The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-11
RUNNING THE RIVER RAPIDS.
The Journey Down the Wanganui Is
Highly Exciting In Spots, Where the
Swaying Steamer Plunges Through
the Lines of Boiling Breakers.


Steamboating in New Zealand, to
Judge by Charles Edward Russell's ac-
Magazine, has in ii more excitement
than relaxation. 1t is more or less
nerve racking experience, not only for
the anxious passengers, but for the sea
soned steamboat men as well,
The swift water courses that come
down from the lofty backbone Of the
islands are full of rapids that can keep
the most skillful pilot on the anxious
seat until they have been successfully
run" This is the story or such an
achievement somewhere on the Wan
ganui river:
The captain, a sunburned and active
young Scot, stands at the great wheel
forward on the upper deck, whence he
can see bow and stern. Two stout
Maori youths sit ON the forecastle; two
hover above the rudder; all are armed
with long. iron shod poles that are to
be objects of your anxious concern be-
fore the voyage is done
The boat Is slipping smoothly along
the unrippled reach. You look up of a
sudden and catch your breath. The
rapid is directly in front of you, the
steamer is tearing into it, and how can
any vessel get through such a place?
Here goes the narrow stream. roaring
and singing past the rocks. You can
see the bottom everywhere. 1t looks
only an inch or two from the surface.
The whole thing pitches visibly down
ward. Beyond at lower level shines
the smooth, dark green surface Of the
next reach. The green and the silver
>are beautiful The singing of the wa
ter is music. but for these you care not,
for you see plainly that in another mo.
ment the boat. even now lurching sug-
gestively, will be rolled over like log,
and you will be grasping at some bowl
der in the flood
Meanwhile the captain spins the
wheel back and forth like squirrels
cage. with his gaze fixed intently upon
the water Just ahead, as If he read
through ii and scanned the stones be-
meath. The brown Maoris stand for
ward and aft, with their poles in their
hands
As the boat plunges into the first
line of boiling breakers the bow sinks
under you. the swift current catches
the stern and sings it sidewise. A
tremendous clatter arises. the boat ca
reens and shakes as if she were fall
ing apart, and you, standing on the up
per deck and neryously holding the
hand rail, give yourself mp for lost, for
the keel is already travelling on the
rocks and gravel of the bottom.
Now, then! Now, then" yells the
The Maoris put their strength
upon the poles. Just as the craft seems
sliding sidewise into the powders that
line her path she slips ont through the !
passage into the placid green and sill /
yer of the next reach, ana the captain. |
the Jingle bell. settles down
TO cup of tea, holding the wheel with 1
one hand You could not touch bottom /
here with the statue Of Liberty.
If can read men better than rapids
the Scot himself is not always sire 1
how he is coming out Of these taEgles. /
his quick. rasping orders TO
the Maoris have the ragged edge of
anxiety, and his manner of tearing
with hands and feet at the wheel in
1icates considerable concern. Once
i heard him mutter under his breath
the national slogan: II bae ma dooIs!
| haze ma doots"' as we shot into
abominable piece Of water.
The channel. no more than wide
,nough for the little hull. turned sharp
v at the bottom of the slide, and had
rather worse than doubts