THE SORRENTO'S CARGO OF FROZEN MEAT.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1016, 2 April 1883, Page 4

THE SORRENTO'S CARGO OF FROZEN MEAT .

The s.s. Sorrento, with a cargo of frozen meat from Dunedin, arrived at the docks two days ago (Feb 7), and has just commenced to unload. Having obtained a letter to the captain from the brokers, Messrs Houlder Brothers (whose courtesy deserves kindly acknowledgement), I yesterday paid the ship a visit, and obtained some most interesting information. The mutton seems in excellent condition, and is allowed both by the consignees and market butchers to be the finest and largest ever imported from the colonies. When I arrived on board, Mr Stevens, the -energetic manager of the Australian Company, was with the chief engineer of the steamer, Mr Cowans (to whom belongs the credit of superintending the freezing and carriage of the meat) watching the transfer of the carcases to the Dock Company’s bulk refrigerator lying alongside, It appears some of the legs/ &c, of the sheep per Mataura (bones are very brittle in the frozen state) got broken through careless handling whilst discharging, and the consignees determined to prevent a repetition of. this mishap. Mr Cowan very courteously permitted me to see the freezing chambers, which (to use an icsthetic phrase) are quite models of “ sweetness and .light,” The carcases themselves appeared specially tempting and picturesque, for, owing to a scarcity of calicoj they had been sewed up in lovely shrouds of white linen, and looked, as one of the sailors rather unfortunately remarked, “quite like respectable corpses.” The Sorrento arrived in the • docks on the 6th February, and her chambers were opened at midnight on the 7ih instant, and 250 carcases despatched to Smithfield. This mutton realised per lb wholesale, and is today selling at nearly all the crack West End butchers’(as prime English mutton) for full retail prices. The East End tradesmen, however, do not care about it. The meat is too good for them. What I said some months ago about English butchers refusing to acknowledge the mutton per Mataura, applies equally .to Sorrento’s consignment. Though, as has been stated, there is hardly a shop in Belgrave or Pimlico this afternoon, which has not a quantity of New Zealand mutton displayed, it is a positive fact that only one man—a stall-holder in Leadenhall market openly admits possessing any. ] understand the Australian Company are waking up to the necessity of publicly proving the excellence and economy of their wares, and will ns soon as regular supplies : can b* calculated on, open retail agencies in various parts of-the metropolis. The Sorrento came home by Cape Horn and occupied 72 days at sea, but the--’meat Was-on board„ 75. .days, and lias been frozen altogether 90 days. The voyage v Was not .a'specially hot one, save between Monte Video and St. Vincent, when for some hours per diem the thermometer showed 115 degs. * Fahrenheit in the sun and the water attained a temperature of 78 degs. Mr-Gowans, with one of Hicks’ engines, managed to keep the meat chambers at 15 degs. below freezing point qnite easily, and seems to have experienced no trouble whatever over the consignment. The hold is carefully insulated, thick layers of charcoal intervening between the deck and the chambers. Besides mutton, the frozen stuff includes some, fresh butter, bains, and bacon. These have not been opened yet. . It was intended to bring over 60 tons of butter, but the sample did hot give satisfaction and the idea was.abandoned. .Finally,, Mr Cowans states that the mutton was used by the saloon passengers throughout the voyage and pronounced excellent.—Auckland Stat' 8 London correspondent.