Yachting in the Sounds . . . A HOLIDAY TRIP. (Concluded) FOR THE FREE LANCE.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 30, 26 January 1901, Page 13

Yachting in the Sounds . . . A HOLIDAY TRIP. (Concluded) FOR THE FREE LANCE.

The intense interest of the place indeed so unsettled the nerves of one member that he tried in vain to sleep, and felt moved to rise and pace tne beach, and there, in solitude, further feed his vivid imagination. hurely this was the hour when one felt nearest in communion with those adventurous spirits who roamed here years ago. The moon, at its full, was shining bright, the air was still and mild, and the placid water of the Sound was shadowed by the deep green hills around. The whole effect was indescribably beautiful, and never to be forgotten. Happening to look towards where the boat was moored the previous night, the dreamer was rudely awakened by finding her gone! Had the spirits of the English sailors pirated her away? JNo! there she was half a mile out in the fairway, floating calmly in the direction of Motuara Island. To rash back and rouse all hands was the work of a moment, but it was not for some time that the sleepers could be brought to understand the position. One, indeed, whose inventive genius ran to improvements in sleeping bags, had got so firmly encased in one of his own manufacture that he heard not the commotion till all hands had turned out. Then the efforts of the whole company were brought to bear, and he was skinned like an eel. A hurried counsel was held, and it was decided that, as it was too risky and too far to swim, a nr 1 - ot the oars and some saplings be made to carry one. About ten minutes sufficed for this, and several members of the S.B.C. Mining Corps present had the opportunity to put their Knowledge of tying ropes to a practical use. The frail bark ready, volunteers in plenty offered, and it fell to the lot of the scribe to make the journey. Seated across the middle of the raft, which his weight sank level with the water, and with a board for a paddle, the voyager set out. It was a weird, not to say cold undertaking, but after twenty minutes "pull" he bore down upon the derelict, and shouted to the little party on the beach that she was ■captured. Ten minutes later she was again moored, and all hands snug in bed Again. „ n Thinking over the occurrence, did one believe in spirits one could almost fancy that the spirit of Cook, which had been evoked that night, had ■been keeping an anchor watch for his careless fellow navigators," and had impelled the sleepless one to rise and pace the beach. Certainly, it was a very ■strange coincidence that he did rise at an opportune moment, for the crew would have been imprisoned there till a search party found them. Next day (Saturday) broke fine and bright, and we saw the ■Cove in its brightest aspect, our photographer taking some good views of it. This is an ideal spot for camping — good bathing, fishing, and fresh water, and splendid ground for pitching tents. We were glad to hear the Government had reserved the bush in the vicinity. as there are two fine old willow trees, which we decided were planted by Cook, and having clothed them with this historical "tapu," we trust we will not be disillusioned by hearing that they are the result of a mundane Government surveyor's visit. Our next move was to East Bay, due «ast from the Cove, and we fetched across with a spanking breeze past Motuara and Long Islands, both of which are associated with Cook, and were admired accordingly. Had time afforded we intended landing to search for some coins and other relics said to have been planted there, but were forced to go on. East Bay was reached at 1 o'clock, and a hurried scramble to the top of the cliff, beneath which Cook Strait stretches across to the North Island, was taken. Here a magnificent and probably unique sight greeted us : a heavy white fog filled the entire strait, and so low down that Terawhiti and Kapiti were plainly visible rising through it. One could easily imagine how easily a vessel might come to grief under such circumstances. On the way down a quantity of mushrooms, which grew in great plenty, were gathered, and formed an agreeable addition to our evening repast. From East Bay we sailed and pulled in a south-west direction to Gula Gula Point, inside of which a former camper had pricked off a good camping place on our chart. This spot is exposed to an easterly and south-east wind, but we were fortunate in not being troubled, the ni^ht being perfectly calm, though rain began to fall heavily towards midnight. At 2 a.m. it increased to such an extent that all hands had to turn out and put the

fly over the tent ; truly a most unpleasant, not to Bay wet, job. But, although we were working in the "altogether for some 30 minutes, our excellent constitutions, aided by a little "Catto," effectually resisted any ill effects. Indeed "Catto" was called into requisition on many occasions for ills Doth real and imaginary. Next day we had a fair wind up-Sound, and we skirted the shore under easy sail, enjoying the change of locomotion, for our craft was no "best-and-best" boat to pull along. We camped that night in Acre Bay, near Picton. A narrow neck of land* separates Queen Charlotte from Pelorus Sound at this point, and boats are sometimes sledged from one sound to the other to save the long journey round by sea. After journeying to the top of the pass, and looking down on the water over which we had sailed three years previously with Billy J., we camped for the last time. Three of the party to-day showed signs of sickness, and as we were apprehensive of plague, we had a rat hunt, and moored the boat the regulation four teet from the wharf. As all hands were unanimous in declaring "it could not have been the catto," we put it down to a toadstool in the mushroom stew, much to the indignation of the cook, who swore he passed every one as a genuine "'mush." Easter Monday broke gloomy and wet, and we anticipated a bad day for the regatta, which it, indeed turned out. But in that we are not here concerned ; suffice it to say that after a pleasant sail of some three or four miles we made fast alongside Picton wharf, and our journey was at an end. In fact, but not in memory, as a former worthy scribe whose absence we sadly deplored this time) has put it. I, too, echo his sentiments that these trips are always an oasis in the dull and sandy desert of a city man's life, to be looked back upon in after years with the keenest pleasure. No party of this kind is complete without one whose invariable good temper and volatile spirits help to smooth over the difficulties that sometimes arise, who settles all differences with a well-timed jest, and withal does his share of the "graft." Of such we had two, G.H.B. and A.W.N., and to them this humble account of our Easter trip of 1900 is dedicated. "What about that tot?" — B\ W.E B.