EARLY SHIPPING DAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17014, 12 April 1923, Page 11

EARLY SHIPPING DAYS.

VOYAGES FROM THE OLD COUNTRY. TALES OF THE EMIGRANT SHIPS. The romance and some of the hardships of the early shipping days of New Zealand are recalled in the series of articles now being published by the “ Star ” relating to the early shipping days. Many people are interested in the subject, as there are still many old identities with us, while thousands of citizens of the Dominion are descended from the old stock which braved the voyages in the sailers of the ’fifties, 'sixties and ’seventies. The article printed to-day consists of extracts from the early files. NEWS AND NOTES. FROM THE “ LYTTELTON TIMES,” JUNE 11, 1853. A seaman named Robert Perry, alias Walker, master of the Emerald, schooner, was drowned in Pigeon Bay on Monday last. We have no particulars of this accident, but we understand it occurred in the evening when it was nearly dark, and that the deceased fell overboardFROM THE “ LYTTELTON TIMES,” JUNE IS. 1853. Owing to the continued and increasing wet, there have been several landslips near Lyttelton. On Saturday evening, several tons of earth fell and nearly embedded a schooner on the stocks in Mr Grubb’s building yard. Two boats were considerably damaged. The road to Sumner is now impassable, being blocked up by an immense fall of earth near the blasted rock. FROM THE “ LYTTELTON TIMES,” JUNE 25, 1853. Late yesterday evening we received a Melbourne paper to May 19, brought by the Wanderer, which has been hovering oft' the port for several days without communicating. This extraordinary movement has quite precluded our giving any large extracts of news. Writing to the editor regarding the 1 “mythic port” at Motunau, Mr J. W. Hamilton says: The Perseverance, 82 tons, was nearly lost oft Motunau in the wool season of 1851. Taking in oil twelve months? ago at Fife’s (Kaikoura) Station she had to slip and run. leaving an anchor and all the cable behind. The Wellington, 54 tons, after taking in about one-half her wool, was obliged to run from Motunau, and did not return for ten days. The whaleboat taking the wool on board was three times capsized. The “ Agnes and Hannah.” 14 tons, about eighteen months ago, was wrecked oft Motunau. The Palmer, 10 tons, twelve months ago, met with a similar casualty. The Fairy, 10 tons, in February last was twenty-one days taking wool from Gore’s Bay, put back three times, lost a valuable whaleboat alter four days’ endeavouring to land it at Motunau. Her dinghy, which had been left there, and which it was intended to take on board, remains at Motunau to this dayThe sum asked for within the last three months for a coaster to call on her wav down at a place on the coast between Cape Campbell and Motunau, and merely taking one passenger on board for Port Victoria, was £BO. A FIRE AT SEA. FROM THE “ LYTTELTON TIMES ” * JULY 2, 1853. The brig Ellen, from the Mauritius, in lat. 40.10 S. and long. 118.10 E., took on board the crew and passengers of the barque Mahomed Shah, bound from London to New Zealand, the said ship being abandoned on fire. The following are the names of the parties thus providentially preserved:—Passengers: Mr and Mrs Jeftries, Mr and Mrs Hall and three children, Messrs Herbert, Oswald, Curtis,. Smith, Holland, Mrs Wheeldon, senr., Mr and Mrs Wheeldon, junr., Mrs Roddy, Mr and Mrs Powell and seven children, Mr and Mrs Challis and child, Mary Knowler, Ann Williams, W. Duand, W. Winter, master, Dr. H. Schank, surgeon; crew, T. Burghes, first mate, T. Robertson second mate, D. Robb, Myers, W, Fernie, R. Clark, W. Evans, T. Ryan, S. Murphy, D. Virtue, W. Downes, W. Millings, G. Goldtrap, C. Blackburn, H. Dougail, F. Lastings, F. Jackson, W. Means F. Clark. But few particulars have yet been ascertained respecting the fate of the unfortunate, vessel Before so providentially falling in with the. Eden, the Mahomed Shah had been on fire for two days, but the conflagration had been kept under in a smouldering state by battening down the hatchways, etc. The escape of the passengers and crew was attended with no other casualty than the loss of every article 1 of propertjq excepting that upon their persons, belonging to them. The fire is supposed to have originated in •spontaneous combustion, as, from its breaking out in the lower hold, no other probable cause can be attributed. A sum of £56 was collected in Hobarton to enable seven of the steerage passengers of this unfortunate vessel to proceed to New Zealand to join their relatives. The remainder of the passengers preferred to remain in the colony, and we understand that they have already obtained suitable engagements.—Melbourne “ Morning Herald,” May 16.