S. Porter—Experiences of an Amateur Importer of Foreign Birds 155


the ship’s personnel, firstly the chief cook and the butcher, though in

very small ships one man often combines the two jobs. These two are

the most important people on board to gain favour with, for on them

one relies for all manner of things such as extra food in the shape

of fresh vegetables, eggs, fresh meat, hot water, extra culinary utensils

(perhaps a very large meat tin or stew pans so that one’s ducks can

have a swim). They will also put any perishable food in the cold

storage. If one falls out with the cook or butcher one has a very

difficult task on board ship, but one usually finds the men in either

of these capacities very affable kinds of individuals, as indeed nearly

all seafaring men are.


The next person to get on good terms with is the chief officer, for

he has to do with the accommodation and it is very essential to have

heated quarters for birds from tropical climates when they reach the

so-called “ temperate zones I find that it is better when booking

one’s passage to mention the question of accommodation for the

birds and if possible to see it beforehand. Very often one is assigned

very unsuitable quarters, such as in the paint house or in a dark

store with no light. If one threatens to book by a rival company one

is quickly alloted more suitable accommodation for one’s livestock.

Once a ship’s doctor had to give up his cabin for my birds, con¬

sequently we were hardly on speaking terms the whole voyage, which

was a very long one. Fortunately I had no need for medical assistance

on the voyage home, or I may not have been writing this !


The carpenter is another person with whom it is advisable to get

acquainted, he can help one a great deal in the making and fitting

up of cages, etc. One often finds that after a few days a couple of birds

in one cage will take a dislike to each other and start to fight : this

usually ends in death unless each bird is caged separately or a division

put in their cage. He is useful for borrowing such tools from, which

one may have come without.


Taken on the average one finds sailors much more affable and

congenial than “ landlubbers ”, their very calling seems to demand

more tolerance and forbearance than is required on shore.


One’s fellow passengers often prove a great trial, wanting to see

the birds at all kinds of inconvenient times and offering all kinds of



