HISTORIC TRAMP

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 174, 13 October 1927, Page 9

HISTORIC TRAMP

TROOPER DURING BOER WAR S.S. EPSOM AT AUCKLAND The tramp steamer Epsom, which arrived at Auckland last evening from Juan de Nova, via Southern ports, transported New Zealand troops from Bluff to South Africa during the Boer War. The vessel was built early in 1901 by Messrs. Ropner and Sons, ol’ Stockton, and made a trip to New Zealand shortly after. She arrived at Bluff in June. 1902, with a cargo of general merchandise from Home f.nd loaded oats at the Southern port for South Africa. At this time the Boer War was in progress and it so happened that the Government had no transport vessel going from the South, so arrangements were made with the owners, and a number of Southland troops left on the Epsom. Thus after over quarter a century of service and looking much the worse for wear, the oid vess€*l returned to New Zealand and revisited the Bluff. She loaded railway goods at Sydney (Cape Breton) early this year and proceeded to Vancouver, 8.C., to discharge and take on a full cargo of grain for Dunkirk. She bunkered at an English port and loaded another cargo of railway iron at Newport, Monmouthshire, for the Egyptian State Railways. From Alexandria the Epsom sailed in ballast for Nosi Be, Madagascar, where black labour was taken on board to load the phosphates at Juan de Nova. She carried a full cargo of phosphates, and on arrival at Bluff on September 22, discharged 3,000 tons there, and later put out 1,000 tons at Dunedin. The remainder of the cargo of 2,500 tons is to be discharged at Auckland.