Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2017 14:12:59 +0000 From: Vintage Speedoboy Subject: Stowaway on the Ticonderoga part 3. Stowaway on the Ticonderoga part 3 This is the third part of Stowaway on the Ticonderoga; Andrew is now on board the vessel despite a very close confrontation on the main deck with a detective and a peeler coming to arrest him just as the ship was about to sail. The ship's captain has only seconds to decide his fate and bluffs the detective. Now on a quest to deliver an important letter and facing a 3 month hazardous voyage, he has to survive the voyage to fulfill his destiny on a disease ridden ship sailing through some of the most dangerous seas in the world. Please enjoy the story & respect any copyright & historical content contained within. Please make a contribution to Nifty as after all we are all leaving a legacy for our future & don't forget to look in their shop window. Vintagespeedoboy. Readers please note. This part describes from contemporary accounts the dreadful conditions passengers suffered on their voyage. `Distance is only tamed, never conquered.' *Professor Geoffrey Blainey*, winner 1967 C Weikhardt award for Australian literature Voyage across the miles. Both Andrew & the ginger haired lad were led to their bunk by a seaman where they hung their cotton drawstring bags containing their clothing for their first month at sea, he tied his rolled up cape to his knapsack & left those with their utensils on the bunk situated in the forward end of the lower deck in the bows of the ship which is the single men's quarters and gloomily lit from the portholes. They were now free to walk around & explore the ship. Captain Boyle's bluff had saved his bacon, a bluff which Adrian hadn't called & he knew in his mind that he would have to recount his story to Captain Boyle whenever he is summoned to him. The Ticonderoga was under full sail as she left the Mersey estuary into a thunderstorm. Being an American vessel she was fitted with a Franklin lightning rod to protect the ship which earthed out the lightning current via long flat copper strips to the copper sheathing on the hull. Andrew was glad to be wearing his father's seaman's cape as he now stood on the main deck watching the thunderstorm as rain poured from the clouds remaining dry from where he previously watched the ship's odometer cable being thrown over the stern to record the passing of the miles. He walked around the ship gazing up at the sails straining in the strong salty breeze with her timbers creaking. From the bows he watched in awe at the formidable bow wave coming off the ship's cutwater when Jack came up to him giving him a nudge & saying in a jocular voice. "You'd be a very lucky boy today, I couldn't stop laughing at the way the captain sent the peelers packing, everyone on the ship's been talking about you, why were they looking for you?" "I escaped from a cotton mill with some help from very good people." "Ah be Jesus, you no want to be going back there now, Da's told me some horrible stories about them places, Andrew, you'd be having a story to tell your children one day now, I'm sure the family would like to hear it." A seaman came up to him & asked. "Andrew McDonald, the captain would like to see you now, please come this way." Jack said. "Oh be Jesus now, looks like he's going to tear a strip off you, you'd better be going to him now." The seaman led him to the ship's ward room, knocked on the door & said. "Captain, I have the McDonald boy with me." "Show him in please." Andrew entered the room to see Captain Boyle seated at a table with William Boyle, the ship's third mate & after their pleasant introductions, William asked. "Andrew, that's a very nice cape you have there." "Yes, it was given to me by my father sir." "And was it he who had you indentured to the cotton mill?" "Yes sir." "And where are your parents now?" "They're both locked up in the debtor's prison sir'" "And who is meeting you off the ship when it arrives?" "It's William Hodgkin's from Mayday Hills in Victoria sir." "I understand that you signed for & received the box containing Anthony MacDonald's luggage which was inspected, found to be of sufficiency & is stored in the ship's hold, how have you achieved this?" "Sir, the box was on the quay & his name kept being called, as he wasn't around to reclaim his box, I claimed it in his name sir." Captain Boyle asked. "Seeing as you're now on board my ship, would you care to tell me the real purpose of your passage?" "Sir, what I am about to do is for my parents who are locked up in the debtor's prison, I vowed to them & to almighty God to escape, sail to Australia with the purpose of finding gold to pay for the banker's cheque which will free my parents & secure them a first class passage on the SS Great Britain to Australia & I am carrying Mr. John Rushington's sealed letter of instruction addressed to Mr. O'Brien the advocate at Mayday Hills instructing him to complete the handover of his house." "Master Andrew, I am most impressed with your most honourable ambitions, would you please leave the room for a few minutes whilst I discuss this with the captain?" He left the room feeling like a boy summoned to the headmaster for 6 of the best, the minutes passed by interminably slowly, fear built up inside him of being thrown in the brig becoming a prisoner for the entire voyage, his eyes moistened as fear of the unknown racked through him, fear of receiving the cat o nine tails & fear of a keel hauling. Punishments at sea were far worse than those at schools when William asked him back into the ward room. Their gazes met & the captain quickly noticed that he was about to cry & opened his verdict with. "Master Andrew, I am not going to punish you for what you've done as it would serve no useful purpose & may upset the other passengers. I understand that the boy whose box you claimed died at sea, look at it this way, he lost his life so you may have a good chance at yours, therefore if you make good of your life then Anthony would not have died in vain," "My job is to ensure your safe arrival in Victoria in good health, unharmed & ready to take up your duties with your new employer which in your case is about honouring your obligations to your parents & Mr. Rushington which I fully intend to carry out; I wish you well for a happy & prosperous future & have a good passage." He stood up & shook the captain's hand as he became overwhelmed with relief with his eyes flooding with tears of joy as he politely stuttered out his thank you to the captain. He rejoined Jack at the bow who said. "Have a look at this, there must be hundreds of them," Andrew gazed down at the bow wave seeing the wonderful sight of dolphins swimming with the ship, leaping & racing the vessel. He became captivated at the sight uttering joyous yelps & whoo hoos at the sight he would remember for the rest of his life wishing both Jock & Trevor were on the ship to witness it. Word went round the passengers that the ship was doing 10 knots after checking their position & the odometer reading against the ship's chronometer. Perhaps the ship may yet set a record time for the voyage? American ships were certainly known to be faster than British ships. She rode the 3 foot waves easily with a pleasing motion & was certainly a worthy contender to challenge *the tyranny of distance*. The Ticonderoga sailed out of Liverpool bay into the Irish Sea. She took a south westerly course skirting the Welsh coastline, past Holyhead & the South Stack lighthouse on Anglesey as Andrew & some other passengers watched the last piece of the English mainland slip over the horizon forever. A country which had nurtured & nourished him for almost 14 years of life which has lush countryside of outstanding natural beauty. He fondly remembered her lush green pastures, woodlands, rivers & streams, quaint villages, shops, large country houses, churches &c & how industrialization was gradually changing the face of England with its expanding cities, factories, railways, canals, steam powered mechanized industrial & agricultural machinery &c which was the hub of an empire where the