VETERAN OF THE SEA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16866, 1 February 1929, Page 5

VETERAN OF THE SEA

CAPTAIN DONALD M'-LEAN

END OF A FINE CAREER One of tlie grand old veteran: of tin? sea, Captain Donald McLean, who died in Auckland this week at the age of 72, first shipped a-; a. boy, anil until his retirement eight- years ago continuously ,followed a seafaring career. For 40 years he was in the Union S':cam Ship Co's sorvi a*. Captain McLean was burn in Ihe r ; land of Tiree, off the const of Argyleshire, the home of many sailors, and at an early ago was on sailing craft between Scot land and America. chiefly to Quebec and the Gulf of Mexico. His first trip to the Southern Hemisphere was in the Loch Rartnoek, of the famous Rodi Line, a.tnl later tie. served in some of the Shaw-fkmll clippers running between New Zealand and Britain, one of them 1 icing the speedy larunulci. lull mate;- of those days knew him as "Dan.’' a maDcr tbal might now eaten; doubt a- to idenl iiy. SERA' IGF IN iIOTUMAHAN'A. When Captain Mcl.ean (nutsi'crred to slcam he selected a notable ship, the Hot. imaha n,a , then the pride in the southern oceans, and in her he go I his ticket, rising to Die position ol chjet officer before leaving her. Captain Underwood. her original master, was in command when he joined her: a.ml he was also with Captain Carey. Captain McLean served in a number of the Union Steam Ship On's vessels as mate, among them being the Taviuni, on which he was associated with Captain R. Smith for five years in the Foui.h Sea Island, trade. 'His first command was the little Mann, then engaged in the mter-Tsland-Fiji trade, and later he was master of the Pohorua. of the coastal and South Sea trade, the Navua. the Taviuni and the Alanapouri. When the Wailemata was built he went to Brilain and brought her out on her first voyage. Upon the outbreak of war Captain McLean assumed command of the transport Moeraki, which look part- of the- New Zealand Force to Samoa, and he then toolc over the hospital ship Malieim, with which lie evacuated many thousands of sick and wounded soldiers Irom Anzac, Gallipoli, to New Zealand. Alexandria ancl Malta, and later from Havre to Southampton. COMMODORE OF THE COMPANY.

In -1920 Captain McLean was in command of the Mnkoia. which carried a Parliamentary party to the Conk Islands and Samoa, and just, before his retirement he had charge of the Niagara on one trip to Vancouver, and flew his .pennant tis commodore of the company.

Captain McLean, whose career .was free from any serious shipping mishap, was a strong, lovable man, of exception ally fine physique. An old-fashioned Highland grace of manner added -charm to his character and he was a favorite figure in every port- where he was known. His command of the Maheno when site was a hospital ship was fob of anxiety and difficulty, which added years to his age. Since his retirement- he had suffered severely from heart -trouble.