A TRIP ROUND HIE WORLD.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3193, 10 December 1892, Page 6 (Supplement)

A TRIP ROUND HIE WORLD.

[Bv a Waikato Settler]. ( Concluded.)

We found Santa Cruz a pretty little town of clean appearances. We went to tlie cathtdi'M and church. These well repay a visit ; and then 011 to the market, where we clubbed together and bought as many oranges an tiro Spaniards could carry to the boat. . Aftef spending a few enjoyable hours ashore, we embarked at one o'clock, for the vessel weighed anchor at 1 30. On Saturday, the Oth, at 4 p.m. the fog horn sounded for fire and lifeboat drill. Every one of the crew is told off to his station, the boats are provisioned and manned, and the hose is played all over the vessel, so that in case ot fire or shipwreck everything would be done without confusion. This drill is carried out weekly. On Sunday, the 10th, the seaman that fell from the yardarm succumbed to his injuries. He was buried the next morning, the captain reading the service for the dead. A collection was started in aid of the widow and two children, when the nice sum of £40 was collected from the passengers and crew. We. crossed the equator on the 12th at 4 p.m., having had a fine smooth passage from Teneriffe. On the 13th, sports were held on the poop, consisting of 200 yards flat race, putting the weight, ladies' potato race, skipping for children, running high jump, shoe and stocking race, chalking the pig's eye, climbing the rope, and sack race; in the evening a concert was held in the second saloon, and so terminated a very amusing day. On Monday, the 18th, sports were again held on the poop, consisting of three-legged race, cock fighting, jockey race, and allfours race. At 7 o'clock in the evening, we passed one of the Union line of steamers bound from the Cape to Southampton, and signalled her with rockets. On the 19th, there was a tug of war, second cabin v. steerage, which the former won by four points to two. In the afternoon a treacle bun contest caused great amusement. The buns are well saturated in treacle and strung upon a rope. The competitors hands are then tied behind them, and the one that eats his bun first is declared the winner. The rolling of the ship keeping the buns on the swing, it is a rather difficult feat to perform. You are liable to get more treacle than bun. This was followed by an obstacle race, which is worth describing. The competitors have to go twice round the deck through wind sails halfa-chaiu long, tarpaulins nailed to the deck, lifebuoys swun? to the rigging and across the ship's bridge, where ropes are tied in every conceivable shape and form, and all the while the ship's hose is deluging them with water. At 8 p.m. there was a trial of a supposed stowaway hald in the first saloon, which was very amusing. There was a judge in wig and gown, two barristers in their robes, and a jury. The trial lasted two hours, and resulted in the acquittal of the prisoner. On Thursday, the 21st, the ship was rolling very heavily. The second saloon piano broke adrift and was brought up by coming into collision with one of the cabins. We passed close to one of the Donald Currier's line of steamers and saluted her with a blast from our foghorn. Sighted land at 7 a.m. on the 22nd, Table Mountain in full view at 9 a.m., and dropped anchor in Table Bay at 10.30. Several of the passengers went ashore in the tender, which landed us at the docks, where we took a cab to the town, a distance of about two miles. The streets are well formed, being, as a rule, very wide, but in wet weather they would be in a very bad state for want of metal. The first place that we visited was the Parliament House—a fine new building which cost £150,000 to build. There are 80 members returned. We next went to see the Museum, an institution that will well repay a visit, there being a splendid collection of South African animals, reptiles and birds We next visited the cathedral, a fine building, the market and the railway station, and after having a look round the town we returned on board. Four passengers were taken on board and the anchor was weighed at 4.30, and we were soon en route for Hobart. The ship having brought sufficient coals to last her to Hobart, we now felt the effect of her getting lighter, for when there was any sea on she rolled frightfully, making it very unpleasant at meal times. On Saturday, the 23rd, the captain had about 30 of the stewards paraded on the quarter deck. It appears they had a pillow fight in the " glory hole " —a place where they sleep, situate right aft. When the battle was raging, fast and furious, in stepped the skipper to see what was the matter. He was no sooner inside than they all set on him with their pillows. I believe there were several burst over his head. I did not hear how many, but I had it from a party who saw the place next morning that it looked as though several hundred fowls had been plucked there. The ringleaders were severely punished. On Wednesday, the 27th, we had anether concert in the second saloon, which was very successful. On the 31st the vessel made the best run since she left London—366 miles in 24 hours. A concert was held in the steerage on June 3rd, which passed oil very well indeed. On Tuesday, the 9th, we sighted the coast of Tasmania at daybreak, and hauled alongside Hobart wharf at 10 a.m. On going ashore, I found Hobart a very pretty town, the streets being wide and well formed, but the place was very dull. We visited the Museum and the gardens, which are very artistically laid out, the New Zealand nikau and cabbage tree taking a conspicuous part in them. After landing the mails and some dozen passengers for Australian ports and takiug in a supply of coals, we hauled off the wharf at 5 p.m. and continued our voyage to Wellington. On the 11th we passed some wreckage, supposed to be some boat 3 the Doric had lost in the Tasman seas, and sighted the coast of New Zealand at daybreak on the morning of the 13th. Steaming along the coast all day, we arrived in Wellington harbour and dropped anchor at 9 p.m. The tender came alongside and took the mails ashore, the steamer having to remain in the stream until the next morning. Early in the morning the medical officer, after parading the passengers and crew, gave us a clean bill of health, and by 8 o'clock on Sunday morniug we were hauled alongside the wharf, the voyage from Plymouth to Wellington being 42 days 5 hours, including stoppages. Before saying good-bye to the old ship, I must give a word of praise to tha officers and crew : To the captain, for his kind and courteous manner; to the first officer (Mr Milward, cousin of Mr Milward, of Waikato News fame), whose chief endeavour seemed to be trying to amuse the passengers; to Mr Lewis (chief steward) and those under him, whose civility could not be excelled. The Union Company's s.s. Oreti being advertised to sail for Auckland, via Nelson and New Plymouth, the greater part of the Auckland passengers took passage by her. The Oreti is a small vessel of some 170 tons and her passenger accommodation is very limited. We left Wellington at four o'clock in the afternoon, experiencing a very heavy gale in Cook's Strait, which gave the Tongoriro passengers a greater shaking up than they had had since leaving England; but the little steamer behaved very well, although some of the time she was half under water. We arrived at the Nelson wharf at 4 o'clock the next morning, and after a run round "Sleepy Hollow," we left at noon, arriving at New Plymouth early the next morning. Here we had to wait, for the Wellington express until II o'clock at night, at which hour we started for Onehunga, where we arrived on Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Having boarded the Auckland train, I arrived there at 4 o'clock ou Wednesday, 17th June, after an absence of not quite four months.