A West Coast Trip.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5197, 12 September 1885, Page 1

A West Coast Trip.

In a heavy down-poor of rain we got on board the s.s. Penguin on Tuesday, the let, and after waiting for the tide about an hour we sailed, or rather steamed, at 10.30 a.m. There were a good many passengers, all lively and bold, of course; the nbiqaU tous genus " bagman " was well repre* sen ted, as also was the fair sex, "God bless them." Going down the harbor we had good fun. Here was a jolly Auckland man, full of mirth and good! nature, chat* ting away to our friend. Captain ■■" ' ■■■', something after this fashion :—" Been to the Exhibition ? Ha! ha! ha!—fine display—ha i ha! ha!— Auckland papers write against it—ha ! ha ! ha! they gay ' I know, I know,' because they know nothing about it—hn ! ha! ha ! . Local jealousy— ha! ha ! ha! " Poor fellow, how speedily he was to change his " Ha! ha!" for another tune. Nearinglhebar.the breakers which could be easily seen, pat strange feelings in our minds and when we were fairly on, and tbe lunch gong sotmded— (by-the-bye, how very difficult it seems on board tbe Union boats' to hare a meal in Gilca weather;'if we leafe a port it is ' . usually admimbjYMlcaiaied i that i^MMflwtfi *- -ib 9" somft meal time),— only four out of about thirty passengers same tip to tho scratch,_or rather nibble, for it was little aiord. Wpll* after & long night, steaming very slowly, and " rolled to larboard, rolled to starboard," smash* ing of crockery, groans, sod other fanny sounds keeping us a wake, iWe arrived off New Plymouth at 7 o'clock a.m. on Wednesday, 2nd September. It being too rough for us to go jalaisjrito tbe . Breakwater, we awaited the'arnval of tne tender to take us ashore, aad thus fioirjb. a journey which must have reminded the old 'Penguin' of her gay trips in the olden days, when Bhe ran from Liverpool to Glasgow in weather such a she rarely experiences now. Landing was attended with much difficulty, and not without damage to our luggage. I myself saw two trunks with holes in their bottoms, made by being haoled on to an iron staunchion, and my valise was landed minus one of the handles. Bat this total disregard of the careful handling of bag* gage seems to be pretty general throughout New Zealand, and by no means common to New Plymouth. However, I , assure you we thought ourselves very fortunate to be able to land at all; the Gairlocb, s.s., having been lying outside all the previous day, the tender being unable to get out owing to the heavy sea. In fact. New Plymouth, in spite of tbe £200,000 nearly expended on the breakwater, ia anything but a Harbor of Refuge in spite of the local papers wellfounded wish to make it appear so. This is what the Daily News says in this morning's issue:—"The schooner Jane Anderson, which was ready to sail on Monday—having discharged her cargo —was delayed owing to the heavy northerly gale. The captain elected to allow his vessel to remain at her moorings, under the lee of the breakwater, rather than face the heavy sea and squally weather. She rode out tbe gale very comfortably, and as the sea moderated this morning at 6 a.m. she took her departure. This is a convincing proof that the break" water is a harbor of tefnge at the present time for all coasting vessels, and we have no doubt that before the mole is completed the ordinary coasting steamers will be able to run for the breakwater for shelter. We hope some' of our contemporaries who are i~ *he habit of attempting to despise the harbor works will make a note of this, and re* frain in future from decrying a work which is destined to prove of greal colonial importance." Of this same great work of colonial importance I shall ten* ture to speak later on ; at tbe present moment it seems to be a great waste of money, for when completed—if ever—-the shore shelves so. gradually that there will not be sufficient depth of water for ordinary vessels—lot alone the larger ones. But of this more Rnon. ' - ■ Slocuh.