A Better Place

by Tania Roberts

  With the aid of the tugboats the steamer leaves the pier. She builds up steam as she makes her way through the crowded thoroughfare of ships on the river and out into the wider waters of the bay. By nightfall there is nothing but the stars left to see so the two young men decide to return to their bunks. Most of the passengers have already turned in but few are asleep. There is little ventilation in the steerage and Murdo notices the fresh air of the night is replaced by an unpleasant stench. The bow of the steamer has yet to confront the peaks and troughs of the ocean’s waves but even a gentle rocking motion is enough to cause many of those with gentler stomachs to lose their night’s dinner. Murdo climbs into his bunk, takes off his jacket and folds it beneath his head to act as a pillow. He doesn’t feel queasy and after the excitement of the day falls to sleep quite quickly.

  At eight in the morning another bell signals that the steerage passengers should collect their breakfast from the galley – oatmeal, coffee, soft bread and butter is on offer this morning and tomorrow there will be Irish stew as well. Murdo takes his tin plate and eagerly waits in line for his ration. He remembers times at home when one meal of oatmeal is all he got to eat all day and so is grateful for the meal supplied. There are long wooden tables in the middle of the ship with bench seats either side and most passengers take their meals here.

  The activities of the day are determined by the weather. Today they are blessed with sunshine and the after hatch is crowded. The Irish lasses dance and sing. There are men with an accordion and a whistle to accompany them. Most of the men play cards but Murdo has never played cards before so he joins Arthur and both are content to lay about the deck basking in the fresh air and sunshine, keeping an eye on the dancing. Murdo has no desire to join in but enjoys the sweet lilting sound of the singing. Whether it be a reel or a jig, the Irish lasses delight in their dancing and are full of smiles for their admiring audience.

  .....

  Later in the week, the vessel sails into a storm. The first indication of rough weather is a passenger’s breakfast sliding off the table into their lap. It is only the hardy with good sea legs and stomachs that venture on deck when the clouds look ominous and the wild winds threaten. Some remain for days in their berths, where life becomes a tiresome routine of eating, sleeping and being sick. Murdo does not succumb to seasickness and is grateful to escape the deteriorating conditions below. He enjoys the tales of his fellow passengers and even partakes in some shared tobacco, but it is not to his liking. Aboard the ship are butchers, bakers, tailors, farmers and men of other occupations Murdo has no idea of – they all have dreams and plans of what they will do on reaching New Zealand. Murdo wonders what he will do when he reaches land. He is certain he will get work but hasn’t given much thought as to the type of work.

  When the storm clouds finally vent their fury and rain pelts the decks, it is a blessing; fresh water supplies are replenished, passengers wash themselves and their clothes and the smell of sickness is temporarily sluiced away.

  Life on the ship is ordered by a series of bells – bells for meals, bells for changes of the crew and bells when land or another ship is sighted. At the sound of the noon bell, all return to the galley to collect their dinner. It is soup of one kind or another, meat or fish depending on the rations available, with potatoes and bread. Murdo has no complaints about the food. He was a small boy the last time they had potatoes at home as they have not been able to grow them again after disease wiped the crops out.

  They have been at sea nearly a week when a preacher announces he will lead a Sunday service on deck. Prayers are said and the preacher encourages all to stay true to the Lord’s teachings. The passing of each week is noted by the same service although the numbers attending diminish as the voyage goes on. The confined conditions test the patience of many a passenger, and tempers fray. Murdo wonders whether some of those in attendance are doing so only for appearances sake. He sees the drinking, the cheating at cards, the stealing of food and the fights among some of the men.

  The journey goes on and the steamer hits the stifling heat of the equator, further testing the patience of many passengers. Scuffles and arguments are frequent, generally over food, sometimes over women. At nine each evening all females are sent below by the watchman making his rounds, but it doesn’t stop some from arranging illicit trysts.

  Another week passes. Another bell sounds. A crew member aloft the mast yells,

  “Land ahoy!”

