AN ILL-STAR BOATSWAIN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1074, 11 March 1913, Page 4

AN ILL-STAR BOATSWAIN.

When Bo’suu Miller came ashore from the wrecked Star of Canada he confided to a Gisborne Times reporter over what he termed "a drop of Nelson’s blood" that he was a Jonah. He had been connected with shipping all his life, but disaster ever followed hot on his trail, and he regarded the loss of the Star of Canada as quite in the ordinary course of events. Later the bo’sun joined the Matatua and he is seemingly keeping up his reputation as a bringer of bad luck. Although the vessel has called so far at only three New Zealand ports, there has been an accident in each. At Auckland a wharf labourer was killed while working cargo on the vessel; at Gisborne a fireman had both his hands cut off on board; and' now, at Timaru, a disastrous fire in the vessel’s hold has caused thousands of pounds of damage. It is well for Miller that the old superstitious days of the sea have gone, or he would probably find himself food for the nearest whale.