Manchester Producer
Sun March 7th
Dear Friend,
You will no doubt have all your heart and soul interested in this wonderful ship so I will try and outline the rest of the voyage to you.
It is just a week ago since you two fellows left us, and we have had some fun since then. No doubt you heard of the battle of Horta which occurred last Sunday p.m. when Paddy struck the apprentice boy and fought the 2nd mate, while Capt. and 1st mate were ashore.
After tea the police were notified and called to his arrest but never showed up till Mon 9 a.m. An old fellow came in armed like a warrior with a long fancy sword and two other big fellows. Paddy was paraded into the saloon before the Capt. and 2nd mate and these officials. He had tears in his eyes and shook like a leaf.
He sure put in a terrible night of misery after the deed. Mate had 4 stitches in his eye lid but is better now. Well Paddy handed me his roll of bills and apologized and pleaded to the Capt. but he had to go. He wanted me to follow and bail him out. He was to stay in jail till we sailed.
But he never went to jail. He went and told the British Consul and he let him off. Paddy got glorious drunk and after dinner Roy, Jim, Billings, Platt and I went ashore and passed Paddy on the water but he didn’t see us. He has been a different man since. He was drunk for two days after it and tried to make friends with the cattle men but they wouldn’t sympathize with him.
Now he eats in the pantry and not at the table with us. He gave the calf away to the ship chandler at Horta and I suppose it was through that he got off easy and got liquor instead of the jail. Well the night watchman wouldn’t let the calf go at midnight and the fellows were sore. Of course the customs guards would have stopped it. Ham reported it to the Capt. and told Paddy right to his face. Paddy tried to deny it but Ham told him off and cursed him. Paddy kept quiet.
The calf is here yet and the boys sure did rejoice and celebrate over losing their foreman. The 5 of us when we got ashore last Mon. went to the restaurant and hired a Ford for a tour around the island. The boy drove us and we left at 4 p.m. We went up and down hills all the way. Our first stop was to see a farmer ploughing. We got out and Roy, Platt and I had a try. I plowed once across the field and turned them [the horses] around to come back again. The share and mouldboard turns under the plow by releasing a hook. Like a side-hill plough. That’s the first time I ever drove oxen and it’s 11 years since I used a walking plow.
Next we stopped to pick roses and wild flowers. We saw some sheep and goats. A place where they thrash (a large flat circle of stonework). The oxen tramp the grain out on this stone. Then in a stable we saw a wooden mill — hopper, cog wheels and yoke all of wood with two flat round mill stones for grinding. Some machine. The old Dutch windmill is used for grinding.
We saw a 1926 Ford at the other end of the island at a small village. Shortly after, it came in dark and the last part of the trip was done in the dark so we didn’t see much but received great experience in fixing tires. Only had four punctures and one blowout. The roads were full of gutters and stones. On one steep hill the car refused to pull as the gas was low and the tank was too low down so we had to get out and push. We land back at 9:30 p.m., eat 6 eggs each and the boys bought some liquor after which we left for the boat. The end of a perfect day.
The trip cost us 25 escudos each. We went into the wine cellar under the cafe and you should see the liquor. Why the shelves all around were full of bottles. I bought a bottle of scotch to treat the boys on my birthday, Mar 16th.
Tue. we went ashore to spend all our money and some got tight again. The cooks were all tight for two days and the second steward too. First steward and Ham cooked for us and the cook on the tug baked our bread.
Slim left on Tue. night on the “Lima”. Capt. Steele came in on her and was 9 days coming so Slim will not get home very early as it takes her 7 days going to all the islands. The grub on her is terrible, all cooked in olive oil and garlick.
Wed. we were ready to leave but it was too rough so we stayed till 10 a.m. Thurs. and up to Fri noon made 119 mi. Then up to Sat. noon another 105 mi. and 95 till today at noon. So we are decreasing and the weather is calm and mild. Couldn’t be better only we get no sun.
Last but not least we had boat drill on Fri. and one boat was stuck fast and took about ten minutes to loosen it.
We got some baled straw from the islands; it came in on the “Lima.” It’s mostly wild oats and they sure are wild looking too. Manchester is a very quiet and refined boy now. I have got moved up on the next deck with the Capt. and the sailor with the broken leg has my room. Capt. Steele took his room.
We are back on the Liverpool track now and well over half way there. This last two days we have had a heavy swell and some wind but we made 133 mi on Tue. and 155 today. The crew are busy painting the ship again so it will be like new when we arrive.
The boys are having some fun trying to chew this tough oxen meat we got at Fayal.
Sun. March 14th.
Ha! ha! You’re missing the fun, a time of your life. I’ve laughed all day and night yesterday and all forenoon today, it gets more exciting all the time. The boys were making more escudos yesterday, cleaning the manure out again from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. All the boat had to be cleaned out and of course, 1st one would get Paddy’s goat, then another. After they finished, I treated them to whisky and Nic. he was absent so Roy told him the mate gave us all a drink, well he began to rave and he lit into the mate this a.m. about it. The mate asked him what was the matter with him. So they had a joke on Nic.
Today they had to throw out all that beet root pulp and hay and straw overboard. No feed or manure allowed to land. Nic and Paddy got to fighting words twice. The boys couldn’t work for laughing. Now we are going up the river against the tide with the aid of ‘Zwartzee’ and three Liverpool tugs. Some procession. On Fri. Ham and Platt came up to my room to have a friendly game of cards and so we played for a couple of hours when in comes the Capt. He says “Say doctor, you can’t bring these fellows up to your room, why you’ll behaving ____ in the saloon next.” In a few minutes he was back again to see if they were gone.
Poor cattle stiffs. That same morning we began playing coits at No. 3 hatch and the mate ordered us away from there. Dogs life eh!
Capt. finally took responsibility to mix the isolated cattle after calling me a damned ass and a few other favourite expressions behind my back. I was laid in bed taking it all in. I can here all in my room through the single board partition.
Tue March 16th
We are still on our way inch by inch going up the canal. We got into the canal yesterday about 1 p.m. It’s fine scenery but early this a.m. was foggy so we couldn’t start till it cleared. One tug ran ashore in the mud yesterday and they got so scared they couldn’t cut the tow rope hence we almost capsized them. The boys had several photos taken yesterday by reporters. You’ll see them in the Mirror and Sketch. Last night they were ashore and got drunk while the ship was tied up. The vets were aboard and all cattle go as fats for immediate slaughter. The men and crew threw all feed over and now we have no feed for the cattle. They are starved.
You left that address in the foc’sl. Mr. E Bostock Smith, Heaseland, Barham, Canterbury, Eng (poultry man). We have plenty of inspectors, spectators and officials aboard. Expect to arrive tonight but probably in the morning. I must close now. Drop me a line to,
Yours truly,
Dr. P. Priestly, B.V.Sc.
23 Allen Croft, Birkenshaw nr Bradford, York, Eng.