A Short Account of My Voyage Per the St Kilda
from Liverpool to Otago, New Zealand
Saturday, May 10th 1873
We awoke this morning after a sound sleep (all of us) to find that the weather was very hazy, in fact so thick we could scarcely see the tug, which was 50 yards off. The tug left us this afternoon off Tuscar, having had us in tow just 24 hours and done her work well. Unfortunately we were left with rather a head wind, and whilst we are trying to beat down channel I will give a short description of our fellow passengers, the general arrangement of the ship etc. etc.
We had on board, including ourselves, 20 passengers. Vis: 2 in the saltroom, 5 down between decks and 13 in the house on deck. The 2 in the cabin were brothers named Smith, without parents and they were going on to Auckland to a New Zealand flax works, belonging to the owners of our ship. Messrs. Sandback, Tinnes and Co. The elder, who was only 18, tho' very tall, was in rather delicate health and partly on that account was seeking a more kindly climate. They both turned out to be very sociable young fellows and were quite taken to by all on the ship. In the "cellar" as we chaffingly called the 'tween decks, I must first bring to notice Mr. Blackie, or "Old Blackie" as he was always called. He had been home to England to see his friends, after an absence of 22 years, spent in this colony chiefly in the neighborhood of Wellington, where he has considerable property now. I mention "en passant" that he went home in the "Great Britain" the passage Captain, Grey, her commander committed suicide.
He, Mr. Blackie, was a jolly old stick, a regular old colonist and a first rate man to have on board with a lot of "new chums" as we all were. Of course the chief end of all his talking (and he was always at it) was to run the old country down and put New Zealand in the foreground. He was elected "boss" or Captain down below, and kept the other four, who were all young, up to the mark as to cleanliness, having the different meals ready, up in the morning and as far as he could, into bed at night, whilst he used to make the box bread, plum dough's, etc. etc. He was a "crusty" old man when anything went wrong and when the sea came overboard and down into their cabin, owing to the last man down not having properly secured the hatch. He was now and then heard to use rather strong language; but being so much the senior and "an old colonist" these things were looked over by his mess and they were happy 'tween decks, as they could possibly have been. My sister Till and also William and John may perhaps remember the "old boy", as also Smart the Birmingham man, who was one of Mr. B's mess. Smart's chief characteristic was straight forwardness, or if you like it better bluntness. He always said what he meant and meant what he said. He was a good-hearted fellow and one of my best friends. He, I may mention here (for this is written after landing) stayed at Dunedin and was trying when we left there to get a billet on the railway if possible. I hope he will do well.
We next have "my" friend; a young fellow named Clifford Christie, of Liverpool. Having led rather too fast a life at home, he had made up his mind to come out here and rough it a bit. I think I've never known a nicer fellow in my life. Every inch a gentleman, both in manners and education, he was "the man" on board. Ever ready to assist, always on good terms with everybody from the Captain to the rascally black cook, we were all very sorry to lose him when we landed at Port Chalmers. He was particularly fond of little Walter and baby, and if he saw me nursing either for more than five minutes, would insist on bearing a hand. He was as good, or at any rate as willing a "sailor" as we had; for on several occasions he has helped in stormy weather to furl the sails, when the carpenter, sailmaker etc. dare not go aloft. He remained at Port Chalmers with our next friend "Ward". They took a small cottage, brought a few pots and pans and when we left were busy chopping down timber in the neighborhood. Hard work for "new chums", but a pursuit that will carry them all over the colony, and enable them to, in a certain way, "work their passage overland.
Thos Ward, an Oxford man, tho' lately in an Engineers office in London, was when he came on board, far too "big" to suit the multitude, but a week or two at sea soon made him a very nice fellow. He was rather too fond of reading novels, studying shorthand etc. for "Old Blackie" and the old man would now and again, delight to tell him how "all sort of bosh" would be knocked out of him in the colonies. Ward however was a decent fellow and I hope he may get along well; which I am sure he will if he only sticks by Christie.
The fifth "tween decks was an Irishman named King. He, poor fellow was a Roman Catholic and fearfully Priest-ridden. The least rough weather we had he would stay in his bunk and burn candles and several most extraordinary mixtures of his own making and it was wonderful to see what faith he placed in them all. Poor King too had left "ould Ireland" without informing his wife and this troubled him a great deal during the passage. When however, he was all right, he was first rate company, favouring us with his Irish songs etc. He stayed on in Otago too, and when I last saw him in Dunedin, he had taken a billet as a navvy on the new railway and was making 9/- per day.
We now come to "our house" on deck. The largest family, Morris by name, consisted of Mr., Mrs., 3 girls and 2 boys. They came from a place called Caerys near Hollywell and had left there on account of the estate, on which Morris was a tenant farmer, going into Chancery. Morris, however, had held a very good position in Liverpool some years ago. In fact he was a partner in, I suppose, the largest corn and flour warehouse in town, but had lost almost everything owing to his intemperate habits. On board we managed to get along pretty well with them, with the exception of one "row" which will be noted in the proper place. Suffice it now, to say that Morris was passable; Mrs. Morris always meddling and messing in the galley and not over anxious about minding her own business; that the children (aged say 15, 13, 11, 5, 2) with the exception of the eldest (who was also rather a nice girl) rather too fond of eating other persons biscuit, sugar etc. etc.; and that taken all in all, we don't care about seeing them any more. They went on to Wellington, and how they got on I don't know, but Morris certainly started with his beer pretty lively.
Mr. And Mrs. Ship, who were only married 2 or 3 days before starting and who had forgotten to leave word where they were going, were next in the `'House". Ship, 5ft 11in high, very broad and strong, very large and rough beard, aged 22, by his own account was a Dorsetshire man, the younger son of a farmer, lately dead. It would seem he had some few hundred pounds; that his elder brother had been courting his (present) wife for some time and that having come to an understanding, he induced her to come to New Zealand with him and as before stated they were married in Liverpool only a day or two before sailing.
