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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..52545f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69154 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69154) diff --git a/old/69154-0.txt b/old/69154-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 2e2d274..0000000 --- a/old/69154-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13190 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The clipper ship era, by Arthur H. -Clark - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The clipper ship era - -Author: Arthur H. Clark - -Release Date: October 14, 2022 [eBook #69154] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Chuck Greif, deaurider and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CLIPPER SHIP ERA *** - - - - - - - [Illustration: The “Flying Cloud"] - - - - - The - Clipper Ship Era - - An Epitome of Famous American and British - Clipper Ships, Their Owners, Builders, - Commanders, and Crews - - 1843-1869 - - By - Arthur H. Clark - - Late Commander of Ship “Verena,” Barque “Agnes,” - Steamships “Manchu,” “Suwo Nada,” “Venus,” - and “Indiana.” (1863-1877) - - Author of “The History of Yachting” - - _With 39 Illustrations_ - - - G. P. Putnam’s Sons - New York and London - The Knickerbocker Press - 1911 - - - COPYRIGHT, 1910 - BY - ARTHUR H. CLARK - - Published, November, 1910 - Reprinted, January, 1911; March, 1911 - - - The Knickerbocker Press, New York - - - - - To - - THE MEMORY OF - - A FRIEND OF MY BOYHOOD - - DONALD McKAY - - BUILDER OF SHIPS - - - - -PREFACE - - -The Clipper Ship Era began in 1843 as a result of the growing demand for -a more rapid delivery of tea from China; continued under the stimulating -influence of the discovery of gold in California and Australia in 1849 -and 1851, and ended with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. These -memorable years form one of the most important and interesting periods -of maritime history. They stand between the centuries during which man -navigated the sea with sail and oar--a slave to unknown winds and -currents, helpless alike in calm and in storm--and the successful -introduction of steam navigation, by which man has obtained mastery upon -the ocean. - -After countless generations of evolution, this era witnessed the highest -development of the wooden sailing ship in construction, speed, and -beauty. Nearly all the clipper ships made records which were not -equalled by the steamships of their day; and more than a quarter of a -century elapsed, devoted to discovery and invention in perfecting the -marine engine and boiler, before the best clipper ship records for speed -were broken by steam vessels. During this era, too, important -discoveries were made in regard to the laws governing the winds and -currents of the ocean; and this knowledge, together with improvements in -model and rig, enabled sailing ships to reduce by forty days the average -time formerly required for the outward and homeward voyage from England -and America to Australia. - -In pursuing this narrative we shall see the stately, frigate-built -Indiaman, with her batteries of guns and the hammocks stowed in -nettings, disappear, and her place taken by the swift China, California, -and Australian clippers, which in their turn, after a long and gallant -contest, at last vanish before the advancing power of steam. - -Many of the clipper ships mentioned in this book, both American and -British, were well known to me; some of the most celebrated of the -American clippers were built near my early home in Boston, and as a boy -I saw a number of them constructed and launched; later, I sailed as an -officer in one of the most famous of them, and as a young sea-captain -knew many of the men who commanded them. I do not, however, depend upon -memory, nearly all the facts herein stated being from the most reliable -records that can be obtained. So far as I am aware, no account of these -vessels has ever been written, beyond a few magazine and newspaper -articles, necessarily incomplete and often far from accurate; while most -of the men who knew these famous ships have now passed away. It seems -proper, therefore, that some account of this remarkable era should be -recorded by one who has a personal knowledge of the most exciting -portion of it, and of many of the men and ships that made it what it -was. - -Of late years there has been a confusing mixture of the terms _knot_ and -_mile_ as applied to the speed of vessels. As most persons are aware, -there are three kinds of mile: the geographical, statute, and sea mile -or knot. The geographical mile is based on a measure upon the surface of -the globe, and is a mathematical calculation which should be used by -experts only. The statute mile, instituted by the Romans, is a measure -of 5280 feet. The sea mile or knot is one sixtieth of a degree of -latitude; and while this measurement varies slightly in different -latitudes, owing to the elliptical shape of the globe, for practical -purposes the knot may be taken as 6080 feet. - -The word knot is now frequently used to express long distances at sea. -This is an error, as the term knot should be used only to denote an -hourly rate of speed; for instance, to say that a vessel is making nine -knots means that she is going through the water at the rate of nine -knots an hour, but it would be incorrect to say that she made thirty-six -knots in four hours; here the term miles should be used, meaning sea -miles or knots. The term knot is simply a unit of speed, and is derived -from the knots marked on the old-fashioned log line and graduated to a -twenty-eight-second log glass which was usually kept in the binnacle. In -this book the word mile means a sea mile and not a geographical or -statute mile. - -I wish to make my grateful acknowledgment to the Hydrographic Office at -Washington, the British Museum, Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, the -American Bureau of Shipping, the Boston Athenæum, and the Astor Library, -for much of the data contained in this book. - -A. H. C. - -NEW YORK, 1910. - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER PAGE - -I. AMERICAN SHIPPING TO THE CLOSE OF THE WAR OF 1812 1 - -II. BRITISH SHIPPING AFTER 1815--THE EAST INDIA COMPANY 19 - -III. THE NORTH ATLANTIC PACKET SHIPS, 1815-1850 38 - -IV. OPIUM CLIPPERS AND EARLY CLIPPER SHIPS, 1838-1848 57 - -V. TWO EARLY CLIPPER SHIP COMMANDERS 73 - -VI. THE REPEAL OF THE BRITISH NAVIGATION LAWS--THE “ORIENTAL” 88 - -VII. THE RUSH FOR CALIFORNIA--A SAILING DAY 100 - -VIII. THE CLIPPER SHIP CREWS 119 - -IX. CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1850 AND THEIR COMMANDERS--MAURY’S WIND AND -CURRENT CHARTS 134 - -X. CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1851 AND THEIR COMMANDERS--A DAY ON BOARD THE -“WITCH OF THE WAVE” 151 - -XI. CALIFORNIA CLIPPER PASSAGES IN 1851 173 - -XII. AMERICAN COMPETITION WITH GREAT BRITAIN IN THE CHINA TRADE 195 - -XIII. CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1852--THE “SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS” 211 - -XIV. CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1853 224 - -XV. THE “GREAT REPUBLIC” AND THE “DREADNOUGHT” 235 - -XVI. AMERICAN CLIPPERS OF 1854 AND 1855 248 - -XVII. AUSTRALIAN VOYAGES, 1851-1854 260 - -XVIII. AUSTRALIAN CLIPPERS, 1854-1856 273 - -XIX. LAST YEARS OF THE AMERICAN CLIPPER SHIP ERA--SUMMARY OF CALIFORNIA -PASSAGES 289 - -XX. THE GREATNESS AND THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN MERCHANT -MARINE 308 - -XXI. THE LATER BRITISH TEA CLIPPERS 318 - -XXII. THE FATE OF THE OLD CLIPPER SHIPS 340 - -APPENDICES 349 - -INDEX 377 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - -THE “FLYING CLOUD” _Frontispiece_ - -EAST INDIAMEN, 1720 24 - -AN EAST INDIAMAN, 1788 30 - -THE “MARLBOROUGH” AND “BLENHEIM” 36 - -THE “ENGLAND” 40 - -THE “MONTEZUMA” 44 - -THE “YORKSHIRE” 48 - -JACOB A. WESTERVELT 104 - -JACOB BELL 104 - -WILLIAM H. WEBB 106 - -SAMUEL HALL 106 - -ROBERT H. WATERMAN 112 - -N. B. PALMER 112 - -JOSIAH P. CREESY 122 - -H. W. JOHNSON 122 - -DAVID S. BABCOCK 128 - -GEORGE LANE 128 - -LAUCHLAN MCKAY 130 - -PHILIP DUMARESQ 130 - -THE “SURPRISE” 136 - -THE “STAG-HOUND” 142 - -MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY 148 - -THE “NIGHTINGALE” 164 - -THE “CHALLENGE” 186 - -THE “STORNOWAY” 198 - -THE “SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS” 218 - -THE “COMET” 224 - -THE “YOUNG AMERICA” 232 - -THE “GREAT REPUBLIC” 242 - -THE “DREADNOUGHT” 246 - -THE “BRISK” AND “EMANUELA” 252 - -DONALD MCKAY 256 - -THE “RED JACKET” 272 - -THE “JAMES BAINES” 282 - -THE “SCHOMBERG” 286 - -THE “SWEEPSTAKES” 290 - -THE COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION 322 - -THE “ARIEL” AND “TAEPING” RUNNING UP CHANNEL, SEPTEMBER 5, 1866 328 - -THE “LAHLOO” 336 - - - - -The Clipper Ship Era - - - - -CHAPTER I - -AMERICAN SHIPPING TO THE