sun never sets & where he was leaving his childhood behind forever. The Ticonderoga sailed down St George's Channel, past southern Ireland right out into the Atlantic Ocean before finally heading due south. She was now out on her own miles from anywhere out on the high seas. He thought about William, the monitor who vehemently stuck up for him defending him from the brutal Mr. Hardwick & had his indentures terminated as a result. His lovingly written letter which he wrote to in reply informing him to meet him off the ship now weeks ahead of him in the bowels of another vessel & he knew in his own heart he would be there waiting to collect him & doubtless glad to see him again. Mayday Hills also meant gold, people were deserting their jobs all over the colony & thronging to the goldfields in their droves whilst overcrowded ships with eager gold seekers were embarking on their perilous voyages in the century's largest ever gold rush when his thoughts were disturbed by the sounding of the ship's bell for the last meal of the day. After completing his chores, Jack sought Andrew out & took him to his parents on the main deck where he spent the rest of the evening recounting his story up until lights out at 10 pm. Andrew finally crept into his bunk finding the youngster waiting for him in their bunk totally naked with a rock hard 5 inch cock; his hand grasped the boy's cock bringing a wry smile to his face with a sigh of approval & he began stroking it when he started humping into his hand, they began talking lover's & dirty talk in whispers as highly sensual feelings coursed through Andrew's body with his huge rock hard throbbing cock leaking his love juices & wetting his silk calecons short drawers straining against the silk as his foreskin peeled back by itself adding to his highly intense sensations on the head of his cock, he felt those wonderful feelings inside his breasts as they began filling up with his life nourishing elixir as his nipples hardened & began leaking. He guided the youngster's mouth onto a nipple & having tasted his sweet nourishing elixir he began sucking ravenously drinking the honey like liquid from each breast followed by Andrew sucking on his cock as 3 squirts of his watery spunk gushed into his mouth in seconds, the youngster then rolled over facing the ship's hull & fell fast asleep & unbeknown to both, the fruits from Andrew's breasts would one day save the boy's very life & soul. Andrew quietly slipped from his bunk, found the chamber pot & gave his huge cock a good wank emptying his balls in several long streaming gushes of spunk into the chamber pot then slipped back into bed with his after leakage further wetting his calecons. Andrew slept fitfully during his first night at sea as the rolling motion of the ship kept him awake until fatigue overcame him. The issue of night chamber pots became a godsend having quickly found out just how hazardous going to the toilet through the dimly lit lower deck was. Breakfast was either navy bread (Hard tack or ships biscuits which required soaking in liquid to soften) with a mug of tea, some mornings he was served oatmeal & molasses which he preferred instead of hard tack biscuits & was glad of the jar of smoked trout pate which was gone within a couple of days. Jack's father remarked to him about how the passengers were packed into the ship like sardines although he took comfort that Jack slept in a nearby bunk. During the following few days stewards rearranged the passengers into mess groups of 6 consisting of those of the same nationality and/or from the same or nearby counties as a way of keeping the peace & wherever possible they placed the same mess groups into nearby or adjacent bunks separating those likely to quarrel (usually over religion) at opposite ends of the deck. Mess captains were appointed who were issued with supplies at 2 pm each day with passengers having no say in the matter. This upheaval became a logistical nightmare as passengers began relocating from bunk to bunk & the ginger haired lad's loud vocal protests at first fell on deaf ears until he hugged Andrew in a vice like hug bawling & crying his eyes out until Andrew's quick thinking & his loud Scottish tenor boomed out. "You leave my younger brother alone, he's with me, now clear off!" Andrew's outburst ensured they remained in the same bunk & thankfully during their lover's talk in bed they gave each other's names & the ginger haired lad's name was Angus MacDonald. Main meals varied & consisted of either salt pork or beef, navy bread & pickles, pea soup, pudding made of suet, flour, raisins & water (as a meal, not a dessert), meat stew & reconstituted dried potatoes were rotated to add some variety & the evening meal was navy bread & hot tea. Whatever the ingredients were, they went into either a baking dish or pot ticketed with their mess number & taken to the galley by their mess captain who waited for it to be cooked until their number was called out. Only the ship's cooks were allowed in the galley & if their meal was pudding, that's what they had & the preparation usually had the single men stumped giving them little choice but to make some attempt at preparation. Thankfully 27 year old James Swan was Andrew's & Angus's mess captain who knew how to cook & supervised Andrew with mixing the ingredients baking the best pudding in the single men's quarters, others weren't so lucky as their resulting gooey mess upset them to the extent they argued & even fought over it. The ship's bell soon became a familiar sound marking out the daily shipboard routines ringing out wake up times, meal times & lights out. Passengers did their daily chores as they had done at the depot. Single men swept the decks, the ladders, the hospitals & refilled the water closets on the upper deck with seawater before breakfast. After each meal they dry hollow stoned the decks & kept the water closet tanks full of sea water & if time permitted, they were expected to assist the crew with the running of the ship which Andrew viewed as working his passage. All the washing was done with salt water by the women who washed clothes, linen & nappies on the upper deck & dried it on the ship's rigging. Washing of clothes or washing down tables & bunks wasn't permitted on passenger decks which already had water leaking down through the hatches during rain storms & the passengers didn't want to exacerbate the problem. The bunk mattresses were stuffed with bed straw which rotted & stank if they got damp. Twice a week weather permitting, all the passengers had to take their bedding onto the upper deck to be shaken & aired & whilst airing they had to scrape the bottom boards of their bunks. There were a number of reasons as to why the air down below wasn't fresh with minimal standards of personal hygiene being one. The ship was sailing towards the tropics & the hotter it got, the stronger the body odours became, the oil lamps used at night burned whale oil which gave off it own distinctive stench. There were 15 babies & 25 one year old toddlers on board, they cry a lot, bring up smelly vomit & fill nappies. The hatches are battened down at night & people were getting seasick. Some had diarrhoea brought on by being unaccustomed to the food on the ship & then there's the rats. The Ticonderoga, like any other ship kept a number of ship's cats on board, cats have traveled on ships for centuries as crew mascots & for rodent control although it was inevitable that rats came on board with the cargo & provisions & in spite of constant fumigation & the work of the ship's cats (Which of course produce their own share of waste products), the rats thrived in the hold. As fast as they were caught, they were either eaten or thrown overboard. More were born in some secluded part of the ship & when the sailors opened the hatches the following morning; they reeled back from the appalling stench coming from below. With over 800 souls on board the overcrowded ship the best times for sex would be when all the single men were working at their ships chores & usually the best place was either in a bunk which was curtained off provided both parties remained silent or