The New Zealand Footballers at Sea. (From the Free Lance Special.)

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 277, 21 October 1905, Page 11

The New Zealand Footballers at Sea. (From the Free Lance Special.)

PERHAPS old Father Neptune knew we were looking for lafc.h. The first few days he just came and glared at the Rimutaka, gave, her a bat at a prod with Ms trident, and let her take it easy. Then, he remembered we were footballers, and were used to being kicked. First, old Nep. howled da&ma,Lly. Then, he took to churning the water up in large, ugly heaps. Some of our chaps were sick — most of them were not. I was not. For this I take no credit. I smoked a strong oigar, and offered several to smokers who didn't smoke — then. • • * We had a couple of Mondays m the first week. When I come back we'l) have a couple of Fridays. Friday is pay-day. On one of these Mondays — just as Free Lance readers were wending their way to church, Neptune began playing a passing game. He was heaving big breakers on board, just to keep our ardour cooled. He didn't mind where he threw them, but preferred skylights and hatches and footballers. Once, after playing in real rep. styile, he threw a chunk of ocean on to the "stabbud" side. It broke a port-hole glass and the deadlight too, and smashed up things, generally, not. to mention sprinkling the innards of the ship with ten or twelve tons of water. A few Wndred feet of planking that had once been parts of the Rimutaka followed in the ship's wake for a while. The hole this little wave bored' for itself in the decking measured thirty feet across, and, as the decking is good, stouit 4x3, you can gather that old "Nep's" intentions were not kind. My cabin reminded me of Ta Aro baths, but 1 didn't have a swim. It would have -put my cigar out. The stewards, who had been busy with buckets previously, used them to iscoop the sea up, and -throw it back into its own place. Then, a weary team of salt-sprayed footballers "had to camp in the fiist saloon. Said a Cockney steward: "You gents can "are the cabin to sleep in, but don't you -go fer to be ill in it, will yer ?"

As no one had been drowned, the gentleman in charge of the elements thought he would freeze us to death — seven degrees below freezing point. Next day, the ship was a huge, gleaming icicle and we were small, miserable icicles. We treated each other roughly, just to thaw ourselves. Had a look around, and found the iron dloor of the engine-room stove in, and in two pieces ! Most things were bent, including Ufa. But tne Rinrutaka is a splendid creature (can't get over the habit of feeling she's alive, and badly treated by the old man with the pitchfork). Foc'st'le oook got a couple of Tibs broken. I mean his own ribs, of course. • • * It galed and blew and rained, snowed, sleeted, and rolled right away to Cape Horn. We had to train with terrific vigour to keep from becoming shark feed. It was smooth round Oape Horn. The extreme southern point of Terra del Fuego is a barren rook, which looks about 600 ft. high, with a bit of a nightcap on its head. The inland hills were covered with snow. Coast like the North Island of New Zealand. Country covered with white birds — ptarmigan. Look like pigeons, and' fly like them. Passed through the straits daiTing the night, and then the boat stood out for the north, and lo ! it was calm. We said, "Hooray!" • « * Chief engineer, from whose Scotch brow a weight of care hiadl been lifted, said that the sample of weather sent by Providence was the toughest specimen he ever had to make steam against. The officers on the bridge — who cairry tape>measures I—said1 — said that tihe waves were 50ft. high. I bad! previously made a note in my diary that they were 150 ft. tall. One soon forgets these trifles, however, .and, as soon as the series of gales had blown out, "dancing was indulged in up to an early hour" (vide the country press). Glasgow is a bit of a pianist, and Dixon knows a flute when he sees one. The twa.in supplied music, and the first class passengers, none of whom were at all haughty, footed tihe nuazy measure with their one-and L ninepenny fellow voyageurts.

Euchre parties between ladies and geautilemen (some of our fellows were made "ladies" for the occasion.) were vigorously pursued. At one concert given all the givers were footballers. They all sing, or dance, or whistle, or do something. There were only five ladies in the second saloon., and tine unmarried ones longed witih a soulful longing for a footballer. Ah, weM, this is not a love story. As far as the behaviour of the teami is concerned, speaking for the others, I could eixpect no better from a Y.M.O.A. team, or a Bible-in-Schools Party. While I write the team is sitting round pulling their , biceps up into cricket balls, and exclaiming, in their heart of hearts : "Let me at him." I shouldn't wonder if we beat a couple of the. poorer teams in Britain.