The _Lightning_ loaded at Constitution W_The Colonial Clippers

Liverpool on 18th February, 1854, whilst the _Red Jacket_ sailed from

New York on the following day, and great interest was shown in shipping

circles as to which should make the best passage across the Atlantic.

In the end these two magnificent clippers arrived in Liverpool on the

same day, 4th March, their exact times being:—

_Red Jacket_—Sandy Hook to Rock Light 13 days 1 hour.

_Lightning_—Boston Light to Rock Light 13 days 19½ hours.

Their 24-hour runs opened the eyes of the packet ship commanders and in

fact the whole world.

The _Red Jacket_ put up runs of 413, 374, 371, 343, and 300 against the

_Lightning’s_ 436, 328, 312 and 306, thus there was little to choose

between the two vessels on this point.

The _Boston Daily Atlas_ of 18th February, 1854, thus describes the

_Lightning’s_ departure from Boston:—

At 2 o’clock the _Lightning_ hove her anchor up, and at 3 o’clock

discharged her pilot off Boston Light. She went down in tow of the

steamer _Rescue_, Captain Hennessy, and was piloted by Mr. E. G.

Martin.

Before the steamer left her, she set her head sails, and fore and

mizen topsails, and had a moderate breeze from W. to S.W. She

appeared to go at the rate of 6 knots under this canvas, though she

draws 22 feet of water and has only 23 feet depth of hold.

We have seen many vessels pass through the water, but never saw one

which disturbed it less. Not a ripple curled before her cut-water,

nor did the water break at a single place along her sides. She left

a wake as straight as an arrow and this was the only mark of her

progress. There was a slight swell, and as she rose we could see

the arc of her forefoot rise gently over the seas as she increased

her speed. At 5 p.m., two hours after the pilot left her, the outer

telegraph station reported her 30 miles east of Boston Light with all

drawing sails set and going along like a steam boat.

And the following extract from her log book was published in the

_Liverpool Albion_ on her arrival.

Distance.

Feb. 19 Wind, W.S.W. and N.W. moderate 200 miles.

20 „ N.N.E. and N.E. strong breezes with snow 328 „

21 „ E.S.E. with snow storms 145 „

22 „ E.S.E., a gale with high cross sea and rain 114 „

23 „ N., strong gales to E.S.E.; ends moderate 110 „

24 „ S.E., moderate 312 „

25 „ E.S.E. and S.E., fresh breezes with thick

weather 285 „

26 „ W.S.W., moderate 295 „

27 „ W.N.W. „ 260 „

28 „ W. and N.W., steady breezes 306 „

March 1 „ South. Strong gales; bore away for the

North Channel; carried away the fore

topsail and lost jib; hove the log

several times and found the ship going

through the water at the rate of 18 to

18½ knots; lee rail under water and

rigging slack 436 „

2 „ South, first part moderate, latter part

light and calm.

3 „ Light winds and calms.

8 „ Light S.E. winds and calms; at 7 a.m. off Great Orme’s

Head. 12 noon off the N.W. lightship.

On 28th February at noon she was in Lat. 52° 38′ N., Long. 22° 45′

W., and her run of 436 nautical miles from that position to her

noon position on 1st March gives her the greatest day’s work ever

accomplished, to the best of my belief, by a sailing ship. The 1st

March entry “Wind south—bore away for the North Channel,” has misled

some nautical critics, who have plotted her as being up with Rathlin

Island when she bore away, without noticing the direction of the wind.

The log is rather ambiguously worded, but her run of 436 miles puts

her some 30 miles west of Achill Head—and she then bore away north,

bringing the wind on the starboard quarter. If she had been off Rathlin

Island she would have had to bring the wind on the starboard bow for

the course through the North Channel.

Captain Charles McDonald always hoped to get a day’s run of 500 miles

out of the _James Baines_, and firmly believed she could do it; but he

never succeeded in beating the _Lightning’s_ records.

The _Red Jacket_, which was under the command of Captain Asa Eldridge,

of American packet ship fame, had strong winds from S.E. to W.S.W.

with rain, snow and hail. As with _Lightning_, the first half of her

passage was the slowest half and for the first seven days she could

only average 182 miles a day. But with practically the same weather, it

is interesting to compare the performances of the two vessels as they

approached the Irish Coast. _Red Jacket’s_ last six runs were 219, 413,

374, 343, 300, and 371, giving a total of 2020 and an average of 336.

The only vessel that has ever beaten this six-day run is the famous

_Cutty Sark_, which in 1876, before her wings were clipped, ran 2163

miles in six days in the roaring forties, when outward bound to Sydney.

“Red Jacket’s” First Voyage to Australia.

At Liverpool Captain Eldridge handed over his command to Captain Samuel

Reid, who managed to get the _Red Jacket_ away for Australia, as one of

the White Star regular packets, 10 days ahead of Captain Forbes. The

_Red Jacket_ sailed on 4th May, 1854, one day behind a new Nova Scotian

built Black Ball packet named the _Mermaid_.

On the 10th May the two ships were off Oporto, and kept close to each

other as far as Teneriffe; the N.E. trades were poor and it was a light

weather passage to the line, which was crossed on 29th May by the _Red

Jacket_, the _Mermaid_ being then in 1° north.

From this point the _Red Jacket_, steering a more westerly course, had

light and variable winds, whilst the _Mermaid_ was better treated and

reached the latitude of the Cape five days ahead, and still held better

winds, being actually 1397 miles ahead of the _Red Jacket_ on 15th

June. _Red Jacket_, indeed, did not really get going until 26th June,

but from that date her log is so remarkable that I give it below.

The _Red Jacket_ was in 40° S., 14° E., before there was any need to

touch her topgallant sheets, and Captain Reid was evidently determined

to find wind somehow, with the result that, in spite of it being the

depth of winter, he was not deterred from standing far to the southward

on a Great Circle course. He was rewarded by all the wind he could

desire, but so great was the cold that the ship was put down by the

head by the frozen spindrift which covered her to the mainmast in an

icy mantle.

Her log from 26th June, when she first began to feel the benefit of the

westerlies, was as follows:—

+-------+------+-------+-------------------------------+-----+

+-------+------+-------+-------------------------------+-----+

| | ° ′ | ° ′ | | |

|June 26|48 06S| 34 44E|Var. and stiff rain and sleet. | 315 |

| 27|50 06 | 42 19 |Wind N.W., fresh and squally | 330 |

| 28|50 54 | 49 16 |Wind W.N.W., squalls with | 263 |

| 29|50 34 | 56 34 |Wind N.N.W., squalls, entire | 286 |

| 30|52 03 | 63 50 |Wind N.N.W., fresh with hail | 287 |

|July 1|51 39 | 71 21 |Wind N.N.W., fresh, with hail | 286 |

| | | | air 19°. | |

| 2|50 29 | 72 26 |Wind S.W., first part calm, | |

| 3|50 12 | 80 30 |Wind W.S.W., first part heavy | 312 |

| 4|49 25 | 88 30 |Wind variable, fresh gales and | 300 |

| 5|49 13 | 95 00 |Wind N.N.W., first part light | 288 |

| 6|48 38 |104 15 |Wind W.N.W., strong gales | 400 |

| 7|47 25 |112 44 |Wind variable in strength and | 299 |

| 8|46 38 |119 44 |Wind N.N.W., stiff and squalls,| 350 |

| 9|45 09 |129 18 |Wind N.N.W., strong and | 357 |

| 10|42 42 |134 38 |Wind N.N.W., fine weather. | 334 |

| 11|40 36 |139 35 |Wind N.W., heavy squalls and | 245 |

| 12| | |Wind N.N.W., fine weather. | 300 |

| | | | 11.50 p.m. | |

+-------+------+-------+-------------------------------+-----+

_Red Jacket_ made the passage from Rock Light to Port Phillip Heads in

69 days 11 hours 15 minutes; passage under sail 67 days 13 hours, total

distance run 13,880 miles.

The _Mermaid_, which gained such an advantage over the _Red Jacket_

in the earlier part of the passage, ran her easting down a good deal

further to the northward, and did not arrive till the 17th July, having

made a passage of 74½ days.

_Red Jacket_ set sail on her homeward passage on 3rd August. She

was not in very good trim this time, being too light and very much

down by the stern, however, she still continued to show her quality,

constantly logging 17 or 18 knots in fresh breezes and 14 and 15 knots

when close-hauled. Only once on the homeward passage were her topsails

close-reefed and only once did she ship any water. This was on the 31st

August in a heavy squall with foresail and fore and main topgallant

sails set.

She rounded the Horn on the 23rd August, only 20 days out, her week’s

work averaging out as follows:

1st week 231 miles per day.

2nd „ 307 „ „

3rd „ 254 „ „

But on the day after she had rounded the Horn, she had a narrow escape

of being embayed by ice, and one of her passengers gave the following

account of her danger to the newspapers:—“On the morning of 24th

August, I was roused out of sleep by the noise of shortening sail and

the look-out singing out land. Ice had been seen some time before, but

the solid masses had been supposed in the dark to be land. On getting

out I found we were in smooth water and large masses of ice floating

about us. As the day broke, we found ourselves sailing along a lake

of water not unlike a canal. The ice seemed to extend on every side

in solid fields as far as the eye could reach without any prospect of

getting out, so that we had to follow the channel. All sail was clewed

up except the topsails, and as there was a good breeze we proceeded

along at about 4 or 5 knots. Our situation at this time seemed most

appalling, as we appeared to be getting further into the ice, so that

by 10 or 11 o’clock we were almost making up our minds to remain for

weeks in this fearful situation.

“About noon the captain and second mate, who had been on the fore

topsail yard all the morning, discovered clear sea again, to gain which

we had to force a passage through dense masses of ice. It was here

she sustained the principal damage to her stem and copper. We soon

got clear and the rest of the day we saw no traces of ice and were

very thankful we had got off so easily. But to our dismay at 8 p.m.

we again fell in with it. The ship was put about and sail shortened

for the night and we ran back to the clear water in which we had been

sailing. At daybreak sail was made and at 7 a.m. we came up to the ice.

At first it was only large pans much melted, the water having all the

appearance of brine and being quite thick round them. Afterwards large

masses of icebergs presented themselves. In grinding the ship through

these, great difficulty was experienced—very large bergs were also

interspersed and visible all round.

“This day we cleared it again about noon. Icebergs were still, however,

seen both near and in the distance; their appearance was most grand,

the largest being thought to be about 2 miles in circumference and 100

feet high. It was passed about 4 or 5 miles distant on our starboard

and lee side.

“We hove to again at night. Next day, Saturday, was for the most part

a dead calm and we were carried back with the current. There was not a

breath of wind; a clear sky and beautiful weather, only the air sharp.

Icebergs were, however, still seen. The next day, Sunday, we passed

a number more, which were the last ice seen. One of these was most

grand, being about 200 feet high. We cleared it on our port or windward

side about a mile or less distant. The weather during this period

was clear and fine. Indeed, the day before encountering the ice was

beautiful, a fine light breeze which heightened towards evening and sea

smooth. We were running close-hauled 14 knots an hour steadily during

the night. The sun had set a deep crimson behind a bank of clouds over

against Cape Horn.”

_Red Jacket’s_ next three weeks’ runs averaged:—

4th week, 205 miles per day.

5th week, 237 miles per day. (Mostly light breezes,

squalls and rain.)

6th week, 224 miles per day. (Easterly winds.)

The line was crossed on 13th September, the _Red Jacket_ having run

10,243 miles in 42 days, an average of 244 per day. She now had every

hope of beating the record, but, alas, from here on she had nothing but

calms and light head winds which drove her across into 43° W. and she

was 31½ days from the line to port, reaching Liverpool on 15th October,

after a passage of 73 days. This was considered an extraordinary

performance, when allowance was made for the light weather experienced

after crossing the line. During one whole week in the doldrums she

averaged under 100 miles per day, and the two following weeks she only

averaged 142 and 106 miles respectively.

