4 July 1935

CUSTOMS STEAMER'S EVENTFUL VOYAGE 

Recommissioned After Four Years At Bottom Of Daly River

To cope with smuggling and illegal trading, which are rife today in northern waters, the Commonwealth Government recently decided to station a fast naval sloop at Darwin. If it is difficult to prevent such practices nowadays, how much harder must it have been 50 years ago when the Northern Territory was governed from Adelaide. 

In those days Mr. Arthur Searcy was sub-collector of Customs at Darwin, and all he had to patrol the coast in was a small steamer, the Ellengowan, which had been raised from the bottom of the Daly River, where she had lain for years, and repaired. 

In 1881 this vessel, while returning from a visit to the country owned by the Palmerston Plantation Company, ran on a rock in the Daly River, and sank. There she remained until 1885, when she was raised, and, with only slight repairs, used for carrying mails to the various settlements on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in addition to her other duties. 

Soon after the Ellengowan had been put into commission again, a ketch, named the Budgaree, put into Darwin with a valuable cargo on board. As she made no attempt to land her cargo, but took in stores, the Customs authorities became suspicious that she might put them ashore at an unfrequented part of the coast without paying duty on them. When, therefore, she left Darwin unexpectedly one afternoon their suspicions were confirmed, and they decided to chase her in the Ellengowan. 

In the protected water near Darwin the steamer managed to do seven knots, but when she got out into the open sea and struck a gale, her engines gave out. It was then realised how badly she had been repaired, and had unsuited she was for chasing fast ketches. But it was too late, and after the machinery had been lashed into place the party went on. The crew made a desperate effort to get the vessel round Cape Don, where a heavy sea was running, but it was not until 3 o'clock the following morning that they managed to do so. 

In serious circumstances such as these there is usually a lighter moment. This happened when a heavy roll threw a tin of castor oil over the captain, giving him a liberal dose of it. 

After daybreak the seas moderated a little, and the engineers then found that the engines had not been properly fitted after being brought up from the Daly River, and that all the bearings had too much play. The donkey engine had not been bolted down, and a gap in the plates had allowed the fore peak to become full of water. Another heavy sea soon came up and the skipper gave up hope. He had quite resigned himself to abandoning the ship, but she managed to limp into the Blyth River. 

There the party suffered from thirst, hunger and lack of fuel, besides experiencing innumerable breakdowns. Twice the vessel was stranded, and when the bunker was opened a hole in the side a foot wide could be seen. When she stopped, water could be heard running into the stern. 

To cap their misfortunes the steamer struck a sandbar in the Roper River, and listed at an angle of 45 degrees, so that everyone on board had to crawl about her on his hands and knees. 

After the boat had been floated again, the propeller shaft was found to have been bent, and the bearings had almost worked their way through the side of the ship. 

Two days later, the party left in a dinghy for Borroloola, about 50 miles away, along the river. By a strange coincidence the Budgaree was met with on the way and boarded. After having fined the master of the ketch a sum sufficient to cover the expenses of the journey, the members of the Customs party started on their return trip three days after they had left the Ellangowan. 

On the first day they pulled until dusk, and then became lost in the mangroves. They continued rowing during the night, steering by the stars. The eeriness of the man grove swamps was heightened by the sound of animals falling into the water, while crocodiles here and there reminded them, of their plight if they capsized. 

Some time after midnight they reached the open sea, but could find no trace of the Ellangowan. They had no idea where they were, nor where the steamer lay. They therefore moored the boat to an oar driven into the sand and waited for the morning. The Ellangowan was then found to be four miles away across mud flats. Heavy rain and alligators [sic] added to the difficulty of carrying the dinghy across these flats, but eventually the steamer was reached. Repairs were effected, and she sailed for Darwin, having accomplished her mission, although six weeks behind schedule. 

Soon after her return the vessel was inspected, but the only report of the inspecting officer extant is his remark, made soon after he boarded her, 'Good God! The idea of men going to sea in a thing like this!'— C.V.H.

An Amateur Trickster

Some years ago there was a man who made an easy living by attending race meetings and performing the purse trick. 

