The British Ship Adoption Society

In the last issue of "The Peterite" it was stated that the School had formed a new link, that with the "Clan Allan", and since then we have received a really first-rate collection of mail from the ship. Our correspondent is the Master, Capt. M. M. Graham, and he is clearly taking the adoption with enthusiasm, for the diary of the voyage is both detailed and interesting, with local information and comment which makes it "live", and we also get reports on particular subjects asked for : duties of the radio officer, principles of navigation, and the like. A map of the voyage is maintained in Big Hall, and forms below the Fifths are able to spend an occasional geography period with the correspondence. The information from the ship is available on request by anyone.

We reported last time that the "Clan Allan" was outward bound in December from Britain for India. During the Easter holidays she has returned, and the following is a summary of the places visited, with date :

Sailed from Glasgow, completing loading at Birkenhead, Swansea, Newport and Milford Haven, finally leaving Britain, 4th December, 1953.

Called at Port Said, 16th December, 1953; Djibuti, 22nd December; Aden, 24th December; and arrived Bombay, 2nd 'January, 1954.

Discharged cargo at Marmagao, Cochin, Tuticorin, Pondicherry, and Chalna, arriving at the last 26th January, 1954.

Loaded cargo for homeward passage at Visakapatnam (twice), Calcutta, 'Madras, and Galle, leaving Galle 5th 'March, 1954.

Homeward passage via Aden (for fuel), Suez, to London, arriving Tilbury Dock 3rd April. Discharging is to be completed at Manchester and Glasgow.

Cargo carried makes an interesting example of our trade with India and Pakistan, and also of the type of trade done in cargo liners. Exports from Britain were : steel tubes for the refinery being built at Aden, machinery, sewing machines, motor cars and trucks, various cereals, perfumery, boilers, coils of wire, drums of caustic, asbestos sheets, bags of bleaching powder, glassware, drums of cable, beer, whisky, clocks, cigarettes, guns and explosives. Homeward the largest item, making up nearly half the cargo of 8,986 tons, was manganese ore, but there were also over 1,600 tons of tea, and a great assortment of more picturesque items : wax, gunnies (sacks—mostly for discharge at Port Said), hemp, carpets, crushed bones, wool, leather, goat hair, coir, citronella oil, gold and silver sweepings, shellac, chutney, devi devi, myrabollams, and niger seed.

We print below a few extracts from the letters we have received, and it will be seen that our present "adoption" is giving us a wide range of interesting information about ships, places, and cargoes.

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COCHIN AND TUTICORIN.

"After completing discharging on Sunday, 10th January (at Mormagao), we sailed for Cochin. Arrived and anchored off the port on 14th January in the evening. Cochin is the principal port of Travancore State. The coastal belt of flat country around it is covered with an almost unbroken mass of coconut and areca palm. There are many inland waterways connected by artificial canals, which give inland communications. The harbour of Cochin is reached by a deep water channel which is kept to a steady depth by dredging. It is a very busy port with ships arriving and sailing almost daily. In the centre of the harbour is an island named Willingdon Island. Ships tie up at this place; otherwise they lie at the buoys. On the island are all the administrative offices and an aerodrome. The southern end of the island is connected to the mainland by a road bridge with a lifting span. Chief exports are coir, oils, cotton, cashew kernels, tea, and spices. As one enters the harbour, one can see peculiar wooden structures with large nets. These are on the fishing grounds—the nets are lowered into the water and left; when they are expected to have fish in them, several men pull on large wooden arms and lift the nets out of the water. "As there was an epidemic of smallpox, no shore leave was granted. We completed our discharge on 16th January, and sailed for Tuticorin the following morning. "I must mention the ivory work which can be obtained on this part of the coast. Some of the carvings are beautifully done. Nearly all are mounted on a teak wood base. A most popular purchase is the piece depicting St. George slaying the dragon. Another popular buy is a small hollow seed about the size of a green pea. In it one finds up to 100 minute ivory animals, all perfectly carved. One needs a magnifying glass to see them properly. I have been over an ivory factory at Trivandrum. It was most interesting to see the pieces of ivory taking shape. In this particular place there was a long bench of about 30 feet. At the top end of the table was a very old workman, and at the bottom end a young boy. I got the impression that when the old man died everybody moved up one along the bench and another boy was engaged. "On to Tuticorin. We rounded Cape Comorin, which is the most southerly point of the Indian continent, and then headed for Tuticorin. We arrived and anchored off the port on 18th January. Owing to the shallow water, ships have to anchor about five miles off the port, which is the principal outlet of the cotton-producing district of Tinnivelly. Large sailing lighters come out to the ships for cargo, and the men who handle them are experts. 'Generally there is one large sail on a boom which is secured to the mast near the head by coir yam, and works on a swivel idea. The boats come right at the ship, and at the last moment come right alongside without touching 29

anything. There is always intense competition to get alongside first for the cargo. As the boat comes alongside, a small boy is sitting on the boom ready to furl the sail at the word of command. "We completed cargo at 1600 hours, 18tth January, and sailed for Pondicherry."

THE 'HOOGHLY RIVER.

"Left Visakapatnam, 3r1 February, at 0755 hours and arrived at the Sandheads, 4th February. "The Sandheads is the place where all ships have to take their pilots for Calcutta. We were unlucky, as there were no pilots available; so we had to anchor and wait. From the pilot vessel to Calcutta is about 130 miles, depending upon the dock the ship is entering. There are many shoal patches and shifting sandbanks, and so the pilots have to know the river intimately. The depth of water varies with the tide and, of course, the phase of the moon. Signal stations at different parts of the river indicate the depth of the water, and the pilot then knows if it is safe to cross the 'Bar'. There are two bad places where the strong tide makes the ship swing about, and these are always passed in daylight hours. When a ship is loaded, the currents do not have so much influence upon the ship as when she is empty. The worst point is called `Hooghly Point'. The ship has to cross the river from one side to the other, and the tides do their best to sweep her up on the banks, as the tide is met at right angles. There are also local currents to contend with. Once these two points are passed, the river becomes interesting, for boats are moving with the tides. One type is called 'Country Craft'. These are piled up with hay and the steersman stands on top to see where he is going. They always look as though they will capsize. Then there are river steamers which take passengers up country. Large lighters are towed or else sail. When sailing, they have a large sail set and their speed is surprising when one is trying to overtake them before reaching a bend in the river. As one gets further up there are the jute mills and brickfields. A big oiling station called 'Budge-Budge' is passed at slow speed, and then the ship is nearing Calcutta. About three miles below the docks, at Garden Reach, the river pilot has finished, and a berthing master takes over. He takes the ship into the dock or to the buoys. When ships go to the buoys, it takes at least five hours to make the ship secure. The danger in the river when at the buoys is when the 'Bores' come along. These 'Bores' appear to be caused by shoals and sharp bends in the river, which check the progress of the flood stream. The first appearance of the 'Bore' is when an ascending wave runs on as a breaking roller. When it reaches the narrow part of the river, it comes along as a big wave, and then starts to affect the ships and boats. Ships suddenly start to rise and then to roll and surge. This can cause the cable moorings to snap, and then the ship is helpless. The highest `Bore' reached a height of four feet.

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