OLD SEA CAPTAIN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 600, 3 August 1933, Page 7

OLD SEA CAPTAIN

SIXTY YEARS AFLOAT IN SAILING SHIPS. LINK WITH EARLY N.Z. Away in the peaceful hillside near Belgrave, far from the roar of the ocean, Tives one of the strangest sea captains who ever commanded a ship, states the Melbourne Argus. For 62 years he sailed the oceans and yet he never xounded Cape Horn. In the 40 years he was skipper he never swore at a sailor, he says, and never logged one for failing to fulfil orders. This old captain, who admits that he ruled his ships by love, is Captain Colin Macdonald, a picturesque veteran, who still visits Victoria Dock whenever a ship engaged in the Indian horse trade comes in. His life at sea began when he went away from Auckland in the Melanesian mission schooner Southern Cross to the Islands soon after Bishop Patteson had been murdered in the New Hehrides by natives. Then he sailed on the brigantine , Stanley and came with her up the j Yarra to unload a cargo from New Zealand near the Customs House. i Later he took command of the s.f. ■ Hersey, and, later again, he command- 1 ed Mr. C. G. Miller's yaeht Sadie when she went to England to see the race between the American yacht Vigilante and King Edward's yacht Britannia. It was at Cowes that the present King, then the Duke of York, and his j father, then the Prince of Wales, went on board the Sadie and congratulated Captain Macdonald on his good voyage from Australia. After the Sadie had been sold in Norway, Lord Brassey engaged Captain Macdonald to bring his yacht Sunbeam to Australia. Later Captain Macdonald joined the firm of Archibald Currie, and commanded ships for these owners for 17 years. These ships included the Darius, Argus and Euryalus. In the Euryalus he took Colonel T. Price and the second Austral'ian contingent of troops to the South African War. He still treasures the full and only set of the ship's newspaper, the Ocean Time3, which' was produced on board by soldiers. After 17 years service under the Currie flag he was given a gold watch by the owners when they sold out to the British India Line. ■ Then Captain Macdonald went to England to bring to Australia the new cargo steamer Janus. With her he j transported th'ous'ands of horses to j every front during the Great War. Twice he went) to France from Australia, and, on his last return visit, too the 2nd Indian Cavalry to Basra. . He took Australian remounts to India, Mesopotamia and Egypt and lost very few animals. The time came for his retirement ■ from the sea, but he has not entirely , rel'inquished his connection with the Indian horse trade. He acts as inspector on all the ships leaving Australia for India under the British India flag. His son served his apprenticeship under him. "It is all wrong to tliink that sailors iare animals that have to be treated as such to maintain discipline," he said when talking of old sailing ship doys "I encouraged my men to respect rne rather than fear me, with the result that I never had the slightest trouble with them. I sailed with the roughest types, but when they learned my methods they were the staunchest fellows, and never wanted to leave the ships thai I commanded."