  All passengers are drawn to the deck with the hope that the voyage is over. It is a stop at Capetown to take on fresh supplies. The gangway is lowered for the saloon passengers to enjoy a few hours ashore. Steerage passengers, their hopes dashed, can only watch in envy as they are ordered to stay aboard. The captain cannot risk immigrants escaping to a different country than that intended.

  A few weeks later a second, ‘land ahoy’ cry is heard. This time it is Adelaide that the vessel berths at but just for a few hours, long enough to unload several tons of cargo and allow some passengers to disembark. This is the final destination for some of the saloon passengers, but again steerage passengers must stay aboard. Most do not even bother to venture on deck. They just want the vessel to hurry on its way to Sydney where they will finally get to disembark. For Murdo though, Sydney too is only a temporary stop; he has yet another ship to board for the final leg of his voyage to New Zealand.

  Many of the children, tired from the long journey, succumb to bronchial illnesses. Their exhausted mothers cope as best they can, comforting their children for there is little the doctor can do. Murdo listens to their coughing and is reminded of his father’s slow and painful death.

  As usual Murdo and Arthur go on deck after breakfast. Today they find a small area of the deck is clear of passengers. A tiny bundle, bound in a white cloth, is carried up on deck. The family gathers around. The preacher says a blessing, the mother cries in grief and the bundle is tossed overboard. A baby, one of the many Murdo heard coughing was not strong enough to survive the journey and is buried at sea.

  .....

  After nearly six weeks at sea the talk from the crew is that the vessel will berth again the following day. The mood in the steerage changes as word spreads. There is a buzz of nervous excitement. Those with more than a change of clothes start packing their possessions. Nobody really has an appetite for the supper of bread and butter. Arthur, like the majority of passengers is focussed on what tomorrow will bring. What will be the reality of life in a new country?

  The day dawns grey and foggy. The rains teem down. Murdo and Arthur venture up on deck but there is no land to be seen. They assume it must be lurking behind the clouds. A cold wind blows from the south. It reminds them they have travelled halfway around the world, from Scotland to Australia, from summer to winter. They look at each other and silently question what they have done. This new land Arthur plans to call home feels not unlike winter in the home they have left behind.

  A horn blows. A tug pulls up alongside the ship and guides it to shore. The fog lifts, almost instantly, as if it had only been an illusion. A loud cheer goes up. The wharf is lined with hundreds of people, family and friends eager to welcome the new immigrants. Murdo cheers and waves back. Not because he has someone to wave to but because he is so excited to have finally reached land. For Arthur this is his final destination. He is eager to start his new life in Australia. Murdo has to be patient. He knows in his heart that he will do all he can to ensure New Zealand will be his land of opportunity; to find work, to find a wife and to have a family of his own – a better place.

  Chapter Seven

  Sydney to New Zealand 1898

  “Murdo, let’s take our things and get ashore.” Arthur is impatient to escape the vessel that has kept him captive for the last six weeks.

  “Och, did ye not hear the steward’s call?” grumbles Murdo. “We have to wait for another doctor’s inspection and if there’s any sign of disease then it’s two weeks in quarantine we’ll be.”

  “Nae, the
y cannae do that. The saloon passengers have all gone ashore.”

  “Aye, but we’ve all been crammed into steerage while they have enjoyed the luxury of separate cabins. There will be nae disease among them for sure,” reasons Murdo.

  The two young men join the queue and once again await inspection from the ship’s doctor. Three hours pass before the steward finally calls for the gangplank to be lowered. Fortunately none of the passengers exhibit any signs of smallpox and all are allowed to disembark. The crowds on the wharf have dispersed and only those expecting family patiently wait to welcome the weary travellers, to finally see familiar faces previously left behind and hear news of their homeland. But any planned celebrations will have to wait – a visit to the immigration office is the next formality for all those entering Sydney, New South Wales, whether it be as a visitor or an immigrant. Along with the other passengers the two young men must queue yet again.