The whole voyage, however, had been a wonderfully fast one. She had

made the trip, out and home, in 5 months 10 days and 22½ hours, and had

actually circumnavigated the globe in 62 days 22 hours, between 11th

June and 2nd September, running 15,991 miles in that time.

On her homeward passage she ran 14,863 miles, her greatest day’s work

being 376 miles and her average 202¼ miles per day.

She brought home gold dust and sovereigns to the value of £208,044. She

sailed this voyage under the American flag, being only chartered by the

White Star Line, but on her return to Liverpool Messrs. Pilkington &

Wilson bought her for the sum of £30,000.

The “Lightning’s” First Voyage to Australia.

The _Lightning_, with the famous Bully Forbes in command and the almost

equally famous Bully Bragg as mate, left Liverpool on the 14th May for

Melbourne. But unlike the _Red Jacket_, she had a light weather passage

out, her topgallant sails being carried the whole way. She crossed the

line 25 days out and took 30 days running from the meridian of the Cape

to Port Phillip Heads, arriving off Sandridge Pier on the afternoon of

31st July, 77 days from Liverpool, her best runs being 348, 332, 329,

311, and 300.

On the morning of the 20th August she left her anchorage at Melbourne

in company with the _Mermaid_, having gold dust on board to the value

of £1,000,000. The tug dropped her off the Heads at 4 p.m., and by the

following noon she had done 268 knots. At 4 a.m. on the 24th she passed

a large ship supposed to be the _Mermaid_, and at 10 p.m. on the same

day passed the Auckland Islands. From here she had fresh westerly and

south-westerly winds, seldom logging less than 14 and frequently 18½

and 19 knots per hour. Forbes carried on in the most daring manner, and

on the _Lightning’s_ arrival at Liverpool her passengers told weird

stories of Bully Forbes keeping his station at the break of the poop

with a pistol in each hand in order to prevent his scared crew from

letting go the royal halliards.

By 28th August the ship was in 57° 20′ S., but at 11 p.m. on this day

a violent squall from the S.W. carried away the fore topmast stunsail

boom, and a moment later the fore topmast went over the side, the fore

royal, fore topgallant sail and fore topsail being blown out of the

bolt ropes at the same instant.

For the next four days the ship was kept under easy canvas whilst a new

fore topmast was got aloft and the other damage made good. However,

in spite of this delay the ship averaged 300 miles from 1st September

to the 8th, when Cape Horn bore N.W., distant 50 miles at 3 a.m.;

_Lightning’s_ actual time from the Heads to the Horn was 19 days 1

hour, a record. For the next three days she had the wind ahead at N.E.,

but on the 13th it came out of the south again strong, and her runs on

the 13th and 14th were 351 and 354 miles respectively. Then from the

15th to the 20th with light head winds again, she could only average 6

to 7 knots an hour. On the 20th September she was in Lat. 29° 13′ S.,

Long. 31° 40′ W. Light N.E. and N.N.E. winds still held right up to the

line. On the 28th she passed Pernambuco, 6 miles off, and at 9 a.m. on

30th September she crossed the equator in Long. 34° 30′ W., being only

a little over 40 days mean time from Port Phillip, which, considering

the poor winds met with after rounding the Horn, was a wonderful

performance.

[Illustration: “CHAMPION OF THE SEAS.”]

For the first five days after crossing the line she had the usual

doldrums with torrents of rain and made little or no progress. On 5th

October a gentle N.E. trade was picked up in 10° N., 34° W., which held

until the 10th when she was in 30° N., 37° W. On the 11th and 12th she

had moderate S.E. winds, being in the latitude of St. Michael’s at

noon on the 12th. For the next week she had nothing but very light N.E.

and E.N.E. winds, but at 10 p.m. on the 19th when in 46° 15′ N., 28°

W., a strong northerly breeze sprang up which held until she reached

port.

[Illustration: “LIGHTNING.”]

She was off the Old Head of Kinsale at 4 a.m. on 22nd October, passed

Minehead at 10 a.m., the Tuskar at 3.30 p.m., and Holyhead Light at

8.30 p.m. A pilot was picked up off Point Lynas at 10.30 p.m., who kept

her under easy sail through the night, waiting for enough water to take

her over the bar. The _Lightning_ anchored in the Mersey at 9.30 a.m.

on 23rd October; her actual time being 64 days 3 hours 10 minutes, a

record, which, I believe, has never been broken.

The _Lightning_ brought answers to letters sent out in the _Great

Britain_ which left Liverpool on 13th June, thus making a course of

post of only 132 days. The _Lightning’s_ round voyage, including 20

days in port, was only 5 months 8 days and 21 hours.

“Champion of the Seas.”

Whilst the _Red Jacket_ and _Lightning_ were astonishing the world,

Donald Mackay was building the _Champion of the Seas_ and _James

Baines_ for the Black Ball Line. He was given a free hand, and the new

vessels were intended to be more perfect than anything he had hitherto

attempted.

The _Champion of the Seas_ was launched in April, 1854, and, owing to

the monster four-master _Great Republic_ being cut down a deck, claimed

the honour of being the largest ship in the world until the _James

Baines_ eclipsed her.

Her hull measurements were as follows:—

Tonnage (builders’ measurement) 2447 tons.

„ (registered) 1947 „

Length of keel 238 feet.

„ between perpendiculars 252 „

Fore rake 14 „

Extreme beam 45½ „

Depth 29 „

Dead rise at half-floor 18 inches.

Sheer 4½ „

Concavity of load line forward 2½ „

In strength of construction she was a considerable improvement on the

_Lightning_. Her ends were as long but not quite so sharp or concave

and were considered to be more harmoniously designed. She had an

upright sternpost and her stern was semi-elliptical and ornamented

with the Australian coat-of-arms. Her figure-head was a life-like

representation of the old-time shellback and was an object of interest

wherever she went.

It is thus described by Captain Clark:—“One of the most striking

figure-heads was the tall square-built sailor, with dark curly hair and

bronzed clean-shaven face, who stood at the bow of the _Champion of the

Seas_. A black belt with a massive brass buckle supported his white

trousers, which were as tight about the hips as the skin of an eel and

had wide, bell-shaped bottoms that almost hid his black polished pumps.

He wore a loose-fitting blue and white checked shirt with wide rolling

collar and black handkerchief of ample size, tied in the most rakish of

square knots with long flowing ends. But perhaps the most impressive of

this mariner’s togs were his dark-blue jacket and the shiny tarpaulin

hat which he waved aloft in the grip of his brawny tattooed right

hand.”

The _Champion of the Seas_ had her greatest beam at the centre of the

load displacement line, and, like the _Lightning_, she was fuller aft

than forward. Her deck houses and cabin arrangements were also on the

same plan as those of the _Lightning_, viz., a topgallant foc’s’le

for the crew; a house, 50 feet long, abaft the foremast, for petty

officers, galleys and second class passengers; a small house, 16 feet

square, contained the chief mate’s quarters and sheltered the first

class companion, whilst a large wheel-house astern had a smoking-room

on one side and the captain’s cabin on the other.

The following details of her construction, taken from an American

paper, may be of interest to present day wood shipwrights:—“Her entire

frame was of seasoned white oak and all her hooks, pointers and knees

were of the same wood, her planking and ceiling being of hard pine,

and she was square fastened throughout and butt and bilge bolted with

copper. The keel was of rock maple in two depths, each 16 inches

square. The floor timbers were moulded 21 inches on the keel and

sided from 12 to 13 inches, and over them were four tiers of midship

keelsons, each 16 inches square, and on each side of these were two

depths of sister keelsons of the same size, the whole scarphed and

keyed and fastened with 1¾ inch bolting. The whole frame, fore and aft,

was diagonally cross-braced with iron, 5 inches wide, ⅞ of an inch

thick and 38 feet long. These braces were bolted through every frame

and through every intersection; were let into the timbers and ceiling

and extended from the first futtocks to the top timbers. All the

waterways as well as the keelsons and ceiling were scarphed and bolted

in the most substantial style. The upper deck was of white pine 3½

inches thick and the other decks of hard pine of the same substance.

Her ends were almost filled with massive hooks and pointers. The hooks

in the between decks were beamed and kneed and fastened through all.

Her garboards were 9 by 15 inches, the next strake 8 by 14, the third

7 by 14; the bottom planking 5 inches thick, the wales 6 by 7 and the

waist 4¼ inches thick, the whole finished smooth as joiner work and

strongly fastened.”

The _Champion of the Seas_ had about the same sail area and spar

measurements as the _Lightning_. Her masts and bowsprit were built of

hard pine and the masts were 74 and 63 feet apart. The foremast raked

½ inch to the foot, the main ⅝ and the mizen 1 inch. When she left

the builders her working suit of sails consisted of 12,500 yards of

American cotton, 18 inches in width.

She was of course painted the regulation Black Ball colours, black

outside and white inside, with blue waterways. Her masts white,

mastheads and yards black, and stunsail booms bright with black ends.

Captain Alexander Newlands was sent out from Liverpool to superintend

her outfit and take command, the lighting and ventilation below being

carried out according to his designs. On her completion the _Champion

of the Seas_ was towed to New York by the famous Boston tug _R. B.

Forbes_ and from thence came across to Liverpool in the month of June

in 16 days.

She left Liverpool on her first voyage to Australia on 11th October,

1854, and arrived out in 72 days, coming home again in 84, thus proving

herself quite up to the standard of the famous Black Ball Line, and

from that date she was always a favourite ship.

[Illustration: “JAMES BAINES.”

_From a painting by Captain D. O. Robertson, late commander of ship

“Lightning.”_]

The “James Baines.”

The _Champion of the Seas_ was closely followed by the _James Baines_,

considered by most sailormen to have been the finest and fastest of the

great Mackay quartette. When she loaded troops for India in 1857 and

was inspected by Queen Victoria at Portsmouth, the Queen remarked that

she did not know she possessed such a splendid ship in her Mercantile

Marine.

When she first arrived in Liverpool a well-known Liverpool shipowner

wrote to a Boston paper:—“You want to know what professional men say

about the ship _James Baines_? Her unrivalled passage, of course,

brought her prominently before the public and she has already been

visited by many of the most eminent mechanics in the country. She is so

strongly built, so finely finished and is of so beautiful a model that

even envy cannot prompt a fault against her. On all hands she has been

praised as the most perfect sailing ship that ever entered the river

Mersey.”

Donald Mackay never built two ships exactly alike, and the _James

Baines_ was of slightly fuller design than the _Lightning_ and yet

sharper and longer in the bow than the _Champion of the Seas_.

Her chief measurements were:—

Registered tonnage (American) 2525-85/90 tons.

„ „ (British) 2275 „

Length over all 266 feet.

„ between perpendiculars 226 „

Beam 44¾ „

Depth of hold 29 „

Dead rise at half-floor 18 inches.

The following extracts are taken from an account of the _James Baines_

given in the _Boston Atlas_ at the time of her launch:—“She has a long,

rakish, sharp bow with slightly concave lines below, but convex above,

and it is ornamented with a bust of her namesake, which was carved in

Liverpool and which is said by those who know the original to be an

excellent likeness. It is blended with the cut-water, is relieved with

gilded carved work and forms a neat and appropriate ornament to the

bow. She is planked flush to the covering board, has a bold and buoyant

sheer, graduated her whole length, rising gracefully at the ends,

particularly forward; and every moulding is fair and harmonises finely

with the planking and her general outline. Her stern is rounded, and

although she has a full poop deck, her afterbody surpasses in neatness

that of any vessel her talented builder has yet produced.

“Our most eminent mechanics consider her stern perfect. It is rounded

below the line of the plank sheer, is fashioned above in an easy curve,

and only shows a few inches of rise above the outline of the monkey

rail: and as this rise is painted white and the rest of the hull black,

when viewed broadside on, her sheer appears a continuous line along

her entire length. Her stern is ornamented with carved representations

of the great globe itself, between the arms of Great Britain and the

United States, surrounded with fancy work, has carved and gilded drops

between the cabin windows and her name above all, the whole tastefully

gilded and painted. Her bulwarks are built solid and are surmounted by

a monkey rail, which is panelled inside, and their whole height above

the deck is about 6 feet, varying of course towards the ends.