under a ship's lifeboat cover at night. Jack hit on Andrew early on during the voyage & planted his cock into Andrew's boy pussy hole on several occasions, to do this they had to lie on their sides & turn around to reciprocate the service. They thought the best place was right down inside the ship's hold which stank to high heaven & was dimly lit by oil lamps otherwise it would be totally dark, so much so that no one could see a thing which was not without its hazards owing to rats on board & the cats weren't exactly friendly either as anyone who tried picking one up or stroking it very quickly found out. Andrew once encountered the battle scarred grey tom cat whose demonic growling & paw slashing was a warning to keep his distance. This cat probably crept on board unseen as now both Jack & Andrew also saw young kittens scurrying around & playing. Their adventure to the ship's hold turned out to be their last one. Jock & Trevor walked with sullen faces saddened by Andrew's departure which hit Trevor like a cannon shot. Theirs were idyllic days together with a bonding of a friendship so strong it was tearing the very fabric of the youth apart. Back in Manchester, Trevor did have some friends who were all street urchins who lived by their wits, although Trevor had a good grounding with this lifestyle, he was lucky to not get caught by the peelers. They came to a stationer's shop where Jock entered & gazed at the shop's wares, a card displaying a nativity scene was prominently displayed with a number of others as the proprietor was aware that sales at this time of year were good for the Christmas mail to the furthest reaches of the empire. It was a beautiful printed card in colour, a testament to the skills of modern printing processes, a work of art in miniature; he took a card with its envelope to the counter asking for a sheet of writing paper as well. They sat on a bench & Jock lovingly wrote the greeting with his pocket pen on the card which they both signed then waited for the ink to dry; they discussed the letter's contents before finally deciding its content. Jock patiently wrote the letter which they both signed, waited for the ink to dry then Jock finally sealed the envelope & addressed it to Andrew at Mayday Hills, took it to a post office, paid for the stamp & finally passed it over the counter. Their loving thoughts together with a printed article of great beauty were starting out on its journey to Andrew. The Ticonderoga sailed south in the mid Atlantic ocean towards the tropics. The ship's schoolmaster was selected from amongst the passengers to conduct classes for children in the 3 R's (reading, writing & arithmetic) adults could join them as it gave them a rudimentary knowledge which became advantageous to them as they were able to sign documents rather than make their mark. After lessons the children were free to explore the ship which became a great adventure, so far. Each Sunday, Presbyterian sexton Mr. Charles McKay conducted religious services in Gaelic for Scottish Presbyterians. Mrs. Isabella Renshaw became the women's matron who daily inspected her charges to ensure they were clean & neatly presented & supervised their cleaning duties. After breakfast each day they alternated between bible study & writing & arithmetic which were presided over by those with more advanced skills. During the afternoons the young ladies were taught needlework mainly sewing shirts & Sundays for them were devoted to religious improvement. No male person was allowed into the single women's quarters after dark except the surgeons in the course of their duties who were accompanied by the matron who held the key & locked them in at night to prevent them sneaking out to the crew's quarters. After 8 days at sea, a baby died of malnutrition followed 2 days later by a 4 year old from the same cause, several babies & young children died that month from pneumonia, diarrhoea & malnutrition then on August 23rd 16 year old Anna Marie Hando from Somerset who came on board with her family died from what Doctor Sanger listed as fever. Andrew saw that his nightmarish dreams, premonitions & visions were about to come true especially as there is nothing more sad & lonely than a burial at sea. The grieving family together with other passengers watched the teenager's body being sewn into sailcloth & weighed down by iron carried to the upper deck & placed onto a board. There is a poignant tolling of the ship's bell as the captain & a clergyman read out the burial service ending with. "We therefore commit her body to the deep." The board is lifted & the body falls into the sea whilst the ship sails on leaving a terrible emptiness behind, no grave to visit, no walking away, there is only the ship on the vastness of the ocean. It was during that month the ship sailed to mid Atlantic & south towards the equator & the doldrums, a region of relative calm where it's hot & humid. The ship's progress was slow, there were thunderstorms almost every evening & hatches had to be battened down. In these conditions the passengers down below were sweltering & both Andrew & Angus were fighting a losing battle despite their daily washing & changing of clothes each morning only to have them rapidly soaked in sweat. Each night they only slept in their sweat soaked drawers just to maintain some modesty without their blankets owing to the heat & humidity for a few days when they began washing themselves during the evening wearing only another pair kindly made from discarded shirts by one of the women with shortened legs resembling a modern day pair of drawstring school P E shorts which they washed every morning who also made a pair for Angus. At the end of that month 800 boxes were brought up from the ship's hold creating an absolute logistical nightmare only to be repeated a month later causing chaos on the decks; this was the first of the passengers changes of clothes, Both Andrew & Angus wore only their short drawers walking barefoot on the ship with the fiery heat of the sun bearing down on them carrying their bundles of freshly washed & dried clothes which had dried out quickly in the fierce sun. It was make or break time, would Anthony's clothes fit? He was a well built strong healthy lad who could walk all day on the Scottish moors & run up & down hills like a rabbit. He carried & handled his father's French musket with ease despite the weapon tipping the scales at 10 pounds & he could reload it in 20 seconds. Andrew was well advanced into his growth spurt despite being of a lighter build than him giving him the advantage of lighter weight & becoming a very fast runner of athletic standards, an excellent football player & a very strong swimmer at his school. During those days he lived & breathed sports, memories now left behind as he watched the English coastline disappear over the horizon forever. He opened the box & replaced clothing like for like, Anthony's shoes were a size larger becoming an immediate disappointment although he could wear 2 pairs of socks until his feet grew into the shoes, his shirts & socks were a loose fit but his trousers & drawers fitted nicely. The contents of the box had remained dry although the tent pins were starting to rust. He welcomed the change of clothes yet there was a poignancy in wearing them, they were the clothes of a dead boy, one whose life was taken by the sea, who died for his place on the ship. This became a very high expectation of him to live up to, he had to resolve to make good of his life & lead a productive one, whether it be for the good of a business or his own endeavour's, he resolved to maintain his good character, to carry the family name forward & he was not about to let the boy's spirit down. He prayed hard in church that day for his life to be spared on the high seas receiving the blessing & holy communion, now his religious convictions would require him to step up to the mark as he closed the box. On the 4th of September, The Ticonderoga reached 8 degrees north of the equator when she hailed the Lima out of Melbourne bound for London with a cargo of wool & one passenger. The ship was about to enter the doldrums where the