A seafaring sale

German occupation of the Belgian capital: Troops drawn up in the Grande Place at Brussels. -...
German occupation of the Belgian capital: Troops drawn up in the Grande Place at Brussels. - Otago Witness, 28.10.1914.
The story of the adventurous trip from the islands was told to a Southland Times reporter by Mr R. Waitiri, of a party of nine Auckland sealers, who arrived at Invercargill on Tuesday.

According to the member who was spokesman for the party the Rachel Cohen arrived at the Aucklands on September 27, and was received as a messenger of gladness by the men who were eager to get away from the island after a three months' stay.

It is stated that she was 22 days out from Port Chalmers and had been compelled to make the passage through Cook Strait in order to get a fair wind.

Three or four letters and some newspapers containing the war news so much in demand, were delivered, and the members of the party were then taken on board.

The vessel then headed for the Campbell Islands, but a high sea and strong winds prevented her from making the islands.

For half a day the crew tried to beat the little vessel up to the inlet, but as all attempts were vain, she was at last hove to, in which position she remained all the next day.

That night sail was put on and the voyage to Bluff commenced.

The Rachel Cohen laboured against the fury of a gale day after day upon leaving the Campbell Islands, and she was eight days out from the Auckland Islands before land was sighted.

The first land sighted was some miles south of the Otago Heads, and from Wednesday, 22nd inst., till Monday, the vessel struggled along the coast, and on the latter date, buffeted and weather beaten, she made the Nuggets.

Last Sunday we got as far as Slope Point when a nor'-westerly gale struck us and blew us to sea again, said the narrator.

''It took all the canvas except the main sail, and that night, there being no sail to steady her, the vessel rolled alarmingly, lopping up water on both sides. On Monday morning we bent new sails and once more started along the coast. We got as far as Catlins on Tuesday, when the wind set in from the south-east again. As food and water were running out the skipper decided to run back to the Nuggets, and we dropped anchor there on Monday night. It was very thick, and on this account we stood well off shore. The members of the sealing party decided to go aft and ask to be put ashore. The skipper said that he would land us, and Mr Hatch paid our railway fares to Invercargill as none of us had any money or presentable clothes. When it was decided that we were to come ashore the captain asked us to undertake the carrying of water in the motor launch, so we brought the casks ashore, only to find that we had barely time to catch the train. We went back and explained, and Mr Hatch engaged the coach to take us to Romahapa, where we caught the train. I can tell you we looked hard shots. Some of us were without hats, others were in sea boots and without coats, and so on. People came to their windows and watched us curiously.''

The party brought back about 1250 sealskins, and the season appears to have been a fairly good one.

• The Cromwell Argus reports that several consignments of opossums have recently passed through Cromwell for liberation in the bush country around the lakes, and a number of these animals were taken on to Hawea by coach on Thursday last.

They are to be liberated at the head of Lake Hawea and in the Hunter Valley, and should do well in the timbered country there.

Given a few years protection and allowed to become fully established, these animals should add largely to the wealth of the district in years to come. - ODT, 29.10.1914

 


COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ

 

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