A GISBORNITE ABROAD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2017, 28 February 1907, Page 1

A GISBORNITE ABROAD.

INTERESTING LETTER. Writing on the s.s. Gurscubo, from Siivaniinah, United States, to a friund in Gisborne, Mr. Arthur Gcorgosoti, an erstwhile Gishornitc, gives an interesting account of liis travels. In tlio course of his letter ho says: It’s somewhat over twelvo mouths since I have written you a decent letter, and I 'was then in Norfolk, Virginia. Three days aftor we loft that port we encountered severe weather, which nearly did for our good ship, tho Selma; there were several boats lost in the same storm inclining two hailing from London—the Froshlield and Nutliold. These two ships’came down tho Chesapeake about half a mile behind us, and were heavily loaded with deck cargoes. No trace of them lias over been found since. I think the reason for us getting off so easily as wo did was due to tho build of the Selma, boing turret', while the others were all of the usual well-decked class of steamer. The storm struck us about 8 o’clock ono evening, and roared away merrily till shortly after 11, when a great green monster of a sea came aboard aft, and carried all over the rail that was any way moveable at all. Tho No. 5 hatch was stove in, and handgear damaged, port jolly boat torn from tho davits, nearly all the logs on same sido as turret dock carried away, and about 30 tons of coal washed off from the temporary bunker erected amidships. She gave a terrific roll at tho time, and I was almost flung out of bed, and, being thus rudely awakened from pleasant dreamland and hearing tho roar all tho logs made as they wero burst from their fastenings, I made sure she was gone. I think I made a grab for my life-belt, and jumped out into the mess room,w here I humped into the chief, who exclaimed, “Good heavens 1 what a kick,” and down into the engine room ho went. I did not get any more sloop that night or anyone else on the ship. It was pitch dark and tho wind howling like a legion of demons. The mates and sailors had their work cut out for them to try and get things fastened again as well as possible till daylight arrived. Then we stopped all day to jettison the rest of the deck load, as it was unsafe to carry it further. While in this state a French steamer bore down on us through the mass of floating logs, and asked if we wanted assistance. The' “old man” shouted back through his megaphone,. “No, can manage all right.” So away he went. At times he was to us hull under in the trough of the sea, then he would rise away up on the top of a great roller; it looked a splendid sight, but there was not much fun about it; with us it was stern reality. However, got that all right, and reached Bremen safely after just a few other slight mishaps. * From there we went to Cardiff, where we underwent extensive repairs both to deck and engine room, and loaded again for the Canary Islands. The first time I was in Las Palnas, in the Niwarn, I thought it really a pretty place, but on this occasion and also subsequently I have changed my mind as to its pieturpsquenoss. From the sea it looks well —its pink, white and sky blue buildings, with their flat tops, show tip well in contrast to the great sombre cathedral in tlioir midst, but on going ashore one finds tlio streets anything but what we would deem sanitary, and the general ptyle of everything about 200 years out of dato, The people living round Puerto do la Luz, where the vessels discharge, are not over-particular about waylaying a fellow at night if they think lie lias a. few pesetas to dub up, and the road is clear for themselves. Leaving there we went to Now Orleans, and Port Inglis, in Florida. Had a good time while in New Orleans. Were in port 23 days, so got a good look round. The city is fairly well laid out, has a splendid service of electric oars, many beautiful parks and monuments, .and public institutions. On the whole one can put in spare time looking round with advantage. Wages for mechanics is pretty good, and there seemed to ha strong demand for all classes of skilled labor when I was tliore. The city lies very low, and is protected from boing inundated by the Mississippi when in flood by a great embankment or levee as they call it. The country all the way from the mouth of the river, 107 miles, is extremely flat, not rising, I should think, on an average more than 3 feet above water level. It is splendidly, adapted for the cultivation of rice and thousands of acres