  Murdo has no place to go. He is content to let those with children go before him. Two hours pass before he finds himself face to face with a man who looks officiously over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses as he takes Murdo’s papers and ticket.

  “Right you are. Just a short stopover with us this time, is it then?” the immigration officer rhetorically asks in a very English accent, noting from Murdo’s ticket that he is to board another vessel in a week’s time. “You need to report back here at 0800 on the 15th October.”

  “Aye, sir. Can ye tell me where I may find some accommodation until then?”

  “Any number of hotels, just up the road.” The officer stamps Murdo’s papers and hands them back.

  Arthur has his papers approved too and the two men leave the office together. Murdo ponders his plight – seven nights in a hotel is surely to exhaust the five shillings he has; he needs to find some cheaper accommodation. Arthur has the solution.

  “Ye should come with me and stay with me cousin. I’m sure he willnae mind.”

  “Are ye sure?” questions Murdo. “He doesnae even know me.”

  “Well, we can soon change that.” Arthur spies his cousin Henry and quickens his pace to cross the road to greet him. They shake hands and Arthur introduces Murdo.

  “Murdo’s in need of a bed till his ship to New Zealand leaves next week, are ye able to accommodate him?”

  “Ye are most welcome,” replies Henry. “It’ll only be a cot at the back of the shop but it’s warm and dry. Come, we’d best get going, dinner will be ready and waiting.”

  “Thank ye most kindly.”

  The three men walk the couple of blocks from the wharf to Henry’s bootmaking shop, which has living quarters upstairs. Three small round faces turn toward the staircase when they hear footsteps. On little legs the children run to greet their father, squealing with delight. Henry picks his daughter up for introductions. Henry and his wife Jane came out to Australia several years ago as newlyweds. Arthur has not met their two sons and daughter and notices Jane is again pregnant. Murdo senses Jane’s tiredness and offers to help carry the soup bowls to the table. He feels guilty for imposing but then enjoys the sound of children’s laughter; it reminds him of home and his own family meal times.

  .....

  The week passes very quickly. Murdo helps out where he is able to earn his keep. Once again he must farewell newly found friends and begin the next part of his journey. Another ship, smaller and carrying more freight. Another lot of passengers; there are less than one hundred this time and all are heading for various parts of New Zealand. It is early evening by the time the vessel is ready to leave Sydney. This leg of Murdo’s voyage is expected to take about two and a half days to reach the first port of call at Auckland. The routines of a ship are not unfamiliar this time and Murdo feels more relaxed. He introduces himself to the young man in the bunk next to his. Robert Lynn is a farmer from Ireland. He is travelling with his sister Sarah and they are headed to Hawkes Bay on the eastern shores of the North Island. The supper bell sounds and the two men leave the single men’s quarters to head off to the galley.

  The ship has undergone a total overhaul while berthed at Sydney before this voyage. The galley looks immaculate and the smell of a fresh coat of white paint still lingers. A number of newly polished wooden tables with bench seats are positioned in parallel rows. Murdo and Robert take a seat at the one closest to the door so Robert can invite Sarah to join them when she comes to the galley.

  Supper is a light meal of bread, butter and cheese and Murdo has a mouthful of bread when Sarah sits down beside her brother. When Robert makes the introductions, Murdo is unable to speak; partly because of his mouthful and partly because he is dumbstruck by Sarah’s beauty. Her green eyes are perfectly offset by an emerald brooch at the neck of her tailored white blouse. Her hair, a rich shade of brown, is drawn back off her delicate face and Murdo finds it difficult to imagine her as a farmer’s daughter. His eyes smile for him as he hurriedly finishes his mouthful, wipes his hands on his trousers and stands to introduce himself.

  “Good evening Miss Sarah. It is a pleasure to meet ye.” Murdo has never been introduced to a young woman before; at least not one that he has noticed is as pretty as Sarah. He decides it is best to remain formal and sits back down.

  Sarah smiles coyly, her cheeks redden, and she cuts into her cheese so she can gain some composure before responding.

