The “Steersman.”

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6752, 5 February 1892, Page 3

The “Steersman. ”

Some years ago the as. Wellington was running between Auckland and Wbangaroa (W.Z ), remarks the Bulletin, with a large assortment of passengers chiefly bagman. Every second man aboard a Maoriland steamer is a bagman, and the man in between is generally a preacher. There was a glaring Hebrew drummer among the crowd, and when the vessel got out of Wbangaroa he sidled up to the captain and volunteered to take the wheel as far as the next port, three hours distant. Be said that in his youth he had been a seaman by profession, which, considering his nose, seemed an eminently improbable statement, but the captain accepted the statement and put him on the sternwheel. The other bagmen gathered round to watch the proceedings. It was a hot day, and presently the corpulent Israelite at the wheel began to perspire and breathe heavily. The vessel evidently wanted a lot of steering ; j every minute the captain called to the suffering bagman to put her *■ hard-a port,” and the Hebraic one would whiz the wheel round and stand on the spokes to steady her, and then before be could wipe the per spiralion from his smoking bead there would be another cry of “ hard-a-starboard,” and the implement would be rushed over again, and the steersman would hold it down with bis hands and both feet, and puff despairingly. If the bagman’s hat got down over his eyes, or he wanted to" sneeze, the captaio, at that very moment, would invariably jell at him like a tornado, and make him throw himself on the wheel like a Hebrew possessed. At first he tried to wear an air of joint proprietorship in the boat, but presently that faded away, and he became dejected, limp, end crushed looking. Still bo hung on for throe weary hours till the next port was in sight, and then he feebly asked to fao relieved “ as he wanted to get his things together.” “ Oh, it’s all right,” said the captain blandly. “ You can let go. In fact, the wheel’s out of gear - has been out of gear all the afternoon. There’s another man steering in Iho wbeelhouee on the bridge.” “What!” “Yes, didn’t you know it ? I thought you were only amusing yourself, so I kept hollering out orders to you to make it look real,” And then the Hebrew rose up suddenly, and made remarks. He has been known on the Maoriland coast as “ The Steersman ” ever since.