fiery heat of the sun heats up the atmosphere causing low pressure, where ships could be becalmed for days if not weeks & where frequent spectacularly violent thunderstorms occurred. It was during one such day that the ship with hardly any wind hove to & the captain gave the order `Hands to bathe' (otherwise known as swim call). The tradition of mariners swimming off ships is centuries old, lookouts were posted, a lifeboat was launched armed with muskets & harpoons, 2 of the ship's officers each drew a brand new Christian Sharps breech loading rifle with paper cartridge ammunition & took up station at both ends of the ship whilst other seamen drew muskets, these precautions were necessary owing to the presence of sharks. Andrew stood on the starboard deck rail of the ship wearing his short drawers & executed a perfect dive covered in sweat into the warm sea which felt like a tropical lagoon where even strong swimmers can become enervated. He surfaced uttering a loud yelp of joy & started swimming his neat breast stroke which was certainly noticed by Captain Boyle who remarked to the third mate. "The boy swims very well indeed, just look at his style." "He's definitely been taught well, I would say he's been to a very good school, I think in time he could make an excellent midshipman." "You may be right, he strikes me as being well educated, he's very polite & handsome looking, you're looking at a young man with a lot of potential." Andrew lay floating in the water with only a few of the ship's crew around him & the lifeboat some distance away, there was only the endless ocean as flat as a millpond & the ship, the sea bottom was at least a mile below & he was becoming the cleanest he's ever been for a while. It was up in the crows nest that a lookout thought he spotted a dark shape in the water some distance away from the ship's stern. By now Andrew had drifted about 200 yards from the vessel, the lookout saw the dark shape again when the dorsal fin broke the surface & he bellowed out. "Shark!" whilst pointing & the ship's bell rang out furiously in alarm. Pandemonium broke out on deck, a musket shot rang out from the crows nest with the musket ball splashing several feet from the shark. Most of the seamen were swimming only a few yards from the ship & clambered back on board. 2 more musket shots rang out & splashed within feet of the shark. 2 crewmen frantically carried the huge heavy barreled 4 bore flintlock wall gun tipping the scales at over 50 pounds to the stern rail, frantically loaded it & mounted the monstrous musket onto the stern rail when one of the men took aim & fired. A deafening thunderous cannon like report with a huge cloud of sulphurous smoke erupted from its 6 foot long 1.052 inch bore barrel with a violent recoil, the 4 ounce patched ball roared through the air to splash a few yards short, bounced over the shark & across the sea into the distance. The lifeboat was racing towards Andrew who saw the dorsal fin racing towards him & screamed for help. The seaman on the bows of the lifeboat fired a musket sending a musket ball crashing through the dorsal fin, more musket fire rang out & another musket ball hit the shark's tail. Andrew's swimming strokes were faltering in his panic to swim to the lifeboat as fear racked through him whilst screaming for help. By now the third mate had set the range on the sights of the Sharps rifle taking careful aim in front of the shark now closing in for the kill & fired shortly followed by the second rifle being fired. Andrew heard 2 loud cracks as the .52 inch caliber bullets passed within yards of him & smashed into the shark's head stopping it dead in the water some yards from him in a pool of blood followed by a harpoon being thrown into the shark & seconds later powerful arms lifted the loudly crying boy into the lifeboat & rowed slowly back to the ship. The experience had frightened the life out of him & no sooner was he back on board. John Fanning from Londonderry in Ireland & his 16 year old son Patrick were both on the main deck watching the drama unfold & Patrick kindly stepped in to hug & comfort him whilst he cried his eyes out shortly followed by Jack bringing him a mug of rum water (grog) asking him to drink it slowly. Although the beverage was watered down, the warming alcohol began coursing through his veins making him light headed & calming him although the real purpose of adding rum to water is to kill the taste of water which has become infected with bacteria or algae (gone bad). A warming breeze began to fill the sails & the Ticonderoga gently sailed on leaving only the calm open sea and the ship as witness to the drama played out with all traces gone & another story added to the lexicon of stories of the sea. During the month of September whilst the ship sailed south, the death toll rose with a 4 year old boy dying of scarlet fever on the 4th with a woman & 2 women committing suicide 5 days later followed by the deaths of more babies & small children with 2 more single women & 2 adults from fever. The ship had completed more than half her journey by this stage with the crew having brought out their boxes from the hold for their second change of clothes. As the ship sailed south leaving behind the fiery heat of the tropics past Africa & headed east possibly less than 1,000 miles from Antarctica. The ship was in mountainous seas with waves as high as 50 feet mainly from behind owing to the direction of the prevailing winds which blew eastwards. Storm after storm overtook the ship with howling winds with blinding sleet, snow or driving rain. The ship faced danger from huge mountainous icebergs much larger than those in the arctic with some towering hundreds of feet above the waves & deadly ship killers especially in the frequent dense fogs which occurred in the southern oceans when the wind dropped & the sea became calm when those on watch listened continually for either creaking icebergs or the sea washing over submerged ice. A full blow epidemic had broken out on the ship with several people dying each day with Angus falling ill & taken to the male hospital under the care of Doctor Veitch & John Fanning, as the infection took hold Angus started vomiting & was unable to hold down his food or drink with Andrew praying for a miracle & summoning Charles McKay to give him the blessing, he removed his St Christopher from around his neck & placed it on Angus to wear. Angus was already weakening from malnourishment & vomiting when Andrew's breasts began filling up with his life saving milk & bulging out his clothes, his breasts began aching when he asked for Angus's bed space to be curtained off. He lay down beside him with exposed breasts & guided his head up to a breast for his mouth to latch onto. At first he wouldn't suck & Andrew kept coaxing him & even tried squeezing a breast forcing some of his precious milk into his mouth when he felt the satisfying sensations of him drawing out his life saving elixir containing those tiniest organisms created by God to fight disease. The next 3 days saw Angus drifting in & out of consciousness & it was during his conscious moments he was able to feed him some more of his elixir, but this was taking a toll on Andrew's body which could only be maintained by good food when he called Doctor Sanger to explain his situation explaining to him about his breasts & showed them to him. Doctor Sanger, like any doctor was highly educated yet he gazed in astonishment at Andrew's breasts & having read the medical literature he knew he was looking at a rare event although not unheard of & to him he was witnessing a miracle. Respecting patient confidentiality he would certainly be keeping this a secret, he knew he had to ensure Andrew had a few good meals inside him otherwise his milk supply would expire with his last efforts to produce more seriously weakening him. With routines having broken down, hatches kept battened down & food no longer being cooked with passengers eating weevil infested biscuits & drinking foul water morning, noon & night & the ship's medicine chest became exhausted of all supplies. It became a Herculean task to find the last of