“She has a full topgallant foc’s’le, which extends to the foremast and

is fitted for the accommodation of her crew; and abaft the foremast

a large house, which contains spacious galleys, several staterooms,

store-rooms, an iceroom and shelters a staircase which leads to the

decks below. She has a full poop deck, between 7 and 8 feet high, under

which is the cabin for female passengers and before it a large house

which contains the dining saloon and other apartments. The outline of

the poop and the house is protected by rails, on turned stanchions,

and the enclosure forms a spacious and beautiful promenade deck. She

has also a small house aft, which shelters the helmsman in a recess,

protects the entrance to the captain’s cabin, is also a smoking room

for passengers and answers a variety of other purposes.

“The captain’s cabin and sleeping room are on the starboard side

and communicate with the wheelhouse on deck, so that it will not be

necessary for him to enter the cabin set apart for female passengers.

Besides these the cabin contains 11 spacious staterooms, a bathroom and

other useful apartments.

“The dining saloon is 35 feet long by 15 feet wide; the entrance to the

deck from the saloon is 2½ feet wide and extends across the house, with

a door on each side, and opposite the midship door of the saloon is

the pantry, which is spacious and fitted up in superior style. In the

front of the saloon house are the staterooms of the first and second

officers, and the windows of these rooms are of stained glass and have

the ship’s name in them. The staircase in the after part of the saloon

leads to the main deck, where are the gentlemen’s sleeping apartments,

24 in all, each stateroom having two berths. The deck before the

gentlemen’s sleeping cabin has three large ports for cargo opposite the

hatchways, one on each side, and square ports suitable for staterooms

along the sides. The lower decks are ventilated amidships with trunk

skylights which pass through the house forward as well as the cabin

and saloon aft. The height between each of the decks is 7½ feet. The

ascent from the quarter-deck to the poop consists of two staircases,

built into the front of the poop. She is very heavily sparred and will

spread about 13,000 yards of canvas in a single suit of sails. Her

mastheads and yards are black; the lower masts, from the truss bands

to the fiferails, are bright and varnished, their hoops white and the

tops and down to the truss band are also white. She has iron caps and

is rigged in nearly the same style as the _Champion of the Seas_. Her

bulwarks and houses are painted white and her waterways blue, and in

this style she is also painted below.”

Captain McDonald left the _Marco Polo_ in order to take charge of the

_James Baines_. She sailed from Boston on 12th September, 1854, and the

following is the log of her record run across the Atlantic:—

Sept. 12—At noon parted with steam boat and pilot. Wind, S.W., light.

13—Lat. 42° 10′ N., Long. 66° 33′ W. Distance 225 miles. Light

airs and calms, increasing in the evening to brisk winds

and clear weather.

14—Lat. 40° 18′ N., Long. 62° 45′ W. Distance 238 miles.

Light breezes and clear.

15—Lat. 42° 26′ N., Long. 59° 53′ W. Distance 218 miles. Strong

breezes at S.S.W.

16—Lat. 43° 15′ N., Long. 53° 9′ W. Distance 305 miles.

Strong gales from S.S.W. to N.W.

17—Lat. 44° 54′ N., Long. 48° 48′ W. Distance 280 miles.

Strong breezes from N.W. 4 a.m., passed several vessels

fishing.

18—Lat. 45° 42′ N., Long. 44° 16′ W. Distance 198 miles. Light

breezes and hazy weather. 10 a.m., brisk breezes and

cloudy, wind west.

19—Lat. 47° 22′ N., Long. 36° 42′ W. Distance 342 miles.

Strong breezes and squally.

20—Lat. 48° 39′ N., Long. 33° 12′ W. Distance 200 miles. Light

breezes and hazy. Variable.

21—Lat. 49° 34′ N., Long. 28° 38′ W. Distance 230 miles. Light

breezes and clear. Wind, S.W.

22—Lat. 50° 12′ N., Long. 21° 00′ W. Distance 291 miles.

Brisk S.S.W. winds and cloudy weather. Passed several

sail standing eastward.

23—Lat. 50° 37′ N., Long. 13° 39′ W. Distance 337 miles.

Strong breezes and cloudy weather. Wind, S.W.

24—Strong breezes and gloomy weather. At 6 a.m. made the

land and at 8 a.m. passed Cork. Distance 296 miles.

Passed Tuskar at 3 p.m., and Holyhead at 9 p.m.

Time 12 days 6 hours from Boston Light to Rock Light.

It will be seen that the _James Baines_ had her share of light breezes,

and Captain McDonald believed that he could have made the passage in

eight days with strong winds. Running up Channel the wind was strong

and fair and very squally, the vessel sometimes making 20 knots an hour

between points.

At Liverpool the _James Baines_ was fitted and furnished for passengers

by Messrs. James H. Beal and brother. And her cabin fittings are

described as being of “almost lavish splendour,” with innumerable

pilasters and mirrors.

I also note the following in a Liverpool account:—“Before the mainmast

there are three gallows frames, upon which her spare boats are stowed,

bottom up, and over the sides she carries quarter boats, suspended in

iron davits. She has copper-chambered pumps, six capstans, a crab-winch

on the foc’s’le, a patent windlass, Crane’s self-acting chain stoppers,

a patent steering apparatus and a large variety of other improvements

of the most modern kind.”

Record Voyage of “James Baines” to Australia.

The _James Baines_ sailed for Melbourne on 9th December, 1854, and

broke the record by arriving out in 63 days. Captain McDonald wrote the

following account of the passage to his owners:—

“I have great pleasure in announcing the arrival of the _James Baines_

in Hobson’s Bay at 8 p.m. on 12th February, making a run of 63 days 18

hours 15 minutes mean time from passing the Rock till the anchor was

down in Hobson’s Bay. On leaving Liverpool I had strong head winds to

contend with. The 7th day from Liverpool I touched off St. Ives Head;

the 10th day I had to tack off Cape St. Vincent and stood to the N.W.

In 19° N. in the middle of the trade winds, I got the wind at S.S.E.,

got to leeward of Cape San Roque, and was 18 hours in beating round.

I experienced nothing but light northerly winds all the way across.

Sighted Cape Otway on the 54th day from Liverpool; main skysail off the

ship only three days from Liverpool to this port. The greatest distance

run in 24 hours was 423 miles, that with main skysail and stunsails

set. Had I only had the ordinary run of winds I would have made the

voyage in 55 days.”

The _James Baines_ took out 700 passengers (80 in the first class)

1400 tons of cargo and 350 sacks containing over 180,000 letters and

newspapers. By her mail contract she was bound to deliver these in 65

days under penalty. Amongst her live stock were a bullock, 75 sheep, 86

pigs, and 100 dozen of fowls and ducks.

This passage of the _James Baines_ showed her splendid capabilities

both in light head winds and strong fair winds, for after a succession

of light head winds she was reported in 3° N., 29° W., on the 29th

December, only 19 days out, whilst in the boisterous gales of the

roaring forties she made the following splendid 24-hour runs in about a

23½-hour day.

Friday, Jan. 26—Lat. 48° 02′ S., Long. 50° 46′ E. Distance 391 miles.

27—Lat. 48° 56′ S., Long. 60° 46′ E. Distance 407 miles.

Feb. 6—Lat. 50° 09′ S., Long. 123° 40′ E. Distance 423 miles.

This magnificent run showed 10′ difference of latitude and 10° 40′

difference of longitude, her position at noon on 5th February being 50°

19′ S., 113° E.

[Illustration: “DONALD MACKAY.”

Entering Port Phillip Heads, 20th December, 1866.]

Leaving Melbourne on the 12th March, 1855, the _James Baines_ made the

run home in 69½ days, having completed the voyage to Melbourne and back

in 133 days under sail.

Black Ball captains were celebrated for their daring navigation and

McDonald was no exception in this respect. His passengers declared that

the _James Baines_ was nearly ashore three times whilst tacking off the

coast of Ireland under a heavy press of sail, and that when McDonald

put her round off the Mizenhead the rocks were so close that a stone

could have been thrown ashore from her decks. It was a lee shore, and

if she had missed stays she must have been lost. But as McDonald said,

when remonstrated with for taking such risks, it was a case of “we have

to make a good passage.”

The “Donald Mackay.”

The _Donald Mackay_, last of the famous Mackay quartette, was for many

years the largest sailing ship in the world, her measurements being:—

Registered tonnage 2408 tons.

Gross 2486 „

Net 1616 „

Length of keel 257.9 feet.

Length between perpendiculars 266 „

Breadth 46.3 „

Depth 29.5 „

Dead rise at half-floor 18 inches.

Mainyard 100 feet.

Sail area 17,000 yds.

A novelty in her sail plan was Forbes’ patent double topsail yards.

These came out before Howe’s, and differed from them in having the

topmasts fidded abaft the lower masts.

_Donald Mackay_ was said to have the heaviest mainmast out of

Liverpool. It was a built mast of pitch-pine, heavily banded with iron,

weighing close on 20 tons. She was, of course, a three-decker; and as a

figure-head she had a Highlander dressed in the tartan of the Mackays.

In design she took after the _Champion of the Seas_, being not so

sharp-ended as the _Lightning_ or _James Baines_. Captain Warner left

the _Sovereign of the Seas_ to take her, and superintended her fitting

out.

Leaving Boston on 21st February, 1855, she made Cape Clear only 12

days out. On 27th February her log records:—“First part a strong gale

from N.W.; middle part blowing a hurricane from W.N.W., ship scudding

under topsails and foresail at the rate of 18 knots; latter part still

blowing from W.N.W. with heavy hail squalls and very high sea running.”

Under these conditions she made a run of 421 miles in the 24 hours. She

made the Fastnet Rock on 6th March, distant one mile, it blowing a gale

from S.E. to E.N.E., her run for the day being 299 miles. But in the

Channel her passage was spoilt by strong easterly winds, and she did

not receive her pilot off Point Lynas until Saturday, the 10th.

Donald Mackay himself came over in the ship, and on his arrival

expressed himself highly satisfied with her. She was at once put on

the berth, for Melbourne, but did not leave Liverpool until 6th June,

and thus had a light weather passage south, being spoken on 14th July

in 12° S., 38 days out. She arrived in Port Phillip on 26th August,

81 days out. She left Melbourne again on 3rd October, arriving in

Liverpool on 28th December, 1855, 86 days out, and bringing 104,000

ounces of gold consigned to the Bank of France.

[Illustration: “WHITE STAR.”

_From an old lithograph._

]

_Donald Mackay’s_ times on the Australian run, though never very

remarkable, were very consistent, her average for six consecutive

outward passages being 83 days. And I find her making a passage out

to Hobson’s Bay in 1867 in 84 days. She once took 1000 troops from

Portsmouth to Mauritius in 70 days.

“Blue Jacket,” “White Star” and “Shalimar.”

Three other magnificent ships were built on the other side of the

Atlantic for the Liverpool-Melbourne emigrant trade in 1854. These were

the _Blue Jacket_, _White Star_ and _Shalimar_.

The _Blue Jacket_ came from the well-known yard of R. E. Jackson in

East Boston, the other two ships being Nova Scotian built. The _Blue

Jacket_ arrived in the Mersey on 20th October, 1854, having made the

run from Boston, land to land, in 12 days 10 hours; the _Shalimar_

arrived about the same time, and the _White Star_ reached Liverpool

on 1st December, 15 days out from St. John’s in spite of strong head

winds. She was timber laden and drawing 22½ feet of water. The _Blue

Jacket_ on her arrival was bought by James John Frost, of London, and

put on the berth for Melbourne as one of the Fox Line of packets, the

other two being owned by the White Star Line.

In looking at old pictures and prints of these American built ships,

several points in their construction seem to have been common to

all, such as the semi-elliptical stern, the bowsprit built into the

sheer, the large wheel-house aft, etc.; their figure-heads, also, were

generally most elaborate full-length figures and did not grow out of

the bow in the graceful way of the British-built, but seemed to be

plastered upon it. And from _Marco Polo_ to _Donald Mackay_, these

soft-wood clippers had more the appearance of strength and power than

of grace and beauty, though the famous _Red Jacket_ was an exception,

being an extremely taking ship to the eye.

