Au[c]kland, New Zealand, Tuesday, July 26/98.[1]
Going back to Wednesday, where I left off writing. The cab came to 32 Lewisham St. at 12 o’clock & I left the home where I had indeed felt at home during my stay in NSW, & by 1 o’clock was on board the “Elingamite” laying at Huddart Parker‘s Wharf, Margaret Street, Sydney. After getting my baggage into the charge of the steward, I went ashore, took my Kodak as there were some objects I had to snap in the gardens. One, a beautiful new monument erected last year to Phillips, a view in the grounds & the gate fountain. I next made my way to Hordern’s to say a final good bye to Mr. Whitfield, after which I called [5:77] at Cook’s for some final information, then went to the wharf, which by now was getting lively, always many people seeing friends off & I had my share, for there were Mr. Lawson, his daughter, & son in-law, Mrs. & Mr. Wood, Mr. Tolson & soon came Mr. W. Leask, all to give me a cheery send off. I photo’d the group on deck, then another of Mr. Lawson which I hope will be good, as he is a fine looking old gentleman. I told him I would send a copy to Uncle Charlie [Gibson], & of course, will send copies of the group to each member. The steamer did not go away punctually. 4 was the advertised hour, but it was 20 to 5 when the gangway was removed, & we got under weigh at once & left amidst the waving of handkerchiefs & hats & caps as each had their friends, & this continued till recognition ceased. In about ¾ hour, we sailed between Sydney Heads & soon out on the open sea, & a straight course set for Auckland. The “Elingamite” has the reputation of being a first class roller, & she kept it up to perfection.[2] Fortunately, till we rounded the North Cape, we had the wind with us & some times on our starboard quarter, but as soon as we got on the East Coast of the island then we had a head wind & not until we passed Cape Brett, 120 miles from Auckland, had we the sea a bit calmer. It was very angry up till then & the Captain said there must have been some stormy weather, & we were getting the dregs of it. Personally I did not suffer much from discomfort. Some did & were never down to meals, tho’ before we ended the voyage, all had got their “sea legs”. Nothing whatever of interest transpired during the voyage. We did not sight a single ship or craft of any kind. Our only companions, & we had some all the way till we rounded the North Cape, were several albatrosses & gulls, & a few Mother Carey’s chickens. The days passed [5:78] quietly, reading & sleeping, otherwise chatting. I have copies of the menu, which I may either send or bring home, & they can be put beside others already sent you. One of the passengers[3] knew Mr. Ed. Withy well & had sat together in the House of Parliament as members. The Captain[4] was a very genial, gentlemanly man, full of information & kindly disposed, whilst the officers were all very nice & agreeable, & so the voyage ended. During the Wednesday afternoon at Sydney, & before I finally returned to the ship, I took advantage, while in a shop, to telephone the Revd. Mr. Ferguson, to whom I have previously referred, just to wish him goodbye & explain why I had not worshipped under him on the Sunday morning as intended (I told you what stormy day it was). He was delighted I had been so thoughtful & courteous as to ring him up. He said he had a New Zealand friend then in his house who had been lunching with him & was going in the “Elingamite”, & he would tell him – Mr. Yule, one of the members of the church in Invercargil, where Mr. Ferguson had previously ministered. We eventually met on board & enjoyed companionship, tho’ he was 2 days below in his berth at the outset during which we did not see each other (I had a cabin to myself, so had he, I think, there being few passengers & plenty accommodation). Well, Mr. Ferguson told me if I went to the Presbyterian publishing office in Elizabeth St. & asked for “The Presbyterian” of the previous week, I would see the incident of our journeying together. I got it & it is portion of a long account of his visitation north. Well, now, we got safely moored yesterday, Monday morning, soon after 7 o’clock. The “Elingamite” was built on the Tyne by C.S. Swan & Hunter in 1889 for the Sydney & Melbourne trade, cargo & passengers. She has accommodation for 147 passengers, 1st & 2nd, & is about 2,600 odd register. A fine ship but badly constructed as she rolls most unmercifully. She is only