the raisins, some oatmeal, grind up some ship's biscuits to powder & reject the weevils yet there was still a good supply of molasses left to make Andrew the necessary meals to maintain his milk supply. Within days Angus's fever had broke & now it became his turn to eat a mixture of oatmeal, powdered biscuits, raisins & molasses with warm milk heated over a candle in a small medical dish to build up his strength. He visualized the dish as being 10 times better than the orphanage he came from, rescued from there by his elderly grandfather whose last deed was to have him placed onto a migrant ship in the hope of a better life whose life very nearly expired on board with his body being ignominiously fed to the sharks as this was what was now happening to those who died, the dead were sewn up & thrown overboard whenever conditions permitted, only to float away whilst relatives watched the sharks eat their bodies & babies were thrown overboard at night to spare parents further anguish. Both Andrew & Angus left the male hospital to the reality of the ship in stormy waters with passengers becoming demented at the intolerable conditions on board the constantly rolling ship despite the captain shortening sails to make the journey more comfortable, people became unwashed & crawling with lice despite futile efforts to clean themselves with their blankets also becoming infested & the crew's clothes became constantly soaked with no spare changes of dry clothes in the freezing conditions. Captain Boyle anticipated the horrendous voyage across the southern oceans to take about a month which is the normal time most clipper ships took, he cared about his passengers & done everything within his powers to ensure their comfort, he regularly inspected the ship & tasked those remaining able to make some attempt at cleanliness. No one really had any idea how cold it got in the southern oceans, with families huddling together for warmth & to keep from being battered around in the rolling ship with Andrew & Angus both huddled together under blankets in their bunk. Even the most experienced sailors despite being warned about the terrifying conditions in the southern oceans hadn't grasped how bad they could really be with the month of October being likened to hell not being worse than on board the ship A cry of land ahoy rang out from the crows nest as a light flashed in the darkness, a 3 second light, darkness & another 3 second light. The Cape Otway lighthouse became a beacon of hope & relief flooded the thoroughly exhausted captain's mind until the overpowering stench & the constant cries from the demented brought him back to reality whilst his brother, the third mate lay dying in a coma & the ship finally set course for Port Phillip heads to finally hove to at dawn hoisting flags requesting a pilot 90 days out of Birkenhead. It was the first day of November 1852, they were met by the pilot cutter Ranger skippered by Captain Henry Draper & hopefully an end to all their suffering lay in sight as the Ticonderoga was guided through the heads to Shortland's Bluff. Both Angus & Andrew cried loudly from the deck rail of the ship beside the same cannon Andrew had waved farewell to both Jock & Trevor, their tears falling into the sea at the sight of land which was to become their new home. Quarantine. The Ticonderoga lay at anchor at Shortland's Bluff left by the pilot who sailed on to notify the harbourmaster in Melbourne that a large ship was in trouble flying the yellow flag of quarantine & their salvation would come slowly. Normally when a ship finally arrives, expectant passengers would crowd around watching their arrival with eager faces at their new home. This was not the case with the Ticonderoga as she appeared to be empty, like a ghost ship finally coming home after years at sea. Those passengers well enough to know what was going on became dismayed at seeing the pilot boat leave their ship behind. All the passengers could see on the cliff were a lighthouse with attached keepers' quarters, a collection of huts & tents close by & a homestead in the distance. There were very little signs of life let alone any possibility of aid leaving everyone in growing doubt & anxiety as they stayed there the following day, dismay turned to horror on the third day when the ship sailed across the heads to an even more god forsaken looking place & dropped anchor a few hundred yards off shore from Patrick Sullivan's lime burner's cottage at Abraham's bosom. The only signs of habitation were 3 tiny cottages close to shore, sand dunes as far as the eye could see covered with dense vegetation & miles of empty beaches. News spread like wildfire throughout the ship that they were about to be quarantined near a deserted beach leaving everyone feeling abandoned & having been brought to their knees & yet despite this 7 babies were born on board. Andrew gazed at the beach which looked tantalizingly near knowing he could just dive into the sea & swim the quarter of a mile to the beach yet the day he told a ship's steward to clear off & leave his brother alone had sealed a bonding pact between them & he also knew Angus couldn't swim having remained on board during swim call. Andrew's keen eyes surveyed the beach for he knew that's where they'll be taken. Those chapters of `The night walker' played through his mind & he knew they both had to erect their shelter well away from any source of disease which was brought onto the beach from the ship which meant them staying some distance from the main camp. With the sea now close by they could finally wash their clothes & blankets leaving themselves & their clothes immersed long enough to kill off any lice which his father instilled into him which would have to be done daily. The sea also held its bounty yet all he had was a hand line & a few lures which offered a good chance of catching fish although it required local knowledge to identify them although he knew from an American seaman's tales about the pink fish which can grow up to 3 feet in length which make tasty meals called snapper. Angus felt safe with Andrew as he carried with him a certain confidence reminding him of those hunters in his native Scottish highlands, of one who he remembers digging himself deep into snow during a blizzard to finally come out of his lair when the weather cleared, there was something about Andrew which he summed up in his young mind. He was a survivor. Andrew noticed that Angus hardly ever read any books on the voyage which bothered him somewhat thinking perhaps he wasn't taught to read, he closely questioned him & asked him to read a passage from the Night walker book noticing he was struggling, until he asked him the question. "Tell me, what can you see?" Angus replied. "The writing is not clear, my grandfather told me there's something wrong with my eyes." Pointing to the ship, Andrew asked. How clearly can you see the ship?" "It's very clear & so is the sea, I can see the waves perfectly." "What about the cottages," "I can see them fine." "Listen Angus, I must take you to the doctor who will test your eyesight as I think you will need to wear a pair of eyeglasses." Andrew sought out Doctor Veitch who was exhausted from the voyage as was Doctor Sanger, fortunately John Fanning stepped in as he had the necessary experience to conduct the test & fortunately there was a printed eye chart on board the Ticonderoga. John set to mounting the chart on a board & at the appointed time both lads were taken to the ship on a lifeboat where John conducted the test on the main deck of the ship in brilliant sunshine, as he took Angus through the test he very quickly determined what Andrew already knew, Angus was long sighted. The hunt was on amongst the surviving relatives of the deceased who wore glasses which proved to be a sensitive subject yet John's kind hearted demeanour prevailed when he sent for Angus 2 days later having managed to beg 4 pairs of eyeglasses for Angus to try out. Angus put the first pair on & struggled with the eye chart on the board, the second & third pairs were only marginally better. Andrew waited with baited breath as he tried on the fourth & last