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THE SHIP “BEEJAPORE”

by Fitzroy 1920

The second immigrant vessel to cast anchor in Keppel was the ship Beejapore, 1876 tons register. Captan Edward Brahaso Drenning. The Surgeon-Superintendent was a German, Dr. Belunfante, whose behaviour was so extraordinary during the voyage as to call in question the wisdom of his appointment. The Beejapore was one of the largest and finest looking vessels that engaged in the emigration business, then carried out by the Blackball Company. She was an American built vessel with very high masts, and though frigate built, carried so much canvas that she was a fair sailor in all weathers. She had an Indian potentate as a figure-head.

When the writer first glanced at her lowering spars in the Last India Docks, London, he thought he had been lucky to be crowded out from the ship Golden Dream, which sailed for Brisbane a few days earlier from Liverpool. As stating the capacity of the Beejapore it should be stated that she took a thousand passengers to Melbourne a few years previously, when sailing under the flag of the White Star line.

The Beejapore sailed from London on March, 4, 1863 and from Queenstown, Ireland, twenty days later, anchoring off Seaview Hill. Keppel Bay on June 25, after a splendid voyage of ninety-one days. She brought over 700 immigrants and passengers and she was the third vessel in succession that arrived in Central Queensland without any special or epidemic sickness on board.

The bulk of her immigrants hailed from County Tipperary having been brought out to Queensland through some arrangement with Bishop Quinn, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brisbane. There were nearly 200 from Lancashire, being mostly weavers and their families thrown out of their work through so little cotton arriving from American in consequence of the Civil War. The remainder of the passengers were from all over the British Isles.

In this instance at any rate the medical examination of passengers was merely perfunctory, or actually omitted, because from Ireland there were cases of men far gone in consumption being passed, one of these unfortunately being in the berth of ten occupied by the writer. The poor fellow had to go into the ship’s hospitals before the Cape of Good Hops was rounded, and died soon after landing. The first death about fourteen days, after sailing from Queenstown, was that of a man far advanced with the disease.

When the London passengers, most of whom had tickets from London, to Brisbane, learned that the trip was to be made via Queenstown at the beginning of the voyage and via Rockhampton at the end of the journey they were dissatisfied, chiefly because it meant prolonging a voyage only too long under the best conditions. However, the arrangement was entirely for the benefit of Rockhampton, because when so many were leaving the ship on arrival in Keppel Bay, some of those who were booked for Brisbane decided to leave the ship also. The crew of the Pilot boat were eagerly questioned about the relative merits of the two towns, and in no instance was Brisbane considered the better place to obtained either work or big wages. The fact that two newspapers were published in Rockhampton, each twice a week, decided the writer, and with his brothers he quickly gathered his belonging and boarded the steamer Queensland, for the city on the Fitzroy.

First something more has to be said about the voyage out. Sailing from London March 4, in tow of a powerful steam tug, which it was intended should take the Beejapore to Queenstown, rather rough weather was encountered from the south-west, directly after rounding the North Foreland. The wind and sea increased in forces, and practically all the passengers became very seasick. There was no improvement after Beachy Head was passed, and later the sea became so rough the hawser broke, giving a lot of trouble. As the weather looked rather threatening the ship put into Portland Harbour. Once inside the breakwater the passengers recovered like magic. After a few days another start was made, and things went pleasantly along the coast of Devon Cornwall, but in crossing Mounts Bay the sea rose again, and twice the hawser snapped and then Captain Drenning sent the steamer back and under light sail the stately Beejapore sailed for the Cove of Cook. The weather had moderated the next day, but the following night the vessel was caught by a sudden squall, and she careened over at a dangerous angle, and the story went the next day, that only for the prompt action taken the Beejapore would have been thrown on her beam ends.

That night the light on the headland of Queenstown Harbour was seen, but the opening to the harbour was so narrow that the Captain would not risk trying to get in against a head wind. The ship beat about for exactly a week, and then of a fine morning the Beejapore sailed safely in and dropped anchor a few hundred yards from the Queenstown pier. That was about Marach 19.

The first inquiry was whether the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, was married, as when the ship left London the city was in a state of excitement preparing for the reception of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, and her Royal suite, who had crossed the North Sea to marry England’s future king. It was soon learned that everything went off in the most satisfactory manner. That suspicious event took place on March 10, 1863, over sixty two years ago, and as the Queen Mother, Alexandra still lives to recall that memorable day.

Whilst the London passengers were spending a few days ashore, tripping round the country and visiting Cork city, the Irish passengers were taken on board, and also a lot of cargo. It was an improvement afterwards on the English to find that where there was previously plenty of room the decks were now crowded. On March 24, twenty days after leaving London, the Beejapore cleared the harbour in fine weather, and headed due south with a full ship and a full ship and a spread of canvas.

