“BRIERHOLME.”

Photo by De Maus, Port Chalmers.

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The Brier Holme came to a tragic end in 1904. She sailed from London for Hobart in September of that year, commanded by Captain Rich, an experienced and skilful seaman who was making his last voyage. She was three months overdue and much anxiety was being felt, when some fishermen landed on a bleak and unfrequented part of the West Coast of Tasmania. They found some jetsam on the shore in the shape of packages of cargo, marked and numbered so that they could be identified. Footprints and the remains of a rude hut also pointed to a wreck on the coast; a close search was made but no signs of the wreck or of life could be found. The fishermen then took the packages back to Hobart and they proved to be part of the cargo of the Brier Holme. Thereupon the Government sent out a steamer with a search party. The remains of the wreck were found under water, but though the bush was scoured, fires lighted and guns fired to attract attention, no survivor was discovered, and the search party returned to Hobart. Some weeks later the fishermen who had found the packages landed again on the coast and found a man, who proved to be the sole survivor out of the Brier Holme’s crew. He had been wandering about in the bush trying to find his way to the nearest habitation, first loading himself with provisions washed up from the wreck, he had tried to construct a raft across a river but without success, and he was continually compelled to return to the shore and replenish his stores. He reported that the Brier Holme arrived off the S.W. Cape of Tasmania at night during thick stormy weather and was hove to to wait for daylight. But being to the north of the Fairway having overrun her distance, she crashed on to the rocks and soon went to pieces.

The Castle Holme is now owned in Frederickstadt, Norway, and sails under the name of Estar.

Iron Barques of Walker and Trinder, Anderson.

Hine Bros. were not the only owners of iron clipper barques in the Australian trade. Mr. T. B. Walker had four very well-known ships—the barques Westbury, Decapolis and Lanoma and the ship Barossa; whilst Trinder, Anderson & Co. had the Barunga, Oriana, Mineru, Morialta and Kooringa.

Of the above, Walker’s Lanoma was probably the fastest. She has been credited with a run from Tasmania to the Horn in 21 days, another of 21 days from the Horn to the line, and again a third of 21 days from the line to soundings, which if they had all been on the same passage would have given her the record from Tasmania home. The Westbury and Decapolis were both good for an outward passage round about 80 days.

A year or two ago a correspondent in the “Nautical” claimed that the Decapolis went out to Launceston in 56 days on her maiden trip, at the same time he claimed a 57-day trip to Melbourne for my old ship the Commonwealth. He had, of course, got his dates wrong somewhere, as the Decapolis ran regularly to Brisbane until that trade was captured by steamers, she was then diverted to Launceston.

After the death of Mr. Walker, Decapolis was sold to the Italians and renamed Nostra Madre. Her name is on the Sailing Ship Roll of Honour, as she was torpedoed in the Mediterranean during the war.