pair. As Angus looked at the board he read out the letters perfectly, John pointed randomly to each letter with a wand which Angus also read out, it was like watching a miracle as he confidently read out each letter correctly. John had one final test for Angus when he produced a bible; he opened it passing it to Angus saying. "Can you please read to me a passage from the bible?" Angus held the open book & read out with perfect Scottish accented diction from Genesis chapter 6 where God gave instructions to Noah to build an ark to a rapturous congratulation from both John & Andrew bringing a joyous expression to Angus, but it was more than that, the printed word was now clear to him, he could now read the classic books, newspapers, handbills &c as well as writing more clearly thereby opening up his right to a good education, to clearly see coins & whatever else he now held in his hands. The eye glasses also fitted his face perfectly, a testament to a jeweler's craft skills for the blued steel frames held 2 perfectly round precision ground crystal glass lenses which became his prized possession which he could pocket inside its velvet lined case & there were no words which could express the thanks which poured out from Angus's heart as tears of joy came to his eyes. Those able bodied brought out spars & sails from the ship to construct a shelter against the fence about a quarter of a mile from the beach then began the slow process of bringing people out onto the beach, some of them were so weak they could barely crawl. Andrew & Angus worked with them initially erecting their shelters having honed his skills for shelter erection whilst Angus walked to the cottages to locate their water supply for Andrew knew the importance of clean water which Jock instilled into him which is also mentioned in his book then worked with James Swan liberating cooking vessels &c from the ship, starting a fire & making the largest amount of tea in his entire life becoming his calling for the duration of his time in quarantine. Their next visit to the ship saw him bringing his knapsack whilst Angus brought their blankets & Andrew sat at the lifeboat's stern & paid out the line with a spoon lure attached when one of the crew said. "Jerk the line boy." He gave the line frequent jerks as the boat was slowly rowed to shore when suddenly he felt a powerful tug on the line jerking his hand to set the hook entering a contest with a large powerful fish. The crew picked up the pace preventing the fish reaching the bottom & no sooner was the boat beached men jumped out assisting him in hauling in the violently struggling pink red fish about two & a half feet long to the beach when a crewman ended its life with a hard blow to its head. Andrew became so overjoyed at catching what he learned was a red snapper that he walked straight to the captain to show him his catch asking him to have it cooked for the sick which he was glad to arrange. They both washed their blankets & bolster blankets in the sea long enough to kill all the lice leaving them to dry on the fence then erected his tarpaulin shelter with his sailor's cape away from the main camp using pieces of torn sail as their ground cloth & to block off their openings making a fully enclosed tent & finally pinning their dried blankets together into a double bed configuration covered by their bolster blankets. Not only would they be assured of a good nights undisturbed sleep, they would also have sex to their hearts content in the privacy of their shelter at night. Having finally erected their shelter & laid out their bedding, they had some free time & with the calm sea looking inviting they both donned their short drawers & walked waist high into the sea for the first of Angus's swimming lessons. Andrew took him through the same practices taught to him by his father until he managed to swim a few strokes when James called them to assist with the kitchen for the main meal of the day, fortunately the warm sun would quickly dry off their short drawers on their persons the sight of which the rest of the passengers became used to as that's all they chose to wear remaining shirtless for most of their time in quarantine during the day. Both lads were busy ladling out the freshly cooked stew made from dried beef, reconstituted dried potatoes, dried peas & the first of the fresh vegetables to arrive. During the coming days more fresh meat, eggs & produce would arrive & now the passengers could once again eat freshly cooked meals & drink tea made from fresh clean water. During the first day the able bodied also managed to bring about 40 people ashore, some of them were so weak they could barely crawl to their shelter. Another ship arrived named the Lysander; carpenters were summoned from both able bodied passengers & the ship's crew to fit the vessel out as a hospital ship which took the most seriously ill cases on board shortly followed by a government schooner named the Empire bringing the first fresh food, a well stocked medicine chest & Doctor Taylor who came ashore & shot a wild bullock for meat then organized the construction of a bullock pen. Help had arrived, albeit slowly & yet people were still dying. Doctor Taylor had the quarantine area marked out followed by a contingent of constables arriving to reinforce the quarantine area which in effect opened the new quarantine station although some of the able bodied had already left for the goldfields leaving those able bodied wondering if they were ever going to leave this god forsaken beach. Angus had one attribute which proved a godsend, whenever he wasn't working he would often cadge rides out to the vessels begging for odds & ends, after the darkness of their first night in the shelter he brought back a number of candle stubs to illuminate the shelter's interior at night, he also brought back small quantities of tea, molasses & fresh ship's biscuits thereby enabling them to have a late night snack & tea before finally bedding down giving Andrew's military mess kit its first baptism of fire in Australia & helping them build up their strength. Both lads were becoming inseparable with the passing of the days forging a close loving bond stronger than a pair of brothers & being a year older it fell on Andrew to protect him knowing that he would be wearing eye glasses for the rest of his life. His mind was already formulating their plan once they arrived at Mayday Hills. They would search for gold not only for his parents for he wanted above all else for Angus to have a proper English education leading to a university placement & the professions, to do what's right by him & his forebears. Angus's grandfather had taken a terrible risk sending him here although it was the only choice he had as ill health was about to finally consume him, although destitute after their eviction he only had enough money saved for one passage but not his for he knew he wouldn't last the voyage. It was a tearful send off from Glasgow knowing his mortal self would never see him again as he finally watched the packet boat leave, he prayed hard for God to take care of him yet from within his soul his hatred of mans inhumanity to man poured out with his cries & tears which fell onto the quay, his pride gone for ever, a broken man who's purpose in life's now gone & could only gladly await the final peace & rest his death would bring. Whilst snuggled up together in their bedclothes talking lover's talk between them in the darkness of their shelter lit only by a single candle when suddenly an icy blast of wind blew into the shelter dislodging the canvas sailcloth which covered their entrance & extinguishing the candle, it was but a brief occurrence lasting but a couple of seconds but to Angus it was a sign that his beloved grandfather's life had finally expired. It was blood money which bought his passage some of which were the proceeds of his father who brought casks of smuggled French brandy from fishing boats by night into Glasgow for sale to the rich which contributed greatly to his passage until he was caught by the excise men & sentenced to be transported. They watched him bound in chains taken on board the ship