After such a poor beginning it was a pleasant and mostly bright change for the passengers and the Beejapore soon showed that in spite of her broad bows she was a very fair sailer. Though the nationalities were some time in settling down amiably together. Father A. Keating, who was the representative of Bishop Quinn, by his gentle persuasiveness did much to curb the turbulent spirits. Protestants and Roman Catholics alike held the rev. gentleman in high esteem and the writer feels certain that to his actions may be attributed much of the peacefulness of the voyage.

The Bay of Biscay was crossed with a freshing breeze, and soon the seasick began to appear on deck and to enjoy the clear sky and glistening sea. All this recalled the old sea song :–

A wet sheet and a flowing sea, With the wind that follows us That fills the white and rustling sails And bends the gallent masts, That bends the gallant masts, my boys, And like an eagle free Away the good ship glides and leaves Old England on the lee.

Happy, pleasant days followed, with daily views of distant sails, some homeward bound. The warmer latitudes brought the passengers more agreeably together and lads and lasses sang as sweet and cheerily as though they had not a care to trouble them. The equator was crossed without an interview with Neptune, the Captain objecting to any horse play with the ocean like glass and the heat very great. The Captain ordered stern sail booms to be extended from the fore and main yards and a huge sail lowered into the ocean. Many of the young fellows went on deck at night and in the forward part of the ship stripped naked and poured buckets of water over each other. It was an extremely refreshing makeshift bath.

Whilst the Beejapore was in the calm regions two homeward bound vessels were communicated with, one of them, the Sir John Lawrence, from Adelaide to London, had been becalmed for seven weeks. The name of the other vessel is forgotten, but she had been becalmed for a shorter period.

The Trinidad-Islands, about 100 miles off the coast of Brazil, one infested by pirates but then uninhabited was the only land seen during the voyage till the coast of Queensland came in sight- Great Sandy Island, now named Fraser’s Island.

The first death on the voyage was about a fortnight after leaving Queenstown when an Irishman succumbed to tuberculosis. The burial caused great sadness on the vessel, more particularly because the coffin not having been sufficiently weighted floated away for miles in the clam sea in the wake of the ship.

About that time a female passenger was added to the ship’s list, an English matron presenting her husband with a little daughter. This baby is now Mrs. Gregg of Ashgrove, Brisbane, her father’s land order securing him land now of great value, though most of it has been sold. She is now a worthy old lady of sixty-two with many children and grandchildren. It was quite by accident the writer met her.

There were a couple of alarms of fire on the voyage which happily proved of little consequence, but the experience was enough to show what horrible calamity would have followed had a real fire occurred. The sad case of the accidental drowning of young Champion has been detailed in a previous sketch, and also the incident of two men being left behind in Queenstown. Those two incident were really the most engrossing of any that occurred on board.

The Beejapore went about 400 miles south of the Cape of Good Hope before she started to make her easting, and when she headed to the eastward she had skysails and studding sails set, showing unusually light air in that locality. The Beejapore went further south than customary because strong favourable winds were the usual happening and she made her easting without sighting Kerguelen Island, being much to the south. The weather was bitterly cold at times, with snow, hail, and sleet, and one morning the snow was 4 inches thick on deck. The vessel nearly reached 32 deg. South Latitude. The writer kept a diary of the voyage and this information was obtained from the Chief Officer, Mr. M’Millan, who was always most obliging.

The Beejapore could reel off 13 knots with a fair wind, occasionally increased by another knot. The sea appeared to be lighted up with phosphorus, and an unusually strong puff of wind seemed to give the ship a nose dive that gave one a start. It seemed an interminable time till the Beejapore headed northward, rounding Tasmania a long way to the south of it.

During the cold weather the sufferings of the delicate and unhealthy were very severe and a lot of young children died. So far as the writer and most of the younger adults were concerned a chronic hunger was the worst they had to face and had not some of them succeeded in bribing all that had any connection with the culinary department, it would have been much worse than it was.

As the warmer weather returned a few of the more adventurous climbed up almost daily, when the weather permitted, to the main cross-trees, where a magnificent view of the surrounding ocean was obtained. This exercise was very necessary to keep in health, as was also jumping and such sports on deck. Never a single accident occurred in all these frolics.

The worst thing of all was the terrible monotony, day after day, being just the same. The most trivial incident out of the common was hailed with delight, and shouts of laughter raised at the merest trifles.

In the writer’s cabin were ten berths, and the nationalities were five English, three Irish, one Welsh and one German. The last named was Carl Ishier, or some such name, going out to the employ of A. Feez, merchant. He was greatly annoyed because one of them, Harry Collett, and some of the others, insisted on calling him “Carl,” and at length he would not speak at all, and got his rations separate. All the table spoons in the cabin were lost or disappeared, but Carl locked his up always and so flourished it in the face of the others at meal times. One day he left it out, and Collett threw it through the porthole. If it had been a diamond ring he could not have made more fuss. He brought the captain and some of the officers, but no one had seen it and he did not know whom to accuse. It was a long time afterwards that Collett told the writer that it went into the Indian Ocean.

