Arrival of the Taranaki
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Otago Witness Saturday December 27th 1879
Arrival of the Taranaki
One of the smartest passages of the season is that made by the ship Taranaki from London, which arrived off the Heads on the evening of Sunday, December 21st, and was towed up to the anchorage at Port Chalmers on the morning the following day by the p.s. Koputai. Having a large number of passengers on board, she was boarded immediately on her arrival by Captains Thomson and McCallum, health officers; Dr J Drysday, medical member of the local Board of Health; Mr Colin Allan, immigration officer (who attended to afford any information in his power to his passengers), and Mr J R Monson, of her Majesty's Customs. They were met at the gangway by Captain Wight, who assured them that all on board were in good health; and after the customary inspection had been made the ship was cleared in. The ship comes into port in excellent trim, and in good condition both below and aloft, reflecting no little credit on our old friend Mr Author, who comes as chief officer, Mr Maxwell being second, and Mr Stephen third. She brings 800 tons of measurement goods and 300 tons of dead weight cargo, 16 saloon and 213 second class and intermediate passengers, all of whom are in excellent health, and it is gratifying to state that throughout the passage no cases of serious illness have occurred, with the exception of two infants; the first being the death of Master Sydney Author Morris, aged 12 months, who succumbed to the effects of tabes mesenterica; the other, Wilfred Trop, from meningitis, aged 20 months. Two births also occurred - Mrs Morris, one of the saloon passengers, who gave birth to a son on November 24th; and Mrs Bishop, an intermediate passenger, who was also confined of a son on December 7th. The whole of the passengers have come out at their own expense, and are evidently a very respectable class of people. They are principally mechanics, although there are a large number of them North Country miners. They were originally under the medical care of Dr George Thomas Baird Moffatt, who very unfortunately lost his life on the 15th November in latitude 28 S, longitude 6 W. It appears from the statement in the official leg (which Captain Wight courteously placed at our shipping reporter's disposal), that at 11pm Dr Moffatt went alot, entirely for his own amusement, and in consequence of a wager made with one of the saloon passengers. Tow of the able seamen, named Denis Healey and William Poxson, fearing he might fall, followed him aloft; he went as high as the maintopgallant yard, and was coming down again when getting over the top, he fell, striking the rigging in his fall, and thence into the sea. The night was very dark, and the sea rough and high, the wind having suddenly gone down from blowing a gale at west, to a moderate SSW breeze, and the vessel going about six knots. The helm was instantly put down, and with great difficulty the yards were brought aback, in consequence of the ship rolling heavily. A boat was then lowered away and sent in the direction in which it was considered the doctor might be, but after pulling about for nearly an hour no trace of him could be discovered, and she returned to the vessel at midnight. Dr Moffatt is described as being a very fine young man of about 29 years old and his untimely end cast quite a gloom over the ship. The second class passengers were accommodated in the after part of the between-decks, excellent enclosed berths being provided for them. This compartment is both lofty and well ventilated. The married people of the intermediate class were berthed amidships on the between-decks, in properly enclosed cabins, while the single men, as usual, occupied the foremost part of the ship. Captain Wight and the chief officer speak very highly of the conduct of the passengers throughout the voyage. Every effort was made to render them comfortable by the captain and officers, and when the weather permitted, concerts and dancing took place, and a special entertainment was got up for the benefit of the Dreadnought Hospital Ship, which resulted in between £5 and £6 being raised towards the funds of that institution. Devine service was celebrated throughout the voyage by Rev. W T Reid, as clergyman of the Church of England.
