An Old Story.

Manawatu Herald, 4 May 1893, Page 3

An Old Story.

* , Everything relating to tlie early VteitAa to fclite flrifcai.rt ol ttye S'orith is so undoubtedly interesting' tHdfc the following information, gleaned from an old book printed in 1785 and relating to '.Captain Cook's last voyage -tfill be welcomed. it was iri June 111$ that the Be : solution", add tlie Discovery anchored iri tile' Nore waiting for the breeze to start them ori tlidk Voyage which ended only in 1780. It reads straflge now, that whilst these ships were ori their way out to these southern latitudes',' seieMrig riew^ homes for Britain's surplus jjop'tiia'tldfi they were delayed in their refitting, after a storm, in consequence of repairs beirtg in" hapd for the fleet for America ; the did Country thdtl being engaged iri tlie struggle with the colony of Arrier'i&is A wiser, coprse 1 is now adopted and free institution's are granted to the colonies so that all the fighting is carried on amongst themselves. Captain oo°k h.ad on board his ship, the Resolution, a titttite of Ulietea, named Omai whom he was taking back to his people after hay. ing given him a free trip home. This is the first instance of. a distinguished person being personally conducted by Cook's agency* Governors and others* nowadays place tlieiiiselves under the gtiidaiide of tottrists agents of the same name. Our aboroginal was well in advance of the times. This gentleman was made tisd of; as far as, possible as a means of CdiiininiiieEitioii Between, Gaptajti Cook and the inhabitants of the different isles he visited, but, it is written, he was unsuccessful in making himself understood by the Maorlegj The ships, or as they are described sldopsi Cflllett at Madeira and then at the Cape. The roughness of those "old sons of the sea" is duaintly brought IB light ky tiie 1 itieHtioii that when on crossing the Line, the weather being squally, "the usual ceremony of keel-hauling the sailors who had never crossed it before, was omitted." l%e writer' remarks "tins ceremony is so well known; that it were rieediess to tltseribe ifct" However, as one hundred years has passed since the ceremony was so frequent we may mention that it was a method of punishment, in those old days, in the Dutch navy, and it was exceedingly dangerous. The culprit was let down from the bows under the bottom of the ship and drawn along the length of the keel by two ropes stretched from each side of the ship ; after which he is once more taken aboard over the stern. By reason of the number of barnacles, and other obstructions on the bottom of the ship, this punishment inflicts many cuts and bruises on the culprit, and is severe in the extreme. Rough in their play were the old sea dogs. (To be continued.)