REMINISCENCES OF THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 299, 27 January 1910, Page 3

REMINISCENCES OF THE PAST.

ICPLSODES IX THE LIFE OF THE LATE SIR. HARRY ATKIXSOX.

A BREEZE OF THE SEA,

(By C.W.W.)

While the funeral of the Duke of Wellington was occupying the attention <;f Londoners, the good barque Sir Edward Paget lay at Gravesend bound for the ports of Auckland and Xew Plymouth in Xew Zealand,

Among lier cabin passengers were Mrs. Richmond, gen., her daughter»,(Miss Richmond), her son (Mr. Christopher William Richmond, afterwards Judge Richmond), and Mrs. C. W. Richmond. Mr. Harry Atkinson (afterwards Sir Harry), Mr. Arthur Atkinson, Mr. James Brind, Mr. E. Patten, Mr. F. C. Wilson, and myself were occupants of the second cabin, as were also Mr. Theophilus White and family, Mr. Shaw, Mr. E. Everett (afterwards Mayor of Xelson) and his brother, whose daughter Colonel Stapp married. The Sir Edward Paget was a staunch teak-built old barque of about 700 tons ■burthen, owned by Messrs. Willisj Garni and Co.. shipowners, London, and was to b e sailed to Xew Zealand by Captain Chapman, who, having served previously as first mate on the Paget, was now to make bis first trip to sea as captain, with the dignity of which office he seemed fully impressed, though lie was considered by iio means a highly qualified seaman. At the beginning of the voyage lie would walk the poop arrayed in a belltopper and swallow-tailed coat, which were criticised as not strictly a very nautical costume.

On reaching the English Channel heavy south-westerly gales were en countered, head winds for a down-Chan-nel course, and after vainly beating for three weeks against cross seas and foul winds, Bcechv Head being scarcely gained and well passed, tile captain decided to put into Cowes, in tho Isle of Wight, and wait for a shift of the wind. For a month in port the gale continued uninterruptedly, ships coming into harbor more or less disabled and dismasted. The storms at last broke, and before a favorable north-east wind tte Paget made good way for sea, crossing tlvj treacherous' Bay of Biscay in bright weather; in fact, everything went smoothly round the Cape of Good Hope, without high, seas, to the confines of the north-east trades and the tropics, and then shortly th e Line, where, Neptur.e coming on board, many a tyro unknown to the perils of the ocean had to submit to shaving and ducking operations, entirely oblivious of the fact that by a "tot" or two of rum judiciously administered previously to Neptune and his bodyguard they might have saved themselves a lot of trouble.

With the exception of a little display of irony and sarcasm on the part of the captain ana some legitimate assertion of his supremacy and personality, nothing very serious had occurred to ruffle as yet the harmony of the cuddy, until, some unloreseen friction happening, the captain promptly decided to stop the. cabin passengers' supply of beer and whisky. A poem almost immediately appeared, the authoress being Mrs. Richmond, sen. The style of the composition may be understood by the note of th e refrain—l;Xo more wine and no more toddy, Xo more ale and no more stout; Since the rascals dared to beard me, Let them learn to do without." So the unlucky voyages had perforce to gulp down their sorrow, while not permitted to swallow their toddy. Mr. Harry Atkinson (afterwards Sir Harry), though not of a 'quarrelsome disposition, was quick to "'hat he considered to be an affront, a::.'., not being devoid of pugilistic science, \.as ever disposed on an emergency to act vigorously on the defensive. A young man, a Mr. Yeeles, a firstcabin passenger, by some foolish insinuation incurred the ire of the future Sir Harry, and he forthwith challenged Yeeles- to single combat on the ships forecastle. Yeeles, though evidently desirous of escaping the conflict, with the stigma of coward before his eyes, was obliged to comply, opposing each other on "the deck of the forecastle. _ Mr. Harry inflicted a blow which either Ijohi'" 1 nt tip of Yeeles' nose or beds eyes, and completely upset his um. and, displacing iiim fiom the perpendicular, he would inevitably ve bcoi'i precipitated into the sea but Jia timelv' aid of some friendly hand. He contrived to slide down tile forecastle ladder, and was rescued in the vicinity of the cooks gall.iv Mutual apologies being ultimately t dcred, the affair dropped quietly. _ Shortly after this stirring little n dent some person or persons unknown (Yeeles himself was suspected) insidiously informed the captain that M Ilarrv Atkinson had been "inciting

crew'to mutiny." flic captain or: all main-deck passengers ami the aft, and called out fiercely: "lir. kelson, I am told you have bur' , tile crew to mutiny!'' "You are a liar!" install' orted the future Premier. "To be called a liar on ■ i po""' furiously vociferated cc "Bosun, take that r.m» av 1 " Harry was promptly c \v' •-> forecastle, but by i'r /Hie ell'ort lie rid hinisc' i- ■. and. rushing aft, sail', .. .. viole'" ly, "You lie; y" strictly true, a ' been t"M ' • . '■ Once mi", ■ "' - . ordered to take " ...rfl. and mice mor aiainl'is future rulei jgnoi .egatcd to the domain of (]i r .. ,e. The excitement of the onlno. i\ ached a climax when the gallant iTarry once more gained the front cf the poop. At this juncture, however, some friends seemed to come forward. Mr. Arthur Atkinson and others endeavoring to soothe the iraia Harry, while the future Mr. Judge Richmond -represented to tlw captain that the mntinv story was the idle yarn of soil." mischievous person, and too 'Absurd to lie seriously noticed. The commotion slowly subsided, though it occasioned no little sensation at the time on shinboard. After these thrillijig events tranquillit v reigned more or less on the ship. The captain had cither before or afterwards confined the second mate, Mr. N'eagle, to his cabin for a week, taking the watch himself, and some lively dif- | ferences cropped up between Mr. Harry Atkinson and a Mr. Johnson, a solicitor in the ciuldv. Matters were afterwards settled in court, The vessel met with strong gales in ninnin? down the "oastItK'" "sk'htinir Tasmania and then Cane Maria Vnn" Piemen, wnd afterwords the Three roumli"- (he North Cay of NW 7"^"'id. I down the east coast to Auckland in brilliant weather, and anchoring in the harbor »f tie STaitemata some tune 10

June, 1853, or a voyage of six mouths from port to port. The passengers suvd the captain in Auckland for stopping the stout, mi*rule, etc., with what result I forgot for the nonce. Captain Chapman is understood to have paid the penalty of his rash and cantankerous temper, for on a subsequent voyage, having a crew of Chinese coolies, who refused duty or to work the ship, the captain ordered all their pigtails to be cut off. Xo Chinaman will forgive an insult to his pigtail. and it is said the crew entered the captain's cabin at night and killed him. Such was the tragic fate of the Sir Edward Paget's peppery skipper