PERILOUS VOYAGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1056, 21 August 1930, Page 9

PERILOUS VOYAGE

SHIP PERSIA’S 111 DAYS AT SEA PIONEER’S MEMORIES Memories of the arrival in Auckland 70 years ago today of the ship Persia, after a tempestuous voyage of 111 days from England, are vividly recalled by Mr. Frederick Cossey, of Taylor’s Road, Mount Albert, who was a lad of 14 when he made that trip. Now at the advanced age of 84 years, Mr. Cossey can still paint a graphic word picture of the adventures of the Persia, a vessel of 1,860 tons, on that eventful three and a-half months at sea. Lncountering a violent gale a few days out from Gravesend, the Persia lost several of her sails, and as a result of further mishaps had to be kept before the sea in order to secure tho foremast, which was effected by means of a chain belly-stay. Off the Crozet Islands, the ship ran into a tremendous gale, accompanied by mountainous seas which washed away both, lifeboats. The captain and four hands were taxed to exhaustion point for eight hours during the gale, at the j height of which one seaman and the I captain suffered injuries. The remain- : der of the voyage was fairly calm. GREAT PRIVATION j Great privation was endured by the I 143 passengers during tho trip, Mr. | Cossey says. First the vessel sailed without the seaman’s cook and his assistant, but this trouble was overcome to some extent by the saloon cook agreeing to perform the service, aided by two passengers. The food was bad. however, and the passengers and crew had to subsist largely on very fat salt pork and biscuits alive with weevils. Three days and nights oil the voyage the passengers had to be battened down, according to Mr. Cossey, who recalls the dangerous and arduous work the sailors had to perform to make the jib-booms secure. The Cossey family settled at Drury, where a relative had land. Father and sons were shoemakers from Southwark, and they plied their trade in addition to farming their small holdings of land. When the native troubles reached their height, and several settlers in the district were killed by Maoris, they made a temporary homo in the township and took an active part in the defence of the district against further raids. When peace j was restored Mr. Cossey took up a farm of his own. Ho married at Drury Miss Mary Jane McKinstry, who had arrived at Auckland in 1865 by* the ship Viola. Nineteen years ago Mr. Cossey retired to Auckland, and he and Mrs. Cossey now live at Mount Albert with their son, Mr. William Cossey. There are three other sons and one daughter. Mrs. Mary Ann Hirst, of Hunua, Mr. Cossey’s younger sister, is the only other survivor of the family which : made its adventurous voyage to New : Zealand in the Persia 70 years ago.