_Blue Jacket_, however, was of the powerful type, and extremely like

the Mackay ships in appearance. She was designed to stow a large cargo,

having a full midship section, but her bow was long and sharp enough.

Her chief measurements were:—

Length of keel 205 feet.

Length between perpendiculars 220 „

Length over all 235 „

Beam 41.6 „

Depth of hold 24 „

Registered tonnage 1790 tons.

Her poop was 80 feet long and 7 feet high, and she had 8 feet of height

between decks. She had the usual accommodation arrangements, two points

only being perhaps worth noting; the first was a line of plate glass

portholes running the length of her ’tween decks, and the second was an

iron water tank to hold 7000 gallons.

_Blue Jacket_ sailed for Melbourne on 6th March, 1855, in charge of

Captain Underwood, and made a magnificent run out of 69 days. She

further distinguished herself at a later date by making the homeward

run in 69 days.

_Shalimar_, the smallest ship of the three, measured 1557 tons

She sailed for Hobson’s Bay on 23rd November, 1854, was off Cape

Northumberland in 67 days, but owing to head winds took another 10

days to reach her port. She came home in 75 days, her whole voyage,

including 45 days in port, only occupying 6 months and 14 days. The

newspaper report of her passage out states that she ran 420 miles

in the 24 hours on one occasion, though unfortunately it gives no

particulars.

The most celebrated of these three ships was the _White Star_, which

had the distinction of being the largest clipper built by Wright, of

New Brunswick, her measurements being:—

Registered tonnage 2339 tons.

Length over all 288 feet.

Length of keel 213.3 „

Beam 44 „

Depth 28.1 „

The _White Star_ soon proved herself to be one of the fastest ships

afloat. On her first voyage she did nothing out of the way, being 79

days out and 88 days home. But in 1856 she went out in 75 days (67

days land to land), and came home in 76 days, beating the auxiliary

_Royal Charter_ by 10 days from port to port. In 1858, she went out in

72 days, this being the best White Star passage of the year; whilst on

25th February, 1860, she left Melbourne and made her number off Cape

Clear in 65 days. In 1860 she went out in 69 days, running 3306 miles

in 10 days between the Cape and Melbourne.

The Wreck of the “Schomberg.”

We now come to the unfortunate _Schomberg_, the only wooden ship ever

built in a British yard that could in any way compare with the big

Boston and Nova Scotian built ships in size.

In 1854, James Baines was so impressed by the success of the little

Aberdeen tea clippers, that he gave Hall an order for a monster

emigrant clipper of 2600 tons. Unfortunately, Hall had had no

experience in the building of emigrant ships and the _Schomberg_ was

more of a copy of Mackay’s clippers than Hall’s own beautiful little

ships. The _Schomberg_ cost when ready for sea £43,103 or £18 17s. 6d.

per ton. She measured:—

Tonnage (builder’s measurement) 2600 tons.

„ (for payment of dues) 2492 „

„ (registered) 2284 „

Length over all 288 feet.

Length between perpendiculars 262 „

Beam 45 „

Depth of hold 29.2 „

She had three skins, two of diagonal planking, and one fore and aft,

the whole fastened together with screw-threaded hard-wood trunnels—a

novelty in shipbuilding. She was specially heavily rigged, her mainmast

weighing 15 tons, being a pitch-pine spar 110 feet in length and 42

inches in diameter. Her mainyard was 110 feet long. She crossed three

skysail yards, but no moonsail.

Captain Forbes, as commodore of the Black Ball, was shifted into her

from the _Lightning_, and great hopes were entertained that she would

lower the record to Australia.

On 6th October, 1855, she was hauled through the pier heads amidst the

cheers of a patriotic crowd of sightseers, with the boast of “Sixty

days to Melbourne” flying from her signal halliards. The passage was

one of light and moderate winds. _Schomberg_ was 28 days to the line

and 55 days to the Greenwich meridian. Running her easting down she

averaged 6 degrees daily to 130° E., her greatest speed being 15½ knots

and her best run 368 miles. She made the land off Cape Bridgewater at 1

p.m. on Xmas day, the wind being fresh at E.S.E. On 27th December after

two days’ tacking, with the wind still blowing fresh from ahead, Forbes

went about at noon when 4 miles off shore and tacked out; at 6 p.m. he

tacked in again. At about 10.30 p.m., the land being faintly visible,

the wind gradually died away. It was a moonlight night. Forbes was

playing cards in the saloon when the mate came down and reported that

the ship was getting rather close in under the land and suggested going

about. As luck would have it, Forbes was losing and, being a bit out

of temper, insisted on playing another rubber of whist before tacking

ship, and the danger point had been overstripped when at 11 o’clock he

came on deck and gave the order to ’bout ship.

As there was next to no wind and a current running 3 to 4 knots to the

westward, the _Schomberg_ refused to come round. Forbes next tried to

wear her, with the result that the ship slid up on to a sandbank 35

miles west of Cape Otway. On sounding round the ship it was found that

she was stuck fast in 4 fathoms of water. Sail was kept on her in the

hopes of it pulling her off into deep water again.

Forbes, on being told that the ship was hard aground, said

angrily:—“Let her go to Hell, and tell me when she is on the beach,”

and at once went below.

Henry Cooper Keen, the mate, then took charge, and finding that the

_Schomberg_ was only being hove further in by the swell and current,

clewed up all sail, let go the starboard anchor and lowered the boats.

And it was subsequently proved at the inquiry afterwards that it was

chiefly due to the chief officer and a first class passenger, a civil

engineer of Belfast named Millar, that all the passengers were safely

disembarked and put aboard the steamer _Queen_, which hove in sight on

the following morning.

All efforts to save the ship failed and she presently went to pieces.

Forbes at the inquiry was acquitted of all blame for the stranding,

the sandbank being uncharted, but at a mass meeting of his passengers

in the Mechanics’ Institute, Melbourne, he was very severely censured.

Many of them declared that he was so disgusted with the slowness of the

passage that he let the ship go ashore on purpose. Others complained of

his tyranny during the voyage and even made worse allegations against

his morality and that of the ship’s doctor; altogether the affair was a

pretty scandal and Forbes never obtained another command in the Black

Ball Line.

The Best Outward Passages—Liverpool to Melbourne, 1854-5.

+------------------------+--------------+----------+----------+------+

+------------------------+--------------+----------+----------+------+

| | | 1854 | | |

| _Mermaid_ | Devy | „ 3 | „ 17 | 74 |

| _Miles Barton_ | Kelly | „ 4 | „ 22 | 78 |

| _Lightning_ | J. N. Forbes | „ 14 | „ 31 | 76 |

| _Arabian_ | Bannatyne | Aug. 19 | Nov. 13 | 86 |

| _Morning Star_ | — | Sept. 6 | „ 20 | 75 |

| _Champion of the Seas_ | Newlands | Oct. 11 | Dec. 22 | 72 |

| | | | 1855 | |

| _Indian Queen_ | McKirdie | Nov. 12 | Jan. 31 | 80 |

| _Shalimar_ | Robertson | „ 23 | Feb. 7 | 76 |

| _James Baines_ | McDonald | Dec. 10 | Feb. 12 | 64 |

| | | 1855 | | |

| _Lightning_ | A. Enright | Jan. 6 | Mar. 20 | 73 |

| _Blue Jacket_ | Underwood | Mar. 6 | May 13 | 69 |

| _Oliver Lang_ | Manning | May 5 | „ 31 | 87 |

| _Arabian_ | Bannatyne | „ 21 | Aug. 13 | 84 |

| _Shalimar_ | Robertson | „ 20 | Oct. 16 | 88 |

| _James Baines_ | McDonald | Aug. 5 | „ 23 | 79 |

| _Emma_ | — | „ 21 | Nov. 17 | 88 |

| _Red Jacket_ | Milward | „ 20 | Dec. 4 | 75 |

| _Invincible_ | — | „ 30 | „ 18 | 79 |

+------------------------+--------------+----------+----------+------+

1855-1857—Captain Anthony Enright and the “Lightning.”

When Forbes was given the _Schomberg_, James Baines offered the

command of the _Lightning_ to Captain Anthony Enright, who had earned

a great reputation as a passage maker in the tea clipper _Chrysolite_.

At the same time the White Star Line asked Enright to take over the

_Red Jacket_, and it was only after considerable deliberation that he

decided to take the _Lightning_, first demanding a salary of £1000 a

year. The Black Ball Line replied that it was a great deal more than

they had ever previously given to their captains, but eventually they

agreed to his terms rather than lose such a good man.

Captain Enright had the _Lightning_ for four voyages, from January,

1855, to August, 1857, and proved himself perhaps the most popular and

successful captain under the famous house-flag; indeed, under him the

_Lightning_ became a very favourite ship with passengers.

Enright was a very religious man, a Puritan of the old type yet no

bigot: a stern disciplinarian, the men before the mast knew that he

was sure to give them a square deal, impartial and just, and fair

treatment for good service, and for that reason never gave him trouble,

whilst in controlling his passengers and keeping a happy ship in spite

of the trials of such long passages and crowded quarters, he showed

the most wonderful tact and gift for ruling men. This gift of tact

was perhaps more desirable in the captain of an emigrant ship than

in any other walk of life, especially in the days of the gold rush

when the emigrants represented every nationality, every creed, every

class and every trade; and the _Lightning_, under Enright, was as

good an example of the best-run first-class emigrant ships as can be

found. I therefore intend to give as good a picture of life aboard the

_Lightning_ during 1855-7 as I possibly can with the material at my

command.

Captain Enright’s Regulations.

First of all I will give a list of Enright’s regulations for preserving

order amongst his passengers, which were always posted up in prominent

places about the ship.

RULES OF THE _Lightning_.

1st. No smoking or naked light allowed below.

2nd. All lights, except the hatchway lights, to be put out by 10 p.m.

3rd. No Congreve matches to be used in the berths or on the lower

deck.

4th. Cleanliness and decorum to be strictly observed at all times.

5th. Every place below to be well cleaned every day after breakfast,

for the inspection of the surgeon and chief officer.

6th. All bedding to be on deck twice a week.

7th. The ’tween deck passengers to appoint constables to preserve

order and see these rules are strictly observed.

8th. The constables are to keep watch in their respective

compartments for their own safety and that of their families; trim

the lamps; report all misdemeanours, for which they will receive a

glass of grog or a cup of coffee every morning.

9th. Second cabin passengers are not allowed on the windward side of

the vessel; but can promenade at all hours on the leeward side.

10th. Passengers must not upon any account open the ’tween deck

ports without my express permission: a violation of this rule may

be attended with serious consequences, and will, in any case, be

severely punished.

11th. Dancing and promenading on the poop from 7 till 9 p.m., when

all passengers may enjoy themselves, but not abaft the mizen mast.

The promenaders are not in any way to interrupt the dancers, but will

be expected to promenade in parts of the poop where dancing is not

being carried on.

12th. On account of the overcrowded state of the poop and to

satisfy all parties, third class passengers are only allowed on the

quarterdeck from 7 till 9 in the evening.

13th. The use of the private staircase (into the saloon) is strictly

prohibited after 11 at night.

14th. No person allowed to speak to the officers of the watch whilst

on duty: nor to any of the quartermasters, whilst at the wheel.

15th. All parties not complying with these rules will be liable to

have a part of their provisions deducted as a punishment, as the

commander and officers may think fit.

ANTHONY ENRIGHT, _Commander._

=The Passengers on the “Lightning.”=

Perhaps a few details regarding the number and kind of passengers, for

which these rules were framed, may now be of interest.

In 1855 the _Lightning_ took out 47 saloon, 53 second cabin, 20

intermediate and 253 steerage passengers, her crew numbering 87; total

of souls on board—495.