leaving these shores forever & afterwards his mother died of a broken heart leaving him in the care of his elderly grandfather at his highland croft. These were wrongs which could not be righted which became deeply ingrained into his character. Now it was their love for each other which would prevail as Andrew lovingly caressed & sucked his cock to a shattering climax before sleep finally overcame them. Another large ship arrived & anchored off the beach, it was the Government ship `Sir Harry Smith' from Melbourne bringing more sails, medicines & supplies, Andrew had already wrote his letter out to Bill at Mayday Hills wanting it posted & Angus managed to cadge another ride on a lifeboat with some of Andrew's money & politely boarded this ship giving a salute the moment he stood on the main deck thereby impressing her captain. Within moments he sought him out passing him the letter with 2 pennies asking for it to be posted. Andrew's letter was about to start out on its journey to Mayday Hills about 240 miles away which will travel from Melbourne in the saddlebags of a packhorse mail rider taking the first route to Wangaratta before the final 23 miles with a climb into the high country to almost 2000 feet above sea level. Meanwhile 12 large 10 man tents originally consigned for the government were brought out from the Ticonderoga's hold & erected on the beach, the lime burners were moved out from their cottages & Doctor Taylor having discovered a number of stonemasons on board the Ticonderoga put them to work at erecting a hospital building paying them 5 shillings a day, this kept them usefully employed otherwise they would only wander around in idleness. Bill sat inside the Mayday Hills hotel with a glass of beer at a table & a sandwich looking out for Danielle, a 16 year old pistol packing packhorse mail rider with long flowing blond hair who's his girl. She rode into town with her usual air of confidence stopping outside the general store, dismounting & checking in her mail carrying saddlebags. Despite her youth, she packed a deadly punch with both her Colt navy .36 inch caliber cap & ball revolvers, a 4 bore musketoon naval short barreled blunderbuss blasting out a deadly hail of size 000 .36 inch buckshot & as a last resort her cap & ball .36 inch caliber derringer holstered inside her shirt & a dagger sheathed inside her right boot. Danielle packed serious firepower & her weapons were chosen by her father who insisted they all fired the same size shot, a good choice as both her paper cartridge ammunition suited both her revolvers & her derringer plus they all fired commonly available buckshot. She joined Bill at his table followed by the bartender bringing out her beer with her cooked roast dinner. They discussed the week's events when she produced his letter sent by Andrew from the Ticonderoga at Abraham's bosoms beach. Danielle took out her dagger & neatly opened the letter, as he read through it he became tearful, passing her the letter he said. "He's the boy I defended at the cotton mill last year from a brutal birching which cost me my position, I really owe it to him to go & collect them as he's now accompanied by another boy, either we'll need 2 spare horses or we'll have to charter a buggy." Danielle replied. "Leave it with me; I know where there is one." They walked to Reid's creek where Bill panned for gold with Danielle leading her horse, a 2 year old brumby black maned chestnut mare brought for her by her father from a farm about 5 miles away, their eldest son had a sideline catching baroombies, a name given by the aboriginals for wild horses later known as brumbies. A natural dam with a waterfall into a large pool of clear water about 10 foot deep made this place a beautiful popular swimming hole where he likes to swim & pitched his tent nearby under the shade of a few gum trees. They were both used to each others nudity which their skinnydipping assisted with any of their hang ups about their modesty finally fading away, they already had the makings of a married couple whose marriage would last their entire lifetimes & Bill already had his sights set high. Gold would buy him his medical student's education to become a doctor. Right in the corner of his tent lay part of his buried stash amounting to his small change, he dug out the small leather purse & pocketed it then set out to the O, Leary's property a few miles away. 18 year old Tom O, Leary, the farm's powerfully built eldest son greeted them on arrival to sit at a shaded table in front of their house whilst his father brought out their beers. They discussed their deal for a recently repaired lightweight buggy which Tom has already advertised for sale, Danielle wanted one last task from Tom, she wanted the buggy converted for 2 horses aware of the huge distance they would be covering supplied with 2 horses making their work a lot easier then placed the gold on the table. Tom's father weighed the gold whilst consulting his almanac leaving Bill with three quarters inside his purse, the deal was done & the buggy was ready 3 days later when they both started out for Melbourne with Danielle's horse carrying the returning mail whilst Bill carried his cherished letter from Andrew & Jock inside his shoulder bag. The days passed into weeks with the already hot sunny days becoming longer until the southern summer solstice in December when halfway through that month the buggy drew up at the quarantine boundary stopped by a constable saying. "This is a place of quarantine; who are you & what is your business here?" "William Hodgkin's & this is my girl, as you can see she's a mail rider who's brought the mail for Andrew MacDonald." The constable asked. "What does he look like?" "He's a Scottish lad with long blond hair about 13 or 14 with his ginger haired younger brother." "I know who you mean; they're over there with the cook by the fire." Both lads were cutting & dicing vegetables for the stew when Andrew's gaze fell on the mounted girl wearing a wide brimmed hat & the buggy with its driver talking to the constable, there was a familiarity about the handsome young driver which he couldn't determine when James interrupted him asking. "Andrew my laddie, you look like you've seen a ghost, what is it." "See that lady on the horse with that buggy, I wonder who could it be?" "That my laddie must be someone important, probably from the government." Suddenly the driver stood up removing his hat waving his arm shouting. "Andrew, over here, it's Bill, We've come to see you." `Bill! You've answered my letter,' came as a vivid thought into Andrew's head when he took off like a rabbit scared by a gun's report with his emotions erupting like a powder keg with the outpouring of the demented souls who perished coming out with his tears & cries bawling & crying loudly hugging him tightly bawling out. "Bill, so many people died on that ship, all the dead were thrown into the sea & eaten by sharks, the ship stank to high heaven, people were sick everywhere, we couldn't wash & everyone was crawling with lice, there were rats everywhere & the whole ship became like a sewer, the food was rotten, the water went bad & Angus very nearly died in my arms why, in god's name why, why, why?" Bill asked. "He's my friend who's deeply affected by whatever's happened on that ship, please leave us alone so we can comfort him," when Danielle shouted beckoning with her arm. "Angus, come here right now." Angus ran to them as she dismounted when he tearfully hugged her hard & started crying bawling out. "He's been my saviour who stood by me through all the bad times; please don't take him away from me." Danielle replied in a very kind voice. "We've come to collect you both & we'll stay here waiting for both of you until the doctors' pronounce you both fit to leave." "Oh thank god, I don't know what I'll do if we became parted," "See those trees over there, that's where we'll make camp & wait for you." They returned to James who knew better than to scold them continuing with their tasks then joining the party gathering more wood to keep the fires going with their excursions now taking them further into the trees as the