EARLY SHIPPING DAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17031, 3 May 1923, Page 10

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 th-* early files. SE\ KR AT BHI PWREC KS. (I? rum the ‘‘Lyttelton Times, July 26, 185(5.) There are accounts of several ship- i wrecks on the east coast in the stormy I weather on May 17 and May 18. Three * of them occurred side by side at. Hawke’s Bay. The St Martin, of 58 tons, the Autplope, o-j tons, and the ! Adah, manned by Maoris, all schooners with cargoes of produce from Auckland, broke from their anchorage, one 1 alter the other, and went to pieces n the rocks. The cargoes of all were •saved, though in a damaged state. The ; crews wore taken back to Auckland la ! the schooner Fancy from Poverty Bay. Fears are entertained of the fate of i the schooner Wave, which left Hawke s j Bay the same morning, and was not heard of a month afterwards. A large open boat, supposed to be a passage boat, drifted ashore in the same quar- ; ter. about the same time. The crew i must have been lost. The same violent | gales were exprienced on the West j Coast. LOSS OF A SCHOONER BY FT RE. ! (From the “ Lyttelton Times,” September 24, 1856.) On Thursday afternoon, September ! 8, considerable interest was excited in j W ellington by observing a strange boat j full of sailors rounding Evans Bav i Point, as it was generally thought to J be a boat belonging to some vessel that j had been wrecked on the coast. On the boat arriving at Swinbourne’s wharf our worst fears were realised, as it was found to contain the master, mate and crew of the schooner Jane, which, we regret to state, was totally destroyed by fire on Monday evening last off Cape Palliser. The master and crew were unable to save anything, but what they stood upright in. The master. Captain Lament, is a very great loser, as be sides his chronometers, charts, clothes, etc., he lost 150 sovereigns that were in his eashbox, and the mate and seamen are left entirely destitute. LOSS OF THE "WYVERN. (From the ‘‘Lyttelton Times,” October 8. 1856.) We regret to find that no intelligence j has been received in Sydney of the Wy vern. so that we are bound to conclude that she is lost. The Wyvern sailed from Nelson for Sydney on July 1 last, and had on board the following passen-gers:-Air Alexander Mr Honfrev. Air Fordham, Mr and Mrs Withers, Mr Evans. Mr Morris, Mrs Bertheau, ser- , rant and child. ARRIVAL OF THE JOSEPH F LETCH ER. (From the ‘‘ Lyttelton Times,” October 25. 1856. y Arrived. October 21. ship Joseph Fletcher, 672 tons. John Pook, from London. Cabin passengers—Mr and Mrs C. de Griit and t .ree children, Captain | d 7 Auvergne, Captain Foster and two j children. Captain and Mrs Smith. Miss ! Watson, Mrs Ward, Miss Ward, Mr and Mrs Ray, Messrs V. Swain son, Alex Rose, J. Dormer, and M. 1) Slaughter. Steerage (for this port)—S. Heyward. W. Lara man, E. Biekett. wife nncl three children. .1. Wiegana, S. Rodgers. J. Jassun, W. Morris, G. ! Edlier. wife and three children, Sarah | Orchard. Mary Anna and Maria Or- j chard, J. Wright and two children. C. j Diinkerv, J. Lutlier. T Meddings, Eliza Meddings, Maria Bosworth, C. Taylor, Lewis Parsons, J. Brinicombe. wife and daughter. .1. J. King, wife and two children, Anne O’Hara (widow), four sms and one daughter. Susan M’Derinott, E. M’Dermott and wife. W. Gome'll and wife. Elizabeth Davis, Mrs Anastasia Barry. J. Bar- ! grove, wife and four children, A. Clepliane, B. Clephane. wife and two ' children, F. Hulcup. G. Taylor, wife! and five children, Eliza- Hurst. D. { Hamilton, wife and four children, R. j TViison and wife, E. Willis, wife and two sons, T. and .J. Wording. W. Walter, wife and child. Harriett and | Jane Bray. H. and J. Bray. Catherine I Downey (widow) and five daughters, T. j i Walker, R. Burton, E. Pentecost, wife! and three sons. Agues Yuli, W. White. 1 T. Dunn, wife and six children. J. ! Meredith. wife and two children. I L'ther Young, I*. Wood, wife and five j children, Jessie Martin, W. Sears, wife I and two children, G. Clist, wife and four children. Charlotte Sampson, H. Nunwick. wife and child, J. Fisher, wife and two children, John Hemwood, wife and four children. James Hemwood. wife and four children. Jane Hemwood, H. ’Hemwood. J. Tompkins wife and three children. J. Harriett, wife and child. S. Lyons, wife and child. Luoretia Russ. j. Harper, wife and two children. J. Seri von, 1. Smith, T. Smith and wife. J. Fuller and four children, V . Navis, wife and three children, R. Stokes. Eliza Reazley, L. Brandt. J. Nagal. C. Xeimier, S. Kloeke, H. Muirs. E. Russ, J. Price, W. Poole. J. Lorn. H. Crooks and j wife. R. Goodwin. Jane Goodwin. Married, thirty-two couples; single, forty-three males, twenty-seven fe- J males: children. sixty-six: infants ' under twelve months, five ; sixteen for j Auckland; 222 souls, equal to 183 j adults in. all. Report of the ship. Joseph Fletcher, j John Pook, Piaster.—Sailed from - Gravesend on the morning of July 5, j with twenty-one cabin and 222 steerage passengers : left- the Downs the follow- i irg morning, had constant strong wes- | terly winds down to the Tsle of "Wight; put into Spithend on .July 11 to fill up , water: sailed again on July 14; cleared TJshant on the 20tli : crossed the equator August 18; had a tedious passage as far as the island of Tristan d’Aounlia. which we reached on September 12: here we got a fair wind which continued without any check till October 17. Saw very few vessels on the passage. On August 7 a few decrees north of the line, spoke the ship Kent, from Australia, hound to London full of passengers, all well. Had eight deaths during the passage and two births. Deaths—Adults: Mr Tas. "Wiiixl, "E. Russ. Airs Lyon, and Mrs Harnett: children : Lvou Smith, and Hamilton. John Pook, master of the Joseph Fletcher.