In 1856 her purser gave the following details of the outward bound

passengers:—

Saloon—Adults 39: children 12: Total 51

’Tween deck—Married adults male 42

„ „ female 55

Single „ male 184

„ „ female 33

children 47

infants 7

crew 85

----

Number of souls on board 504

----

On the homeward passage the numbers were naturally very much less, and

women were not so numerous.

In 1855 the _Lightning_ brought home 51 saloon, 123 second cabin and

80 intermediate; total—254. On her second voyage that year, owing to

the accident to her false bow when outward bound, she could only muster

80 passengers.

In 1856 her homeward bound passengers consisted of:—

Saloon—Adults 31; children 3; Total 34

’Tween decks—Married adults male 10

„ „ female 10

Single „ male 114

„ „ female 1

children 6

infants 4

crew 77

----

Total all told 256

----

All Europe sailed from Liverpool to the Australian goldfields, so that

all nationalities were to be found in a Black Baller’s foc’s’le.

I find the following account in the _Lightning Gazette_, the newspaper

published on board, of 1855:—“Here in the steerage we find there are

many nations, including Jews, Germans and French; the largest number,

however, being English with a few Irish and Scots. Here are all ages

and not all, but many, trades and occupations. Here are some more or

less successful diggers, who had returned to their native land to

gratify a feeling of love and affection; or it may be vanity; and who

are now returning to settle in the land of promise.”

The homeward bound passengers were just as mixed if only half as

numerous—thus the _Gazette_ when homeward bound in 1856:—

The passengers generally are a very mixed community, English and

French, American and German, Italian and Pole, young and old, merry

and sad, the open-hearted and the reserved, the enterprising merchant

and the adventurous gold digger, artizan and mechanic, soldier and

sailor, prosperous husbands returning to escort their wives and

families to the Colony, and the disappointed man, cheered alone by

the magic influence of once again beholding home.

And under the heading of “The Gent Afloat,” I find a very amusing

description of the adventurer of the times aboard ship, and though

it is rather long, it is such a vivid little study of a type of

character, only too common in the snobbish mid-Victorian era, that I

cannot resist giving it in full.

The Gent Afloat.

“This class of individual is to be found in great abundance in every

clipper ship community. He is easily known, more easily detected. He is

a man of vast importance when first he steps aboard; makes no advances;

keeps aloof; is evidently selecting, with great caution, those with

whom he dare associate without compromising his connections. After

a little time, however, he—with a condescending grace, which cannot

be too highly extolled—relaxes slightly his vigorous demeanour, and

smiles upon the _very_ young men of known good family (of course),

occasionally honours them with his arm and promenades the deck for half

an hour—is very careful during the peregrination to recount his latest

adventures at home—the parting dinners Captain Allalie and Colonel

Gammon would insist on giving him; the ballet dancer, who forsook an

Earl for his advances and embraces; the prima donna who would insist on

rehearsing her role before him as she entertained so high an opinion

of his musical criticism and abilities. The borough he might have gone

in for at the last election, with the Duke of Sarum’s interest, but

that his _own_ family objected on the score of difference in political

opinions, and the positive certainty that in a few years his great

talents and eloquence must command the most independent seat in the

House.

“He is of an average height and features, with the exception of a

protruding chin, which gives to the mouth a horrible grin; an eyeglass

of course; luxuriant hair and whiskers, redolent of macassar. He apes

the gait of a military man; wears a frock coat terribly inclined to

the third and fourth letters of the alphabet; a waistcoat of the most

approved and fashionable cut; trowsers of the loudest plaid style

about two to the pair, with very ragged bottoms and straps, the latter

article proving a very useful adjunct when the supply of socks falls

short; a shirt with miniature cartoons after Raphael or a correct

likeness of the last murderer and the last ballet dancer printed upon

it; a necktie of the _striking stripe_ pattern, to make him smart. His

whole appearance is indicative of a worn-out Stultz. His hands are

covered with a variety of rings, from the enamelled and delicately

wrought diamond to the massive and substantial signet bearing his

crest. An immense watch chain (bearing a striking resemblance to the

ship’s cable) with an abundance of charms attached completes the _tout

ensemble_ of the outer man. His wardrobe is somewhat limited—but this

he accounts for by—‘D—n those agents, the rascals have put my trunks

marked “wanted on the voyage” in the hold, and left out those “not

wanted,” isn’t it annoying? Could you lend me a few shirts until

they’re got at?’ He is decidedly great at the borrowing dodge. Of

course his cigars, tobacco and all the little comforts for the journey

are in his trunks in the hold. But the way he solicits a loan of the

required articles is irresistible. His natural grace (or impudence, we

don’t know which) defies refusal. But at last even that—as all things

good or bad will—palls and borrowing becomes a more difficult art.

Friends shirk him, acquaintances avoid him, and long before the end

of the journey ‘the Gent Afloat’ is known and scouted as a penniless,

reckless adventurer void alike of honour or honesty.”

=Shipboard Newspapers.=

This account of an adventurer of the fifties came out of the _Lightning

Gazette_, a paper published weekly aboard the ship.

Realising the importance of keeping such a mixed collection of

passengers amused Messrs. James Baines put a printing press aboard

each of their ships and thus the issue of the shipboard newspaper was

something always to be eagerly looked forward to on Saturdays. In many

an English and Australian home there are no doubt still to be found

treasured, stained and tattered, copies of these ships’ newspapers.

I have myself handled volumes of the _Lightning Gazette_, the _Eagle

Herald_, the _Royal Charter Times_ and coming down to more modern days,

the _Loch Torridon Journal_ and other Loch Line papers.

The printer of these ship newspapers was usually a paid member of the

crew, but the editor and sub-editor were elected by the passengers,

the captain, of course, acting not only as a frequent contributor but

also as a censor—no matter of a controversial sort either religious,

political or otherwise being ever allowed to appear in the news sheet

of Captain Enright’s ship.

=The Ship’s Notice Board.=

The ship’s official newspaper sometimes had to contend against rival

productions, promoted by private enterprise, but its chief rival was

the ship’s notice board, which was a stout one, being no less than the

mainmast.

Here are a few notices, gathered haphazard from the _Lightning’s_

mainmast.

CLOTHING SOLD BY THE PURSER

Cigars, 2d. each; per hundred £0 12 0

Do. Havannah each 0 0 4

Canvas trowsers 0 3 6

Kersey drawers 0 3 6

Mits 0 1 0

Oilskin trowsers 0 5 6

Oilskin coats 0 7 6

Pilot cloth coats 0 5 0

Pilot cloth trowsers 0 12 0

Blue serge shirts 0 5 0

Regatta shirts (printed fronts) 0 3 6

Black alpaca coats 0 12 0

Felt hats 0 3 0

Sou’westers 0 2 0

Black glazed hats 0 4 0

Guernsey frocks 0 8 6

Scotch caps 0 2 0

Knives 0 1 6

Apply to C. T. RENNY, _Purser_.

RAFFLES.

To be raffled for—

On Thursday next, June 7, at 2 o’clock,

A Splendid Model of the _Lightning_,

By 40 members, at 5/- each.

Application for shares to be made at the printing office.

HEALTH OFFICE

WANTED.

Swabbers to assist at the force pump and relieve two saloon

passengers, who work with indefatigable zeal.

Application to be made to Dr. Colquhoun and Mr. Winter at 5 a.m. any

morning.

The above is capital exercise, strongly recommended.

WANTED.

A washerwoman—one accustomed to get up gentlemen’s linen preferred.

Apply to Mr. NECK, _Chief Steward_.

FOR SALE.

Opossum Rugs. Apply to MR. FYSH, second cabin tween decks.

FOUND.

By the Boatswain of this ship, a coat with a pair of pincers in the

pocket. The owner can have the same by paying expenses.

AUCTION.

On Wednesday next, at 2 p.m., a Public Auction will be held on the

poop, when a large and well selected assortment of merchandise will

be submitted to public competition by—

CHARLES ROBIN, _Auctioneer_.

Auctioneer’s Address—No. 5 After Saloon Stateroom.

_Riddles and Epigrams_, so numerous in the _Gazette_, were not,

however, to be found on the ship’s notice board. The riddles are mostly

very feeble, many of them making great play with the ship’s name, thus:—

Why is the Commander of our ship like the electric wire?

_Ans._—Because he is a Lightning conductor.

But there is a rather more interesting one of the times:—

Why is a scolding wife like American steamers? _Ans._—Because

she is fond of blowing up.

The epigrams are better, as follows:—

Upon seeing a lady filling a gentleman’s pipe on board the

_Lightning_—

“I would that ladies’ hands might find

Something worthier to stuff

Nor give to those who are inclined

An opportunity to puff.”

and—

Upon seeing a young lady printing the _Lightning Gazette_:—

“An angel form in earthly mould

Upon my ink has shed a blessing,

And manly hearts to others cold

Cannot resist when she is pressing.”

=The Ship’s Band and Concerts, etc.=

Perhaps the most important method of keeping an emigrant ship’s

passengers amused was by means of the ship’s band, especially in those

days when dancing was so popular, that even in bad weather the poops of

these ships were always crowded with dancers every evening.

Of course the bands provided were not quite on a par with those of

present day leviathans crossing the Atlantic; the _Lightning_, for

instance, rejoiced in the good old-fashioned German band, which used

to be such an institution in the London streets and is now practically

extinct. This band consisted of six musicians, and besides playing

selections and accompaniments at the concerts, supplied the music for

the daily dancing.

In those days the polka was the great dance, the valse had not yet come

into fashion and was not very well known, and instead of the romping

lancers the stately quadrille was the order of the day.

I find a set of instructions showing a sailor how to dance a quadrille

in one of the numbers of the _Lightning Gazette_. It is rather too

long to quote, but the following figure shows the gist of it:—“Heave

ahead and pass your adversary yardarm to yardarm: regain your berth

on the other tack in the same order: take your station in a line with

your partner, back and fill, face on your heel and bring up with

your partner: she then manœuvres ahead and heaves all aback, fills

and shoots ahead again and pays off alongside: you then make sail in

company until stern on with the other line: make a stern board and

cast her off to shift for herself: regain your berth by the best means

possible and let go your anchor.”

Looking over the old concert programmes, I find that negro melodies

(now called coon songs) were even then very popular, amongst which

figured “Nelly Bligh,” “Poor Old Joe,” “Stop dat Knockin’,” “Oh! Carry

Me Back” and others. The rest of the programmes were generally filled

up with the old familiar Scots and Irish folk-songs, some well-known

English choruses, the usual sentimental ditty, and amongst the sailor

songs I find “A Life on the Ocean Wave,” “Cheer, Boys, Cheer,” “I’m

Afloat,” “The Pride of the Ocean” and “The Death of Nelson.” Concerts

were generally pretty numerous during a passage. As a rule each class

had its own; then, to end up, a “Grand Monster Concert” was organised,

in which the talents of saloon, house on deck, and steerage were pitted

against one another.

Other diversions of this kind were plays of the class of “Bombastes

Furioso”; mock trials, with the invariable verdict of guilty on the

wretched culprit and the sentence of “champagne all round,” and of

course debating, choral and other societies.

Then there were the usual high jinks crossing the line; and such

occasions as the Queen’s Birthday, the “Captain’s Wedding Day,” etc.,

were celebrated by “a cold collation of the most sumptuous order” in

the saloon and many speeches.

=A Bill of Fare on the “Lightning.”=

In the first cabin the living on these big clippers seems to have been

uncommonly good for such a length of time at sea. Here is the dinner

menu of 14th January, 1855, on the _Lightning_, when a week out from

Liverpool.

BILL OF FARE.

_Soups_—Vermicelli and macaroni.

_Fish_—Cod and oyster sauce.

_Meats_—Roast beef, boeuf a la mode, boiled mutton, roast veal,

boiled turkey and oyster sauce, roast goose, roast fowl, boiled fowl,

minced escallops, veal and ham pie, haricot mutton, ham.

_Sweets_—Plum pudding, rice pudding, roll pudding, tarts, orange

fritters, small pastry.

_Dessert_—Oranges, almonds, Barcelona raisins, figs, etc.

_Wines_—Champagne, sparkling hock.