fuel on the ground nearby became exhausted. Men were sawing up tree branches into logs & loading a collapsible wooden hand cart brought here on the Sir Harry Smith, the whole cart was taken apart, brought over on a lifeboat & reassembled. This type of collapsible hand cart can cross rough or mountainous terrain piece by piece, the history of these carts remains uncertain although they were obviously used by the military. The final week became idyllic in the hot Australian sun as the long hot sunny days neared the southern summer solstice in December. Both lads swam together enjoying the sea's sensual caress on their naked bodies as they have done since the ship's arrival & with both Andrew's & the aboriginals tuition Angus became a strong swimmer, it was the local aboriginals who taught them both a totally new stroke which they have swam with for generations, both lads became a miracle of swimming as they swam their new stroke in perfect unison matching each other stroke for stroke & yet more than 40 years would pass when 15 year old Richmond Theophilus Cavill would win the 100 yards New South Wales freestyle championships swimming front crawl, its first ever use in a competition. Both sun bronzed lads became living art in the sea with their naked youthful forms which only a good artist could capture, perfect moments of idyllic youth against a background untouched for millennia, perfect moments of their youth to be captured for all time with a pair of youngsters on the cusp of becoming fine young men bonded by a love so strong with them strongly resembling a pair of brothers, even the ship's crew and most of her surviving passengers could only gaze in artistic wonder at the naked pair in the water enjoying the sensual caress of the sea but their time on this beach was about to draw to a close when Lieutenant Governor Charles Latrobe arrived on the Boomerang to conduct an inspection of the camp. He accompanied Captain Thomas Boyle on his tour of the camp when they finally arrived at their shelter. Captain Boyle said. "I would like you to meet a wonderful pair of young lads who are brothers; their names are Andrew & his younger brother Angus. Young Andrew here has been catching all those fish and donating his entire catch to feed the sick, he has worked hard with the cooks to produce meals of far better sustenance thankful that we received shipments of fresh produce so everyone was well fed & drank fresh water. He's also spent his free time wisely teaching his brother to swim in the sea who I must say they are both a pair of excellent swimmers. They have a buggy waiting here to collect & drive them to their new home at Mayday Hills. Once the doctor has examined them, I see no reason why they shouldn't be delayed any longer, if they are to arrive home for Christmas, they should be afforded a sporting chance to do so." Joyous thoughts flooded both lads minds especially at the prospect of arriving at their new home for Christmas, not to the winter scenes of their past lives but to their first Christmas under the blazing hot Australian sun over 240 miles away at a small farming hamlet in the Australian bush. They had survived a horrendous voyage on a disease ridden ship with the greatest death toll of a migrant ship which was the worst maritime disaster of its type. Doctor Taylor examined both lads later that day finally passing them both fit for travel whilst Captain Boyle introduced Governor Latrobe to both Bill and Danielle who commented that they made a very nice couple. He became impressed at Bill's ambition to become a medical student & especially with Danielle being a female packhorse mail rider in what's considered a dangerous occupation for a girl despite seeing the amount of fire power she packed whereas Bill had his Baker rifle which is his hunting rifle which has ended the lives of several wild pigs for his table as well as sharing the meat with other prospectors & their families so none was wasted, although only a small hamlet, a very strong community spirit was already developing, a spirit they both liked & decided to make their new home there. This was their last night in their shelter which they finally decided to consummate their bonding with Andrew taking Angus's cherry, he patiently opened his hole out & lubed it with spit then slowly pushed his huge cock inside him, at times he begged him to take it back out when he stopped & relaxed until he became more comfortable, both time & patience prevailed as Angus's pain now became his source of pleasure with his cock becoming iron hard & leaking his boy juices. He had waited for these moments so special to be taken by the one he loved as Andrew slowly pistoned into him, Angus's emotions built up together with a shattering climax as the first jet of his already whitening spunk shot out by itself hitting the side of the shelter, his wildly clenching hole triggering a deluge of Andrew's spunk gushing into & filling his hole right up as his intense let down sensations coursed through his breasts which hadn't flowed with his precious life giving elixir in weeks & now gushed like a pair of fountains before Angus quickly latched onto each breast for his nourishing nightcap drink & finally falling asleep still latched onto one of his breasts. The following morning it was James who cooked their early substantial breakfasts followed by them striking camp. James also gave them extra provisions for their journey from the ship's stores & helped them load up the buggy. Andrew mounted Danielle's horse whilst Bill & Danielle rode up front with Angus sat alone in the back likened to a chauffeur driven VIP with the Buggy's roof down with waving hands & well wishing calls from everyone as they finally departed slowly from the beach starting a journey of 240 miles through the Australian bush which will take them through the bayside settlements, the stately homes of Brighton, through the city of Melbourne & the first route as far as Wangaratta then the final 23 miles into the high country finally arriving at Mayday Hills. The High Court, London, December 1852. Trevor watched the case against Mr. & Mrs. McDonald unfolding from the public gallery wearing smartly dressed clothes with his heavy winter coat draped across his legs. Mr. John Rushington QC, defending skillfully tore the prosecution apart stating that his business had received the necessary injection of capital more than sufficient to discharge the creditors of their debts & therefore they had no legal claim against the insurance payout from the Antares. One by one he wrote out each cheque to each creditor which was witnessed by an official from his bankers who confirmed that each cheque's funds would be met as he ticked off his ledger. Everyone saw the scowling faces of those fat cats now deprived of his insurance payout suddenly storm out of the building in disgust now faced with crippling legal costs & about to spend time in the debtor's prison on default. Both John Rushington & Trevor walked out into the December sunshine to a waiting Hansom cab with its youthful driver, this cab having already been pre booked, its 18 year old driver desperate to escape the English winters & London pea souper fogs so it came as no surprise to him as soon as both John Rushington & Trevor sat in the cab when John tapped with his unloaded poacher's cane gun and said. "To Melbourne, Australia." This was a fare he was glad to accept, a fare of a lifetime as he drove his Hansom cab straight to Euston station where a team of men were waiting to dismantle the cab ready for its journey to Liverpool for onward loading onto the SS Great Britain and cart the horse off to waiting stables in a horse box. A week later, the SS Great Britain left Liverpool bound for Melbourne with John Rushington & Trevor standing on the main deck in the first class area with Andrew's parents watching the vessel's progress as she steamed out of the Mersey estuary as the cab driver watched intently from the stern rail at the water being churned up by the ship's propeller leaving a wake trail behind as a crewman threw the odometer cable over the stern to start recording the passing miles. The End.