STEAM YACHT SAIDE

Ramage & Ferguson, Leith, UK

14.02.1891 - Passed Goose Island.

14.02.1891 - When passing Cape Schank (Vic), Saide was struck by a heavy squall which lasted half an hour. At 23:30 she Hove to in Bass Strait off Port Phillip heads due to poor weather awaiting entry to the bay. The vessel was hove to until 4:30 p.m 16.02.1891 when she finally entered Port Phillip Bay.

30.05.1891 - Sailed Melbourne - The steam yacht Saide left Hobson's Ray on Saturday,the 30th May,with the owner (Mr. Chas. G. Millar) on board, and his guests, Messrs. Panton. Buzzard, and Wintle. There being no wind, the sea calm, and steam all ready, she glided away from her moorings without those below knowing she was moving.

Great was the surprise of Mr. Shillinglaw, who had come down to see us off, at finding himself half way between Williamstown and the West Channel light, too late to be landed at Williamstown as intended. However, he made the best of the inevitable, and entertained the company with the time old English sea songs and high-class tales for which he is so famous, and regrets were expressed on both sides when we had to part with him at Qneenscliff to ensure his reaching Melbourne on Monday morning.

We steamed through the Heads and steered for Emu Bay, Tasmania. A heavy sea was running through Bass's Strait, which checked the speed of our beautiful yacht, and caused us to slow down to ease the battering we other wise would have received from the water in its fury.

01.06.1891 - Arrived Emu Bay (Burnie) - At 8.30 a.m. we anchored in Emu Bay, under the guidance of Pilot Jones, and all on board were glad of the rest after the heavy night we had passed through. The township of Emu Bay is situated on flat land on top of a small hill, and looks very pretty from the bay, where there is a good anchorage for trading vessels, &c., and a good break water.

Our host chartered a special train to Mount Bischoff, 44 miles, and accompanied by Mr. Norton Smith, the manager of the Land and Railway Company, and Pilot Jones, we arrived in due time, after travelling through some good country, and going up-hill all the wav until 1,400ft, was reached. It was bright and clear (June 1), but so cold that the men on the mine were obliged to work in their coats. After we had inspected Mount Bischoff, which appears good for a great number of years, Zeehan and Dundas were pointed out to us over the distant mountains. Our P.M., who takes a great interest in minerals, was delighted with the mine. We understand there is to be a railway constructed from a point on the Bischoff line to Zeehan, which will be the making of these mines so far as getting supplies from and sending out bullion to the sea-board are concerned. The railway, if constructed, will open up an immense country, the possibilities of which it it is hard to prophesy. We would recommend Emu Bay (about 180 miles from Port Phillip Heads) as a very pleasant sea port town for invalids and families to spend the summer in.

27.06.1891 - Arrived Esperance from Largs Bay - At 6.45 next day anchor was weighed, and we steamed in stormy, weather at intervals, but mostly clear, to Port Esperance, where there is a first-class harbour, and dropped anchor at 10.30 p.m. Here we landed and dispatched telegrams, there being telegraph-office. Mr. Bostock, manager of the Esperance Sheep Station, received us very kindly, and suggested we should go duck shooting. We started next lmorning, riding to the lakes about five miles off, with a pack-horse to carry guns and luncheon. It was a beautiful, clear, pleasant morning, and we all enjoyed the ride, and an exhibition of good horsemanship by our host, who kindly gave his own saddle steed to Mr. Millar, riding himself a half-broken horse which buckjumped, and did its best to unship its rider. One of the lakes is very extensive, and surrounded with smaller ones. They are all salt, and swarming with duck and teal; we should say about 3,000 to 5,000. We had a good days outing, and returned about 7.

At Esperance Bay, about 20 yards from the edge of the undergrowth, there is erected a fence and headstone, the latter of slate, and engraved thereon at the head Boomerang, nulla nulla, spears, shield,&c, and the following words :- Erected by John and Alexander Forest in Memory of TOMMY WINDIGH. Born Near Mount Stirling. 1840; Died at Esperance Bay, 1878. He was an aboriginal native ot Western Australia of great intelligence and fldelity, who accompanied them on four exploring expeditions into the interior of Australia, two of which were from Perth to Adelaide. Be ye also ready.

Fishing with the line was indulged in next day. One of our party, Mr. Vine (son of Sir Somen Vine), took the portrait by photography of an aboriginal having six toes on each foot and six fingers on each hand. His sister has also six fingers and toes, but as she had just left the station, we could not take her photograph. The ancestors on the father's side were said to be likewise six-toed and six-fingered. When going on board on the evening of June 30, at about 5.30 p.m., we caught sight of a most beautiful meteor : the colours were extremely clear, and it travelled sufficiently slow for all in the boat to get a prolonged sight. Its course was about E.N.E., at an angle with the horizon of about 45deg. One and all gave it the palm for being the brightest and largest (it appeared about the size of a man's head) they had ever seen. The colours were like the rainbow, but many degrees brighter.