=St. Valentine’s Day.=

Captain Enright was very fertile in raising a new amusement directly

his passengers began to show signs of boredom. His favourite dodge

was to appoint a St. Valentine’s Day, when a letter box was placed in

front of the poop and twice during the day the darkey steward, Richard,

who was evidently a great character, came round and delivered the

Valentines as postman. He was always dressed up for the occasion in

some extraordinarily fantastic costume of his own invention—and his

antics and fun, quite as much as the contents of his postbag, kept the

ship in roars of laughter and most successfully dissipated all signs of

boredom and discontent. Here is one account of his doings:—

Richard, the coloured steward, made a first-rate walker, dressed

in the tip-top style of St. Martins-le-Grand, with gold-laced hat,

yellow collar and cuffs to his coat and white tops to his boots:

he acted the part of Cupid’s messenger to admiration and drew down

thunders of applause. There was a second delivery in the afternoon

on the poop, when Richard again made his appearance dressed in full

general’s uniform.

And it goes on to say:—

The Valentines, which were very numerous, contained the usual amount

of bitters and sweet, flattering verses and lovers’ vows; some

amusing hits at marked propensities and a few rather broad hints at

infirmities and habits were all taken in good part and the day passed

off most pleasantly.

And here is one of the Valentines which Captain Enright received:—

Captain Go-ahead Enright, A1,

Ship “Flash of Lightning,”

who never cracks on, and is supposed to have

at no time seen a moonsail.

It is currently reported that he lays to

and turns in when it blows a gale.

_N.B._—No certain address, but always to be found

ON DUTY.

=Other Amusements at Sea.=

During the time of the Crimea, if there happened to be a soldier or two

aboard, a corps of volunteers was raised and drilled daily. A parade in

bad weather was a great source of amusement to the onlookers, if not so

pleasant for the performers.

In the fine weather deck games such as quoits, shovel board and deck

billiards were as popular as they are nowadays, but I find no mention

of sports, cock-fighting or ship cricket.

Below draughts, whist, chess, backgammon and dominoes all had many

devotees; and on the homeward passage nap, poker, blackjack, euchre and

other gambling games robbed many a returning digger of his pile and

sometimes led to such trouble that the captain had to interfere.

Under captains of Enright’s stamp, there was very little disorder and

the sailing ships seem to have carried a much happier crowd than the

auxiliary steamers.

The ill-fated _Royal Charter’s_ passage home in the summer of 1856

presents an example of a badly run and disciplined ship. The food was

bad, everyone had a growl about something, drunken riots occurred

constantly, fighting in which even the crew and stewards took a part

was of almost daily occurrence, and excessive gambling ruined scores of

returning diggers on the lower deck. I am glad to say that I can find

no such instance of disorder and lack of discipline amongst the ships

which relied upon sail power alone.

Best Homeward Passages, 1855-56.

The honours for the year 1855 were, however, taken by the Duthie built

Aberdeen clipper _Ballarat_, 713 tons, owned by Duncan Dunbar, which

went out to Sydney in under 70 days, and came home Melbourne to

Liverpool in 69 days with 110,000 ounces on board. The _Ocean Chief_,

Captain Tobin, was a Black Baller on her second voyage. On her previous

passage home in the autumn of 1854 she made the run in 86 days, during

which she was embayed by ice for three days in the Southern Ocean, had

the unusual experience of being becalmed for three days off the Horn

and finally had N.E. winds from 18° N. to soundings.

+------------------+---------+---------+-----------+--------+----+

+------------------+---------+---------+-----------+--------+----+

| | | 1855 | | 1855 | |

| _Oliver Lang_ |Sydney | Jan. 3 | | Mar. 20| 76 |

| _James Baines_ |Melbourne| Mar. 11 | 40,000 oz.| May 20| 69 |

| _Shalimar_ |Melbourne| „ 24 | 42,000 oz.| „ 5| 75 |

| _Lightning_ | „ | Apl. 11 | 69,000 oz.| „ 29| 79 |

| _Marco Polo_ |Melbourne| July 26 |125,000 oz.| Oct. 20| 86 |

| _White Star_ | „ | Aug. 31 | 80,000 oz.| Nov. 27| 88 |

| _Donald Mackay_ | „ | Oct. 3 | | Dec. 28| 86 |

| | | | | 1856 | |

| _Champion of the | „ | „ 27 | | Jan. 25| 90 |

| _Lightning_ | „ | Dec. 27 | 12,000 oz.| Mar. 23| 86 |

| | | 1856 | | | |

| _Red Jacket_ | „ | Jan 12 | | Apl. 8| 86 |

+------------------+---------+---------+-----------+--------+----+

The _Oliver Lang_, 1236 tons, was called after her designer, being a

British built ship from the famous Deptford yard.

Best Outward Passages 1855-56, Liverpool to Melbourne.

I have failed to point out before that the Black Ballers always sailed

on the 5th of the month from Liverpool, and the White Star on the 20th;

it thus becomes an easy matter to pick out the ships of the rival lines.

At such a time it is only natural to find _Golden_ a favourite part

of a ship’s name. _Golden Era_, _Golden City_, _Golden Eagle_, _Golden

Light_, _Golden State_, _Golden West_, _Golden Age_, and _Golden Gate_

were all down-east clippers, built for the Californian gold rush.

+-----------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+

+-----------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+

| | 1855 | 1856 | |

|_Ocean Chief_ | Dec. 7 | Jan. 25 | 80 |

|_Mermaid_ | „ 21 | Feb. 10 | 82 |

| | 1856 | | |

|_Oliver Lang_ | Jan. 7 | April 3 | 87 |

|_James Baines_ | April 7 | „ 24 | 78 |

|_Mindoro_ | „ 22 | July 13 | 82 |

|_Lightning_ | May 6 | „ 14 | 69 |

|_Red Jacket_ | „ 20 | Aug. 13 | 85 |

|_Morning Light_ | July 6 | „ 17 | 73 |

|_Mermaid_ | „ 22 | Oct. 17 | 87 |

|_Ocean Chief_ | Aug. 5 | „ 19 | 75 |

|_White Star_ | „ 21 | Nov. 5 | 76 |

|_Marco Polo_ | Sept. 5 | Dec. 2 | 89 |

+-----------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+

The _Morning Light_ was a monster New Brunswick built ship, registering

2377 tons. She was on her first voyage and must not be confused with

the American clipper of that name, owned by Glidden & Williams, of

Boston, and built by Toby & Littlefield, of Portsmouth, N.H., a ship of

half her size.

The “James Baines” Overdue!

In the autumn of 1856 there was tremendous sensation in Liverpool,

when the famous _James Baines_, considered by many to be the fastest

ship in the world, was posted as overdue when homeward bound. All

sorts of rumours spread like wildfire, and as the weeks went by and no

definite information was obtained from incoming ships, something like

consternation began to reign in shipping circles.

The _James Baines_ sailed from Melbourne at 1 p.m. on 7th August, 1856,

passing through the Heads the following morning. On the 9th she made

her best run, 356 miles, royals and skysails being set part of the

time, the wind fair but squally. She made one more good run, of 340

miles, and then was held up by light airs and calms all the way to the

Horn; here she encountered heavy gales, snowstorms and high cross seas.

She was 36 days to the pitch of the Horn; then from 26th September to

8th November another spell of light and baffling winds delayed her

passage, and she was 65 days from Port Phillip to the line.

On the 30th October, her great rival the _Lightning_, which had sailed

from Melbourne just three weeks behind her, hove in sight, and the two

ships were in company for a week. The meeting of the two Black Ballers

is joyfully recorded in the _Lightning Gazette_, as follows:—

Thursday, 30th October.—Lat. 29° 03′N., Long 33° 14′W. Distance 131

miles. Wind more easterly; 7 a.m. tacked ship to N.N.W. A large

ship in sight went about at same time, ahead of us. During forenoon

Captain Enright expressed himself confident that she was the _James

Baines_. Great excitement and numerous conjectures, bets, etc. One

thing certain, that she sailed almost as fast as ourselves, and her

rigging and sails were similar to those of the _Baines_. By sunset we

had both weathered and gained on our companion.

Friday, 31st October.—Lat. 30° 31′ N., Long. 35° 15′ W. Distance 137

miles. All night light airs, and early dawn showed us our friend much

nearer. At 8 a.m., she at last responded to our signals by hoisting

the “Black Ball” at the mizen! and a burgee at the gaff, with her

name—_James Baines_! Great excitement spread throughout the ship,

and the conversation was divided between sympathy for all on board

our unfortunate predecessor and conjectures as to the cause of her

detainment. All day we were watching her every movement; now she

gains, now we near her; now she “comes up” and now “falls off.” About

2 p.m., we were evidently nearer than in the morning. A conversation

_a la_ Marryat. The _Baines_ informed us that her passengers were

all well, asked for our longitude, if any news, etc. Captain Enright

invited Captain McDonald to dine, but he did not respond. At 5 a.m.,

still light airs, _James Baines_ distant 1½ miles.

Saturday, 1st November.—Lat. 31° 12′ N., Long. 36° W. Distance 56

miles. During Friday evening, about 8 o’clock, the wind being still

very light, we passed to windward of the unfortunate _James Baines_;

so closely that we could hear the people on board cheering, and most

vociferously did some of our passengers reply, with the addition of

a profuse supply of chaff: such as amiable offers to take them in

tow, a most commendable solicitude as to their stock of “lime juice,”

very considerate promises to “say they were coming” on arrival at

Liverpool, etc. All night the wind was light and baffling. At 2 a.m.

it suddenly chopped round to the N.W., and the ship was put on the

port tack. At 4, she was put about again. At 6.30, tacked ship to

eastward, light airs and variable. The _James Baines_ about 6 miles

to leeward, a little brig on lee bow—which had been in company all

Friday, and a barque on lee quarter. At 9, the brig, having put

about, stood up towards us, and passing close to leeward, showed

the Hambro ensign with private number 350. We once more tacked ship

and stood to the northward and westward, the others following our

example, and the breeze freshening, we all started on a race. The

barque hoisted her ensign and number and proved to be the _Cid_,

which we passed on the 29th ultimo. The brig soon after bore away

to his “chum” to leeward, and they had a quiet little race to

themselves, in which the barque appeared to be the victor.

The clipper sisters were now once more pitted against each other: the

far famed _Lightning_, with concave lines and breadth of bilge, in

our opinion the worthy Donald’s brightest idea, and the champion—the

ship of 21 knots’ notoriety—the _James Baines_.

In light winds or airs we had crept by him, now, as the breeze

freshens, as the white crest appears on the short toppling sea, as

we lift and dive to the heavy northerly roll and all favours the

long powerful ship. What do we behold? The little brig and barque

going astern, of course. Aye, but what else do we see? Oh, ye

Liverpool owners! _et tu_, Donald, who thought to improve on the

_Lightning_; tell it not “on ’Change,” publish it not in the streets

of Liverpool. What do we see? Hull down, courses and topsails below

the horizon at 2 p.m., five hours from the start, the _James Baines_

just discernible from the deck: at the very lowest computation we

have beaten her at the rate of 1½ knots per hour. At sundown she is

barely visible from the mizen topgallant crosstrees. It was generally

supposed on board that her copper must have been much worn and

rough or we never could have beaten so rapidly a ship of such noble

appearance and well-known sailing qualities.

Sunday, 2nd November.—Lat. 32° 57′ N., Long. 37° 37′ W. Distance 134

miles. Another day of light winds, heading us off to N.N.W. still.

Evening, a little more wind, ship going about 7 knots.

Monday, 3rd November.—Lat. 34° 41′ N., Long. 38° 28′ W. Distance 113

miles. In the middle watch wind backed to the N.E. and fell light

again. At 8, improvement again and by noon we lay N.E. by N., the

best we have done for some days, but only going from 4½ to 5 knots. A

ship coming up astern, supposed to be the _James Baines_, bringing up

a fair wind.

Tuesday, 4th November.—Lat. 35° 47′ N., Long. 38° 28′ W. Distance 66

miles. Commences with very light airs from the north, our ship on the

port tack. Our friend _James Baines_ again in sight astern.

