AROUND THE WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 4

AROUND THE WORLD.

GOSSIP OF THE PORT.

A GREAT OCEAN BAOE.

(Continued.) Only those of Uβ who have made long sea voyages' on the deep waters can appreciate the eagernees o£ a ship's crew.to get news o£ the outsida' world from a passing ship. In the old sailing ships the ohief topic of conversation was the doings of other ships, and, of course, on Koutenburn everyone was on tip-toe to hear what ships of the grain-fleet Queen Margarite 'had passed. In a few hours the two ships were alongside of each other, not more than a hundred yards separating us, and the rails of both ships were lined with their crews listening .to the stentorian conversation of the two captains. Olive Lank, the ship that brought these reminiscences to the mind of the writer, was passed on the Pacific Equator, when Queen Jlargarite was only 20- days out. This was not surprising as Olivebank was always considered one of the leisurely kind. Dunstaffannge and Alice E. Leigh were met with in the vicinity of Pitcairn Island, and the others had been overhauled and passed between Pitcairn and the Horn. The Queen's captain doubted our opinion that Mermerus, Pinmore and Loch Torridon could be ahead of him. He reckoned that he had averaged over nine knots an hour from- the time his ship had left 'Frisco, and was open to bet our captain ten.to one in new hats or bottles of rum that he would lead the fleet into the Channel. Our captain, doubtless remembering his past Aberdonian generosity regarding rum, promptly took him up. Again, I am sorry to say his Scotch "canniness" had forsaken him. For three days the two ships kept together, in light winds Routenhurn took the lead and when it came away heavy Queen Margarite easily passed us. During the third night we parted company and were not to meet again until we berthed in the South West India dock' at London. On the 76th day out we crossed the equator, a most excellent passage, and, as ltoutenburn had, on the previojis voyage, run down from Liverpool to the equator in 17 days, it was still possible for us to make a good showing. Again the Doldrums were good to us and we slipped into the north-east trade winds without undue delay. The trades were very strong and blowing almost from due east, We-romped along, no one more happy and contented than our old Scotch captain. The Peak of Pica in the Western Islands was lifted above the horizon on the 82nd day, and we ran in close to the port of Fayal to report to Lloyd's etation, there. AVhen our signal was acknowledged we asked if any of the 'Frisco ships had been eignalled. In reply up went four hoists on the signalling yards which, upon being decoded,' read: "Yes. Pinmore,' Mermerus, Loch Torridon." tf This, was interesting news, so we backed our main yards and asked how many days ago. The writer read the signals eent in reply and his captaia, who was standing -near, cautioned him to "Head them carefully, mister; read them very carefully." "Pinmore four. Loch Torridon three. Hermerus eight," were the signals sent and our ole sea-dog was soon busy with a pencil and paper working out how many days the "heelers" had heaten us by. Strange to say, he was quite contented with the drubbing his ship was getting, and after vigorously biting at his pencil stub, he excused his ship as follows:— "Weel, it's no sae bad! Five days hecalmed on the Pacific equator, three da3 r s hove-to when we were dismasted—that makes eight, and if that is a' that the mighty Mermerus can beat us by, we'll no be sae very far behin'. 'A'm think-' ing, mister, that the captain o' the Queen Margarite will be pa}'ing oot that rum in' London." We got into the north Atlantic in midwinter and every seaman will tell you that strong westerly gales, amounting at times to blizzards, are to be constantly met with there during these winter months. And Eoutenbuln got more than her fair share of them, but unfortunately for her they came from almost due north, gales and ice-laden blizzards being experienced for days on end. Let me quote a few entries from an old diary:— Christmas Day, 1898: Ship hove-to in a raging blizzard; decks piled high with ice'and snow; 743 miles from the Lizarde; four of the crew badly frostbitten; lost mainsail aud fore upper topsail during the night, blown from the gaskets. December 2G: Weather the same. December 27: Weather the eame. During the night lost fore lower topsail; ship like a submerged rock, only four masts to be seen sticking out of the water. December 28: Weather the same. At noon the big German liner Ivaiser Wilhelm der Grosse came sweeping up alongside and signalled, "Do you require assistance?" We' replied, "No thank you. Report us all well." She made au imposing picture, as she thrashed, through the tremendous sea that was running. Her forward decks were covered with ice and soon she was out of sight heading for the Channel: She' should be in port by tctmorrow night. A T ew Year's Day: 106 days out and further from home, than we were ten days ago. Six of the men and three boys laid up with frost-bitten feet and hands. For 23 long days these awful "conditions obtained. It is difficult to realistically describe what these blizzards areike. At times the force of wind -would be so great that the ocean smoked and one could not see any part of the ship tor spume. Every squall seemed stronger than the one 'before it and they were all laden with heavy enow. The masts the yards and all the rigging were coated thick with ice. The enormous eea which rets up with these blizzards—better cnown to sailormen as Western Ocean Rollers—have been accurately measured to a height of 60ft, from ci-est to trough. During the greater part of this time we Kid no hot food, the galley and its con;entshad gone by the board, but despite the cold, the hunger and the appallin" conditions existing, every advantage was taken to get the ship into the sheltered waters of the English Channel. - At last the wind came fair and glad were the hearts on our gallant old ship, when the order was given to "Square the yards. An old eailors' song describes the event D'ye mind the day vrlien we squared away, An , ran her cast by south, When she trampled down the big grey seas, With a roaring bone in her mouth. When the best hands twirled her iuckinjr wheel, And dared not look behind, At the growling roller in her wake? Dye mind, old pal, d'ye mind? On the 124 th day out we dropped her anchor at Gravesend aud thus ended Routenburn's part in the great race. And what of the others? As we pulled into the dock we saw the winner lying in the adjoining berth, the great Queen Margarite, she having taken only 94 days to cover the distance. Mermerus took OS Pinmore 103 and Loch Torridon 122 days' As we passed each of them we cheered them to the echo, but no answering cheer was returned, as all their crews had been paid off, some of them, perhaps, bound out again for another voyage. When the writer's ship again left England, six weeks later, 18 of the grain ehfps had not then arrived, so this will show the luck of getting fair winds. The only sad man in our ship's company was our captain, the voyage having cost him thirteen bottles of rum. Only three of these great ships are still afloat,, the Routenburn (now Beatrice) Olivebank and Alice E.. Leigh (now Rewa). I