I saw under crop. Leaving there called at Newport News en route for Bremerhaven and Antwerp. This time wo were racing another one o fthe company’s ships across the Atlantic, and beat her by 2) days. Had splendid weather all the way. Coming up past Florida in the Gulf Stream that trip was tho hottest weather I ever experienced, the engine room temperature for two days remaining at 127 deg Fab. AVliilo out oast las' summer tho hottest we had in the Red Sea was 12-scleg. F., hut that lasted a week. Bremerhaven is the headquarters of all the big German mail boats that run to Now York, and while we were ji) port the aiser AVilhehn tier Grosse and Deutschland were being over- , hauled in dry dock,' These are fine packets, and speak well of German enterprise. The docks there are about the best*fitted up with hydraulic and electrical machinery of any place, with the exception of Antwerp, that I have yet visited. Any person who argues that the Germans are not an up-to-date people in nearly all tlioir business methods does not know wliat lie is talking about. AVhat I saw of Bremen, Bremerhaven, and Gestermiinde quite altered my ideas, about that nation. To see those places, and keep your eyes open and not be backward in making enquiries, is tlie way to gain experience, so I’ve proved. During our stay in Antwerp on that occasion I witnessed the finest electrical storm ever I’ve'’seen. Fellows say that AA’est India displays can beat it, but what I’ve come across there could not touch the one at Antwerp for fireballs and general brilliancy. Barry was our home port oil that occasion, and from there we wont to A r enice (one of the cities of tho world) I have often heard of the adage, “See Naples and die,” but whatever was responsible for that quotation could nover have Visited the splendid city of canals in north-east of Italy, or if ho did so must have boon biased. It is a city of canals and bridges mostly. There tire side walks of course, but no roads, neither is there any wheeled vehicles nor horses within the city limits. All traffic is done on the gondolias, and bow the gondoliers get them along at tho rate they do with only one par is a wonder to anyone who secs it for the first tune. The principal part of the city proper is St. MafUls, Sqpare, which reminded one of an immense enclosed courtyard. It is also paved with black and grey marble, the blocks laid so as to ’orm very prottv patterns. On one side is the Royal Palace, an immense building four stories high. On the other is shops of well-to-do merchants and fancy A T onetiau glass factories. At the top end are Government offices and at the bottom the Cathedral and Dodgis Palace. The last two mentioned places are of great age; some 500 or GOO years old so I was told. In the Cathedral are many works of art adorning the walls and ceiling. I at first glimpse thought they were hand paintings of some of the great Italian masters, but a closer inspection showed them all to be done in mosaic, and I can tell you my surprise was great, for tlie stones are all of natural color and the way thev fit into each other and colours blend so gradually is—well —worth a trip to Venice alone to see. West visited tlie Dodgi’s Palace, and for a trip to one the janitors got shown mostlv all over it. Underground is the ancient dungeons, where all prisoners were tortured before they were finally beheaded or otherwise “done for.” A few of the cells are kept just in the same state as when the Unhappy wretches were confined there long ago, with the exception that now that they are electrically lighted for the benefit of visitors. Saw tlie gruesome block and axe which was responsible for sending so many prisoners to join tlie silent majority, also the hole in the floor through .which blood at one time flowed freely into the canal under the Bridge of Sighs. Above the dungeons or next ground floor is the armoury. 1 Then went up another flight of stairs 1 to the Council Chambers, where the ■ rulers of A 7 enetian Republic at one I time conducted business of State be- ' fore the islands were ceded to tlie Kingdom of Italy. Tho private rooms : of the Dodgis are also on same level, r hut above that I did not have time to go. To give you a descriptioji of the Museum and Art Gallery, as well as

many other places I visited, there would require more time a inf letterpaper than 1 have on hand. All what I have written right through has boon very, very brief, but you will oxeuso I hope, for I’m not a Times reporter you know, and I’d sooner bo looking after our - j 0 indicated horso-powor below than writing loirs. However, I must correspond with old friends occasionally just to show I “dinna forgot.” Had a stay of 17 days there.

Next left 'for Kherson on the Dnipor in So’utli Russia. Passed by Capo Matupan and up through Grecian Archipaclogo, and entered the Dardanelles one afternoon just in time to have ship examined by Turkish officials and proceed on our way before sunset. No ship is allowed, to enter or clear after sundown. If anyono attempts it a score of guns could be trained on her at once. All along tho Dardanelles is strongly fortified with some of Armstrongs and Krupps fairly up-to-date guns, and tlie forts (earthworks) for tho most part seem to be well kept. Constantinople and Scutari are two fine looking cities from the ship’s anchorage, but ashore I boliove are vory dirty, except where tho rich Turkish officials reside. Some of tho villas they possess really look magnificent. The Sultan’s Palace is an oxtonsivo and noble looking building, and is situate just directly on tho water front and surrounded by beautiful gardens. He has four harems, all within a short radius from his palace, .and I noticed that several of his officials also followed his example rvith regard to their residences. Tho scenery along the Bosphorus between Constantinople and the Black Soa is really pretty,and the run along it, about an hour, passes all too quickly. Wo entered the Black Sea at the time when the renegade warship Kniaz Potemkin was having her wild cruise, and passed close by Odessa, the town which she had bombarded. Kherson was under martial law when we arrived, and for a week nobody was allowed ashore. The place was swarming with military, and shooting people was almost cf daily occurrence. The barrack-yard where tho executions took place was close to where wo were moored, and whenever we heard a rattle of firearms we used to remark, “Another poor beggar’s ticket cancelled,” and wished we wore out of it. After the place quietened down the officers and engineers were allowed ashore, but nob the men. But that is a port I will well remember as being the place where the 4th engineer and I nearly were drowned one afternoon swimming in the river, and were only saved by the smartness of the chief coming on the spot at tho right time. The stupidness of the Russian policeman on the ship avas tho cause of it, but I will not dwell on unpleasant subjects. From there we went to Skydosk, near Sobastapol, anti on our run home touched at Malta and Dartmouth, and proceeded to Rotterdam to discharge the grain cargo. The weather was so miserable when there that I didn’t go much ashore. I was much struck with two steamers berthed near us, one having 12 and the other 16 masts, and their decks were just crammed with winches. They are vessels trading in iron ore, and are rigged after that style for sjieed of dispatch. From Rotterdam we went to Cardiff, and from there to Las Palmas and "Madeira. The last-mentioned is ono of the prettiest places I have yet visited, and tho Bolmonto Gardens in the town of Funchal, the capital of tho island, would bo hard to beat anywhere in the world. The island lias an average temperature of about 70. Fall., and is visited much by English" tourists as a health resort. The peoplo, mostly Portuguese, are a very progressive and cleanly community. Every square foot of ground on the hillside on which tho town is built is utilised for some purpose, either buildings or agriculture. Sugar cane, corn, sub-tropical fruits, vines, sweet potatoes, and melons of all sorts grow luxuriantly. English is largely spoken, and a lot of British capital is invested. Leaving tliore wo voyaged across the Atlantic to Port Arthur, Texas. We had excellent weather all tlio way and some good shooting of game while in port. From Port Arthur we went to Newport News, Virginia, and then proceeded to Liverpool. The first week all went well, but for the last ten days a heavy storm raged and we got) the “benefit” of it, and a storm in winter in tho North Atlantic for that period of time is anything but pleasant. After arrival in Liverpool I went to AVest Hartlepool to sit for Board of ’Trade examination. I passed all right after being at the Academy three weeks. •