01.07.1891 - Sailed Esperance - At about 5.30 a.m., July 1, we weighed, and under canvas, with a fresh breeze, left Esperance with an addition to our passengers, Mrs. Bostock, wife of the manager, who had been waiting for our pilot to take her in his schooner to Albany, was invited by Mr. Millar to accompany us. We found her a good sailor, and she expressed her thanks to Mr. Millar, and appreciation of the comfort of the yacht as against the trading schooner, which is the only means of communication between Esperance and Albany. The archipelago of the Recherche is never visited by steamers from Albany to Adelaide and Melbourne, they all keeping outside of it. From our experience, and what we learnt from others, it is as well they do, as the rocks are very badly charted, and sometimes, we learn, not charted at all, so that moving at night would be very dangerous to any but those experienced in local navigation.

At noon we sailed into a gale and a heavy sea. Next evening, the wind being right ahead, steam was got up, and by 11 p.m. we were half a mile from Breaksea Light. When under steam we made only four miles and a half in four hours 40 minutes. This will show the force of the gale. At 12 o'clock the local pilot came on board, and took us into Princess Royal Harbour.

Arrived Albany - It was astonishing to all on board how steady the Saide was during such rough weather. The guests were playing cards in the smoking room on deck, and hardly felt the motion. Our lady passenger did not know anything unusual was occurring. The Saide is a grand yacht, and Mr. Miliar is to be congratulated on possessing such a fine and trustworthy vessel.

Albany has a fine harbour. The city looks neat, situated as it is on the side of a hill. Everyone looks happy here, and it appears to be a growing place, thanks to the Great Southern Railway Company and the Tor Bay saw-mills, now engaged clearing "karri" timber from Mr. C. G. Millar's 40,000 acres. The timber is very hard ; some consider it superior to jarrah for railway sleepers. Albany is provided with firewood from these mills. An immense quantity of sandalwood is stacked at Albany and all along the line of railway at intervals to Perth. This wood, we are given to understand, is worth about £8 per ton. There is a good opening for farmers to take up land on terms from the Great Southern Railway Company, some of which is suitable for cereals and other for tubers, &c. Lord Brassey is the owner of about 30,000 acres of agricultural land on this line.

A special train was arranged by our host to take as to Tor Bay, where we inspected the saw-mills and surrounding country. We rode to Mr. Stewart's, about four miles from the mills, staying there one night He owns a very superior house for one so far in the country. It is quite equal to and furnished as well and tastefully as any villa in the suburbs of Melbourne, and overlooks Tor Bay. The land is just being brought under cultivation, and altogether he should have a very good time. In the morning we rode into some karri country which is as yet untouched, and were surprised with the number of trees of good round trunks and of good height waiting future operations. Invitations to the Mayor of Perth's ball were sent by Mr. Keene to us, but unfortunately we could not accept. The people of Albany were very kind, and invitations to dinners, &c., poured in. We enjoyed the proffered hospitality as travellers in a strange land do when falling-as we did-among friends. We very much regretted not being able through shortness of notice (another engage ment being booked for that evening) to go to an "At Home" held by the Goverment Resident.

There are a great number of fish in Princess Royal Harbour, and we made two or three good hauls, and were glad to be able to send some to the residents and our entertainers, as they complain that though the fish are there, the supply to the town is small and irregular. One boy, we heard, earns with a rod and line about 30s. a week. Surely it would be worth the while of some of our enterprising Victorian fishermen making inquiries about this industry.

We were invited by Mr. Millar, who engaged a special train, to take a trip to Perth. Mr. Wright, the general secretary of the Great Southern Railway, kindly placed his saloon sleeping-car at our disposal, and the trip was very Interesting as we passed along the line, especially the Stirling Range, which with its rugged granite peaks looked very pretty in the distance with all the lonely tints of the rainbow surrounding it in a subdued form, and softened down by the clear atmosphere. Katanning, a station on this line where wild bush only could be found ulwut two years ago. now possess a flour-mill and an electrio light for the township; this is principally due to the enterprise of two brothers, and speaks wonders for the possi bilities of Western Australia if a little energy were put into the land. Thanks to Hie energetic secretory, we enjoyed a rattling I good lunch on the train. He, besides, told us any of good stories. On arriving at Perth we put up at the beat hotel. There is plenty of room for & modern first-class hotel. At Perth we were entertained by the mayor at bia private residence and enjoyed the hospitality much ; indeed, we had no reason to complain of this wherever we went. On returning to Albany Mr. Millar invited some friendB on board, and after luncheon we steamed down harbour to mfeet the in coming mail and for fishing, and so passed a pleasant day. Fishing with the net in Oyster Harbour was indulged in, and good hauls were obtained. At Oyster Harbour there ia a board erected over a spring near the shore l.y which the reader learns Vancouver kind*! and took in fresh water. We accepted this information as correct, but did not land to inspect. The ladies of Albany were great in their praises of the Saide. When the Oroya arrived from England we steamed down and paid a visit to Captain Stodart, who was pleased to see Mr. Millar, who had travelled with him on a previous occasion, and Bome of the Baide's guests met old friends returning to Australia. We leamt that our white ensign, which the Saide carries because she belongs to the Royal Yacht Squadron, puzzled the passengers ; they thinking we were one of the new ships of the Australian squadron.