Mr. William James Cain , Peveril Terrace, Wharekuri, was born in Peel, Isle of Man, and was one of seven school boys who sailed the cutter “Peveril,” from Peel to Melbourne, in the year 1854. The captain of this small band of young adventurers was Thomas Mylechreest, eldest brother of Joseph Mylechreest, afterwards the Diamond King of Kimberley. The ship's company consisted of: Thomas Mylechreest (captain) aged 24; John Mylechreest, 22; John Cottier, 22; William James Cain, 22; James Moughtin, 19; James Waterson, 19; Phillip Gorry (cook), 16. There was much commotion the day the cutter sailed, and many amongst the numerous onlookers shed tears, at the thought that the lads were throwing their lives away; but on hearing this, the lads themselves only laughed at the weepers. As they were getting ready to sail, the boys' schoolmaster went on board, and said he was proud of them, and felt confident that they were quite competent to do whatever any man could do. He shook hands with all and wished them a good voyage. This was in the right key for the young adventurers, who gave their old teacher three British cheers, and sang a songlet composed by themselves for the occasion. In this they asked their friends not to grieve for them while they were crossing the stormy sea, told the girls that they would think of them when far away, and promised to write letters with good news for all when they reached Melbourne, that place of great renown, where money was plentiful and gold easily found. All which was somewhat in the spirit of the men who went with Raleigh to lord it on the Spanish main, or with Drake to circumnavigate the world. The only land the boys sighted on their way out was the Peak of Teneriffe, and then they fell in with the coast of Australia. When they bade good-bye to all near friends the day they sailed from Peel Bay, the boys promised faithfully to send letters home by any passing ships, and had several letters written to send by the first homeward bound ship they should see; but though they sighted several they were not able to communicate with them. The “Peveril” gave chase to two of these ships, but they altered their course and made sail; so the lads gave up the chase as they were anxious to make a quick passage. One day just as the sun rose, they espied a large ship ahead, and at twelve o'clock they were speaking to her. She was a passenger ship, the “Delaware,” of London, bound to Adelaide. The “Peveril” had to shorten sail while she was speaking to this ship, the passengers of which were crowded from the bulwarks to the tops. It was a pleasant sight to the boys, who felt as though they were in the pit of a theatre, looking up to the dress circle. The captain of the Delaware” was very kind, and offered to give the boys anything that they might require; they did not want anything, but asked him to report them when he got to Adelaide; which he did. That was the only tidings that their friends had of them. When the “Peveril” made sail the “Delaware” gave the boys three hearty cheers, and the cutter lost sight of the ship by sundown. It was after that that the “Peveril's” troubles began. When they got into the latitude of the Cape, the boys bent a new mainsail, as they expected bad weather, which they got, and had to stow the main and bend a big sail. They had to heave-to the cutter under a double reef. This had to be done every night for some time, with only two hands on deck, one as company for the other. The sails were trimmed for the occasion and the helm lashed to leeward. When the weather moderated the boys set the mainsail, but to their surprise it was rotten in the seams. However, they had good weather then till they reached the coast of Australia, and they made the voyage from Peel to Melbourne in 135 days. Everything considered, the voyage was a memorable one, and is entitled to a place in the annals of navigation. Of the party, young Cain was the first to set out for the goldfields at Old Bendigo, where he did well as a gold seeker. He afterwards met the little “Peveril's” youthful captain, Thomas Mylechreest, at Snowy river, where the two became mates in the fine old goldfields sense, and they afterwards worked together in the same relationship at Lambing Flat and the Lachlan. Mr. Cain has not seen any of his shipmates for thirty-nine years, but should any of them travel his way, and circumstances require it, he is the man to give the hand of friendship to any one of them, and that in a practical way, too, for they were all good lads. Mr. Cain came to New Zealand in 1863, and worked at Hartley and Riley's Beach, where he did well. In 1887 he went to the Waitaki to erect a punt for the late Mr. Christian Hille, and worked the ferry for several years. He joined Mr. Hille as a partner in the ferry, and eventually bought Mr. Hille's interest. Mr. Cain was married, in the year 1883, to a daughter of Mr. David Whittock, of Port Chalmers. He has resided in the Kurow district for thirty-five years, has been a successful settler and good colonist, and now lives in retirement at Peveril Terrace, Wharekuri, page 581 having, of course, named his place in commemoration of the cutter in which he and his brother adventurers sailed from Peel to Melbourne fifty years ago.