VOYAGE OF THE "SAMARANG."

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 83, 7 August 1852, Page 9

VOYAGE OF THE "SAMARANG."

The "Samarang" left Gravesend about 4, p.m., on the 26th of March, a stiff N.E. breeze raising hopes of a fine run down the Channel. These were, however, blighted on the following day by the wind veering to the Southward, which compelled us after a futile attempt at beating through the Downs, once more to anchor abreast of Deal. On the 28tb, Sunday, a S.E. breeze took our good ship slowly round the S. Foreland, and gave her heart-aching passengers, for their last sight of Old England, a fine view of Dover, Folkestone, Rye, with the adjoining coast, and the bold cliffs of Beacby Head; and at li, p.m., off Portsmouth, we despatched our merry and loquacious pilot with three parting cheers, and bade a long adieu to our native land. A faint glimpse of one of the Scilly Islands was obtained two days later, by those only who were proof against the horrors of sea-sickness. For afortnight, we had now to contend against S.W. winds, which made our course an extremely circuitous one; the weather was by no means boisterous, and the more robust among us escaped either entirely from the usual distressing malady, or were let off with a temporary loss of appetite; others, however, and especially the females, were great sufferers, and could not be pronounced convalescent, until the smooth water and balmy atmosphere of the vicinity of Madeira had exerted their beneficial influence. This favoured region was attained on Easter Tuesday ; the 13th of April, the Island of Porto Santo being sighted at daybreak, and Madeira with the deserted rocks, towards the afternoon. Many and weighty were the reasons for a short stop here, with which the Captain and Doctor were assailed on all hands, but stern was the prohibition of the Canterbury Association against any such pleasant deviation from our path ; and, as if to render our position the more tantalizing, a vessel which had been in our company all day, was seen in the evening to stand in for Funchal. Calms and light winds were now our fate—Porpoises were shot, Portuguese Men of War entrapped by a variety of ingenious devices, and under the cheering influence of a beautiful sky and delicious climate, sad thoughts of. home began to brighten, and even pity to be felt for friends there who were experiencing the damp, chilly, miserable atmosphere of an English April. On the loth of that month, the first number of the newspaper, (yclept Soottee Sammee, the nickname of our vessel) made its appearance, and was continued weekly, throughout the voyage. Its contents afforded much instruction and amusement, and although eventually comprising six sheets of foolscap per week, five copies were made by different passengers as a record of their pilgrimage. On Sunday, the 18th of April, Divine Service which had previously been celebrated in the gun-room, was for the first time held on deck, the prayers being read from the capstan, overspread by the Union Jack ; the scrupulous cleanliness of the ship, the order and regularity of all about her, the trim holiday attire of sailors and passengers of all classes was a pleasant sight; and the sound of prayer and praise arising from this little speck upon the pathless ocean was felt, we believe, by many, as a glad and impressive one. Daily Morning and Evening prayers were read'tween decks throughout the voyage. On the afternoon of the same day a British Brig, minus a main topmast, was so near to us that Captain Escott sent a boat to her, and finding she was bound to Maranham, forwarded by that opportunity a collection of our letters to England. Both the topmasts of this vessel, the Helen of Liverpool, had been shivered by lightning a few days before, and the Captain was glad to receive a spar from us to assist him in bis refit. On the 21st of April, we entered the Tropics, and on the 22nd we at length exchanged light and variable winds for the N. E. Trades, which sent us smoothly and merrily before them as far as the 6th degree of North Latitude, our course laying outside the Canary Islands and inside the Cape De Verdes. An average amount of calms, squalls and torrents of rain then prevailed for about 10 days ; the heat, however, was not so oppressive as is sometimes the case, on no occasion exceeding 87-S8 in the shade, and not interfering with the games and amusements with which we were wont to beguile the weary hours. Bar leaping^ distance leaping, singlestick, blindmonkey, &c, &c, were the order of the day, whenever the state of