CLOSE OF THE WAR OF 1812 - - -The deeds that have made the Clipper Ship Era a glorious memory were -wrought by the ship-builders and master mariners of the United States -and Great Britain, for the flag of no other nation was represented in -this spirited contest upon the sea. In order, therefore, to form an -intelligent idea of this era, it is necessary to review the condition of -the merchant marine of the two countries for a considerable period -preceding it, as well as the events that led directly to its -development. - -From the earliest colonial days, ship-building has been a favorite -industry in America. The first vessel built within the present limits of -the United States was the _Virginia_, a pinnace of thirty tons, -constructed in 1607 by the Popham colonists who had arrived during the -summer at Stage Island, near the mouth of the Kennebec River, on board -the ships _Gift of God_ and _Mary and John_. When these vessels returned -to England, leaving forty-five persons to establish a fishing station, -and a severe winter followed, the colonists became disheartened and -built the _Virginia_, which carried them home in safety and which -subsequently made several voyages across the Atlantic. - -The _Onrust_, of sixteen tons, was built at Manhattan in 1613-14, by -Adrian Block and his companions, to replace the _Tiger_, which had been -damaged by fire beyond repair. After exploring the coasts of New England -and Delaware Bay, she sailed for Holland with a cargo of furs. The -_Blessing of the Bay_, a barque of thirty tons, was built by order of -Governor John Winthrop at Medford, near Boston, and was launched amid -solemn rejoicings by the Puritans on July 4, 1631. This little vessel -was intended to give the New England colonists a means of communication -with their neighbors at New Amsterdam less difficult than that through -the wilderness. So we see that ship-building was begun in America under -the pressure of necessity, and it was fostered by the conditions of life -in the new country. - -In the year 1668, the ship-building in New England, small as it may now -seem, had become sufficiently important to attract the attention of Sir -Josiah Child, sometime Chairman of the Court of Directors of the East -India Company, who in his _Discourse on Trade_ protests with patriotic -alarm: “Of all the American plantations, His Majesty has none so apt for -building of shipping as New England, nor any comparably so qualified for -the breeding of seamen, not only by reason of the natural industry of -that people, but principally by reason of their cod and mackerel -fisheries, and, in my poor opinion, there is nothing more prejudicial, -and in prospect more dangerous, to any mother kingdom, than the increase -in shipping in her colonies, plantations, and provinces.” - -The apprehension of the worthy Sir Josiah was well founded, for at that -period most of the spars and much of the timber which went into the -construction of the East Indiamen and the fighting ships of his royal -master, King Charles II., had grown in American soil, and of 1332 -vessels registered as built in New England between 1674 and 1714, no -less than 239 were built for or sold to merchants abroad. Not that they -were better than foreign built vessels, but on account of the plentiful -supply of timber they could be built more cheaply in America than in -Great Britain and on the Continent. - -The industry was in a promising and healthy condition, and so continued, -until in 1720 the London shipwrights informed the Lords of Trade that -the New England shipyards had drawn away so many men “that there were -not enough left to carry on the work.” They therefore prayed that -colonial built ships be excluded from all trade except with Great -Britain and her colonies, and that the colonists be forbidden to build -ships above a certain size. The Lords of Trade, though fine crusty old -protectionists, were unable to see their way to granting any such prayer -as this, and so ship-building continued to flourish in America. In the -year 1769, the colonists along the whole Atlantic coast launched 389 -vessels, of which 113 were square-riggers. It should not, however, be -imagined that these vessels were formidable in size. The whole 389 had -an aggregate register of 20,001 tons, an average of slightly over 50 -tons each. Of these vessels 137, of 8013 tons, were built in -Massachusetts; 45, of 2452 tons in New Hampshire; 50, of 1542 tons, in -Connecticut; 19, of 955 tons, in New York; 22, of 1469 tons, in -Pennsylvania. It is probable that few of them exceeded 100 tons -register, and that none was over 200 tons register. - -With the advent of the Revolutionary War, the rivalry on the sea between -the older and the younger country took a more serious turn. Centuries -before clipper ships were ever thought of, England had claimed, through -her repeated and victorious naval wars against Spain, Holland, France, -and lesser nations, the proud title of Mistress of the Seas, but in the -Revolutionary War with her American colonies and the War of 1812 with -the United States, her battleships and fleets of merchantmen were sorely -harassed by the swift, light-built, and heavily-armed American frigates -and privateers. While it cannot be said that the naval power of England -upon the ocean was seriously impaired, yet the speed of the American -vessels and the skill and gallantry with which they were fought and -handled, made it apparent that the young giant of the West might some -day claim the sceptre of the sea as his own. - -During the latter half of the eighteenth century, however, the leading -nation in the modelling and construction of ships was France, and during -this period the finest frigates owned in the British Navy were those -captured from the French. The frigate was indeed invented in England, -the first being the _Constant Warwick_, launched in 1647, by Peter Pett, -who caused the fact of his being the inventor of the frigate to be -engraved upon his tomb; but in the improvement of the type, England had -long been outstripped by her neighbor across the channel. William -James,[1] the well known historian of the British Navy, makes mention of -the French forty-gun frigate _Hebe_ which was captured by the British -frigate _Rainbow_ in 1782, and records that “this prize did prove a most -valuable acquisition to the service, there being few British frigates -even of the present day (1847) which, in size and exterior form, are not -copied from the _Hebe_.” As late as 1821 the _Arrow_, for many years the -fastest yacht owned in England, was modelled from the lines of a French -lugger, recently wrecked upon the Dorset coast, which proved to be a -well known smuggler that had for years eluded the vigilance of H. M. -excise cutters, always escaping capture, although often sighted, through -her superior speed. - -The United States no less than Great Britain was indebted to France for -improvements in the models of her ships at this period. During the -Revolutionary War, when a treaty was entered into between France and the -United States in 1778, a number of French frigates and luggers appeared -in American waters. The luggers, rating from one hundred and fifty to -two hundred tons and some even higher, belonged to the type used by the -privateersmen of Brittany, a scourge upon every sea where the merchant -flag of an enemy was to be found. They were the fastest craft afloat in -their day. When the French frigates and luggers were dry docked in -American ports for cleaning or repairs, their lines were carefully taken -off by enterprising young shipwrights and were diligently studied. It -was from these vessels that the first American frigates and privateers -originated, and among the latter were the famous Baltimore vessels which -probably during the War of 1812 first became known as “Baltimore -clippers.” - -Congress ordered four frigates and three sloops of war to be built in -1778, and almost countless privateers suddenly sprang into existence at -ports along the Atlantic seaboard, most of them copied from models of -the French vessels. One of the frigates, the _Alliance_, named to -commemorate the alliance between France and the United States, was built -at Salisbury, Massachusetts, by William and John Hackett. Her length was -151 feet, breadth 36 feet, and depth of hold 12 feet 6 inches, and she -drew when ready for sea 14 feet 8 inches aft and 9 feet forward. She was -a favorite with the whole navy by reason of her speed and beauty, and -on her first voyage she had the honor of conveying Lafayette to France. -At the close of the war she was sold by the Government and became a -merchantman famous in the China and India trade. Several of the -privateers were built and fitted out at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and -Newburyport, Massachusetts. Those in which Nathaniel Tracy was -interested captured no less than 120 vessels, amounting to 23,360 tons, -which with their cargoes were condemned and sold for 3,950,000 specie -dollars; and with these prizes were taken 2220 prisoners of war. Many -other instances of this nature might, of course, be mentioned, but the -important point is the fact that in the latter part of the eighteenth -century and the early part of the nineteenth, as well, the fastest -vessels owned or built in the United States and Great Britain were from -French models.