Ship: Herschel
Date of arrival: 3 Jan 1877
Captain: Captain Kamman
Operator: Unknown
| Location | Date |
|---|---|
| Port Adelaide, South Australia | 3 Jan 1877 |
| Berlin |
THE IMMIGRANT SHIP HERSCHEL: On the arrival of the immigrant ship Herschel a petition was presented to the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration, signed by several of the newly-arrived immigrants, complaining of the treatment they had received from the captain during the voyage. They also charged the Immigration Officer, Dr. Duncan, with having neglected to make a proper enquiry into the truth of the complaints which they had made to him on their arrival with respect to their treatment on board the Herschel. A Commission was appointed to investigate the matter, and on Feb 5 they sent in their report, which we publish below. The Commission touch very lightly upon the so-called investigation conducted by Dr. Duncan, which evidently was a complete farce. They suggest that on future occasions on the arrival of ships with German immigrants he should take a competent interpreter, and they might have added that he should not be accompanied by ladies or any persons whose presence would be likely to prevent the passengers from speaking out plainly. The report shows further that the Surgeon-Superintendent never received any intimation of the actual position he was entitled to assume, and should have assumed, by virtue of his office. In consequence of this he failed to perform some of the duties devolving upon him, and to this neglect arising from ignorance is attributed the continuance of many of the differences that arose. Another serious piece of mismanagement was that the printed scale of rations in the hands of the passengers did not agree with the scale mentioned in the charter party. We take it for granted the Government will make strict enquiry as to the way in which this discrepancy occurred, and that they will try to find out who is responsible for the mistake. Some of the articles of food the Commission consider were decidedly bad, and the quantity supplied seems to have been insufficient. The deficiency of water appears to have been caused by the defectiveness of the distilling apparatus. The complaints made as to the Hospital were evidently well founded. The Commission consider "that the treatment of the passengers by Captain Kamman has been such as to ensure strict discipline." We confess we cannot agree with this. (See https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/40785735 for more info)