MASTER MARINER'S DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1826, 12 August 1913, Page 4

MASTER MARINER'S DEATH.

TE KOOTI'S DAYS RECALLED. Captain J. Christian, of t'ho Blackball Company's collier Ngatoro, passed away in Christehurch on Sunday. Deceased was a well-known figure in slflpping circles, ami with his death New Zealand has lost one of its oldest master mariners. Some limo ago he had the misfortune to fall between' tlio Ngntoro ami a Home steamer was being coaled at the Glasgow Wharf, Wellington. Ho was in a private 'hospital here for some .weeks, and subsequently rejoined his vessel. A few days ago, whilst the Nga,toro was at l.yttelton, he was seized with a stroke, from which ho never recovered. The most interesting event in t'ho late captain's career was when ho was in command of the three-masted schooner Hifleman. Tho notorious chief To Kooti had been sent to tho Chatham Islands, but on. July i, ISOB, tho rebel leader seized tho killemau and compelled those ill charge of the vesi:el to navigate her to Poverty liay. A massacre of dolen'celess settlers followed. The late Captain Christian was born in Denmark in 1835, and went to sea at tho n?e of 16. In 1859 lfo came out to New Zealand, "before the niast," on tho Zealandin, which vessel he left in November of that year to engage in the coastal trade. Ho took charge of the s.s. Moa when she was launched. It was subsequent to this that he had charge of the Riilemnn. lie was in command of tho old steamer Bruce in trading to tlio West Coast. Tlio old Harbour Company (the nucleus of tho present Union Steam Ship Company) Qiad liim in its service for several years, and ho was in turn in tho Beautiful Star, Maori' (tho original Maori), Wangamii, and other vessels of the fleet. From' 1873 lio sailed the barque Hilda between China and the Australasian colonies for two years. Captain Christian then purchased the brigan.tino Wave,- and sailed her in tlio intercolonial trade, but disposed of her to tako charge of the Vision (the last brig seen on the New Zealand coast) for the Kauri Timber Company, 1 Auckland, and rtr eight years he traded between New Zealand and Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne. In 1894 ho joined tho Blackball Coal Company's service, taking command of tho s.s. Hesketh. Ho was also master of the company's steamer Pareroa.