And this was the last the _Lightning_ saw of the _James Baines_ though

the two ships arrived in the Mersey within 24 hours of each other, the

_Lightning_ leading. Both anchored in the river on 20th November, the

_Lightning_ being 84 days out, and the _James Baines_ 105 days.

The following comparison between the two passages is interesting, as it

shows that the two ships took the same number of days from the equator

to Liverpool, viz., 40 days:—

+--------------------------+-------------------+-------------------+

| | _James Baines_ | _Lightning_ |

| | | |

| Points Between +-----+-------------+-----+-------------+

+--------------------------+-----+-------------+-----+-------------+

| | | | | |

|Cape Horn to equator | 29 | Oct. 11 | 20 | Oct 9 |

|Equator to Western Isles | 28 | Nov. 8 | 29 | Nov. 7 |

|Western Isles to Liverpool| 12 | Nov. 20 | 11 | Nov. 20 |

+--------------------------+-----+-------------+-----+-------------+

Best 24-hours’ run 356 miles 377 miles.

The _James Baines_ was simply unlucky in having a very light weather

passage. Donald Mackay’s ships were never light weather flyers, in

spite of setting every kind of light weather kite, from tiny “bulldog,”

as they called the moonsail on the main, down to the lowest watersail,

that barely cleared the wave crests.

Whilst we are comparing the speeds of _James Baines_ and _Lightning_,

it is only fair to do so in heavy weather as well as light. I

therefore give below the logs of their best week’s work on their

respective outward passages in 1856. Here it will be seen the _James

Baines_ just has the best of it. I have taken the remarks for

_Lightning’s_ run from the _Lightning Gazette_, not the ship’s log.

BEST WEEK’S RUN BY _James Baines_, LIVERPOOL TO MELBOURNE, MAY, 1856.

25th May.—Lat. 37° 40′ S., Long. 3° 28′ E. Distance 328 miles. Winds,

S.S.W., S.W. This day begins with heavy gale and heavy squalls.

I have never before experienced such a heavy gale with so high a

barometer. At 4 p.m. double-reefed main topsail and crossjack.

Midnight, similar wind and weather, heavy sea, ship labouring very

heavily and shipping great quantities of water. Noon, very heavy sea;

sun obscured.

26th May.—Lat. 38° 38′ S., Long. 10° 0′ E. Distance 320 miles. Winds,

S.W., W.S.W. P.M., begins with strong gale and heavy sea, squalls and

showers of rain, dark, gloomy weather. Midnight, gale decreasing,

reefs out of courses, and set staysails. At 4 a.m., still moderating,

out all reefs, set royals and skysail; 8 a.m., set all starboard

studding sails. Noon, gentle breeze, fine clear weather; wind

westering all the time and sea going down.

27th May.—Lat. 40° 2′ S., Long. 17° 41′ E. Distance 384 miles, winds,

W.S.W., S.W. Fine gentle breeze and fine clear weather, all sail set.

Midnight, same wind and weather. A.M., breeze freshening and heavy

black clouds driving up from S.W. Noon, same wind and weather.

28th May.—Lat. 42° 44′ S., Long. 25° 48′ E. Distance 404 miles.

Winds, W.S.W., west. P.M., begins with brisk gale and occasional

heavy squalls accompanied with heavy rain. At 4 p.m., handed small

sails and double-reefed fore and mizen courses. Midnight, still

increasing. Noon, as previously.

29th May.—Lat. 44° 15′ S., Long. 30° 51′ E. Distance 240 miles. Winds

west. First part strong gales and fine clear weather, heavy sea, ship

rolling. Midnight, less wind, sea going down, set all small sails. At

4 a.m., set all starboard studding sails. Noon, light breeze, dark

gloomy weather.

30th May.—Lat. 46° 16′ S., Long. 36° 56′ E. Distance 300 miles.

Winds, W.N.W., W.S.W., S.S.W. First part light breezes and dark

gloomy weather. 8 p.m., sky clearing and breeze increasing, barometer

falling. Midnight, fresh gales, took in royal and skysail studding

sails; 8 a.m. heavy snow squall; took in topgallant studding sails.

Noon fresh gales and clear weather with snow showers and squalls.

31st May.—Lat. 46° 52′ S., Long. 43° 54′ E. Distance 300 miles.

Winds, W.N.W., W.S.W., S.S.W. First part fresh breeze and squalls. 10

p.m., ran through between Petit and Grande, Prince Edward Islands.

Midnight, dark with snow squalls. Noon, as at midnight.

BEST WEEK’S RUN BY _Lightning_, LIVERPOOL TO MELBOURNE, JUNE-JULY,

1856.

28th June.—Lat. 44° 25′ S., Long. 42° 58′ E. Distance 232 miles.

Winds westerly. P.M., snow squalls, wind increasing. Preparations

were made for shortening sail by taking in the lighter canvas.

This was not accomplished before the mizen royal and mizen topmast

staysail were torn to pieces. Between 5 and 6 p.m. the conflict raged

most furiously. Reefs were taken in the topsails and these with the

exception of the foresail were all the canvas set.

29th June.—Lat. 43° 36′ S., Long. 50° 07′ E. Distance 312 miles.

Winds westerly. The gale of yesterday abated the intensity of its

fury about midnight, we have set more sail though the wind blows

stiff.

30th June.—Lat. 44° 02′ S., Long. 56° 35′ E. Distance 281 miles.

Winds westerly. The weather has been excessively cold, dark and

cloudy. The heavy sea running caused the ship to roll heavily.

1st July.—Lat. 44° 39′ S., Long. 63° 27′ E. Distance 298 miles. Wind

westerly. Fine at first, then cloudy with showers of snow.

2nd July.—Lat. 45° 07′ S., Long. 70° 55′ E. Distance 319 miles. Wind

westerly. Wind still fresh and fair.

3rd July.—Lat. 45° 07′ S., Long. 79° 55′ E. Distance 382 miles. Wind

westerly. Her run to-day has been only once surpassed since she

floated. She indeed seemed to fly through the water like a seabird

on the wing, causing one of our passengers, who knows something of

navigation, to remark that it was skating, not sailing.

4th July.—Lat. 45° 07′ S., Long. 88° 30′ E. Distance 364 miles. Wind

westerly. Still favoured with the propitious breeze. Our week’s run

is the best we have done yet and the best the _Lightning_ has ever

accomplished.

It will be seen from the above log extracts that the _James Baines_ ran

2276 and the _Lightning_ 2188 miles in the week.

The “James Baines,” “Champion of the Seas,” and “Lightning” race out to

India with Troops in the Time of the Mutiny.

In 1857, the _James Baines_ regained her reputation, coming home in 75

days against the _Lightning’s_ 82 days. Both ships, together with the

_Champion of the Seas_, were at once taken up by the Government, and

sent round to Portsmouth to load troops for India, on account of the

Mutiny. It was confidently believed that the great Black Ballers would

lower the record to Calcutta and the importance of getting the troops

out as quickly as possible, was, of course, very great at such a crisis.

After being carefully prepared for the voyage, the _James Baines_ and

_Champion of the Seas_ sailed from Portsmouth at the beginning of

August. Before sailing the _James Baines_ was inspected by the Queen,

when she is stated to have remarked that she did not know she had such

a fine ship in her Dominions.

On the 17th August the two ships were met by the homeward bound

_Oneida_, and reported to be making great progress. Both ships were

under a cloud of canvas—the _James Baines_ had 34 sails set, including

3 skysails, moonsail and sky stunsails—and presented a splendid

appearance as they surged by, their rails red with the jackets of the

cheering troops. Unfortunately for the hopes of countless anxious

hearts, the two Black Ballers reached the Bay of Bengal at the worst

season of the year, and as they had not been built to ghost along in

catspaws and zephyrs like the tea clippers, their progress up the Bay

was very slow.

Both ships arrived off the Sandheads on the same day, the _James

Baines_ being 101 days out and the _Champion of the Seas_ 103. This

was a disappointing performance. The _Lightning_ did not sail till the

end of August. Owing to the illness of his wife, Captain Enright was

obliged to give up his command, and was succeeded by Captain Byrne.

On 24th August, the day before her departure from Gravesend, a dinner

was given to Captain Enright aboard his old ship, at which several

well-known public men, amongst whom was Mr. Benjamin Disraeli, paid

their tribute to the world famous sea captain.

The _Lightning_ made a better passage than her sisters, being off the

Hooghly, 87 days out.

The Burning of the “James Baines.”

After their trooping, the _Lightning_ and _Champion of the Seas_

returned to the Australian run, but her Calcutta voyage proved the

death of the famous _James Baines_.

She loaded the usual cargo of jute, rice, linseed and cow hides in the

Hooghly, and arrived back in Liverpool in April, 1858. She was hauled

into the Huskisson Dock and discharging commenced. The ’tween decks

were emptied, and on the 21st April the lower hatches were taken off in

the presence of the surveyors, when there appeared no sign of anything

wrong. But on the following morning smoke was noticed issuing from her

hold, and a fire which started in the main hold soon destroyed her. The

following account of her end I have taken from the _Illustrated London

News_:—

The fire burst out on Thursday morning, 22nd April, 1858. Although

the engines were brought into play as rapidly as possible, there

was no visible effect produced; and four or five times the firemen,

whilst endeavouring to penetrate the interior of the vessel so as

to get at the seat of the fire, were driven back by the density of

the smoke. It then became necessary to cut away the spars, rigging,

stays, etc., which was done promptly and after some time it was

deemed advisable to scuttle the ship as the exertions from the deck

to extinguish the fire seemed unavailing. There was plenty of water

in the dock at the time, but at the receding of the tide the vessel

grounded and the fire seemed to have run through the entire length

of the ship, for the smoke burst out of all parts and baffled every

exertion. In the forenoon the masts were an anxiety, their fall being

anticipated, and in the afternoon this happened, the main mast and

mizen mast falling with terrific crashes upon the quay and in their

descent destroying the roofs of two sheds. At 9 o’clock at night the

inner shell of the hull, for nearly the whole length of the vessel,

was rapidly burning, the flames rising with fury between the ribs,

which had connected the outer and inner hull, the intervening spaces

being to the spectators like so many flues; and iron bolts, released

by the flames, were dropping one after the other into the hold, where

in the fore part of the ship, particularly the uppermost portion of

the cargo, was being fast consumed.

At first great alarm was felt for the neighbouring shipping, several

of the steamers of the Cunard fleet being in the same dock, but no

material damage was sustained by them, and they, with others, were as

soon as possible removed out of harm’s way.

The value of the _James Baines_ and cargo is estimated at £170,000.

The vessel became a complete wreck, looking, according to one

account, like a huge cinder in the Huskisson Dock; and very little of

the cargo was saved.

The loss of this magnificent ship was considered as a national

disaster. Since that date thousands and thousands of people have

boarded the _James Baines_ without knowing it, for the old Liverpool

Landing Stage was none other than the wreck of this celebrated clipper.

America Sells her Clippers to Great Britain.

When the great financial depression fell upon America in 1857 and was

followed four years later by the Civil War, James Baines seized the

opportunity to buy American clippers cheap and many other British firms

followed his example. Mr. George Crowshaw, the American shipbroker

in London, negotiated the sales and working arrangements. I have

given a list in the Appendix of the best known of these ships, which

put up the last fight for the sailing ship built of wood. Their day

in the Australian trade was a short one; and they soon found iron

passenger clippers in the lists against them, even to flying their

own house-flag. And in their last days we find the Black Ball and

White Star Lines chartering fine iron ships such as the _Sam Cearns_,

_Cornwallis_ and _Ellen Stuart_.

Notes on the later American-built Passenger Ships.

Space does not admit of more than a few lines on the best known of

these later clippers.

The _Southern Empire_ was an old three-decker Atlantic packet ship, and

so was the Mackay-built _Chariot of Fame_, which is credited with a run

out to Melbourne of 67 days. There has lately been a reunion in New

Zealand of the passengers who came out to Maoriland in that ship.

The _Invincible_ was said to be the tallest ship sailing out of

Liverpool. She was a White Star clipper and made some very fast

passages.