[2] - -The characteristics of the French model were a beautifully rounded bow, -by no means sharp along the water-line, easy sectional lines developing -into a full, powerful forebody and midship section, and great dead rise -at half floor. The greatest breadth was well forward of amidships and at -the water-line, with a slight, gracefully rounded tumble home to the -plank-sheer. The after-body was finely moulded, clean, sharp, and long, -with a powerful transom and quarters. The time-honored cod’s head and -mackerel’s tail: the figureheads and ornamentation of the quarters and -stern, were veritable works of art. By comparing the models of the -British frigates of that day to be seen in the Naval Museum at -Greenwich, and the lines of the American frigates and Baltimore clippers -of the same period, with the models still preserved in the Louvre, it is -easy to trace a family likeness among them all, the parent being of -French origin. The grandparent also might easily be identified, in the -Italian galleys of Genoa and Venice, though this is of no importance to -our present purpose. - -That the American vessels showed a marked superiority in point of speed -over British men-of-war and merchant ships during these two wars is the -more remarkable from the fact that frigates had been built in England -for a century and a half, as we have seen, and, while it is true that -two vessels for the British Government were built at Portsmouth previous -to the Revolutionary War--the _Faulkland_, fifty-four guns, in 1690, -and the _America_, fifty guns, in 1740--still, at the outbreak of the -Revolution, the shipwrights of America scarcely knew what a frigate was, -and much less had thought of building one. It had been the policy of -Great Britain to keep her American colonies as much as possible in -ignorance concerning naval affairs, doubtless from fear of their growing -ambition. They were therefore led to copy the models of French vessels, -not only from choice, on account of their excellence, but from necessity -as well. Thus it came about that the frigates of Great Britain and the -United States were developed from the same source. - -A sailing ship is an exceedingly complex, sensitive, and capricious -creation--quite as much so as most human beings. Her coquetry and -exasperating deviltry have been the delight and despair of seamen’s -hearts, at least since the days when the wise, though much-married, -Solomon declared that among the things that were too wonderful for him -and which he knew not, was “the way of a ship in the midst of the sea.” -While scientific research has increased since Solomon’s time, it has not -kept pace with the elusive character of the ship, for no man is able to -tell exactly what a ship will or will not do under given conditions. -Some men, of course, know more than others, yet no one has ever lived -who could predict with accuracy the result of elements in design, -construction, and rig. History abounds in instances of ships built for -speed that have turned out dismal failures, and it has occasionally -happened that ships built with no especial expectation of speed have -proven fliers. It would seem, after ages of experience and evolution, -that man should be able at last to build a sailing ship superior in -every respect to every other sailing ship, but this is exactly what he -cannot and never has been able to accomplish. A true sailor loves a fine -ship and all her foibles; he revels in the hope that if he takes care of -her and treats her fairly, she will not fail him in the hour of danger, -and he is rarely disappointed. - -While all this is true in the abstract, yet it is not difficult to -account for the performance of ships in retrospect, and in this -particular matter, the superior speed of American frigates during the -two wars with the mother country, it is quite easy to do so. - -In the first place, British men-of-war and merchantmen were at that time -built with massive oak frames, knees, and planking, the timber of which -had lain at dockyards seasoning in salt water for many years, and was as -hard and almost as heavy as iron, while they were fastened with weighty -through-and-through copper bolts; so that the ships themselves became -rigid, dead structures--sluggish in moderate winds, and in gales and a -seaway, wallowing brutes--whereas the American frigates and privateers -were built of material barely seasoned in the sun and wind, and were put -together as lightly as possible consistent with the strength needed to -carry their batteries and to hold on to their canvas in heavy weather. -Also, the British ships were heavy aloft--spars, rigging, and -blocks--yet their masts and yards were not so long as those of the -American ships, nor did they spread as much sail, although their canvas -was heavier and had the picturesque “belly to hold the wind,” by which, -when close-hauled, the wind held the vessel. - -Then the British men-of-war were commanded by naval officers who were -brave, gallant gentlemen, no doubt, but whose experience at sea was -limited to the routine of naval rules formulated by other gentlemen -sitting around a table at Whitehall. The infraction of one of these -regulations might cost the offender his epaulets and perhaps his life. -In this respect the captains of the American Navy enjoyed a great -advantage, for at this early period the United States authorities had -their attention fully occupied in preserving the government, and had no -time to devote to the manufacture of red tape with which to bind the -hands and tongues of intelligent seamen. We think, and rightly, too, of -Paul Jones, Murray, Barry, Stewart, Dale, Hull, Bainbridge, and others, -as heroes of the navy, yet it is well for us sometimes to remember that -all of these splendid seamen were brought up and most of them had -commanded ships in the merchant marine. They were thus accustomed to -self-reliance, and were filled with resource and expedient; they had -passed through the rough school of adversity, and their brains and -nerves were seasoned by salted winds, the ocean’s brine mingling with -their blood. - -What wonder then that the American frigates, so built and so commanded, -proved superior in point of speed to the British men-of-war? Less -wonder still that the American privateers, whose men in the forecastle -had in many instances commanded ships, should sweep the seas, until the -despairing merchants and ship-owners of Great Britain, a nation whose -flag had for a thousand years “braved the battle and the breeze” and -which boasted proudly and justly that her home was upon the sea, -compelled their government to acknowledge as political equals a people -who had proved themselves superior upon the ocean. - -So in the struggle for a national existence and rights as a nation, the -foundations of the maritime power of the United States were laid. The -ship-builders and the seamen of the Revolution and the War of 1812 were -the forefathers of the men who built and commanded the American clipper -ships. - -After the Revolutionary War the merchants of Salem, Boston, New York, -and Philadelphia vied with each other in sending their ships upon -distant and hazardous voyages. Notwithstanding the natural difficulties -of navigating, what to their captains were unknown seas, and the -unnatural obstacles invented by man in the form of obstructive laws, the -merchant marine of the United States steadily increased not only in -bulk, but what was of far more importance, in the high standard of the -men and ships engaged in it. - -Salem took the lead, with her great merchant, Elias Hasket Derby, who -sent his barque _Light Horse_ to St. Petersburg in 1784, and soon after -sent the _Grand Turk_ first to the Cape of Good Hope and then to China. -In 1789, the _Atlantic_, commanded by his son, Elias Hasket Derby, Jr., -was the first ship to hoist the Stars and Stripes at Calcutta and -Bombay, and she was soon followed by the _Peggy_, another of the Derby -ships, which brought the first cargo of Bombay cotton into Massachusetts -Bay. Mr. Derby owned a fleet of forty vessels, and upon his death in -1799 left an estate valued at more than $1,000,000, the largest fortune -at that time in America, as well as a name honored for integrity -throughout the mercantile world. William Gray, another famous Salem -merchant, owned in 1807 fifteen ships, seven barques, thirteen brigs, -and one schooner, his fleet representing one quarter of the total -tonnage of Salem