Courtesy of TROVE Northern Star, Saturday 19 April 1947
SAGAS OF THE EARLY DAYS by WINDSOR LANG.
MR. LANG WRITES: “In my article ‘Free-Selectors Move In,’ appearing in the issue of Saturday, April 5, I inadvertently stated that Casino had been gazetted as the township of ‘Cassino’ on November 30, 1885. The date should have been November 30, 1855.
“Another item that might possibly mislead readers is the arrangement of the list of names at the conclusion of the article. The undated names from Robert McKenzie down to Thompson (inclusive) were associated with various Parishes, of which ‘Parish of Tomki’ was not one.”
Hazards Of The Early Maize Boats
INFORMATION gathered by the late Mr. F. Wicks from the diaries of the late Capt. L. McKinnon, of Coraki, and also from the log book of the “s.s.Waimea” (Capt. L. McKinnon) provides three-point interest – the basic cargo of maize, the mention of old-time calling places, in many cases long-forgotten, and the hazards of sea-transport.
August 25, 1869: Left Commercial Wharf, Sydney, at 8.30 p.m. for Richmond River, via Newcastle.
Aug. 28: Arrived Richmond bar, 2.33 a.m. Crossed bar at 9 a.m. Landed cargo at the various places.
Arrived at Coraki at 6 p.m. Lay there all night.
Aug. 29: Landing at Coraki cargo from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and proceeded up the river (North Arm). Arrived at Snow’s wharf at 2.15 p.m. Lay there till next morning.
Aug. 30: Left Snow’s wharf at 10.30 а.m., taking cargo on way down. Made fast at the mill (Wyrallah) with 343 bags of maize aboard.
Aug. 31: Left the mill at 2.50 p.m. taking cargo on the way down the river. Arrived at Munro’s wharf at 5.50 p.m. Took in there 241 bags of maize and lay there till morning.
Sept. 1: Left Munro’s wharf at 6 a.m., and proceeded down the river, taking in maize at different places. Arrived at Nolan’s at 11 a.m. Tide was falling. Vessel took the ground till 3.30 p.m., when she floated and proceeded down to the Junction and up the South Arm, and lay there till next morning.
Sept. 2: Got under way at 7 a.m., proceeded to Pidcock’s, took 50 bags of maize there, and proceeded down the river; made fast at Livingstone’s wharf, and lay there all night.
Sept. 3: At daylight took in Livingstone’s and proceeded down the river, taking in corn at four other places, which finished one load. Kept on down the arm, grounded one mile from the pier at 2 p.m.; got afloat at 7 p.m. and proceeded down the river.
Sept. 4: At 1.30 p.m. arrived at Ballina, where we let go our anchor. Hands employed getting ship ready for sea. At 3 p.m. pilot came aboard; at 4.30 p.m. got under way down to the bar. Took the ground on the middle spit; lay aground all night. Vessel working heavily, on flood tide.
Sept. 5: Pilot aboard at 6 a.m. The starboard anchor out – anchor coming home with the flood tide, and remained aground all day. Pumps attended to.
Sept. 6: At. 9 a.m. pilot came aboard, ran the starboard anchor out with 45 fathoms of chain. Pilot left at 10 a.m. Hands employed at various jobs. 6 p.m., flood tide. Started hauling in on the chain 8.30 a.m. Parted the chain and drove higher on to the spit. Vessel straining heavily, and starting the copper on the port side, and a bit in the deck. Still aground for the night. Pumps attended to.
Sept. 7: Pilot came aboard at 7 a.m. and ran a warp out from the star-board quarter, ashore to the Pilot station. Sent ashore 87 bags of maize from aft to lighten the vessel, assisted by the pilot’s crew. Also picked the anchor and chain up, and lay aground all day. At 9 p.m. she slewed off the spit, and took the ground on the north side of the channel. Ran the kedge off the port bow. Hove her off with it – dropped the starboard anchor, then the kedge off the starboard bow, and moored for the night.
Sept. 8: Took the 87 bags of maize in first thing this morning, secured hatches. At 9.10 a.m. crossed the Richmond bar. Moderate westerly wind; 8.45 p.m. ahead of North Solitary; wind W.S.W., strong breeze; 11 p.m. found S.W increasing, to a gale with heavy squalls.
Sept. 9: 2 a.m. heavy gale with terrific sea on – 3 a.m. the life-boat on the port quarter got washed away – main trysail blown out of the bolt rope. Ship labouring very heavily and shipping great quantities of water. 9 a.m. a heavy sea broke aboard, carrying away galley stove, water tanks, part of the bulwarks, and livestock – heavy showers during the day and night. Weather still the same. Pumps carefully attended to.
Sept. 11: Heavy seas and rain. Coal getting short. Stopped engines.
Sept. 12: Thought it prudent to enter Trial Bay. The Government steamer “Thetis” lying in the bay. Lieut. Gowland kindly supplied us with about two tons of coal.
Sept. 13: Moderate weather. All hands ashore cutting wood.
Sept. 14: Still employed cutting wood; cut about four tons; left the bay.
Sept. 15: Arrived in Newcastle with four cwt. of coal
Sept. 16: Left at 9.20 a.m., with 15 tons of coal. Arrived Sydney at 8.10 p.m.
It will be noted that the outward sea journey lasted from September 8 to September 16 (eight days and 13 hours). Maize that had left Wyrallah for market on August 31 took 16 days 10 hours to reach Sydney, and it had to be taken to the city markets after that. It should also be noted that this trip did not clear the available cargo from the lower river – below the Arms. Such delays were not unusual.
Mr. William Mallett told me that G. and B. Nicholls’ steamer’ “Truganni” seemed to be often in trouble with her steering, and frequently had to be hauled out, after driving into the river banks, by being hauled astern by attaching a long hawser on to a tree on the bank, and using winch-power. Just here, I might add that another Nicholls’ boat that I have not previously mentioned was “Richmond 1st”. I can recollect seeing, in the late 90’s, the “Electra” grounded in a mud bank below Woodburn for weeks on one occasion.
(To be continued.)