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THE SHIP HINDOSTAN.

■ ap ,n ■ l,l ■ TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Since my arrival here in the ship Hiudostan, my attention has been called to several articles in the different papers relative to my treatment of the Immigration Commissioners; and as none are quite in all particulars correct, I beg to be allowed a space in your columns to exhibit the facts as I know them. I arrived off this port on Friday last at 10 p.m., alter being five days on the coast, and felt great disappointment at not being able to get a pilot during the night, particularly as I knew the Government charges for pilotage were excessive; and when Pilot Holnjes came on hoard, at early daylight, and informed me that no night look-out was kept, I was perfectly astouished, and told him I would pitch into the powers that be, through the medium of the Press, when 1 got on shore. Pilot Holmes and I understood each other perfectly, and were good friends all the time he was on board, as I rally understood his position in regard to the Government, he being only a salaried man; and I felt no ill-will whatever towards him, but quite the contrary. The more so when I saw how manfully he beat the Hiudostan into the harbor. Our relations were so friendly that Pilot Holmes called upon me this afternoon and begged me not to suppose the article in the Post of the 25th was written with his knowledge. With regard to the Immigration Commissioners; As soon as the anchor was down, Captain Halliday, Dr. Johnston, and Mr. Elliott came on board; and I. after the usual questions as to sickness, deaths, &c., were asked and answered,—and the Commissioners had seated themselves .in my cabin, —spoke of the pilotage system, and expressed my intention of writing at the Government in the papers, whereupon. Dr. Johnston said the papers would not print my letters ; and Mr. Elliott added “ the Government has bought up all the papers ;”—to which Dr. Donaldson replied, “What! the Tribune too?” and repeated a few words of some linos published by the Tribune a year ago, on the event of the Armed Constabulary going off to arrest the drunken sailors on board his last ship, the Golden Sea. Mr. Elliott did not seem to relish this, but in further conversation said he would muster the immigrants on Sunday, and land, them on Monday; and so for a time 1 understood the arrangement to be. Dr, Johnston then commenced to give me some instructions relative to allowing people on board, saying 1 was to permit a Mr. Eolleston to come and take his family at any time, but I was to allow no people to come on hoard on Sunday, to which I replied, “I never allow any one on hoard my ship.” This is because I object to have everybody doing just as they please with me : but X am never slow to show my ship to any person who has the decency to ask permission to come ou board. The Commissioners then proposed “Just to look round the ship, in an informal way," and left my cabin, with Dr. Donaldson, to do so. At this moment the Custom House officers came on board and claimed my attention. I was not asked, and therefore did not refuse, to accompany them, as stated by the Evening Post of the 23rd instant; besides, X could not have done so, for my time was more than fully occupied. After being absent from the cabin somefifteen minutes, the Commissioners returned very abruptly while X was in conversation with Messrs. Eead and Gray, my consignees’ clerks, about fresh provisions for the immigrants, and Dr.

Johnston told me very brusquely that there were strangers on the deck among the immigrants, and cast some slur upon my boasted discipline, whereon, I spoke up sharply, and asked him if he had come to teach mo my duty on board my own ship? telling him that the ship had already been admitted to pratique by Captain Halliday. At this Mr. Elliott asked me if I was not to receive a gratuity from the Government, and feeling insulted that he should mention such a thing in a warning tone, to indicate a possible loss of the gratuity if I dared to rebel against his authority, I answered, “A fig for your gratuity,” and he retorted, “ Oh, very well then, we understand each other,” and turning to Mr. Eead, he said: “Mr. Eead, X will take those immigrants ashore when it suits me ;’’ and on going over the rail, said, in the hearing of my chief officer, “ The captain seems inclined to he ugly, and he must just suffer for it." On Sunday I hoisted the flag Q (and not the quarantine flag, as asserted by the Post) at the mainroyal masthead, to assist in keeping boats away, and to draw the attention of the Press and the public to our forlorn condition in the hands of the Philistines. On inquiry as to who was on board to cause all this row, I found there were only the Mr. Eolleston (whom I was instructed to allow to come up) one of the men from the Health boat, and a Mr. Gough, the father of one of the married immigrants, who had, in his desire to see his son, crept into the Health boat, and thence to my decks. We being strangers, it was utterly impossible for us to distinguish in the dark amongst the arrivals on board, including Commisioners, Custom House officers, consignees’ clerks and their attendants bringing fresh food, who were the exceptional or disallowed people on the deck. However, I have stated my case os truthfully as X know how, and if you will kindly insert this in your next issue, I will be content, without further comment, to abide by the verdict of the Wcllingtonians, who. I know, will never depreciate a man for standing up for himself.—l am, &c., W. O. Gregory, Master, ship Hiudostan. May 20. ____________

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18750527.2.14

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4426, 27 May 1875, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,013

THE SHIP HINDOSTAN. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4426, 27 May 1875, Page 2

THE SHIP HINDOSTAN. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4426, 27 May 1875, Page 2

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