suffering the present [5:79] route till the new steamer, which is being built at home, comes out. They lost the Tasmania just a while ago, otherwise the Elingamite would have been on the Australian coast. Another of the same company’s steamers, the “Westralia,” was in the harbour yesterday till 4 p.m. She left then for Sydney. I went on board & through her, & she is a very magnificent vessel, built by Laing, Sunderland, last year, 1897, & engines by Geo. Clark Ltd., Sunderland. Now then, while sitting at breakfast in the saloon of the Elingamite at 8 o’clock, who should come on board but Mr. Christopher Furness, the alderman’s son[5], & who I intended calling upon just to shake hands & have a chat. To this end I told his father before leaving WH & I accordingly wrote him only a few lines from Sydney on the 11th just simply telling him I was soon to be in Sydney[6] [sic] & named the steamer. Well, I was pleased & very surprised when he named me. My table steward had pointed me out to him. The Captain invited him to be seated alongside me & have breakfast. He had, however, breakfasted early, as they had been watching from their house over the hill our arrival. However, he had a cup of coffee & told me they had arranged at home that I was to be their guest while in Auckland. I protested, but no; what think ye of such kindness!! So we were soon on the way in a cab, bag & baggage, to “Heselden” & felt quite at home. I did not know he was married till he said I was to be their guest. I asked him if he was married. His wife was Miss Morton, Mrs. Park‘s niece, & sister of Dr. Morton (Harriet Black‘s husband). They have 2 children, darling boys, Roy 4 & Wilfred, 8 months, a very happy, cheery home & the essence of kindness[7].
I got 2 letters, No. 10 & 12, March 31st & April 7th, & very, very delighted was I to even see them. I am glad [5:80] you & all are so well, & that my lovely Comely is so bright, & that all is going on well with you. I hope soon, please God, to be in your midst again, happy time to look forward to. Very good, I will risk Sarah’s address. Geo. & Margaret, poor old bodies, I hope we may be spared to see each other again. Give my warmest love to both. Glad you had Annie over. I know it would be mutual pleasure. Yes, I’ve often sent a few lines & picture p. cards to No. 29.[8] You will tell aunt I saw David. Yes, how very, very often do I think of my dear friend Mr. Steel. I hope to see him again. Sorry to know that Charlotte’s affianced has broken down in health again. Willie must tell her I often think of her, & I sent her a p. card from Melbourne. Mrs. Furness knows her & many others so well, & all about them. No, Willie never said anything about Henry. I am pleased George had been over to Owton. I am very pleased my journal is of so much interest to all, & delighted if friends derive pleasure from it, but in all sincerity I do feel it to be very watery & by no means over creditable in many ways. However, it is there as it is & being chiefly for you & my own dear ones, I feel always a freedom in committing all & every incident, trivial & otherwise, that I think may interest you to its pages. Pass it round!! Pass it round!! Joy to others is intense joy to the writer, this you well know. By the way, let me note it here for memo. Mr. Yule, my fellow passenger from Sydney, knows young Denyer, the sailor son, & maybe some day I shall meet him at home & speak of it. I let Mr. Yule read the intimation of the House Agent brother’s wife’s death. It was in one of the bundles of Mails I got from McLean before leaving Sydney. Also I may here register [5:81] (the Revd. John Ferguson‘s address: Paxton House, Glebe Point, Sydney).
We had a long, long conversation last night after dinner about home affairs & both Mr. & Mrs. F.[9] were highly interested & give me the credit of being a capital conversationalist. (You know I am only a poor hand at best, but I suppose all was news to them). It is very cold here, exactly like home, except when the sun shines, it is very hot, but yesterday it did not get out much, rather wet & a cold wind, & it does not feel much changed this morning. They have a most magnificient [sic] view from the front verandahs & just over the lovely harbour is an extinct volcano, a pretty bit of scenery, & behind is Mount Eden, turn up your Chambers, N. Zealand, North Island. Also you will see on the NZ map our course. Left Sydney 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, 20th July.
