A YACHTING TRIP.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1920, Page 2 (Supplement)

A YACHTING TRIP.

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

(Frank Clarke, Vivian Street, New Plymouth; aged 10 years.) It was junt about this time last year that my friend, Jack Brien, invited me to Auckland for my Christmas holidays. At huit we had our brcaking-up ceremony, and of course wo were all very excited telling our mates what we were going to do during our vacation. I left New Plymouth by the Rarawa, on December 29, and, after an uneventful trip, we reached Onehunga. Jack was at the wharf to meet me, and after collecting my luggage we hired a taxi to take us to Jack's homo in Mt. Eden. Having met Jack's father and mother, we went up to our room to make plans for our holidays. Jack's father had an auxiliary oil engine, and he proposed that We should go for a fishing cruise up the east coast of Auckland. Of course, this proposal was at once agreed to, and Mr. Brien made arrangements about shipping a crew and providing the yacht with oil fuel, provisions, fishing tackle, and all the necessaries for a pleasure trip. Next morning Mr. and Mrs. Brien, a maid, Jack and 1 motored down to the waterfront,, where the Adventurer (as the yacht was called) was anchored. We nt once went aboard, and she was straining at the anchor like a greyhound eager to be off. As a good westerly wind was blowing, the enptain gave orders to heave the anchor.

Away went the ship, with all her sails filling out, not unlike a beautiful swan gliding through the; still water. That night we anchored off Kawan Island. The sky was aglow with -shining stars, and the waves lapping against the rocks made a sound like soft music.

Next morning we were all up early, and after enjoying a dip, Jack and I started to fish. Before breakfast We caught seven schnapper, eight herrings and three rock cod—a very good catch for two hours. Very much to our disappointment, the day turned out very calm, and we were becalmed for the day. But we had forgotten the oil engine. After watching the engine working for an hour, we went on deck, and I told Jack that engineering was going to be my future profession. By dinner-time we had gone thirty miles, and then the captain steered a course for the mouth of the Whangarei River. We crossed the bar at full tide; and could not get back again till the next tide came in, so the crew at once erected tents and made the place look like a bush-whacker's home. Jack got permission from his father to take our pea-rifles, so we filled our haversacks, loaded the ammunition-holts and then set off into the bush. After going for two or three hundred yards, we saw a flock of pigeons, and levelled our guns to fire-.' Click! No report! We looked at each other in silent'disgust, for we had not loaded our rifles. We decided to keep this amusing incident to ourselves, because if we told the others they would make us feci very foolish, and call us poor sportsmen. The next time we caught sight of a flock of pigeons we had good luck in bringing down five between us —not a bad haul for amateur sportsmen. As we journeyed home, the bell-like tone of the ttii could be hoard echoing through the bush, and another delightful sound was the water in the broo'k, which made a sound like tinkling bells. When we arrived-back in camp Jack's father was getting anxious, as he thought we had lost our way. That night, after tea, we all collected round the camp-fire, singing songs andlistening to Captain Hurley spinning a yarn about the Maoris. The next morning we were all up with the lark, and after an early breakfast the captain pave orders to the crew to make ready the ship's launch for a day's fishing along the coast, and we then started to east our lines. All of a sudden my line gave a sharp jerk. "A fish!" I cried. "'Quick, Jack: help me!" Between us we managed to haul up a young shark, and Captain Hurley soon knocked it on the head. That day we caught twelve schnapper, thirty herrings and five sharks —not a bad catch for a day.

That night we had a very good fish tea, and supper. After retiring early to bunk, we found that we could not sleep without dreaming of great, maneating sharks pulling us into the sea, but we soon settled down. When we awoke we found that all the party were mnkine ready to board the vacht. We soon dressed and went aboard, and then the anchor was weighed, and slowly the boat made for the open sea. When we met Jack's father we asked him the reason frtr all this hurry, and he showed us a huff-colored envelope with a telegram inside, calling Mr. Brien hack to Auckland on urgent business. We were all disappointed, but the old motto is "Business before nleasure." and so oiulorl the hmvniest Christmas holidays that I have over juest