Most of us soon saw the folly and usefulness of complaining and made the best of things, but Carl gave himself the air of a Kaiser. He had one glass eye, and when he looked sternly at those ragging him it turned in a most comical way, causing laughter which the more incensed him. The wet season of 1864, when he paraded the muddy streets in long hessinn leggings, finished him, and he either went south or back to Germany.

Good order was maintained among the passengers, but there were a few fights among the sailors who were promptly put in iron to sober up having got liquer from some of the passengers. And so after a really successful voyage the journey came to an end, and nearly 600 passengers stepped on the wharf at the foot of William-street and assured the officials, in reply to their inquiry from each, that there were no complaints.

The Saturday night after the immigrants left for Rockhampton there was a great row on the Beejapore. Several of the crew and the third and fourth mates were fighting. The crew thereafter, refused to work and twenty seven of them were sent in irons to Rockhampton and placed in secure premises till they were convicted and sent by steamer to Brisbane. They were marched to the steamer, two by two linked together but two of them escaped in irons, and went up country.

The Beejapore proceeded to Brisbane, discharged the rest of her passenger cargo, and taking the imprisoned men on board, left in ballast for Callao, in Peru, for guano. It was an undertaking most sailors detested. The vessel was in commanded of Captain M’Millan, formerly first officer, and she was lost at sea by fire.

Perhaps of all the ships that came to Rockhampton in the sixties none left so many permanent residents of Rockhampton and district as the Beejapore. This was Chiefly because of the large number on board, and also because many came to make their homes in the district and settled on the land within a range of twenty miles or more of the town and started farming in some form or other. A few must still be living for though twenty four children died there were a great many others. One of these is Mr. George Bramble, agent for J.C. Hutton and Co and known to most residents. He was only a little boy, but no doubt remembers some of the incidents here recorded.

Thomas and Mrs. Bramble parents of George Bramble settled in Rockhampton for some years, but after wards went south.

In the next berth to the writer was John Deane, who made a fortune at Ravenswood and Charters Towers, and then became a grazier, owning Sellheim Station. He was member for Charter Towers, but resigned in 1870 for John Murtagh Macrossan. He was appointed member of the Legislative Council, and died in 1913.

Captain Lambert, joined the Civil Service and was Police Magistrate at Clermont, for a time.

David Armstrong, builder, Mr. Robert Armstrong, an enterprising builder and contractor, being his sons two daughters are both believed to be alive.

James M’Kean, the Beejapore butcher who left several daughters and a son who are all doing well.

Patrick Cornelius, and John Honrigan, some of the descendents living in the district.

Robert Sumner, whose widow still lives to enjoy the property in Denham Street that he accumulated.

Edward Jones, builder who had two clever sons G. B. and Victor, the latter the first man killed at the South African war. Also Mrs. Hugh Walker and Mrs. Millican.

A large family of Dempsey’s who made admirable colonists, and acquired property and possessions in all parts of the district. Some are perhaps living but they have numerous children.

The Brennan family, remarkable in Rockhampton for their height. One daughter married John England Kellaway, and begat sons and daughters, some of whom are still in the district, and all of them of more than average height. Mrs. Kellaway has been dead a few years and some of the children have also joined the great majority.

William Brady, wife and family, who settled near Kabra, and some of the children are still living in that neighbourhood.

The Campions settled about Crocodile, where some of the children are believed to still reside.

Jerry Cullinane, a general merchant at Gympie and Bundaberg, who has a family who have made good progress in life.

Genial David Laurie probably the most stalwart man in the ship and uncle of Mrs. Wheeler, whose record during the Great War will always cause her name to be revered in the Central District. Her sympathetic goodness to dear old Davie in age and infirmities, deserves the highest encomiums.

Sims, wife and family, who settled in the town. Also Thomas Brewer.

Michel and Timothy O’Dwyer. Mrs Charles Dallon, Michael Mullanc. J. Maguire and quite a number of others whose names have faded from memory. The writer must not forget the Lancashire lad Swindells, who settled about Crocodile and raised a large family. Mrs. Olive with her lovely golden hair, may also be still an inhabitant of the district.

Joe and Mrs. Westhead and family must not be overlooked nor Mr. Chippendale, wife, and a large family. One of the sons (David) did live at North Rockhampton. Tom Shipman died a few years ago in Sydney, and the sweet singer, Will Ashcroft, went home again.

Most of the London passengers went to Brisbane and were more intimately known to the writer than those who landed at Rockhampton.