AROUND THE WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 231, 29 September 1928, Page 4

AROUND THE WORLD.

GOSSIP OF THE PORT.

A GREAT OCEAN RACE.

(Continued.)

The Loch Torridon and Koutenburn were a well-matched pair. For eleven days they raced through the gale and neither could gain the advantage over the other. The master ot each ship tried every artifice, every art of seamanship, to gain an advantage over the other, but neither of these big ships could get into the lead. On the evening of the eleventh day since they met we were then 51 days out from San Francisco—the wind hauled around to the south-west and blew harder than ever. The canvas had to come in then, because no man-made structure could stand up against the * rin ®; No order was ever more willingly obeyed on Routenburn. Royals, to'gallantsails, and all light fore-and-afters were furled, and the same was done on Loch Torridon. The ships rode much easier now, but at times we were reeling off our fourteen and fifteen knots.

On the 52nd day out Cape Horn, that lone sentinel of the wild southern ocean was abeam. It was blowing a whole gale from the west when we passed the promontory and with the wind dead aft, the ships made a most imposing _ spectacle as they thrashed through the big grey eeasSeveral outward-bounders were sighted, all of them hove-to, and their crews must have thought that we were bereft of our senses to be carrying so much canvas. It is interesting to make a comparison of the time taken by the ships between 'Frisco and the Horn. The record for this long run is held by the famous American clipper Flying Cloud, the time being 47 days, but that ship was built for speed and the grain ships contesting the race were built with cargo-carrying capacity as a first consideration. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful performance, and the two captains can be excused for congratulating each other for the smart work of their ships. Every ship we met was asked if she had met in with any of the grain fleet, and our keenness was whetted considerably when we found that none of the other 54 ships had been signalled.

It is difficult to describe the excitement which everyone showed. There was a peculiar esprit de corps in the old-time sailing ships which never can be found in the modern steam vessel, and any old shellback who could truthfully boast that he was in the ship that led home the wool or grain fleets was always looked upon as a very important individual. The Routenburn'e crowd were congratulating each other on the manner in which we had held our own with the famous Loch Torridon, and we even -rot so far as discussing the possibility of breaking the 'Frisco-England record. On the 54th day out we were abeam of the Falkand Islands and we had gained about six miles over the Torridon. The good westerlies still held and our captain, eager to steal a march over Pattman, gave the order to set all top-gallantsails. We were surprised that Loch Torridon did not follow our example, and we slowly and surely increased our lead. On the evening of November 11, we signalled Loch Torridon, "We shall report you all well," and to show that we meant it, the main royal was set, despite the fact that a moderate gaJe was blowing. During the middle watch that night,, a terrific squall struck the old ship and before we could get her off before the wind, the fore and main top-gaJlantmasts went by the board. Here was a pretty mess, and, as our captain was on deck when the accident happened, he only had himself to blame. All hands were called, and all through the night we worked like galley slavi to save as much of our top hamper as w: could. The broken masts and yards were got safely on board, and as the ship was labouring heavily •in the big 9ea that was running she had to be hoye-to, until we got things shipshape and Bristol fashion again. With the dawn of day the horizon was eagerly scanned for Loch Torridon, but she was out of sight, presumably ahead. Never did a crew work more willingly than we did. We had a craftsman in our carpenter and, with the assistance of two handy seamen, he had a new main top-gallantmast ready for going aloft, 24 hours after the accident. In "three days everything was repaired aloft, sails bent and most of them set, and away we went after Loch Torridon. Despite our accident the luck still was with us. Strong winds, increasing to gale strength, came steady from the south and south west, and although we were not carrying near so much canvas as we did when Loch Torridon was in sight, every reasonable advantage was taken to drive the ship along. At dawn on the 63rd day out, we were just entering the southeast trades at the time, a big ship was sighted astern. Twelve Bottles of Rum. We were under easy canvas, making a good ten knots, with a fair wind from the south and east. We examined her attentively and by her rig, none of us could identify her as one of the grain fleet. On she came, flying three skysails, doing a food fourteen or fifteen knots. One of Loutenburn's apprentices was the first to pick her. "That's the Queen Margarite, that was discharging her London cargo at Meigg's wharf when we left." Our captain heard the remark and like a raging fury, he turned on the lad and told him he would kick him off the poop if he talked such foolish nonsense. "Get the flags out, mister, and find out who 6he is," was the order. Up went a hoist at her peak and when if was decoded, we saw that it was indeed the Queen Margarite. "Suffering saints, ask him how many days he is out." Back came the reply, "From San Francisco, 52 days out." Then bedlam was let loose. Our skipper damned the man at the wheel, he cursed the mate for being a steamboat sailor, he kicked the ship's dog, two of the apprentices who were making up the flags got cuffed over the ears for getting in the old man's way, and he threw a big belaying pin at the nigger steward who was watching the row from the recess of the companionway. "Almichty me, beaten by eleven days, and tae think that 'A wasted twelve bottles 'o rum on this perishing crowd of hoboes. .. ! Hey, mister, ask him tae repeat his signals. 'A'm thinking he's a d— leear." On the .signals being repeated, the disgruntled and disheartened old deep-sea warrior called to the mate. "Mister, 'A'm finished wi' the ship, she canna sail worth ad— Twelve bottles o' rum ... Lord Almichty!"

Tl»e Queen Margarite was soon alongside of us'and, on further signals being made, we found that she had sighted and passed no less than 28 of the 'Frisco ships. The Pinmore, Mermerus and Loch Torridon, however, were not among the number. We soon had all our canvas set and the wind falling light we just managed to hold our own with her. The Queen Margarite was considered to be the handsomest four-masted barque under the British flag. Painted white from truck to waterhne, she made a queenly picture as she glided over the waters. Her three towering skysail masts, gave her a grace that was missing in most of the then modern ships, and being under Nova oeotaan ownership she had a reputation among sailormen that made the younger generation sit up and take notice. During her career she had met and vanquished many of the crack clippers in the wool trade, and had even raced and beaten many of the big German flyers in the West Coaet of South American nitrate trade. None of us had ever considered her as a competitor among the heelers of the gram fleet, and every member of our crew sincerely hoped that the three clippers, Mermerus, Pinmore and Loch Torridon, would revenge our defeat, by keeping well ahead of Queen Margarite. (To be continued.)