Notable South Australians/Capt. Emanuel Underwood
Capt. Emanuel Underwood,
WHOSE career has been of the most adventurous character, was born in Essex, England, in 1806. In 1815 he visited Holland, Ostend, and Bruges, and in the following year was placed at school in France with a view to learn the language of that country. In 1819 he was apprenticed to the sea in the coasting trade, from which period, up till 1864, when he settled in this colony, he visited the following places:—Gibraltar, the city of Bahia and Maranham in the Brazils, Malaga in Spain, Rio de Janeiro, Genoa, Leghorn, Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, in the Argentine Republic, Bombay, New Orleans, Mobile, Canada, Singapore, Calcutta, Whampoa, Canton, Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Java, Callao, Cape de Verde Islands, St. Helena, St. Michael, Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia. He first took his command as a captain in 1832, when he was appointed to the brig "Ardgowan" bound for Richeburto in Canada; and in 1833 to the brig "Doctor," of Liverpool, and subsequently to the ships "Albion," "Theodosia," and other crafts, with all of which he showed remarkable and skilful seamanship. He arrived in South Australia, from England, in 1840, in the ship "Baboo," and brought with him the frame of a small craft of fifteen tons register with spars, sails, etc. This small vessel was put together at Port Adelaide, where she was launched and named the "Governor Gawler," and in her for fully seven years did Capt. Underwood make many voyages, some of them attended with much peril and danger, and terminating at last with the loss of the brig at the Sir Joseph Banks group of islands, and the narrow escape of her gallant commander from a watery grave. Since he has quitted the sea Capt. Underwood has settled at Edwardstown, where he is greatly respected and much esteemed for his liberal opinions and affable manners. In his 80th year he is still hale and hearty, and never wearied of recounting the true but remarkable events which have taken place in his romantic career. A recital of some of these, had space permitted, would here have been given.