SHORT OF PROVISIONS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2783, 30 May 1916, Page 6

SHORT OF PROVISIONS

. CONTRARY WINDS CAUSE ROUND-THE-WORLD TRIP. The American schooner Westfield, which put.into Lyttelton short of provisions on Friday last, has had a pretty rough time of it since March of last year. On March 25, 1015, the Omega left Cardiff (Wales) for the South Georgia .Islands. Bad weather dogged the vessel the whole way, and on July 27 it was found expedient to put into Cape Town to repair and renew the sails and rigging. It was not until October 11 that the voyage was re-'' sumed. Prince Olaf Harbour. (Sonth Georgia Island) was reached on December 28.'. Captain D. A. Ogilvie relates. that the.schooner left the island.-for Tocopilla, Chili, on February 19, but. owing to'the vessel's .absolute inability to round Caps Horn, it was decided to run east round the globe.

It was intended to pass by New Zealand, and endeavour to get to Chili direct, but when about six. hundred miles to the eastward, the hitherto favourable winds became adverse, and fearing that his provisions would run short, f)he master turned liis ship round towards New Zealand. A course was. s'et calculated to take him to Dunedin. but a strong gale encountered on Tuesday caused this plan to be abandoned, nnd accordingly Lyttelton was steered for! When close to the coast, thick fogs and easterly winds were met with, and the ■vessel could make little headway. It was with feelings of -relief that those on board were able to nick up Lyttelton, as provisions had 'reached a low ebb, and eveTyono was longing for a chance of diet from the coarse sea fare than had been served for a long time oast. "All that was left on board on arrival was a twodays' supply of biscuits, half a barrel of beef, and very littl.e rise. Flour, sugar, rice, potatoes, vegetables, etc., had run out lons before, and the principal item on the ship's- menu for some week? had been stewed or curried albatross. Th<> birds were caught daily with a fishins line, or with a triangular anniivntus, which, 'when the bird thr,list its head through to spenre n. tempting piece of norV. was pulled tight, leaving the unhappy nlbatMss a prisoner. About 150 of there birds w£re oaten between South Georgia Island and Lyttelton-