the weather permitted; some beautiful moonlight evenings were passed in dancing and singing, and they were long remembered as tbe most charming portion of our voyage. Sharks and other members of the finny tribe were hooked and harpooned, tbe flesh of the former being pronounced excellent; flying fish sported round us, and one of them darting on board, nearly crippled the most useful pair of eyes in tbe ship, viz., those of the cook; bathing, under proper arrangements, was extensively patronized by both ladies and gentlemen. Last not least, Neptune made his appearance one fine morning for the purpose of welcoming all new comers ; by a judicious regulation which the authorities insisted upon, His Majesty could only operate upon those who volunteered into his service, and the consequence was that .while most of us would have struggled against compulsory physicking, shaving and ducking, nearly every one submitted cheerfully and amidst roars of laughter to the iuitiatory process. After experiencing for some days a strong Northerly current, we crossed the Line on the 27th May, in Long. 16-24 W., 40 days after leaving the Downs, and sent off a sealed bottle announcing the interesting fact to whoever may pick it up. On the 9th we caught the S. E. Trades, which " prevailed so well easterly" that our extreme West Longitude was but 27; from thence steady favourable winds and fine weather shewed the sailing qualities of the " Soottee Sammee" to advantage, but elicited also a capacity for rolling which must be seen to be believed. Some of the lurches in which she was wont to indulge appear perfectly incredible, and rendered it at once a matter of the greatest difficulty to sit or to stand still, and a matter of imminent risk to attempt to move ; the appurtenances of the dinner table performed some extraordinary evolutions, and " consumption" made such ravages among the glasses and crockery, as very soon to render their number "small by degrees and beautiful less." On the 23rd of May, we accomplished the longest days run of the voyage, viz., 269 miles actual distance by observation; on the 29th crossed the meridian of Greenwich in Lat. 30, South, and on the sth of June passed about 250 miles to the Southward of the Cope. Henceforward the Sportsmen on board had an infinity of Ocean birds on which to display their murderous skill, and soon become as learned in the habits of Cape Pigeon, Molly Maw, and Albatross, as others professed to be in the ropes and manoeuvres of the vessel. Out-of-door occupations being now somewhat scarce, —theatricals came into favour. With the assistance of theship's colours, cabin lamps, &c„ a neat little house was rigged between decks, and amateurs of both sexes tried their histrionic skill in three farces, entitled respectively " Chaos is come again," " the Irish Attorney," and " on his last legs." The performances were, upon the whole, very creditable, and exceedingly amusing ; unavoidable anomalies in scenery and costume contributing not a little to the general merriment. We enjoyed a singular immunity from the tempestuous weather which is said to haunt the Cape during the winter season ; but further on our road encountered what to landsmen appeared one or two severe gales ; the naval authorities, however, so perseveringly declared everything of this sort to be "nothing" that the phrase became a by-word for the. remainder of the voyage. A heavy S.E. swell showed that we had but just escaped strong winds from . that quarter, and made us appreciate the double reefed topsail breezes, from N.W. and S.W., which, after a quick run of 14 days, enabled us to sight St. Pauls at 10, p.m., on the 19th of June. Speculations as to the length of the voyage, which had been gloomy and desponding before we crossed the line now improved wonderfully, and it appeared that with an average amount of fair wind for three weeks more, our passage would he an exceedingly rapid one. After attaining the longitude of Cape Leuwin, however, the wind gradually drew round to the eastward, and compelled us, much against the inclination of our Commander, to run as iar south as 51-37. Here we were detained by a calm for two days, the tedium of which was somewhat relieved by boating, and by the sight of a very magnificent Aurora Australis; although tiie cold in this high latitude was far from bein<r agreeable, it was hy no means extreme, the theruiomater never falling below 40, in the middle of the day. A week of strong easterly winds now kept us at a respectful distance from our destination until the 18th July, when theship's head once more pointed towards

New Zealand, and raised our drooping spirits. Perhaps the most pleasing feature of our voyage is the perfect harmony and good feeling which always existed between the chief cabin and intermediate passengers ; when our separation appeared near at hand, the latter invited their friends to a soiree 'tween decks, and on the 21st a return party was given by the cuddy passengers, during the progress of which the loom of Stewart's Island was at length announced. A fine N.W. breeze carried us quickly round New Leinster, and in the morning, the hills at the back and to the southward of Otago were visible at a distance of about 50 miles. Our favouring gale was soon exchanged for one from the N.E., which added 8 or 9 days to our voyage, but almost atoned for the delay by the fine glimpses of the coast which we occasionally enjoyed, as the vessel stood close in to the shore. Banks' Peninsula was sighted on Tuesday, the 27th, but tedious calms were once more our lot; through the kindness of Captain Escott the passengers again amused themselves by boating, approaching on one occasion within sound of the surf near Akaroa, and on another bringing home the only Albatross we had on board during the voyage. At last an increase of wind enabled us to weather the formidable promontory, and to make the Canterbury beach a little to the southward of Double Corner ; the dense fog in which the Peninsula was enveloped rendered it impossible to distinguish the entrance of Port Victoria until we were within a mile of the heads, and considering the heavy sea, jtnd strong N.E. wind which was blowing dead on to the shore, we felt not a little relieved when at half-past 11 on the 31st of July our anchor once more touched the ground. Our voyage from land to land occupied 113 days, and from port to port 125. We were abreast of Van Diemen's Land within 100 days of leaving England, and but for the extraordinary amount of calms and contrary winds which characterised the latter part of our journey, it would have proved shorter by at least a fortnight than it has actually been. The most serious casualty which befel us was the loss of a stunsail boom, while the general health of the passengers has throughout been exceedingly good, and all our live stock down even to the rabbits, have been landed in excellent condition. We have had our little social squalls, but, on the whole, jogged on very comfortably together, and we believe there is nothing to prevent nine-tenths of us from parting as good friends.