THE LAST TRIP OF THE MACGREGOR.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 94, 18 September 1874, Page 4

THE LAST TRIP OF THE MACGREGOR.

The Timarn Herald says:—The following account of the hardships which passengers by this ship had to undergo, is extracted from a letter from a gentleman well known in this district, who travelled in her on her last outward trip.—" Steamship McGregor, July 27, 1874:.—My last letter was written on board the City'of Adelaide, before reaching Kandavu, just about a fortnight ago, and since then every one on board this steamer has kept up one continual growl, and, without doubt, have had just cause for complaint. Don't lose a chance of warning every one from travelling by the steamer McGregor. Where there are so many things to complain of, it is difficult to know where to begin. We arrived at Kandavu on Tues day morning, Julylith, soon after sunrise, and there found waiting for us this charming steamer; although we were three days late, she had only turned up the day previous, having narrowly escaped being swamped the night after leaving Sydney. The Cyphrenes steamed in from 'Frisco just ahead of us. . . We left Kandavu the same afternoon, and were told (for our consolation) before going on board, that the ship was not considered safe, as from her being so heavily laden with coal, her main deck was not more than four feet out of the water. The whole of the passengers had petitioned the captain to discharge a portion of the coal at Kandavu, but he refused to comply with their request. Many of the passengers had refused to go in her from Sydney, seeing her so low in the water, and the night she sailed, had there been anything like a sea on, she must have foundered. The steering apparatus refused to act, and the ship was knocked about at the nu-rcy of the waves, the main deck under water and every place in the ship flooded. She lay like a log, turning round and round, until the rudder was at last got to work. The married ladies and children (about twenty) were in a large saloon in the stern of the vessel below the main deck, which was only fonr feet above the sea, consequently the ports could never be opened, and although their skylight was covered and battened down, they had two feet of water in their cabin. I really believe that officers and all thought the vessel in danger. I think it a most scandalous shame to overload a vessel to such an extent as to endanger the lives of those on board, and the captain, seeing the state she was in, should have refused to go to sea in her; even for a week after leaving Kandavu, although meeting nothing but light winds, seas were constantly breaking over the main deck. We could not have had more favorable weather, and now of course, burning over thirty tons of coal a day, we are getting lighter and in better trim, but with full steam, fair wind and all sail set, they can't screw knots out of the old tub. We shall be five days late at Honolulu. And now touching the mails. No wonder if letters are lost by the ' Frisco route, the accommodation for letters, &c, is something abominable, any Newcastle collier could afford better ; there is a small room, about ton feet by twelve, boarded off down in the hold, which is called by courtesy the mail room, this is crammed full of mail bags up to the ceiling. I went below yesterday to see the operation of sorting all those letters and papers, and how is this done if you please? Why, an old piece of sail cloth is thrown across some faeces of wood, and there amongst the coals and cargo, her Majesty's mail bags are emptied and sorted ; at any moment, when the hatches arc off, a sea might break down on the letters, or the slightest breeze of wind blow them where they might never be found. Again, men arc at work around, constantly passing by the letters, and nothing to prevent their taking them ; the whole management is disgraceful. We sit down, about sixty, to dinner, at six p.m., there are six tables, each with a large kerosine lamp, and the heat is something appalling, everyone gradually melting ; how we have all survived it I can't think. Directly dinner is done we all rush out into the cool air. The saloon is only seven feet high, and not only is it without ventilation, but it is heated by steam pipes. The ship is steered by the hydraulic process, and steam is conveyed by pipes over the ceiling of the saloon. Again, at the top of the saloon is a large tank, full of hot water condensed from the engines, so you can fancy how nearly cooked we are. Then the cabins are small, with three in each, but at night we are not particular where we sleep. I move my bed two or three times duriug the night. Memo. —In future I will bring a cane chair of my own. As I told you before, everything on board the City of Adelaide was most comfortable, but of the steamship McGregor, I say again, bowi'.re 1