Directly after I got' through I was sent away in the Claremont, a new ship of the same company, bound for Colombo and Rangoon. She was a first-class ship- in every respect, except that “grub” was scarce and poor in 'qualify. The “old man” was all the cause of the' tro’ubleyas both other ships of the same company I had been on lived well. The second and I got tlie chief on his track, and for a time after things got better, but going down the Red Sea relapsed back Into the old groove again. AYe raised Cain about it every day, hut it was no use; so we s'flid,' PNp griff), no work,!’ and wouldn’t do anything hut our watches and that continued till we got back to Amsterdam; AlL"£4he engineers sent in their resignations except the chief from that port, and that had the desired result of bringing ovor the company’s' deck'" superintendent from AVest Hartlepool to see what was tho cause .of the trouble. AVlien we arrived at Barry we had tho satisfaction of knowing that tlio captain, Ist and 3rd officers, and stewards had been sacked out of tho line. The 2nd officer was transferred to another steamer, and wo left of our own free will. The superintendent engineer and I had some heated words about n.c leaving. He reckoned I hadn’t treated him fair, and 1 also said tho same about him, and asked if he would like to be starved for five months. I said I was going to have a holiday ashore,as I wanted a month to recruit.

Well, 1 went to AA’est Hartlepool again and took things easy for a fortnight. Then I thought I would have a run to Glasgow. So ono fine morning I got out my cycle and started away to reach Glasgow on it, rather a big undertaking, -as I hadnit done any riding for about 18 months. Arrived at AA’allsend-on-Tyne about 12.30 tlie same aftornoon, had a look in Swan, Hunter and Co.’s shipyard, and had a look nil over tlio - Gumud express turbine steamer Mureatania, Great Scotland 1 AA’liat a monster she looked on the stocks. She is built for speed entirely, and is exceptionally fine how and stern. She is to be propelled by four propellers turning 180 revolutions per minute. An ordinary quadruple or triple expansion Atlantic greyhound only does about 90 to 95. It is to he hoped for everybody concerned that both she and her sister ship the Lousitania will he a success. Next morning feeling fresh after a good sleep, I started again at 6 o’clock and went via Newcastle, Morpeth, and across the Cheviot hills to Jedburgh, where I had a spell for an hour. Then I started again and went as far as Galashiels. Here it came on to rain and blow, so I thought I had better train it for the rest. I did so, and arrived at Queen-street station, Glasgow, at' 11.30 p.m. Had a good time for a week visiting many places in and around Glasgow, amongst them Rothesay, on the Island of Bute, at the mouth of tho Clyde, and Loeli Lomond.

AVent one evening with a foreman of the shop through AA’eir’s large pump works at' Cathcart. I had worked in and saw some of the finest engineering shops in England, but that place made me stare. _ They were very busy on the auxiliaries for tlie two big Cunard express steamers at the time.

One morning I thought I would have a look round some of the Glasgow shipping company’s offices and see if there was anything doing, and tlie third place I went into got the offer of this berth at sight of my papers, so took it, and joined the steamer three days afterwards—a brand new job. _ AVent first to Alexandria, Egypt, and then to Sulina, in Roumania. Came back to Antwerp, where we stopped three weeks discharging and loading, and' then made course for New York. Had it very rough coming over, and called into Halifax, N.S., en route to replenish bunkers. Stopped in Now York two weeks, so you may guess I saw something of this great American city, and I can tell you when one runs up against buildings 39 stories high it’s just enough to make you stare until vour neck cricks. It is a city of busi-

ness and excitement, both to fullest extent. I could write you as much as 1 have done already about that place alono. It was intensely cold during our stay tliore. Aftor leaving we wont to Fornandina, Florida, and from there liavo come on t'o this port, so now you have all my journeyings of about 22 months knocked and compressed into 12 pages of letter paper. From hero wo go to Rotterdam, and it will probably ho Now Year before wo leave.