The _Empress of the Seas_, No. 1, was also a very fast ship. On 1st

June, 1861, she left Liverpool, and arrived in Melbourne on 6th August,

66½ days out.

_The Neptune’s Car_, another big ship, is notable for a very different

reason; for in 1857, when still under the Stars and Stripes, she was

navigated for 52 days by the captain’s wife. Captain Patten had placed

his mate under arrest for incompetence and insubordination; then whilst

the ship was off the Horn beating to the westward, Captain Patten

himself became entirely blind. The second mate was no navigator. In

this dilemma Mrs. Patten, who was only 24 years of age, took command of

the ship and navigated her successfully from the Horn into Frisco Bay.

_Golden Age_ was the ship which claimed to have run 22 knots in the

hour with current to help her.

The _Royal Dane_ was a well-known ship in the London River when she was

commanded by Captain Bolt. She also was a big three-decker.

The _Florence Nightingale_ was celebrated for her looks.

[Illustration: “BLUE JACKET.”]

[Illustration: “ROYAL DANE.”]

A curious incident happened anent the _Mistress of the Seas_; a

passenger brought an action against the ship because he was ducked

during the ceremony of crossing the line and the captain was fined £100.

The _Sunda_ was a very fine fast ship, and made some fine passages

under the famous Bully Bragg.

Black Ballers in the Queensland Emigrant Trade.

Besides some smaller Nova Scotia built ships such as the _Conway_,

_Wansfell_, _Utopia_ and _David MacIver_, some of the best of the later

Black Ballers were engaged in the Queensland emigration trade in the

late sixties and early seventies.

The _Flying Cloud_ and the _Sunda_ once had a great race out to Moreton

Bay, in which the _Sunda_ beat the _Flying Cloud_ by 18 miles in a

4-day run which averaged 16 knots; this was the voyage in which _Flying

Cloud’s_ boat was capsized between Brisbane and the anchorage, the

second mate and all in her being drowned.

In 1870 I find the following passages to Queensland:

_Young Australia_, Captain James Cooper, 241 passengers left London,

17th May—arrived Brisbane 25th August—100 days out.

_Flying Cloud_, Captain Owen, 385 passengers left Liverpool, 4th

June—arrived Hervey’s Bay 30th August—87 days out.

_Royal Dane_, Captain D. R. Bolt, 497 passengers left London, 30th

July—arrived Rockhampton 19th November—112 days out.

“Sunda” and “Empress of the Seas” Carry Sheep to New Zealand.

In the early days of the gold excitement, the emigrant ships rushed out

and home, but in the sixties we find them making short intermediate

passages; for instance, the _Sunda_ and _Empress of the Seas_ one year

transported thousands of sheep from Australia to New Zealand, each ship

making two trips between Port Phillip and Port Chalmers, with several

thousands of sheep on board each trip.

=The Gold Rush to Gabriel’s Gully in 1862.=

In 1862 several ships were hurried across with diggers from Melbourne

to Port Chalmers for the gold rush to Gabriel’s Gully. Money ran like

water in Port Chalmers in those days, and as usual the gold miners were

a pretty uproarious crowd. The _Lightning_, which was commanded at that

date by Captain Tom Robertson, the marine painter, made a special trip

with 900 diggers on board, and they gave Captain Robertson so much

trouble that he put into the Bluff and landed a number of them there.

The _Blue Jacket_, also, took a load of this troublesome cargo.

After Life and End of the Liverpool Emigrant Clippers.

A favourite round in the latter days of the Liverpool soft-wood

clippers was from Melbourne across to Auckland and from there over to

the Chincas to load guano. From this the survivors gradually descended

to the Quebec timber trade. By the early seventies I find _Marco

Polo_, _Red Jacket_, _Ben Nevis_, and other well-known ships already

staggering to and fro across the Atlantic between the Mersey and the

St. Lawrence, whilst in June, 1874, the _Flying Cloud_ got ashore

on the New Brunswick coast, when making for St. John’s, and was so

strained that she was compelled to discharge her cargo and go on the

slip for repairs. Here misfortune again overcame the grand old ship,

for she took fire and was so gutted that she was sold for breaking up.

It is curious how many of the old American-built soft-wood ships were

destroyed by fire, their number including the _James Baines_,

_Lightning_, _Empress of the Seas No. 1_, _Blue Jacket No. 1_, _Ocean

Chief_, _Fiery Star_, and second _Sovereign of the Seas_.

The Burning of “Lightning”.

The _Lightning_ was burnt on 31st October, 1869, whilst alongside the

pier at Geelong loading wool, and she already had 4000 bales of wool

on board when the fire was discovered at 1.30 in the morning in her

fore hold. From the first the ship seemed to be doomed, and it was

feared that the wharf might catch fire. She had an anchor out ahead,

and an attempt was made to heave her clear of the pier, but the flames

soon drove the crew from the windlass; however, on the mooring lines

being cast off, she drifted clear, and swung to her anchor, the whole

fore part of the ship being now in flames. The foremast, which was an

iron one, melted in its step owing to the heat and soon went over the

side. An attempt was made to scuttle her by the desperate means of

bombarding her from two 32-pounders, and to a modern gunner the result

was astounding to say the least of it, for at only 300 yards range most

of the rounds missed the _Lightning_ altogether, whilst the few that

hit her did more harm than good by giving the wind access to the fire

and thereby increasing its fury. After burning all day, the famous old

ship sank at sundown.

[Illustration: “LIGHTNING,” on Fire at Geelong.

_From a photograph belonging to F. G. Layton._]

The cause of the fire on the _Lightning_ was agreed to be spontaneous

combustion. A very different reason was given for the burning of the

second _Sovereign of the Seas_. This ship had just arrived in Sydney

with emigrants in 1861 and was discharging at Campbell’s Wharf when

the fire broke out, and at the coroner’s investigation the jury found

“that the ship _Sovereign_ _of the Seas_ was wilfully, maliciously

and feloniously set on fire on the 10th September, and that there

was sufficient evidence to commit one of the ship’s sailors, then in

custody of the water police, on the charge.” The Sydney fire brigade

fought the flames for a whole day without avail; then half a dozen

ship’s carpenters attempted to scuttle her, but all in vain, and she

was left to her fate.

The _Ocean Chief_, which was burnt at the Bluff, New Zealand, was also

said to have been set on fire by her crew.

The first _Empress of the Seas_ was burnt at Queenscliff on the 19th

December, 1861, three months after the _Sovereign of the Seas_ had been

set on fire at Sydney.

“Blue Jacket’s” Figure-head.

The first _Blue Jacket_ left Lyttelton, N.Z., homeward bound, and was

abandoned on fire off the Falkland Isles on 9th March, 1869. Nearly

two years later, on 8th December, 1871, to be exact, _Blue Jacket’s_

figure-head was found washed up on the shore of Rottnest Island, off

Fremantle, Western Australia. Part of it was charred by fire, but there

was no mistaking the identity of the figure-head, which was described

as “a man from the waist up, in old sailor’s costume, a blue jacket

with yellow buttons, the jacket open in the front, no waistcoat, loose

shirt, and large knotted handkerchief round the neck; with a broad belt

and large square buckle and cutlass hilt at the side. On either side of

the figure-head was a scroll, saying:—‘Keep a sharp lookout!’”

The Loss of the “Fiery Star.”

On 1st April, 1865, the _Fiery Star_ left Moreton Bay for London.

On the 19th one of the men reported a strong smell of smoke in the

foc’s’le—this soon burst forth in volumes and a fire was located in

the lower hold. The captain, named Yule, immediately had all hatchways

battened down and ventilation pipes blocked up. The ship was running

free, 400 miles from Chatham Island. A few days before a heavy sea had

made matchwood of two of the boats, so the westerlies were evidently

blowing strong.

On the 20th a steam pump was rigged down the fore hatchway, and wetted

sails were fastened over all scuttles and vents in the deck. But the

fire continued to gain, and at 6 p.m. it burst through the port bow

and waterways. The four remaining boats were at once provisioned and

got over the side. Seeing that there was not room for everybody in the

boats, Mr. Sargeant the chief officer, 4 A.B.’s and 13 apprentices

agreed to stand by the ship—the remainder of the passengers and crew,

to the number of 78, leaving in the boats under the captain.

As soon as the boats had left, Mr. Sargeant renewed every effort to

subdue the fire, and at the same time altered his course to get into

the track of other ships. Then for 21 days he and his gallant band

fought the flames and the numerous gales of those regions. Finally on

11th May, when the foremast was almost burnt through and tottering, a

ship called the _Dauntless_ hove in sight and took the mate and his

worn-out crew off the doomed _Fiery Star_.

For their gallantry in remaining behind, Mr. Sargeant and his men

were presented with £160 by the people of Auckland, New Zealand, and

right well they deserved it, for in all the glorious history of our

Mercantile Marine fewer brave acts have ever been recorded.

Some Famous Coal Hulks.

Many an old Black Baller ended her days as a coal hulk. Even the winter

North Atlantic could not down the _Red Jacket_ and _Donald Mackay_,

and eventually _Red Jacket_ went to Cape Verde and _Donald Mackay_ to

Madeira as coal hulks. How many of the Union-Castle passengers knew,

when they cast their eyes pityingly or perhaps disdainfully on the

grimy looking hulk floating a cable’s length or so away from their

spotless liner, that they were looking upon a crack passenger ship of

their grandfather’s day.

_Light Brigade_ was a coal hulk at Gibraltar for many years, having as

a companion the famous _Three Brothers_.

The _Golden South_, after lying in Kerosene Bay, Port Jackson, for

about twenty years with her holds full of coal, was burnt through

sparks from the old reformatory ship _Vernon_ falling upon her decks.

The burning of the two ships lit up the hills for miles round, and many

an old time Sydney-sider will remember the spectacle.

Loss of the “Young Australia.”

The _Young Australia_, after ten years’ successful trading between

England and Brisbane, was wrecked on the north point of Moreton Island

on 31st May, 1872, when homeward bound, just four and a half hours

after leaving her anchorage off the pilot station. Whilst the ship was

in the act of going about, the wind fell calm and the heavy easterly

swell and southerly current set the ship towards the rocks. The anchor

was let go too late, and the heavy swell hove the ship broadside on to

the rocks. With some difficulty the passengers were got ashore; and

before night, owing to the way in which the heavy swell was grinding

the ship on the rocks, it was deemed advisable for the crew to abandon

her.

[Illustration: “LIGHT BRIGADE.”]

[Illustration: “YOUNG AUSTRALIA.”]

By the 6th June the wreck had broken in half and was full of water, and

on the 7th it was sold by auction in Brisbane, and after some brisk

bidding was knocked down to a Mr. Martin for the sum of £7100.

The _Champion of the Seas_ foundered off the Horn when homeward bound

in 1877.

The _White Star_ was wrecked in 1883.

_Southern Empire_ fell a victim to the North Atlantic in 1874.

_Royal Dane_ was wrecked on the coast of Chile when homeward bound with

guano in 1877.

The _Morning Star_ foundered on a passage from Samarang to U.K. in 1879.

The _Shalimar_ was bought by the Swiss and the _Morning Light_ by the

Germans, who renamed her _J. M. Wendt_.

The _Queen of the Colonies_ was wrecked off Ushant in 1874, when bound

from Java to Falmouth.

The _Legion of Honour_ went ashore on the Tripoli coast in 1876, after

changing her flag.

The Fate of “Marco Polo.”

The _Marco Polo_ in her old age was owned by Wilson & Blain, of South

Shields; then the Norwegians bought her. After years in the Quebec

timber trade, she was piled up on Cape Cavendish, Prince Edward Island,

in August, 1883, and on the 6th her cargo of pitch-pine and the famous

old ship herself were sold by auction and only fetched £600.

And so we come to the end of a short but wonderful period in the

“History of Sail.”—_Sic transit gloria mundi._

Footnote.

[A] Her first voyage was the one to Mobile.

The _Lightning_ loaded at Constitution Wharf, Boston, and sailed for