36

So after leaving the Dianella I thought I would just look
round for something under steam so the Dawn Steamer arr-
ived belonging to Howard Smith in Melbourne and was going
to run between Port Adelaide and Edithburgh, Port Pirie and Port
Augusta and the Captain not being exempt for pilotage
I was sent for as I am exempt. for all ports in South Aust-
ralia and I signed of for master of her and ran her for six
months until the captain got exempt then I had to let
him take his boat, and I signed on mate of her, and ran
in her some time then had to leave her and sign on
master of the [Lime?] collier belonging to Howard Smith as the
captain of her was not exempt and she was bound to
Wallaroo and Port Pirie with coals so we finished un-
loading at Port Pirie and took in what cargo there was
and sailed for Port Adelaide and left her, then the
Gabo arrived at Port Adelaide and Captain Easton sent
for me and as I had cleared him for South Australian
ports when he had the Koonawarra, he offered me a berth as
third mate to go as far as Fremantle, West Australia and leave
her in Fremantle as he had left an Officer ashore there on
a law suite. So he told me to consider over it and let him
know as soon as possible as he knew i was left with a
big family. So I considered and thought that would be a good
chance to leave Port Adelaide altogether so I accepted the berth
so I put my family in lodgings and also my furniture and sailed
next day for Fremantle so I arrived in Fremantle and stayed on
board as long as I could then when shew as ready for sea I got paid
of so now I had to look for a ship in a strange place, now that was
in the year 1897. So I went to live at a boarding house and next day had
a look around and they were just building the sheds at that time so I
came along the wharf and I see a note tacked on to the customs box
I had a look at it and on it was a notice saying that a master was
wanted for a little steamer and said where to apply to. So I went and
saw those people and agreed right away to take charge of her as soon as
she came in and when she came in I found that she belonged to a firm
of butchers which used to run the meat supplies out to Gage Roads