Ship was very tall, very good looking, lady like, about 19, and proved to be very good friends with all on board. We were very much surprised, about a week before landing, with Mrs. Ship quietly requesting us to call them their proper name, which was "Senge". But as we had called them "Ship so long, we didn't see the force of changing them. By the bye, rather a singular choice, but it was their intention to have been called "Mr. and Mrs. Chips", but the shipping clerk, I suppose misunderstood it and wrote "Ship" instead. They stayed in Otago and I don't know what became of them.
And now as to the other occupants of the "House", I think they are too well known characters to need description here. I may simply state their name was 'Burd" and that the writer of this and his wife too, found them very nice, in fact the Most nicest on board.
And now a word or two about our good captain may prove acceptable. This was the first voyage of Captain Atkins, as Master of a ship, tho' he had made many voyages before (for one so young: about 28) and had had much responsibility thrown upon him on several occasions. One thing was command. He had only been married about two months before sailing and had set his mind on bringing his wife with him, but he was disappointed in this, as the owners would not allow him. Medium height, long curly hair, rather fair, a through sailor, with a loud and very commanding voice, particularly fond of children and glad to make himself and everyone else as comfortable and as happy as possible. We had in him a Commander, a better man whom could scarcely be found. I will mention here, that upon our arrival at Port Chalmers, we gave him a written testimonial and putting our few shillings together brought, as a present for his wife, a beautiful pair of earrings; N.Z. Greenstone set in gold, very handsome they were.
He was very ably supported by his first offlcers, Mr. Grouches, a native of Jersey, the first mate, was a very agreeable fellow and of course took alternate watch with the Captain. He had made one or two voyages in the same ship before.
The second mate Pearce, a Cornwall man, a young fellow about 20 years old, was also a very smart sailor and had been in the "Ailsa" as second mate with the Captain as first mate, the trip before. He, except in awkward weather took the captains watch and delighted to put on sail so as to take every thousandth part of a knot out of the good "St. Kilda", tho' having a very bad cargo on board (chiefly iron bridges) she never went more than 13 1/2 to 14 knots per hour.
Our third mate, who was a nephew of Admiral Young, of several of the Peninsular vistories notorious, and also named Young, altho' he had made several voyages out and home to Melbourne was not particularly useful and in fact did not help to officer the ship at all.
We had two apprentices on board, Willet and Bownes. The former nearly out of his time and the smartest youngster on board. The latter, who it may be remembered was seen offfrom Liverpool by his uncle, a clergyman, was making his first voyage and tho' pretty well sharpened by the end of our passage, was during the first few weeks, rather fond of going to sleep on his watch. In fact one night, the second mate found him asleep, instead of on duty and ordered him aloft. He went and in about half an hour was called down; but no answer coming the other apprentice, Willett, was sent up to make inquiries and found him sound asleep, tho' fortunately he had taken the precaution to lash himself to the yard. I need not enter into particulars as to the crew; who were however a very nice and willing lot of men, taken all together. They consisted of the Boatswain, Carpenter, Sailmaker, Steward, Cook and fifteen able seamen.
Manchester people, I suppose, are not expected to know very much as to the ways and laws of shipboard. As I have hinted before the whole ship's crew with the exception of the Steward and Cook was divided into two companies or "watches". These took charge of the ship alternately - say four hours at a time, except the "dog watch" which was only two hours - from 4 to 6 and 6 to 8 in the evening, by which means the watches were changed every day. For instance the Captain's watch today from 12 to 4 and every alternate four hours would be 4 to 8 etc. etc. Except in rough weather the crew were not expected to work after 12 noon on Saturdays and of course on Sundays. I think we had only one Sunday on the voyage, when it was necessary to have "all hands" on watch.
The general arrangement of the ship was pretty much like most others. The forecastle at the bows, where the sailors slept; the "forward house" divided into three separate compartments; one where the third mate, Apprentices, Botswana, Carpenter etc. slept, then the galley and next the engine house, where the "donkey" was kept. Just abaft the main hatch and the main mast stood the outhouse and the whole of the stern part was taken up by the saloon; Captain, 1st and 2nd mate, Steward's cabin etc. Over the Saloon was the "poop" or "hurricane deck", generally reserved solely for the Captain and officers and saloon passengers; but having so few passengers on board, it was thrown open to all, an act of kindness on the Captain's part, for which we were exceedingly grateful. And now, we must suppose, the ship has with a fair wind, managed to get clear of, well not the Manchester, but the English fog and we are even now looking forward to the prospect of sighting Madeira. "En passent" I may say I have never seen anything in the shape of a fog since, tho' we had a little misty weather once or twice. The whole of Sunday, the 11th May, we were tacking about with a head wind and the fog still on. Tho' the ship was going through the water at about 6 or 7 knots per hour, we found ourselves not more than 10 miles nearer our destination. This was the starting day of Lizzie's sickness. She found herself compelled to give way and quietly took to her bunk. Tho' very poorly she was not very sick and in a few days I shall report on her entire recovery. I do not know how my recipe for sea-sickness will be appreciated, but it is to take nothing at all; unless you can bring your appetite up to the standard of a good dinner, and then so much the better for you. I am happy to say, I was not "squeamish" in the least and certainly did not starve and by the time the other passengers who were ill (with the exception of Old Blackie) had a few days later "turned up" again. I was pretty well "at home" on board.
It was on the morning of the 12th (Monday) that the weather cleared and disclosed at a distance of 10 miles off, a schooner homeward bound. Towards evening a stray pigeon was seen flying about the ship. At this time we must have been l50 miles from the nearest land.
Journey to NZ