at that time. Then there were Joseph Peabody, Benjamin -Pickman, and Jacob Crowninshield, all ship-owners who contributed to the -fame of this beautiful New England seaport. - -Many of the merchants had been sea-captains in their youth, and it was -the captains who really made Salem famous. These men, from the training -of the New England schoolroom and meeting-house, went out into the world -and gathered there the fruits of centuries of civilization, which they -brought home to soften the narrow self-righteousness of their -fellow-citizens. In later years these captains carried missionaries to -India, China, and Africa, unconscious that they were themselves the real -missionaries, whose influence had wrought so desirable a change in New -England thought and character. When Nathaniel Hawthorne served in the -Custom House at Salem, the friends in whom he most delighted were -sea-captains, for it was through their eyes that he looked out upon the -great world, and gathered the knowledge of human nature that enabled him -to portray in such grim reality the hidden springs of human thought and -action. These captains were the sons of gentlemen, and were as a class -the best educated men of their time in the United States, for they could -do more important and difficult things, and do them well, than the men -of any other profession. The old East India Museum at Salem is a -monument to their taste and refinement. Nowhere else, perhaps, can be -found another little museum as unique and beautiful, of treasures -brought home one by one from distant lands and seas by the hands that -gave them. - -Boston, too, had her ships and seamen. From that port were sent out in -1788 the _Columbia_, a ship of two hundred and thirteen tons, and the -sloop _Washington_, of ninety tons, commanded by Captains John Kendrick -and Robert Gray, who took them round Cape Horn to the northwest coast of -America, and then after trading for cargoes of furs, went across to -China. The _Columbia_ returned to Boston by way of the Cape of Good -Hope, and was the first vessel to carry the United States ensign round -the globe. Subsequently she discovered the majestic river that bears her -name, and so won the great Northwest for the flag under which she -sailed. The _Massachusetts_, of six hundred tons, the largest merchant -vessel built in America up to her time, was launched at Quincy in 1789 -and was owned in Boston. She sailed for Canton and was sold there to the -Danish East India Company for $65,000. - -Ezra Western was the most famous of the old time Boston ship-owners. He -began business in 1764, and owned his own shipyard, sail-loft, and -extensive rope-walk at Duxbury, Massachusetts, where his vessels were -built and equipped. In 1798 his son Ezra became a partner, and this firm -continued until the death of the father in 1822. The son Ezra then went -on in his own name until 1842, when his sons Gersham, Alden, and Ezra, -were taken into the firm, and they continued it until 1858, in all some -ninety-three years, the last place of business being Nos. 37 and 38, -Commercial Wharf. From the year 1800 to 1846 the Westerns owned -twenty-one ships, ranging in tonnage from the _Hope_, of 880 tons, to -the _Minerva_, of 250 tons; one barque, the _Pallas_, of 209 tons; -thirty brigs, from the _Two Friends_, of 240 tons, to the _Federal -Eagle_, of 120 tons; thirty-five schooners, from the _St. Michael_, of -132 tons, to the _Star_, of 20 tons; and ten sloops, from the _Union_, -of 63 tons, to the _Linnet_, of 50 tons. The brig _Smyrna_, one of the -Western fleet, built in 1825, of 160 tons, was the first American vessel -to bear the flag of the United States into the Black Sea after it was -opened to commerce. She arrived at Odessa July 17, 1830. The Westerns -were easily the largest ship-owners of their time in the United States, -and not only built but loaded their own vessels. Their house-flag was -red, white, and blue horizontal stripes. - -In the year 1791, Stephen Girard, who was born near Bordeaux in 1750 and -had risen from cabin-boy to be captain of his own vessel, built four -beautiful ships at Philadelphia for the China and India trade--the -_Helvetia_, _Montesquieu_, _Rousseau_, and _Voltaire_. These vessels, -long the pride of Philadelphia, greatly enriched their owner. - -The sloop _Enterprise_, of eighty tons, built at Albany and commanded by -Captain Stewart Dean, was sent from New York to China in 1785. This was -the first vessel to make the direct voyage from the United States to -Canton. She returned during the following year with her crew of seven -men and two boys all in excellent condition. When she warped alongside -the wharf at New York, Captain Dean and his crew were in full uniform, -and the scene, which was witnessed by an admiring throng, was enlivened -by “martial music and the boatswain’s whistle.” - -Thomas Cheesman was one of the first ship-builders in New York, and he -was succeeded in business, before the end of the eighteenth century, by -his son Forman, born in 1763. The latter built the forty-four-gun -frigate _President_, launched in the year 1800 at Corlear’s Hook--by far -the largest vessel built in New York up to that time. Previous to this, -however, he had built the _Briganza_ and the _Draper_, each of three -hundred tons, and the _Ontario_, of five hundred tons. Thomas Vail, -William Vincent, and Samuel Ackley also built several vessels prior to -the year 1800. The ships _Eugene_, _Severn_, _Manhattan_, _Sampson_, -_Echo_, _Hercules_, _Resource_, _York_, and _Oliver Ellsworth_ were -launched from their yards. In 1804 the _Oliver Ellsworth_, built by Vail -& Vincent and commanded by Captain Bennett, made the passage from New -York to Liverpool in fourteen days, notwithstanding that she carried -away her foretopmast, which was replaced at sea. - -All of these shipyards were below Grand Street, on the East River. -Samuel Ackley’s yard was at the foot of Pelham Street, and here the -_Manhattan_, of six hundred tons, was built for the China and East India -trade. She was regarded as a monster of the deep, and when she sailed -upon her first voyage in 1796, it took nearly all the deep water seamen -in the port to man her. Henry Eckford opened a shipyard at the foot of -Clinton Street in 1802. From this yard he launched, in 1803, John Jacob -Astor’s famous ship _Beaver_, of four hundred and twenty-seven tons. It -was on board this ship that Captain Augustus De Peyster made his first -voyage as a boy before the mast. Subsequently he commanded her, and upon -retiring from the sea in 1845 he became the Governor of the Sailors’ -Snug Harbor at Staten Island. The _Beaver_ once made the homeward run -from Canton to Bermuda in seventy-five days. Christian Bergh began -ship-building in 1804 with the ship _North America_, of four hundred -tons, built for the Atlantic trade, and the brig _Gipsey_, of three -hundred tons, a very sharp vessel for those days. She was dismasted off -the Cape of Good Hope upon her first voyage to Batavia, and afterwards -foundered in a heavy squall, all hands being lost. The _Trident_, of -three hundred and fifty tons, was built by Adam and Noah Brown in 1805, -and the _Triton_, of three hundred and fifty tons, by Charles Brown -during the same year, both for the China and India trade. John Floyd -began ship-building in 1807, and launched the _Carmelite_, a ship of -four hundred tons, during that year, but was soon appointed naval -constructor at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. - -Until 1794 ships had been built from skeleton models composed of pieces -that showed the frames, keel, stem, and stern post, but were of little -use in giving an accurate idea of the form of a vessel, while it -required much time and labor to transfer the lines of the model to the -mould loft. In this year, however, Orlando Merrill, a young ship-builder -of Newburyport, at that time thirty-one years old, invented the -water-line model, which was composed of lifts joined together, -originally by dowels and later by screws. These could be taken apart and -the sheer, body, and half-breadth plans easily transferred to paper, -from which the working plans were laid down in the mould loft. This -ingenious though simple invention, for which, by the way, Mr. Merrill -never received any pecuniary reward, revolutionized the science of -ship-building. The original model made by him in 1794 was presented to -the New York Historical Society in 1853. Mr. Merrill died in 1855 at the -age of ninety-two. