AN INTERESTING RELIC.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 63

AN INTERESTING RELIC.

An interesting relic in the form of a passengers’ contract ticket by the sailing ship Zealandia, of 1116 tons register, issued at London on July 15. 1875, to Mr John Ingram for the passage of himself, wife and children to New Zealand, has been handed to our representative for perusal. The ticket, although printed over 52 years ago. has been carefully preserved. There is a distinct touch of sea romance associated with the document, as one can picture in fancy the person to whom it was issued, together with his family, boarding the Zealandia in the London Docks with great hopes of a life of future prosperity in the far distant colony. It is also interesting to know that Mr Ingram is still a worthy citizen. He resides in South Dunedin. The wording of the document is vastly different to that seen on passenger steamer tickets of the present day. In view of the fact that probably very few of these old-time “contract tickets” are now in existence, the full wording of the document placed in the hands of the reporter is quoted. The wording is as follows:— Ship Zealandia, of 1116 tons register, to take in passengers at London for Otago, New Zealand, on the fifteenth day of July, 1875. I engage that the person named in the margin hereof shall be provided with a steerage passage to and shall be landed at the port of Otago, in the Province of Otago, New Zealand, in the ship Zealandia, with not. less than 10 cubic feet for luggage for each statute adult, and shall be victualled during the voyage and the time of detention at any place before its termination, according to the subjoined scale, for the sum of £—, including Government dues before embarkation, and head money, if any, at the place of landing, and every other charge, except freight for excess of luggage beyond the quantity above specified, and I hereby acknowledge to have received the sum of £ — (part or full) payment. Another condition set out in the document reads as follows — The following quantities, at least of water and provisions (to be issued daily) will be supplied by the master of tne ship as required by law, namely, to each statute adult: Three quarts of _jvater daily, and an additional quart daily whiie the ship is within the tropics, exclusive of what is necessary for cooking the articles required by the Passenger Act to be issued in a cooked state, and a weekly allowance of .provisions according to the following scale, namely, scale of dietary for each adult passenger per week:—

Preserved meats, Salt beef, 11b. ! Salt perk, 11b. Biscuit, Hour. 5 jib. Bice or oatmeal, Ijlb. Peas, 2 pint. Sugar, lib. Tea, Ijoz. Coffee, 2oz. Butter, 9oz, Molasses (West Indian), alb. Raisins, jib. Suet, ilb. Pickles, 4 pint. Mustard, £oz. Pepper, 40/. Sait. 2oz. Potatoes (fresh), 31b. Potatoes qiieserved). lib. Water, 21 quarts. Lime juice (while in tropics), 6oz. A further clause in the contract ticket reads:— Children up to 12 years of age are to receive preserved meat instead of salt meat, every day; and in addition to the articles to which they are entitled by the above scale, one pint of preserved milk and three pints of .water daily; and every alternate day "one egg or its equivalent in condensed egg and Boz of oatmeal and 4oz of preserved soup; and Boz of flour. 4oz of rice and lOoz of sugar weekly. Children under one year old to be allowed three pints of water daily; and if over four months old, one pint of preserved milk daily; also 4oz of preserved soup, and every alternate day one egg or its equivalent in condensed egg; 12oz of white biscuit, Boz of oatmeal, 4oz cf sago or arrowroot. Boz of flour, 4oz of rice, and lOoz of sugar weekly. To infants under four months old such nutriment shall be issued as the surgeon may consider necessary. An additional quart water to be issued daily for the use of eacn person sick in the hospital if the surgeon shall so order. The flour with the exception of Boz on Sundays, will be issued to the ship’s baker to be made into soft bread daily, and issued as bread to the passengers.