THE EMIGRANT SHIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16923, 23 December 1922, Page 17

THE EMIGRANT SHIP.

A RETROSPECT. In looking badk through the dim x ista of the past one cannot help being 6truck by the vast advance and improvement in the travelling conditions of the general public. Magnificent liners are now employed between Europe and the colonies, replete with every comfort tor all classes of the comn unity that human skill can devise, electric lighting, fresh foods, and amusements of all kinds to break the monotony of the voyage and with the knowledge that, “ bar accidents,’ the ship will arrive at her destination on her advertised date. Wireless conveys the- time of her arrival and. puts her in ccinmunication with other stations and vessels within her radius. How vastly different were the condi tions on the emigrant ships of the fifties, sixties and seventies, leaving London with a full complement of passengers. immigrants and crow, often with five hundred all told in a thousand tor ship. With the first class passengers located in the saloon, the immigrants were in the ’tween decks, partihoned off as follows ;—Single girls aft, married people amidships, single men fer’ard. and crew in the forecastle. The lighting was done by oil lamps. The food was often very indifferent, end good food was often spoiled by bad cooking, thereby causing grievous complaints and in some cases leading to icsubordination. The following is a copy of tlie dietary scale of steerage passengers’ contract ticket:- Scale of dietary for each adult passenger per Preserved moats 11b. Salt beef lfclb. Salt pork 11b. Biscuits BJib. FI opr 31b. Rice or oatmeal 1 Jib. Pecs i pint-. Sugar (raw) lib. Tea ljoz. Coffee 2oz. Butter 6oz. Molasses (W. India) JibRaisins Jib. Suet Goz. Pickles 1 pint. Mustard Aoz. Popper Joss. Salt 21b. Potatoes, fresh 21b or Potatoes, preserved, Jib. Water, 21 quarts. Li me juice (while in tropics) 6 oz. Children between one and four years of ago received preserved meat instead of salt meat every day. and in addition to the articles to which they were entitled by the above written scale, a half pint of preserved milk daily, and ex cry alternate day one egg or two tablespoonfuls of condensed egg, and &oz of arrowroot or sago weekly. Children under one year old received three p.nts of water daily, and if above four months old half a pint of preserved milk daily, and every alternate day one rgg or two tablespoonfuls of condensed egg, also 3oz preserved soup, 12oz biscuit, 4oz oatmeal, 4oz sago or arroxvrrot, Boz flour or rice and lOoz sugar weekly. The first week at sea was generally nne of untold misery, mal-de-mer claiming many victims, but as that passes away in fine weather deck amusements were indulged in and concerts were got up to enliven the scene and pass away ilie time. On nearing the tropics, as the v. eat her begins to get uncomfortably v.arm, it is then the different dispositions, being in close contact witli each other, begin to show thom.se Ives, and happy is- the man who is imbued with the spirit of “ Mark Tapley,” xvho can

find credit in himself by being jolly under adverse circumstances. So the ship is in tropics—a dead calm, with the sails flapping against the masts and the rattling of the blocks, and everyone, or nearly so, bad-tem pered, until old Father Neptune with his retinue comes on board and demands to know the reason of trespassing in his domain. Woe betide the unlucky wight xvho has never previously crossed the line and falls into the barber’s hands and bath already prepared for him, it being an experience indelibly engraved on his mind for ever after. After some days’ delay, a breeze springs up. the ‘dead horse” is worked out, the equator being crossed, and away she flies to the southern latitudes. As the weeks pass by, and the weather gets colder, gale after gale being the order of the day, heavy seas are shipped, and water finds its way into the immigrants’ quarters, to be sxvabbed up, xvhile charcoal burners provide drying and heating, and everything is wretched. The ship is now struck by a regular hurricane, necessitating the immigrant being battened down in consequence of the big seas coming on board. There is nothing then for the people to do bub lio in their bunks and wait for the storm to alia to. After a while the storm passes, but leaves a high sea. The sun comes out again in all bis glory, and once more the deck is reached. 1 he ship is now in southern latitudes. “ ’Twas in the roaring forties, And wild the west winds sang.” The cold is intense, causing great discomfort and discontent. As the days pass by, we find the ship is bearing up { to the roast of New Zoalqnd, and the ' weather gets warmer every day, until j xye hear the welcome cry. “Laud ho I” from the look-out. which brings tho ■ passengers all on deck straining* tlxeir eyes to get a glimpse of tho land which is to be their home. The ship comes ramping along the coast with a, lino southerly breeze, although keeping a good offing, and finally Banks Peninsula is sighted and rounded, and after some delay she approaches the heads and signals for the pilot, who brings her to an anchorage in the harbour, where she at last lies secure in the 1 haven of rest. On Saturday Inst, at the meeting of . the old pioneers, one could not help thinking that the same people that were bewailing their great hardships (at times) on shipboard in days gone bv noxv remembered tbo same with a great deal of pleasure, and delighted to exchange their experiences with their old time fellow passengers and others.