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -BRITISH SHIPPING AFTER 1815--THE EAST INDIA COMPANY - - -Great Britain and the United States signed a treaty of peace and -good-will at Ghent in 1814. During the following year the wars of -England and France ended on the field of Waterloo. And so at last the -battle flags were furled. The long-continued wars of England had, -through neglect, reduced her merchant marine to a low standard of -efficiency, and both men and ships were in a deplorable condition. There -was no government supervision over British merchant shipping except -taxation, the only check, and that but partially effective, being the -Underwriters at Lloyd’s. Unscrupulous ship-owners might and often did -send rotten, unseaworthy vessels to sea, poorly provisioned, short of -gear and stores, with captains, mates, and crews picked up from low -taverns along the docks. These vessels were fully covered by insurance -at high rates of premium, with the hope, frequently realized, that they -would never be heard from again. - -The “skippers,” “maties,” and “jackies” alike belonged to the lowest -stratum of British social classification, which, according to the -chronicles of those days, was pretty low. They were coarse, vulgar, -ignorant men, full of lurid oaths; their persons emitted an unpleasant -odor of cheap rum and stale tobacco; they had a jargon of their own and -were so illiterate as to be unable to speak or write their own language -with any degree of correctness. In a certain sense the captains were -good sailors, but their knowledge and ambition were limited to dead -reckoning, the tar bucket and marlinspike, a wife in every port, and -plenty of rum and tobacco with no desire or ability to master the higher -branches of navigation and seamanship. Mariners that a landsman delights -to refer to as “real old salts,” of the Captain Cuttle and Jack Bunsby -species, are amusing enough, perhaps, in the hands of a skilful -novelist, but not at all the class of men that one would willingly -select to assist in carrying forward the commerce of a great maritime -nation. - -Then the stupid and obsolete Tonnage Laws encouraged and almost -compelled an undesirable type of vessels, narrow, deep, flat-sided, and -full-bottomed--bad vessels in a seaway, slow, and often requiring a -considerable quantity of ballast, even when loaded, to keep them from -rolling over. - -It is, of course, always hazardous to deal in generalities, but I think -that this may be accepted as a fair description of the merchant marine -of Great Britain up to 1834, when the Underwriters at Lloyd’s and the -better class of ship-owners founded Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, to -provide for the proper survey and classification of the merchant ships -of Great Britain. This first important step in a much needed reform was -followed in 1837 by the appointment of a committee by Parliament to -investigate the general condition of shipping engaged in foreign trade. -The committee reported as follows: - -“The American ships frequenting the ports of England are stated by -several witnesses to be superior to those of a similar class amongst the -ships of Great Britain, the commanders and officers being generally -considered to be more competent as seamen and navigators, and more -uniformly persons of education, than the commanders and officers of -British ships of a similar size and class trading from England to -America, while the seamen of the United States are considered to be more -carefully selected, and more efficient. American ships sailing from -Liverpool to New York have a preference over English vessels sailing to -the same port, both as to freight and the rate of insurance; and, the -higher wages being given, their whole equipment is maintained in a -higher state of perfection, so that fewer losses occur; and as the -American shipping having increased of late years in the proportion to -12¾% per annum, while the British shipping have increased within the -same period only 1½% per annum, the constantly increasing demand for -seamen by the rapidly growing maritime commerce of the whole world, the -numbers cut off by shipwrecks, and the temptations offered by the -superior wages of American vessels, cause a large number of British -seamen every year to leave the service of their own country, and to -embark in that of the United States; and these comprising chiefly the -most skilful and competent of our mariners, produce the double effect -of improving the efficiency of the American crews, and in the same ratio -diminishing the efficiency of the British merchant service.” - -In 1843 a circular was issued from the Foreign Office to all British -consuls requesting information on the conduct and character of British -shipmasters, especially with regard to the “incompetence of British -shipmasters to manage their vessels and crews, whether arising from -deficiency of knowledge in practical navigation and seamanship, or of -moral character, particularly want of sobriety.” The consular reports -revealed a startling condition of affairs, requiring immediate -attention, and led to the establishment in 1847, of the Marine -Department of the Board of Trade, with authority to supervise maritime -affairs. From such unpromising material the formation was begun of the -greatest merchant marine that has ever existed. - -Meanwhile, one of the most important branches of British commerce, the -East India trade, had been following an independent career, for the -ships of the East India Company, although engaged in commercial -pursuits, were under the direct patronage of the government, and cannot -be regarded as forming part of the merchant marine of Great Britain. Yet -as this Company had an important bearing upon the mercantile affairs of -the nation, I propose to review as briefly as possible some of its -remarkable exploits. - -“The United Company of Merchant Venturers of England trading to the East -Indies” was familiarly known as the “John Company,” and among those -endowed with a larger bump of reverence, as the “Honorable John -Company”; but by whatever name it may be called, this was the most -gigantic commercial monopoly the world has ever known, since the days -when the merchants of Tyre claimed the exclusive right to send their -ships across certain waters known by common consent as Tyrian Seas. - -The East India Company was founded in the year 1600, during the reign of -Queen Elizabeth. The subscribed capital of £72,000 was expended on the -first voyage in five vessels with their cargoes. This fleet consisted of -the _Dragon_, of 600 tons, her commander receiving the title of Admiral -of the squadron; the _Hector_, 300 tons, with a Vice-Admiral in command; -two vessels of 200 tons each; and the _Guest_, a store ship of 130 tons. -Four hundred and eighty men were employed in the expedition, including -twenty merchants as supercargoes. The vessels were all heavily armed and -were provided with small arms and an abundance of ammunition. They cost, -with their equipment, £45,000, and their cargoes £27,000. - -Friendly relations were formed with the King of Achin, in Sumatra, and a -station, known in those days and long afterward as a “factory,” was -established at Bantam, in Java. The fleet returned to England richly -laden with silks and spices in 1603. In 1609 the _Trades Increase_, of -1209 tons, the largest ship launched in England up to that time, was -built, but she was wrecked and became a total loss on her first voyage. -Sir Henry Middleton, her commander, died soon after. This was an -unfortunate expedition and resulted in heavy losses to the Company, but -in 1611 the _Globe_ cleared 218%, and in the following year the _Globe_, -_Thomas_, and _Hector_ turned over profits amounting to 340% upon the -capital invested. Other successful voyages followed, so that in 1617 the -stock of the Company reached a premium of 203%. - -The East India Company had its troubles, to be sure, which were many and -great, yet it increased in power, wealth, and strength, until at the -close of the eighteenth century it had become possessed of a large -portion of the continent of India, maintaining its own armies, forts, -palaces, Courts of Directors, Boards of Council, Governors, and -Typeans.