White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900
The England's Glory
The England's Glory.
Wrecked at the Bluff—After an Anxious Voyage.
In 1876 the England's Glory sailed from London for Auckland and experienced a fair weather passage. She left Gravesend on April 19, in command of Captain Knight, and getting a good start, made the run to the Equator in 25 days, or 22 from the Lizard. As the S.E. trades proved unfavourable, the meridian of the Cape was not crossed until June 23, thence to Tasmania strong N.N.W. winds prevailed, and Cape Maria was sighted on July 5. Light S.W. winds were met with on the coast, and the vessel arrived at Auckland on August 6, having made the passage in 98 days, port to port.
A Trying Passage.
The third passage of the England's Glory to New Zealand was an unlucky one, and ended in the total loss of the vessel at the Bluff. This was in 1881, by which time the vessel was rigged as a barque, and was registered at Padstow, Cornwall. Loaded with 380 tons of railway iron and general cargo, she left London on May 10 for Nelson and Bluff, Captain Knight being her commander. Captain J. Bollons, who for a number of years has been in command of the New Zealand Government steamer Tutanekai, was a seaman on the England's Glory when she made her last passage, and he has kindly supplied me with particulars about it. "When off the Cape of Good Hope," writes Captain Bollons, "the iron began to work and shift; it was therefore necessary to jettison general cargo out of the main hold in order to reach the iron. Endeavours were made to secure the iron by means of toms, which were made from spare spars and stunsail booms; these were wedged between the 'tween deck beams and the top of the iron, but they failed to steady the mass, and seeing the vessel could not be made seaworthy or safe, in view of the toms not holding, the vessel bore away forpage 287 Mauritius, where the cargo was discharged and restowed. After three weeks' delay the vessel then left for Nelson, where part of the cargo was discharged, after which she sailed for the Bluff, to which port the iron was consigned.
A Total Wreck.
"After leaving Nelson very bad weather was met with on the West Coast, and the vessel was hove-to during the gale. The iron again shifted, carrying away the midship stanchions as it rolled from side to side. As there was grave danger the ship was put before the wind and a run made for Foveaux Straits, where she was brought up at midnight under Stewart Island—a black and dirty night it was too. After leaving Stewart Island for the Bluff the vessel struck the rocks at the south-west point of Bluff and became a total wreck. The boats were hove out of the skids, and the officers and crew landed in safety at the Bluff in November, 1881, after a voyage of six months."