A. Hazardous Voyage of Five Thousand Miles.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 290, 15 August 1888, Page 3

A. Hazardous Voyage of Five Thousand Miles.

A hivi'LU craft took her departure from Liverpool about the end of May on a voyage of a very hazardous nature — viz., to Benguola, in Houth-Wesb Africa. The vessel in question is the steam lighter Louise, 55ft. lone;. She is undecked, and her engines and boilers are theiefore quite exposed. She left theCoburg Dock, Liverpool, seveial wcek-s since, but came to an anchor off Egremont, and was still there a fortnight later. This was owing to a st.il) wind which was then blowing. While oil Egiemoiil the peculiar construction of the Louise caused her to be an object of much intciesl. Her side proper is only ahout a foot above the uater, and above this some thin iron railings were placed. But few people understood that the craft in question was about to take a voyage ot about 5,000 milet>. She was manned by five Portuguese tailois, but her master is an Englishman. The greatest danger will be between Lheipool and Madeira, bub the captain cxpiea&ed his intention to go thiough the Menai Straits, and then make for the Spanish and Poisugucse coasts. He thought he would be able to make the voyage in about sixty days. The Louise has since left Egremout. Her steaming powei is four knots, and she only draws 3ft. of water.