Queen Of The Mersey.

the Queen of the Mersey, another American-built ship of 1227 tons, was built in 1860 for Mr. H. Melvain, of Newcastle. In 1862 she was chartered for two voyages to New Zealand. On July 3 she sailed from London for Lyttelton with 349 Government immigrants under Captain Aitkin, and arrived on October 19, 1862, making the passage in 108 days. Ten deaths occurred, mostly children, from measles, During the passage a serious mutiny took place among a portion of the crew. The cause of the offence was the old story, "grog," some of the crew having contrived to broach cargo and get at the spirits. After the men had been placed in irons Captain Aitkin was violently assaulted and struck by one of the sailors with the handcuffs, by which he was seriously hurt. On arrival of the ship at Lyttelton five of the men were brought up at the Police Court and sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

The following year Captain Aitkin brought the ship to Auckland. She sailed from Gravesend on August 1, 1863, having on board a number of returned colonists and a full complement of immigrants. The ship occupied nearly four months on the passage, and the provisions became very scarce. After leaving the Downs she experienced a succession of light and variable winds until crossing the Equator on September 17, 47 days from Gravesend. She encountered a fierce gale off the Cape, during whichpage 246 the cargo shifted, and the vessel was thrown on her beam ends, her yards dipping in the water for nearly 24 hours. With a lull in the weather she was righted, but strong easterly winds continued for a week. The ship then had a good run to the Three Kings, which were sighted on November 23, thence baffling winds to the Little Barrier, when a gentle northerly breeze brought her into port on November 26.

Among the passengers by the Queen of the Mersey were Mr. and Mrs. James Stuart Milne and family of three sons and two daughters. The Misses Milne opened a millinery business in Wyndham Street in 1866, and carried on at that address for some years. After her marriage to Mr. Choyce, Miss C. Milne retired, and the former joined Miss M. J. Milne in partnership, and the firm became Milne and Choyce. In 1880 the business removed to Wellesley Street, and attained such proportions that in the year 1901 it was turned into a joint stock company. The site of the present magnificent block in Queen Street was acquired in 1909. Mrs. H. C. Choyce is the sole surviving member of the Milne family that came by the Queen of the Mersey, and her nephew, Mr. Stuart Milne, is the managing director of the present company.

Other passengers were: Mr. Breeze and a family of four, who pioneered at Fernlea, Warkworth; the two Creeks, who later took up land at Kaipara Flats, and whose descendants are now working five farms; the Davis brothers, who pioneered at Samoa, and later purchased Makarau Island, Kaipara; also Mr. and Mrs. Meddins and family, who settled in the Thames Valley.