[3] Eventually, this Company became the ruler of more than one -hundred million human beings, not naked savages, but civilized men and -women, many of whose ancestors had been learned scholars and merchant -princes long prior to the invasion of Britain by the Roman, Dane, and -Saxon. - -It is not, however, with the political affairs of this Company that I -wish to deal, but rather with the ships and the men who navigated them. -The princely emoluments known as “indulgences” in which the captains and -officers of these ships participated, naturally attracted the attention -of parents and guardians, so that younger sons, otherwise destined for a -life of ill-requited repose in the church, the Army, or the Navy, found -lucrative service with the East India Company. These perquisites, which -were handed out by the Honorable Court of - -[Illustration: East Indiamen, 1720] - -Directors, were no doubt intended to be of pleasing variety and -magnitude. The Company adhered strictly to promotion by seniority as -vacancies occurred, from ship to ship when necessary. Captains were -appointed to their ships before launching, in order that they might -superintend their equipment and get them ready for sea. Midshipmen were -appointed by the Court of Directors, and no youth of less than thirteen -or over eighteen years was eligible. Second mates were required to be at -least twenty-two, chief mates twenty-three, and commanders twenty-five -years of age. - -Captains were entitled to fifty-six and one half tons of space on board -the ships commanded by them, which they might use at their discretion, -either to collect the freight or to carry cargo on their own account, -credit being furnished by the company for the latter purpose at the -usual interest. The rate of freight ranged from £35 to £40 per ton, -though in 1796 the _Admiral Gardner_, a ship of 813 tons, commanded by -John Woolmore, Esq., was chartered for “six voyages certain” from London -to India and return, at £50 for every ton of cargo carried. Even at the -lowest rate of £35 per ton, the voyage out and home of about eighteen -months yielded a captain some £3955, and if he carried goods on his own -account, as was usually the case, he realized a much larger sum. -Captains were also allowed primage, which was a percentage upon the -total gross freight earned by the ship, and the passage money for -passengers carried, except the Company’s troops, less the cost of -living. Considering that the passage money to or from India or China -was for a subaltern £95, and for a general officer £234, to say nothing -of directors and governors and their families, and that these ships -usually carried from twenty to thirty passengers, we may conclude that -this also was a considerable source of revenue. - -Then captains were permitted to own the dunnage used for the protection -of homeward cargoes, which they supplied in the form of stone and -chinaware, canes, bamboos, rattans, sapan-wood, horns, nankins, etc. All -of these goods might in those days be bought at very low prices in India -and China, and under the monopoly of the East India Company, they sold -at very high prices in London. Most of this “dunnage,” however, came to -the captains in the form of presents, known in the fragrant language of -the Far East as “cumshaws,” from admiring Indian and Chinese merchants. - -Naturally all of the cargoes were well dunnaged, so much so, indeed, as -finally to attract the attention of the benevolent Court of Directors, -who deemed it expedient to restrain the zeal of their captains in this -direction by issuing an order that “as dunnage has been brought home in -the Company’s ships far beyond what is necessary for the protection of -the cargo and stores, occupying tonnage to the exclusion of goods, or -cumbering the ship, the court have resolved that unless what is brought -home of those articles appears absolutely and _bona fide_ necessary for -and used as dunnage, the exceeding of such requisite quantity shall be -charged against the tonnage of the commanders and officers.” This -dunnage business had been progressing favorably for about two centuries -when this mandate was issued, and had enriched many a deserving mariner. -It was estimated that an Indiaman’s captain received in one way or -another from £6000 to £10,000 per annum, and there is a record of one -ship that made what was known as a double voyage--that is, from London -to India, China, and return--a twenty-two months’ cruise--whose -commander made profits amounting to the tidy sum of £30,000. - -The mates and petty officers were also well provided for, having forty -and one half tons of space allotted among them to do with as they -pleased, and all hands were supplied with wines, spirits, and beer in -quantities which if stated might seem like an attempt to impose upon the -reader’s credulity. - -A more showy if less substantial honor was conferred by the distinctive -dress of the company’s servants. The captains were arrayed in a -picturesque uniform consisting of a blue coat with black velvet lapels, -cuffs and collar, bright gold embroidery, and yellow gilt buttons -engraved with the Company’s crest, waistcoat and breeches of deep buff, -black stock, or neck-cloth, cocked hat and side-arms. The chief, second, -third, and fourth officers wore uniforms of a similar though less -gorgeous character, and all were particularly requested “not on any -account to appear in boots, black breeches, and stockings” and “to -appear in full dress when attending the Court of Directors.” - -The charter of the East India Company provided that its ships should fly -the long coach-whip pennant of the Royal Navy. During the last quarter -of the eighteenth and first part of the nineteenth centuries, the ships -were built, rigged, equipped, armed, manned, and handled like the -frigates of the Royal Navy, though they were beautifully and luxuriously -fitted for passengers, many of whom were personages of high social and -official rank. They differed, however, from the frigates in one -important particular. Whereas, the navy constructors, as we have seen, -profited by the models of the French frigates, the builders of the -Indiamen kept to the full-bodied, kettle-bottomed model, in order that -these ships might carry large cargoes. They were of quite as bad a type -as the ships of the more humble merchant marine. I have before me the -particulars of one of the East India Company’s ships that carried four -hundred and nineteen tons of general cargo, and required eighty tons of -iron kentledge to keep her on her legs. They were nevertheless grand, -stately-looking ships, and were well cared for. - -The crews were divided into the usual two watches, but the officers had -three watches, four hours on and eight hours off. The watches were -divided into messes of eight men each, who had a space allotted to them -between the guns in the between-decks. Here their hammocks were slung -and their chests, mess-kits, copper pots, kettles, and tin pannikins -were stowed, clean and bright, under the inspection of the commander and -the surgeon, who were assisted in their duties by wearing white gloves -with which to test the appearance of cleanliness. The crews slept in -hammocks which were stowed in nettings at seven bells in the morning -watch, to the pipe of the boatswain’s whistle. The decks were washed -and holystoned in the morning watch, and at eight bells all hands -breakfasted. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the between-decks were turned -out, washed, and holystoned. On Sunday mornings the crew was mustered -and inspected by the chief officer, and then assembled for Divine -service, which was read by the commander, as the Court of Directors -required the captains “to keep up the worship of Almighty God, under a -penalty of two guineas for every omission not satisfactorily accounted -for in the log-book.” - -The crews were drilled at the guns and with cutlass, musket, and -boarding-pikes, and other small arms, Courts-martial were held on board -and the rawhide cat-o’-nine-tails was freely used by the boatswain upon -the naked backs and shoulders of triced-up seamen--one, two, three -dozen, perhaps, with a bucket of salt water to rinse off the blood. This -was not so brutal a form of punishment as may perhaps appear to -landsmen, and was probably the best method of enforcing proper -discipline among the reckless men who for the most part formed the crews -of ships at that period. - -These vessels carried large crews, whose work was easy and who were well -looked after and provided for. They had plenty of the best food and -quite as much rum as was good for them. In the dog-watches they were -allowed and even encouraged to enjoy themselves in the manner known on -board ship as “skylarking.” Saturdays they had to themselves to wash and -mend their clothes, and in the dog-watches of that day they were given -an extra allowance of grog, with which to drink long life and happiness -to sweethearts and wives, with music, dance, and song. Seamen who had -served eight years in the Company’s ships were entitled to liberal -pensions, as were also the wives and children of those who had been -killed in the service of the Company, or who had been so maimed or -wounded as to be unable to perform further service. There can be no -question that the directors of the East India Company took good care of -those who served them faithfully. - -The East Indiamen were always fine, strong ships, built of oak, elm, and -teak, copper-fastened throughout, their cost being £40 per ton ready for -sea; but they were very slow, and their passages were reckoned not by -days but by months. Every evening, no matter how fine the weather, -royals and all light sails were taken in and stowed, and the royal yards -sent on deck. If the weather looked at all as if it might become -threatening during the night, the topgallantsails and mainsail were -stowed and a single reef put in the topsails. Safety and comfort were -the watchwords, with no desire or effort for speed. No one ever knew how -fast these vessels really could sail, as they never had any one on board -who tried to get the best speed out of them, but without doubt their -passages might have been considerably shortened with even a moderate -amount of vigilance and energy. All we know is, how slow they were. Yet -these ships were fought through many a desperate battle upon the sea, -with foreign men of war, privateers, and other foes, and the skill and -valor of their captains, officers, and - -[Illustration: An East Indiaman, 1788] - -crews shed a new lustre upon the ensign under which they sailed. Indeed, -the maritime records of the East India Company read more like a naval -history than the annals of ships engaged in commercial pursuits. - -In some respects these Indiamen were remarkable ships, and they should, -like men, be judged by the standards of the times in which they existed. -They were owned by a company which for more than two centuries held a -monopoly of the British China and East India trade without the spur of -competition urging them to perfect their vessels and to exact vigorous -service from the officers and crews who sailed them. Under such a system -there could be no marked progress in naval science. It would, of course, -be an exaggeration to say that there had been no improvement in British -shipping from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the Victorian era, but it -was so gradual as to be perceptible only when measured by centuries. -Thus we speak of the ships of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth -centuries, and upon examination are surprised to find how few and slight -were the improvements made during these three hundred years in the -design and construction of hulls or in spars, rigging, and sails. The -only striking improvement was a modification of the really beautiful -ornamentation which embellished and at the same time lumbered up the -lofty hulls of the earlier ships. - -Some of the Indiamen were built in Wigram’s famous yard at Blackwall on -the Thames, which was in existence for more than two centuries. Indeed, -some of the first ships owned by the East India Company, the _Dragon_, -_Susannah_, and _Merchants’ Hope_ were launched there. During the reigns -of Elizabeth, James, Charles I., Charles II., and the Georges, this yard -turned out many of the ships owned in the Royal Navy, and through all -these years it had in time of need been a faithful standby of the -British Government. Some of the ships of the Company were, however, -built in other yards and in their own building establishment at Bombay. - -During the years 1819 and 1820 the Company sent to their different -stations in Bengal, Madras, Bombay, China, Ceylon, and Penang, -twenty-three of their own ships aggregating 26,200 tons, besides -twenty-one chartered vessels measuring 10,948 tons. Among the Company’s -ships were the _Canning_, _Duke of York_, _Kellie Castle_, _Lady -Melville_, _Thomas Coutts_, and _Waterloo_, built by Wigram, and all -from 1325 to 1350 tons, each mounting 20 guns with a crew of 130 men. -The _Buckinghamshire_, _Earl of Balcarras_, _Herefordshire_, _Thomas -Granville_, _Minerva_, and _Charles Grant_, all from 923 to 1417 tons, -26 guns, and 130 men with the exception of the _Minerva_ and _Thomas -Granville_ which mounted the same number of guns but had 115 and 107 -men, respectively, were built by the Company at Bombay. The _Asia_, -_Dorsetshire_, _Duneira_, _Marquis of Wellington_, _Prince Regent_, -_Princess Amelia_, and _Windsor_, which were all over 1000 tons and -mounted 26 guns with crews of from 115 to 130 each, were built in the -Barnard yard, also on the Thames. The _London_, _Lowther Castle_, -_Marquis of Camden_, and _Perseverance_, all from 1329 to 1408 tons, 26 -guns, and 130 men each, were built in the Pitcher yard at Northfleet in -Kent. The _Earl of Balcarras_, of 1417 tons, built in 1815 at Bombay, -was the largest ship owned by the Company. She was built of India teak, -copper-fastened throughout, and mounted batteries on two decks. Her crew -of 133 men was made up as follows: Commander, 6 mates, 2 surgeons, 6 -midshipmen, purser, gunner, carpenter, master-at-arms, armour, butcher, -baker, poulterer, caulker, cooper, 2 stewards, 2 cooks, 8 boatswains, -gunner’s, carpenter’s, caulker’s, and cooper’s mates, 6 quartermasters, -sailmaker, 7 servants for the commander and officers, and 78 seamen -before the mast. - -These facts illustrate not only the manner in which the ships of the -East India Company were officered and manned, but also the extravagant -scale upon which the affairs of the Company were administered. Of -course, a gross monopoly like this, legalized though it was by Acts of -Parliament, could not continue indefinitely among a free and intelligent -people. For many years mutterings of discontent, gathering in force and -volume, had been heard from all parts of Great Britain, indicating the -disapproval of the people concerning the methods of the Company. At -last, in 1832, these mutterings burst into a storm of indignation from -the people through their representatives in Parliament, which swept the -frigates of the Honorable John Company off the face of the deep; for in -that year commerce to the Orient was thrown open to all British ships, -and knowing their utter inability to compete successfully with free and -intelligent personal energy, the East India Company condemned or sold -their entire fleet. Sixteen ships were broken up for their massive -copper fastenings and other valuable material, while forty-six were -sold, and no finer tribute can be offered to the excellent construction -of these vessels than the figures which they realized at what may justly -be called a forced sale. - -Naturally these ships were not all sold at the some moment, as some of -them were on their way to China and India when the crash came; in fact, -it required about three years to close them all out; still, it was well -known that the Court of Directors had decreed that they must all be -sold, and this gave bargain hunters a chance to practise their wiles. At -first two or three of the ships were put up at public auction; the bids -were few and meagre, indicating an assumed and perhaps preconcerted -apathy. Negotiations of a less public nature ensued, which resulted as -follows: The _Buckinghamshire_, of 1369 tons, then eighteen years old, -was sold to Thacker & Mangels for £10,550. The _Canning_, 1326 tons, -seventeen years old, sold for breaking up to Joseph Somes at £5750. The -_Minerva_, 976 tons, eighteen years old, ready for sea, to Henry -Templer, at £11,800; this ship, after thirty-seven years of service in -the India trade was wrecked off the Cape of Good Hope in 1850. The _Earl -of Balcarras_, 1417 tons, nineteen years old, to Thomas A. Shuter for -£15,700; this ship after fifty-two years’ service, became a receiving -hulk on the west coast of Africa. The _Bombay_, 1246 tons, twenty-two -years old, sold to Duncan Dunbar for £11,000, was wrecked after -fifty-nine years of service. The _Lowther Castle_, 1408 tons, nineteen -years old, went to Joseph Somes for £13,950. The _Waterloo_, 1325 tons, -eighteen years old, was sold for breaking up at £7200. The _Thames_, -1360 tons, thirteen years old, went to James Chrystall at £10,700. The -remaining ships of the fleet brought equally good prices. Thus ended the -maritime exploits of the “United Company of Merchant Venturers of -England trading to the East Indies”; although its influence upon the -merchant marine of Great Britain continued for many years. - -With the opening of the China and India trade to all British ships, -there came the long-wished for competition--one of the hinges upon which -commerce swings--and a number of British ship-owners, hardly known -before, now came into prominence. Among them were Green, Wigram, Dunbar, -and Somes, of London, and the Smiths, of Newcastle. So strongly was the -example of the East India Company impressed upon their minds that they -still continued to construct frigate-built ships, though with some -slight effort toward economy and speed. Many of the former captains, -officers, and seamen of the East India Company sailed for the private -firms, and so the personnel of the British merchant marine was much -benefited. The private ships, of course, were not permitted to fly the -naval pennant, but in other respects the service remained pretty nearly -the same. Much of the wasteful extravagance was naturally eliminated, -and the “indulgences” were substantially reduced, but the time-honored -practice of “making snug for the night” was too ancient and comfortable -a custom to be very speedily abolished. - -Joseph Somes, one of the promoters of Lloyd’s Register, bought a number -of the Company’s old ships, as we have seen, and in addition he built -the _Maria Somes_, _Princess Royal_, _Sir George