The “Alexa,” a barquentine of 286 tons register, trades between Wanganui and Australian ports, and is owned by Messrs. A. Hatrick and Company, of Wanganui. She was built in Holland in the year 1904, is 150 feet in length, and has a beam of twenty-seven and a half feet. She is built of steel, and when loaded draws ten feet and a half of water, on a carrying capacity of 500 tons dead weight. Captain White was sent Home by the owners of the “Alexa,” and he afterwards brought her to New Zealand with a general cargo.

Captain James White, master of the barquentine “Alexa,” was born in the year 1867, in Timaru, where he was educated at the high school. He afterwards spent three years in his father's office, and at twenty years of age went to sea in the “Ganymede.” After serving his apprenticeship he was made second mate, and subsequently resigned to take a similar position on one of Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's ships. He then transferred to a large steamer trading in the Black page 619 Sea, and retained this appointment for five years, as second and first mate. He next joined the s.s. “Westralia,” on her maiden voyage to Australia, in the position of first mate. Captain White left the vessel at Sydney, entered the employment of Messrs. A. Hatrick and Company as master of the “St. Kilda,” and in 1904 took command of the “Alexa.”

The “Alexa.”

The “Uhuroa,” a small sailing vessel, was built by Messrs. Lane and Brown, Whangaroa, in the year 1900. She is 150 feet in length, with a beam measurement of thirty feet, and her carrying capacity is 200,000 feet of timber and 300 tons of coal. The vessel is owned by Mr. Lane, of Totara North, and is engaged in the coal and timber trade between Australian ports and Wanganui.

Denton, photo.
Captain Bushell.

Denton, photo.
Captain White.

Captain John Bushell, master of the sailing vessel “Ururoa,” was born in Kent, England, in the year 1837, and at sixteen years of age entered the service of the Navy. He served in the Baltic Sea, and the Crimea, and returned to England on the Proclamation of Peace in 1857. He then entered the merchant service, and came to Australia, where for a time he was engaged in railway work in Victoria. Captain Bushell subsequently returned to the sea, and sailed to all parts of the world. Some years later he was engaged in the firewood and timber trade in small coastal sailers, and received his master's certificate in 1887. After a varied experience in the Eastern trade and the Island trade Captain Bushell took command of his present vessel.