- saloon:
Harvey Mr & Mrs and child Lyons Mrs Morris Mr & Mrs and 5 children Peronne Mrs Richardson Mr Reid Rev W T Unsworth Mr & Mrs Second Cabin: Aslin Mrs E Aslin William Aslin Annie Aslin Mary Aslin Ruth Aslin Edward Aslin Elizabeth Brucowitz Henry Carter John Clinch A H Clinch Louisa Dixon John Dixon Thomas J Ford Mary Frater Agnes Frater Margaret Gunn Mr William Hill John Henry Johnson William James Johnson Charles Johnson Margaret Lewis James Lowes Mr & Mrs Lowes Annie Lowes Margaret Lowes Mary Lowes Ada Lowes Beatrice McCracken William Nauncy Charles Nicholas Mrs Nicholas Josephine Robinson Edward Stead Mr & Mrs Woods Richard Woods Frederick R Woods Joseph Woods Annie Woods Edith Steerage: Arpton David Aslin Frederick Bail Henry Baker William Barraclough William Barraclough H Barrett Paul Barrett John Bing Eliza Bishop Charles Bishop Sarah Bishop Walter Bishop Edward Bishop Joseph Blankley Elijah Brown John Brownthwaite Joseph Buest Elizabeth Buest James H Calvert James Charletan Edward Charletan Margaret Clarke Edgar S Clarke Alice Clarke Richard Clarke James Collert Uriah Collert Honor Collert C D Collert Louisa Collert Thos Collert Elizabeth Co?man Charles Colmer Sarah Ann Copping S Copping Jane Cookson Elizabeth Cookson Sarah Copping Florence Copping Alfred Copping Edith Crawshaw Samuel Crawshaw Ann Crawshaw John Crawshaw George Crawshaw Ralph Crawshaw Ernest Croker Jacob Culley John Davis Thomas P Davis Alice Davis Alfred J Davis John Dyer Reuben Dyson Thomas Fisher Robert Folley William Garnett Tom Goillon F J Goillon Mrs Godwin Harold Godwin Eva Godwin Eleanor Goodwin John Goodwin Annie Goodwin Harry Goodwin Agnes Gould Joseph Gowan John Gray Archibald Hall William Harney H P Haworth Thomas Hewitson Thomas Hicks Henry Hinry H Hodgetts J Hodgetts Ann Hodgetts Wm Hodgetts Joseph Hodgetts Mary Hoddgetts Louisa Hopewell George Hopkins Mrs E Hopkins Rebecca Hopkins Ellen Hopkins Ellen Jamieson Mr Jamieson William Jamieson Sarah Jamieson John Jamieson Annie Jamieson Joseph Jarvis Edwin Jarvis Elizabeth Jarvis George Jarvis Gertrude Johnson John Jones Martin Jones Elizabeth Jones Thomas Jones Ann Jones Mary Jones Emma Jowitt John Lowden Joseph Lowden Isabella Lowden Isabelle Lowden Alice Lowden Joseph Lowden John Lowden Robert Lowden John Lowden Mrs Alice Lowden Susannah Lowden John Lowden Charles Lowden D Lowden Louisa Lowden John Lowden Alice McBean J McLean John McLean Elizabeth McLean Margaret McLean John McLean R Major J E Mattocks C Mattocks Eliza Maw Jane Maw Joseph Maw Thomas Maw Alice Maw Elizabeth Milnes Joseph Milnes Martha Milnes John T Milnes Emily Milnes Mary J Morgan Michael Mortimore William Mullane Thomas Mullane Hannah Mullane Mary Ann Mullane David Mullane William Mullane Julia Mulligan J H Naumann T G Nixon N North Jas Proudlock John Rae Thomas Rae John Riding Alfred Robertson Margaret Robertson Ethel Robertson John Robertson William Sampson John Seper Samuel T Shutt Benjamin Shutt Lydia Shutt Emily Shutt Eliza Smithson Richard Sunderland Thomas Swan David Swan Mary Swan Eleanor Swan Nicholas Swan David Taylor William Teckerby Aaron Thompson Alfred Thorp Benjamin Thorp Mrs Thorp Clara Thorpe Laura Thoro Charles Thoro Wilfred Turnbull W W Turner W E Ward John Welshman Joseph Welshman Mary Wheeler John Wheeler Elizabeth Wheeler Sarah Whitehead S Wighans Alexander Wilce Mr & Mrs Wilce John Winder W Worth James S Worth Margaret
My count: 243 passengers.
Otago Witness, 28 July 1877, Page 11
July 24 — Taranaki, ship, White, from
Glasgow, May 2nd. Russell, Ritchie, and Co., agents.
Passengers : Second cabin — Mr and Mrs
Ninnon and 7 children, Mr and Mrs McCormick and 3 children, Mr and Mrs Dykes and
5 children. Mr and Mrs Lancaster and 8 children ; Misses Armour (4), Wilson,
Ihomson ; Messrs Ross, Taylor, Henderson, Armour.
ARRIVAL OF THE TARANAKI. As we surmised, so the ship that was towed into Port
during Monday night proved to be the Albion Company's new ship Taranaki
from Glasgow. She reached the anchorage an hour after midnight, and was moored
pro tem, off Carey's Bay. The Taranaki is a worthy compeer of the
other fine vessels comprising the Company's fleet, and is full sister to that
beautiful ship the Marlborough, which, if not for size, yet in general
appearance, symmetry, and moulding, may almost take precedence of the others.
The Taranaki is her exact counterpart. They were built in the same yard—
Messrs Duncan and Co., Port Glasgow—and if they were lying side by aide in the
same condition of paint, it would be almost impossible to distinguish one from
the other. The Taranaki is 1126 tons register, and her dimensions are —
length, 228 ft; beam 35ft; depth of hold, 21ft. Her commander, Captain White,
speaks highly of her. She is a first-rate sea boat, and travels well, as may be
inferred from the fact of her having run 4723 knots in 19 days, whilst making
her easting south, her best days work being 312 knots, and her worst 162. She
thus averaged 248 miles and a fraction per diem, equal to a little over 10 knots
per hour. The ship's made passage is decidedly a good one, the time being 82
days from port to port and 78 from land to land. She was not particularly
favoured by winds, having: bad light head winds and calms for some days after
leaving the land, and very poor Trades. In fact, the south east Trade was non
est, whilst the northern Trade extended over nearly 13 parallels of
latitude. Hence her builders and all concerned in her may be satisfied with her
capabilities.