  “What part of New Zealand are ye bound for?” Sarah asks in her thick Irish accent, hoping that just maybe Murdo will say Hawkes Bay.

  “I have a ticket for Wellington.”

  “Oh,” she responds with the slightest hint of disappointment. “Do ye have family there?”

  “Nae. I’ve been told there is work aplenty though.”

  “What do ye do?”

  “He’s a farmer.” Robert says feeling left out of the conversation. “Farming is the same, whether you are in Ireland, Scotland or New Zealand.”

  “We have an uncle, on our mother’s side, who is farming in the Hawkes Bay. He has offered us both work. Maybe he will know of some other farm work available.”

  Murdo finds it necessary to watch Sarah’s mouth as she speaks. Her Irish accent and excited talk is difficult to understand but lovely to listen to.

  “That is most kind.” Murdo thanks Sarah. “I have a ticket to Wellington so I had best try me luck there or the Hutt. I donnae have to limit myself to farm work. I am prepared to try me hand at anything.”

  “Oh.” More disappointment for Sarah but it would be too forward of her to reveal it.

  The trio discusses families, farming and food. Before they realize the lateness of the hour, the galley has emptied of passengers and it is time to retire for the night. Stretching out on his bunk Murdo feels as if he has known Robert and Sarah for years rather than hours. He imagines life in New Zealand will be much better if he can retain their friendship and maybe, just maybe, when he has established himself, pursue Sarah on another level. He feels a little strange, as the only other women he has known have all been related: his mama, his sisters, cousins and aunties or neighbours he has grown up with in the village of Achadh’ a Braigh; none of them made his heart skip a beat. Sarah is somehow different, special in a feminine way.

  .....

  The next day dawns warm and sunny and the three friends spend the day up on deck. They discover that their lives thus far have not been dissimilar. Sarah is the eldest child while Robert is the third child of five but the eldest son. Their father died of pneumonia after getting wet cutting linen flax on their farm when Robert was just six years and Sarah only four years older. Robert was only allowed to go to school in the winter, making the one and a half mile journey into Fivemiletown by foot. During the summer months he was kept home to do the farm work. This continued for twelve years and in his latter years at school, Robert taught the smaller children. He learnt farming skills from his neighbours and by trial and error. His two younger brothers also had to help as soon as they were old enough. Farming in Ireland was severely affected by the diseases attacking
the potato crops and life was a struggle for their widowed mother and her five children. As tradition dictated, Robert, being the eldest son, had inherited the 36-acre property when his father died. Sarah had obtained work in Fivemiletown training to be a tailoress but the wages were minimal. Like a lot of other young Irish, Robert and Sarah decided they had a chance of a better future elsewhere. Robert signed the property over to his mother and they sadly farewelled their family and set sail. Their trip to Sydney had been fairly uneventful and like Murdo they are excited to be nearing their final destination at last.

  .....

  When the breakfast bell sounds the next day, the passengers find the ship has already berthed at Auckland and cargo is being unloaded. Those passengers also leaving the ship at Auckland are too excited to eat breakfast and hurriedly pack their belongings and disembark.

  Later the same day the ship heads north to pass the light house at the tip of the North Island and cross the waters where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. It is another sunny day and from their spot on deck, Murdo, Robert and Sarah can see the land that is to become their home. There are various small settlements with pockets of arable land interspersed with giant forests. Then a long stretch of golden sand greets the waves at the seashore with giant sand dunes heading inland. At other points sheer cliffs rise from the sea. Waves crash against the jagged black rocks at the bottom of the cliff’s face.

  Another day and another port reached. At Gisborne more cargo is unloaded and more passengers disembark. Murdo, Robert and Sarah realize that tomorrow, they too will go their separate ways. They have mixed emotions; they don’t want their short time together to come to an end but they are eager to start their new lives in New Zealand. There are only about 30 passengers dining in the galley tonight. The trio enjoy their last meal together. It is difficult not to feel a little sad and even more difficult to make any promises to see one another again as no one knows what life in New Zealand will hold for them.