ARRIVAL OF RAVENSCRAIG
Nelson Examiner March 1862The ship Revenscraig, of 1,000 tons burden, left Gravesend on the 29th October, 1861, and had proceeded as far as Beachy head, when she was obliged to put back to the Downs, where she was in company with about 200 sail. After three several attempts, she at last succeeded in reaching Plymouth, where she took in water, provisions, &c.; she sailed thence on the 1st December, passed Madeira on the 15th December, Cape de Verde Island on the 25th, and crossed the Line on the 5th January, 1862; passed between the Island of Tristan da Cunha on the 22nd, passed the longitude of the cape on the 31st, St Paul and Amsterdam on the 19th February, Cape Leuwin on the 21st, Van Dieman's Land on the 9th March longitude of the south end of New Zealand on the 14th, Cape Farewell on the 21st, and arrived at Nelson on the 23rd march. Altogether she had fine enjoyable weather, with generally light winds. The least distance run in any day was 23 miles, the greatest 265 miles. There was one birth, a fine boy, born off Beachy, during a gale of wind. The health of the passengers, in general, was very good, the steerage passengers were very cheerful and contented, with, as usual, one or two exceptions. It will thus be seen that she made the run from Plymouth to New Zealand in 104 days.
SHIP
RAVENSCRAIG
Nelson Examiner April 2nd 1862
We, the undersigned Passengers by the ship Revenscraig, from London, have seen the evidence of several of the passengers given in court before the Resident Magistrate in Nelson, where they say that the Captain was in a state of intoxication on the morning of the 1st day of january. We here give our untied testimony to his strict sobriety and attention to his duties throughout the whole voyage, and to his kindness towards the passengers generally, and his anxious desire to make then all as comfortable as he possibly could; and we consider the charges made against the Captain unjust and unfounded.
| W Dickinson, cabin passenger | ||
| T Hirst do | ||
| Miss W Jay do | ||
| Miss Kingdom do | ||
| Mr & Mrs Bomford do |
| James Robinson | Elizabeth McConochie |
| John Overhand | Thomas N McConochie |
| Samuel Huggart | Charles Price |
| Joseph Sherratt | Mary Price |
| Emma Sherratt | Mrs Murphy |
| Jesse Humphrey | Arthur Miller |
| Jesse Humphrey | Agnes Miller |
| Mrs Humphrey | Sarah Hambeton |
| Margaret Humphrey | Ann Harse |
| Thomas Reace | Mary Oregan |
| Frances Kogan | Manse Leary |
| Mary Kogan | John Kogan |
| Mary Ann Dayman |
Several more of the passengers, who expressed their anxiety to sign the above document, have been prevented from so doing in consequence of their absence from town.