His method was to take a cheap, imitation leather purse in one hand, while in his other hand he would display three sovereigns which he would proceed to drop, one at a time, into the purse. He would then offer to sell the purse and its contents for £1. Among the crowd he would have several assistants. One of these would purchase the purse and open it in front of the crowd. Sure enough, it would contain three sovereigns, and the buyer would appear to be delighted with his bargain. 

The trickster would then take another purse and repeat the performance. Even the closest watcher would be misled. The performer's movements were slow and easily followed. As he dropped the sovereigns he would hold them so that they could be clearly seen between his finger and thumb. Then, the clink of the coins as they fell against each other in the purse could be heard distinctly. Without touching the purse with his other hand, he would press it shut and offer it for sale. 

Generally there would be two or three eager applicants. The trickster would collect a pound and hand over the purse. The buyer would open it and tip out the contents. Invariably, there would be found to be nothing more than three halfpennies. The trickster was a man who looked as though he could hold his own and, as a rule, his victims took their loss philosophically. 

One day two friends, Dick and George, 'down for the races,' had experienced a very bad day. In fact, they were doubtful whether they would have sufficient to get home on after paying their hotel bill. Suddenly, remembering the trickster, George had an inspiration. 'How much have you got left?' he asked Dick. They went through their pockets, and between them managed to muster a little more than two pounds. George took most of the cash. 'If we can get hold of a few cheap purses,' he said, 'I'll do the purse trick.' 'But you can't do it,' remonstrated Dick. 'Just wait and see,' his friend told him. 

He managed to obtain several cheap purses from a nearby shop. Returning to the ground, he explained to Dick that all he had to do was buy the first purse, and not under any circumstances let on that they were known to each other.

George soon collected a crowd. Taking three half-crowns he dropped them, in approved style, into a purse. He then offered to sell the lot for two and six. Dick promptly bought the purse and, opening it, displayed three half-crowns. George took another purse and repeated the performance. 'Here you are,' he said. 'A rare bargain. See what goes into the purse!' ' There was no great response, but, after a pause, a big, aggressive looking man said that he would take it. George didn't like the look of him, but couldn't very well go back on his offer; so he collected the half-crown and handed over the purse. 

The buyer immediately opened it, but found nothing but emptiness. How George had done the trick was quickly revealed. The bottom of the purse had been cut open and he had simply allowed the coins to fall through into the palm of his hand. The aggressive looking man did not take things as calmly as he might have done. The last Dick saw of George for the day was as he sprinted towards the gate with his enraged victim in hot pursuit. — A.H.B. 

Hen's Queer Nest

One afternoon my little daughter, aged five years, was sent to gather the eggs. She came back with a basketful, but said that she could not get the eggs out of one nest as it was up a tree. 

We laughed at her, but she told us to come and see for ourselves. She took us down by the sheds and there showed us a Black Orpington pullet sitting in a magpie's nest. We could just see her comb and the top of her head. As she appeared to be broody we left her alone for three weeks from the time we found her. 

There being no sign of chickens then, my husband took the nest down. There were nine eggs in it altogether, some were rotten and some had dead chickens in them. 

We thought that the motion of the tree was the cause of none of them hatching, or they may have become too cold. The nest was about nine or ten feet from the ground.— 'Autumn Leaves.' 

Old Blinman Mine 

C. E. Roberts, Blinman, writes: — 'Nawoc,' in Real Life Stories [18 Apr 1935], has been misinformed as to many things in this district. William Blinman got £1,200 for the Blinman mine. The cheque was written out in England, and signed by John William Fiveash, managing director of the Yudnamutana Mining and Smelting Company. This was the original company, it was floated in England by Mr. Fred Frost in 1862. Sliding Rock Mine is 40 miles north of Blinman, not 20. I should know as I rode the first mail from Blinman to the rock, and continued for three years. The mine was found by Sam Holden, teamster, in 1872, and it never at any time was worked in conjunction with the Blinman mine. Nueralinna mine is 20 miles north of Blinman, not Sliding Rock.