SHIP OF ROMANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 986, 31 May 1930, Page 10

SHIP OF ROMANCE

OLD STEAMER WAKATERE BEING BROKEN UP GOLD RUSH RECALLED Tied up at Julian’s Wall, at the mercy of the earnest shipbreaker, is the now-antiquated paddie steamer Wakatere, And so has been turned a most romantic page in the history of the province. A ship of romance, the fastest and most comfortable vessel during the spell of the Thames gold rush, she bore across the gulf to Corot mandel many who were lured by the call of gold and wealth. It was for those people, to whom i the gold rush spelt prospects of for- ] tune, that the Wakatere was commissioned in the late ’9o’s. In those j bygone days she was the last thing j In coastal transport, and on many of her trips she registered 16 knots, j Thus was the vessel appropriately; named, for in its Maori origin 'Wakatere means “swift canoe.” An up-to-date ship, fitted with green and scarlet velvet coverings in the lounge, smoking-rooms, wide promenade for the full round of the decks, and elaborate fittings to give the necessary appearance of stately luxury. Well may one imagine the welcome given her by the early gold-seekers of fortune. ANOTHER KLONDIKE. Coromandel became a mild repetition of the Klondike. The small settlement was rapidly being built into a flourishing town, but it was forever overcrowded. On the arrival of the Wakatere in the evenings, crowds rushed for lodgings, but there were none to be had, and men, women, and children huddled for the night in any small shelters offering. The mad rush brought lively saloons and much gambling. And there were free fights and brawls, for the town was divided into “lower” and “upper” Coromandel, and there were petty jealousies. In all the glamour and struggle of those eager seekers of wealth, the good ship Wakatere played its great part. Not many of the ship’s crew are left to relate the stories of experiences while at sea. The late Captain William Farquhar, one of the Northern Steamship Company’s most faithful and long-serving officers, was in charge, and the late Mr. John Coutts, engineering superintendent of the company, had control of the engines. Chief-Officer Blacklock was drowned in the wreck of the Kia Ora on the West Coast some years ago, while two notable members of the crew still in Auckland are Mr. J. D. Mannion, who was thii-d engineer, and Mr. H. Watts, who Was ship’s carpenter and boatswain.

The journey from Auckland to the Thames was a difficult one on account of the shallow water at the latter place. Tidal movements dictated the time-table and it was the procedure for the Wakatere to enter at high tide, tie up for the night and rest on the sandy, or, rather, muddy bottom. This often proved a strain on the vessel, and, in consequence, it lost much of its speed. The friction of grating gently upon the bottom made a steady impression and now the plates are thin and hare. VOYAGE FROM HOME The trip from Scotland was made in 82 days, but it was not without adventure. Bad weather was experienced for the most part of the voyage and the Wakatere received a severe buffeting. The double paddles proved satisfactory in a head sea, but with a beam wind or a strong rolling cross-sea, it was uncomfortable. In the Bay of Biscay heavy seas were running and a large tender on board, which was to be used in conjunction with the Thames service, became adrift. A call was made at Lisbon in Portugal to effect repairs to a paddle which was giving trouble. On through the Mediterranean more rough weather was experienced. After leaving the Suez Canal a sandstorm was experienced and owing to the engines being near the deck, sand lodged in the bearings and there was more trouble. At Aden a call was made for fresh meat, but all that could be obtained was goats’ meat. Two days out from Columbo the Wakatere ran into the tail-end of a monsoon and the old vessel ran with a list for about four days with one paddle almost out of the water. With no pilot aboard in the Torres Strait, the vessel was anchored each night among the dangerous coral islands. The Wakatere’s survival of the extremely rough voyage from Home convinced the owners of her durability in spite of tbe light draught. As the years passed their confidence was more than justified, because, from December, 1596, until January of 1926—close on 30 years—the Wakatere paddled thrice weekly ffom Auckland to the goldfields. For the past few years the vessel swung'idly at her moorings in “Rotten Row.”