fairchild never cared about entering Greymouth with the Hinemoa, which he deemed ar unsuitable vessel for crossing the baa. However, he had received instructions to call there on the return from Milfcnl Sound, as the Premier, Mr Seddon, would very likely come aboard and proceed on tc West port. The tug Westland came cut to us, and .her captain reporting that there was plenty of water on the bar, she made fast to us Avith her tow-line, and both vessels headed for the bar. At that time the Hinemo? possessed no steam teering apparatus, and was not suitable for entering narrow bar haibours, especially when such a sea was experienced as was running that day. At last, Tiith three stalwart tars stationed at the wheel, we arrived among the breakers, on the bar, and all seemed to Le going well, when a great green roller caught us or the beam, and swept us, as , it appeared, right on to the north break - l wcter. To avoid a collision with the cruel i dark rocks, ovei which, the surf boiled 1 furi- ' oufely, si emed almost impossible ; but the j tug, which had anticipated possible danger fiom s>uch a cause, had shot across to ' the opposite side of the river, and managed to pull the vessel's bead round when only a few yards separated it from the cruel recks so near us. The next minute we were in calm water and all danger was over. Ido not think that at the lime we fully realised the extent of the danger we had just escaped, for the captain, had betrayed no emotion, but had stationed himself immovable- as a rock alongside the wheel, with his eyes fixed on the boiling waters ahead: only by an occasional gesture of his hand or a short monosyllabic wcrd of command did he convey his ordeis .to the helmsmen. When the danger was all , over, he turned round to us, and with the slightest quiver of suppressed excitement in his tone said, ''That was one of the closest shaves the old Hinemoa has ever had"' ! Arrived at the wharf, we ascertained that the Premier had finally decided Jto journey overland. On hearing this, Cnptain Fairchild wished to leave again at ■ once, but in the meantime the sea had become rougher with the increasing wind, and, much to our delight (for we had had. j enough of the pea for a while), (.he bar was I impassable. The sea, continued rough throughout the day, and towards evening there v, as no abatement. The captain said there was no possibility of leaving before <hf> morning, so we spent the night ashore with some friends, whom we presented, in return for their hospitality, with a large bag full of crayfish.

We departed from Greymouth at 7 o'clock the next morning. The sea had ccuisideinbly subsided, and the weather were a more settled aspect. Uowever, ai heavy swell still made matters very uncomfortable, and we were still far from feeling good sailors. Proceeding up the roast under easy steam, we arrived off Westport at 3 p.m. TUae tide was low, a.nd an unpleasant wait of several hours rolling about outside before we could enter the harbour would have resulted had not one of the dredging hoppers come out to us. Under the beliet that the Premier was on board, and in their zealous endeavours to spare him the above-mentioned miseries, the Mayor and councillors of Westport, together with members of the Harbour Board t had come out to take him ashore. The hopper was empty, and riding high on the water, and her wild and wayward plungmgs were scarcely conducive to that state of mino, and general menial equilibrium which these highly respected citizens usually maintain on terra fivma. A boat was lowered from the Hinemoa, and after reluctantlybidding farewell to Captain Fairchild and oar oiiher friends among the ship's company, with great difficulty we descended the heaving side of the vessel, and jumping into the boat that swayed <.nd surged below us, we were speedily rowed to the hopper and taken on board. On the boat's return the good old Hinemoa resumed her voyage to Wellington. Perhaps it was partly due to the abovestated reasons that there was clearly discernible on. the features of the hopper.'a occupants an expression of keen disappointment as they became aware of the fact that we two were the only passengers in the boat; perhaps it was partly due to our excited imagination, but the fact remains that when it became known that the Premier was not on the Hinemoa, those whose feelings had been grossly trifled with by the eccentric perambulations of the hopper gave vent to their pent-up feelings id forcible (even if they were lacking somewhat in eulogistic expression) verbal epithets.

The hopper reached Westport half an hour later, and notwithstanding the boisterous weather we had experienced most of the voyage, nevertheless we had enjoyed ifc yeiy much, and it was almost with a feeling of regret that we stepped ashore after our week s adventures.