The Letter T

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 140, 6 May 1886, Page 2

The Letter T

In connection with the loss of' the Taiaroa and other steamers whose names had the initial letter T, we observe a terrible lot of nonsense has been written. We are gravely told that this unlucky letter has been the cause of the loss of a dozen well found ships where it was the first letter in their names, and of eight vessels where it formed even a part of the name. The inference to be drawn from these premises is that the offending and unlucky letter should be " struck off the roll" altogether, in order that much valuable property and many valuable lives may be secured from risk or loss. We all remember that a similar cry was raised when the City of Dunedin, City of New Castle, &c., were lost. It was manifestly flying in the face of Providence to name a ship after a city. If we put aside idle superstition, fostered by ignorance, and look at the question by the light of reason, the absurdity of this is patent. Suppose far instance that a master of any one of these lost vessels had pleaded before the Court of Enquiry that his ship was cast away became her name commenced with a T, or City, or any other letter or name popularly counted to be unlucky at that particular time, he would first have his certificate taken away from him, and secondly, he would either be tried for his life for manslaughter or attempted murder, and be probably hanged, or put in a lunatic asylum for the term of his natural life. In the opinion of men who have a knowledge of seafaring matters, there is too much science and too little seamanship in the present age of steam. We do not hesitate to say that if the whole truth were known in each case of wreck, whether by going on the rocks or by collision, it would be found the calamity could have been avoided by good seaman- 1 ship. In nearly all instances the splendid pluck displayed by the officers and men when in the presence of a great peril, casts a glamour over the minds of even the most callous, and all criticism is hushed in the overwhelming feeling of admiration excited. A calm judgment is therefore seldom arrived at. However, that is beside the question now being considered. What we have to do with is the connection between the names of vessels and their good or bad fortunes. It has been mentioned that "the Maoris have a tradition certain names are unlucky for steamers." Now this is pushing the nonsense a little too far. If we are not mistaken the first steamer which the Mauris ever saw was the Acheron, about forty years ago, so that the time for them to work up traditions on the subject is rather limited. Besides they have no unlucky names among themselves, as far as we know. The only exceptions being where the name of a fish may be changed or I dropped for a time, or during the life of some chief who may be named after it. This out of respect for the tapu — well understood by old colonists. This superstition anent names is not of recent date, but in this as in other instances the world has not grown wise by experience. The Spaniards used up a whole calendar of saints in giving names to their ships, yet the homely names of the ships commanded by Drake, and Nelson two hundred years later, did not prevent the latter from crushing and utterly defeating their saintly foes. It was the men, not the names of the vessels, who won the victory. The same rule applies now— a good sailor will never lose his ship, no matter what her title is, unless where human power is absolutely vain.