SHIP HAS TAKEN VARIED CARGOES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 78, 1 April 1931, Page 11

SHIP HAS TAKEN VARIED CARGOES.

Ashburton covers OVER 70,000 MILES. (Special to the “Star.”) AUCKLAND, April 1. On board a ship which knows no regular trade you certainly see the world, but for her crew this going from any one port to any other has its disadvantages. The company of the British motorship Ashburton, for instance, have not seen their homes since the latter end of 1929, and there appears no immediate prospect of the ship picking up a cargo which will take her back to England. Since leaving the Old Country seventeen months ago. the Ashburton has covered over 70.000 sea miles. The Ashburton, a unit of the wellknown Trinder Anderson Line, whose ships carry a black swan on their funnel, sailed out of Hull on the last day of October, 1929, for Baltimore, where she discharged the balance of a cargo of chrome ore picked up at Paagoumene, New Caledonia. Although it is carried in bulk, chrome ore, which is used in the manufacture of stainless steel and for chronium plating, is not what the sailorman calls a dirty cargo: From Baltimore the vessel went to Norfolk, Virginia, where she was chartered by the Dupont Line to load general cargo at New york for Callao, Mollendo, Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Valparaiso and Talcahuana. The discharge of this cargo occupied a lot of time for, except at Callao and Valparaiso, it had to be unloaded into lighters whose carrying capacity is limited. Cargo of Nitrate. Next the Ashburton was ordered to Tocapilla, in Peru, where she filled her holds with nitrate which was unloaded at Pensacola and gulf ports. An empty ship again, the vessel returned to Norfolk where she was chartered by the Blavin Line to load at American ports for Montevideo and Buenos Aires. A return cargo was picked up at the ports of discharge and the vessel also called at Santos where she took on board a quantity of coffee. From Santos she returned to the Atlantic coast where she discharged and loaded again for Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Rosario.

When she returned to America towards the end of last year, the motorship was chartered by the A. and A. Line which runs a regular cargo service between American and Australian and New Zealand ports. General cargo was shipped at New York and the vessel came to Auckland, later visiting Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin. From New Zealand she went up to Noumea where she picked up the labour to allow her to load another cargo of chrome ore at Paagoumene. The ore is mined from a mountain 2000 ft high, and is carried down to the shore by a system of buckets, the weight of the ore providing the power which returns the empty buckets to the mine. From the shore the ore is taken out to the ship in lighters. From Paagoumene the Ashburton returned to Noumea where she landed the native labourers and obtained her clearance for Baltimore and New York. At the latter port the ship loaded her present general cargo, part of which was put out at Suva. “We’re on two years* articles, and we expected to be away for a good time, but everyone on board will be glad to get home again,’* remarked one of the ship’s company. “New Zealand and Australian ports are all right, but you get fed up when you’re at places where you see few white people.”