Lat. So. Long. E. Run to noon
July 21st 33.58 155.31 209
22 34.07 156.59 272
23 34.20 166.35 278
24 34.22 172.16 278
Leaving 236 miles to Auckland. It is 1,281 miles from Sydney Heads to Auckland, & the log begins from Sydney Heads, open sea, else it is 9 miles from Darling Harbour to the Heads, lovely scenery during the 9 miles.
I had a letter awaiting me from Mr. E. Withy[10] & we shall not see each other, their situation is so awkward to get to. I am to see one of his daughters who lives in Au[c]kland, Mrs. King. Also, the telegram from Mr. Cobb, saying he would be in Au[c]kland next week, so I wired him then & there. I am disappointed there is no letter from Mr. Leask’s brother, & I have written him twice during my stay in Sydney. He must be off the [5:82] postal route a long way, however, there is yet time & I shall write him today.
I shall again reread your letters & note what warrants adverting to & jot same in my next writing. It is now quicker post to go via America & the next mail is 6 or 7th Aug. I saw the “Moana” laying in Sydney & she is the mail steamer for Frisco, same company as the “Mariposa”, Miss Pape‘s steamer.
I did not get a letter at Brisbane but I wrote to Cook’s there yesterday & said if any to readdress to Wellington. I got nothing at Sydney. When I get to Wellington I shall get papers. I asked Cook’s to send only letters. Now I consider I have done fairly well for one morning’s work. I did no writing on the “Elingamite” & with nearly a week’s store on my mind, I feel very much lighter now that it is on the paper & a long chat it has been, hasn’t it?
Just as I was going to close the book, the English mail arrived & Mrs. Furness read aloud a letter from Mrs. Poppleton, the alderman’s eldest daughter, who married one of the Burbank ministers years ago. They were staying at Imestall Court, so I heard lots of interesting news. Also that my old acquaintance, Stephen Furness (young Stephen’s father) has been at W. H’pool. He would surely call at 58 to see me unless his brother, the alderman, had told him I was away. No mistaking Stephen, very stout & a real Furness, both by voice & speech, so had he called & not found me in, might not have left his name & maybe either Willie or Mr. Nawton can recall such a gentleman being in enquiring.
[1] Inserted on facing page: “Left Sydney Harbour for Auckland, New Zealand, on board SS ‘Elingamite’ 4:40 p.m., July 20th, 1898. July 26/98, Au[c]kland, New Zealand, commences opposite”.
[2] Inserted on facing page: “The SS Elingamite was wrecked Nov. 9th 1902 on passage from Sydney to N Zealand. She ran into the group of rocks known as the Three Kings, some 30 miles N. of New Zealand. Many lives lost & great suffering endured on rafts”.
[3] Inserted on facing page: “The name of passenger referred to was Mr. Mitchleson MP”.
[4] Inserted on facing page: “Captain of Elingamite was a ‘Plymouth’ Brother”.
[5] Christopher Haswell Furness, born 1870, son of Thomas Furness, former Mayor of West Hartlepool.
[6] Context suggests this should be Auckland.
[7] A third son had died in 1896 at 17 weeks old. Both boys served in WWI & survived. Roy died in 1925 of strychnine poisoning. Strychnine was popularly used as an athletic performance enhancer and recreational stimulant in the late 19th century and early 20th century, due to its convulsant effects. It was also prescribed as a medicine for heart and respiratory complaints.
[8] Inserted on facing page: “Crow St., Sunderland, Aunt Jane”.
[9] Inserted on facing page: “‘Hesleden’, Remuera, home of Mr. & Mrs. C.H. Furness”.
[10] Edward Withy worked for the Stockton-On-Tees shipbuilding firm of Richardson, Duck and Company. He was also a marine inspector for the Peninsular and Oriental Shipping Company (P&O). In 1869, he formed a shipbuilding partnership with Edward Alexander. The new firm was called Withy Alexander and Company. They took over the Middleton shipyard when the original owners, Denton, Grey moved to bigger premises. When Alexander retired in 1873, Withy continued the business alone. It was known as E. Withy and Company until 1884, when Withy sold his shares to local businessman Christopher Furness and emigrated to New Zealand. From this point the company was part of the Furness, Withy group.