Seymour_, and _Castle -Eden_. Thomas and William Smith, of Newcastle, were an old ship-building -firm, who had in 1808, at their yard in St. Peter’s, constructed the -frigate _Bucephalus_, 970 tons, 52 guns, for the Royal Navy, while in -later years they built many merchant vessels. The finest of their new -ships were the _Marlborough_ and the _Blenheim_, of 1350 tons each, -built under special government survey and granted certificates as -frigates equipped for naval service. This firm also built the -_Gloriana_, 1057 tons, _Hotspur_, 1142 tons, and _St. Lawrence_, 1049 -tons, all of the frigate type, though employed as merchantmen. - -Duncan Dunbar owned a number of fine ships and eventually became the -largest ship-owner of his time in Great Britain. Many of his vessels -were built in India. The _Marion_, 684 tons, built in Calcutta in 1834, -was in active service until 1877, when she was wrecked on the -Newfoundland coast. The _David Malcolm_ was built in 1839, and the -_Cressy_, 720 tons, and the _Hyderabad_, 804 tons, in 1843, at -Sunderland. - -Robert Wigram and Richard Green, at one time partners, built and owned -their own ships, known as the “Blackwall frigates.” In 1834-35, they -brought out the _Malabar_, _Monarch_, and _Windsor Castle_, and -subsequently the _Carnatic_, _Prince of Wales_, _Agamemnon_, _Alfred_, -and others, from 1200 to 1400 tons each. As late as 1849 the _Alfred_, -of - -[Illustration: The “Marlborough” and “Blenheim”] - -only 1291 tons, commanded by Captain Henning, carried a crew of eighty -men, which included five mates, three boatswains, two carpenters, four -quartermasters, a number of stewards and cooks, with sixty men before -the mast. - -These were the last of the frigate-built ships; for when the Navigation -Laws were repealed in 1849, and the carrying trade of Great Britain and -her colonies was thrown open to all nations, the British merchants and -ship-builders found it necessary to construct a very different type of -vessel in order to compete in the ocean carrying trade. - -Farewell, then, to the gallant old Indiaman, with her hammock nettings, -bunt jiggers, rolling tackles, jeers, gammon lashings, bentinck shrouds, -and cat harpings, dear to sailors’ hearts; and good-bye to her sailors, -too, sons of the men who fought in the victorious fleets of Nelson, -fellows who drank gunpowder in their rum before stripping to battle with -the enemy, who could stand triced up by the thumbs and take their -four-and-twenty of rawhide on the naked back without wetting an eyelash. -And farewell to the merry dance and song, the extra dram of grog in the -dog-watch, and jovial toasts to sweethearts and wives, as the sun sinks -beneath the blue wave and the cool evening trade wind fills the sails. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE NORTH ATLANTIC PACKET SHIPS, 1815-1850 - - -While progress in ship-building in the United States had been constant -up to the War of 1812, American ship-owners and builders had been much -hampered by the interference of both Great Britain and France, but in -1815, when the smoke of battle had cleared away and the rights of -American ships and seamen had been established upon the sea, -ship-building was taken up with renewed energy. - -The famous New York-Liverpool packets came out in 1816. The pioneer, -Black Ball Line, established by Isaac Wright, Francis and Jeremiah -Thompson, Benjamin Marshall, and others, led the van for years. The -original ships belonging to this line were the _Amity_, _Courier_, -_Pacific_, and _James Monroe_, of about 400 tons; they were followed by -the _New York_, _Eagle_, _Orbit_, _Nestor_, _James Cropper_, _William -Thompson_, _Albion_, _Canada_, _Britannia_, and _Columbia_, vessels of -from 300 to 500 tons register. For the first ten years the passages of -the fleet averaged 23 days outward and 40 days to the westward. The -fastest outward passage was made by the _Canada_ in 15 days, 18 hours, -and her total averages--19 days outward and 36 days homeward--were the -best of that period. - -These ships were all flush deck, with a caboose or galley and the -housed-over long-boat between the fore-and main-masts. The long-boat, -which was, of course, securely lashed, carried the live stock,--pens for -sheep and pigs in the bottom, ducks and geese on a deck laid across the -gunwales, and on top of all, hens and chickens. The cow-house was lashed -over the main hatch, and there were also other small hatch-houses and a -companion aft leading to the comfortable, well-appointed cabins, which -were lighted by deck skylights, candles, and whale-oil lamps. The -steerage passengers lived in the between-decks amidships, and the crew’s -forecastle was in the fore-peak. The stores, spare sails, gear, etc., -were kept in the lazarette abaft the cabins, with a small hatch leading -to the main-deck. The hulls were painted black from the water-line up, -with bright scraped bends, which were varnished, and the inner side of -the bulwarks, rails, hatch-houses, and boats were painted green. It was -said that some of the early Black Ball captains had commanded privateers -during the War of 1812. At all events, these little ships, with their -full-bodied, able hulls, and their stout spars, sails, and rigging, were -driven outward and homeward across the Atlantic, through the fogs and -ice of summer and the snow, sleet, and gales of winter, for all the -speed that was in them. They were in their day the only regular means of -communication between the United States and Europe. Their captains were -the finest men whose services money could secure, and to their care were -entrusted the lives of eminent men and women, government despatches, the -mails and specie. Rain or shine, blow high, blow low, one of the Black -Ball liners sailed from New York for Liverpool on the first and -sixteenth of each month, and for many years these were the European mail -days throughout the United States. - -In 1821, Thomas Cope of Philadelphia started his line of packets between -that port and Liverpool with the ships _Lancaster_, of 290 tons, and -_Tuscarora_, of 379 tons, which were soon followed by larger vessels, -among them some of the finest ships on the Atlantic. - -The Red Star Line of Liverpool packets from New York was also -established in 1821 with the _Panther_, _Meteor_, _Hercules_, and second -_Manhattan_, and soon after, the Swallow Tail Line of Grinnell, Minturn -& Co., came into existence with the _Napoleon_, _Silas Richards_, -_George_, and _York_. Grinnell, Minturn & Co.’s London Line was -established in 1823 with the _Brighton_, _Columbia_, _Cortes_, and -_Corinthian_, of less than 500 tons each, and during this year John -Griswold’s London Line was also started with the _Sovereign_, -_President_, _Cambria_, _Hudson_, and the second _Ontario_. - -The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 gave a great impetus to commerce, -causing New York to become the eastern gateway of the United States, and -from that date to 1850 may be counted the glorious years of the Atlantic -packet ships. - -The Dramatic Line to Liverpool was started in 1836 with the _Siddons_, -_Shakespeare_, _Garrick_, and _Roscius_, under the management of E. K. -Collins. These vessels did not much exceed 700 tons, and when, in 1837, -Isaac Webb & Co. built the _Sheridan_, - -[Illustration: The “England”] - -of 895 tons for this line, she was regarded as too large for a Liverpool -packet, and after a few voyages was placed in the China trade. - -The first Havre line of packets was founded by Francis Depaw in 1822 -with the _Stephania_, _Montana_, _Henry IV._, _Helen Mar_, _Louis -Philippe_, and _Silvia de Grasse_. A second line was formed in 1827 with -the _Baltimore_, _Charles Carroll_, _Erie_, _France_, _Oneida_, -_Mercury_, _Utica_, _Rhone_, _William Tell_, and in 1832 a third line, -with the _Formosa_, _Galia_, _Albany_, _Duchesse d’Orléans_, _Isaac -Bell_, _Queen Mab_, and _Don Quixote_. - -In 1831 the New Orleans Line from New York was formed with the -_Nashville_, _Huntsville_, _Louisville_, _Creole_, and _Natchez_. These -were the first packet ships built with full poop-decks, then quite a new -feature in ship-building. Gradually the flush deck gave place to -house-and poop-deck cabins, then to the topgallant, forecastle, and -house from the foremast to the main hatch. The fashion of painting also -changed, and most if not all the packets carried painted ports, while -the inside green was replaced by white or light shades of other colors. - -After the Black Ball Line passed into the hands of Captain Charles H. -Marshall in 1836, the _Columbus_, _Oxford_, _Cambridge_, _New York_, -_England_, _Yorkshire_, _Fidelia_, _Isaac Wright_, _Isaac Webb_, the -third _Manhattan_, _Montezuma_, _Alexander Marshall_, _Great Western_, -and _Harvest Queen_ were gradually added to the fleet. To meet the -competition of the Black Ball Line, the Swallow Tail Line built the -_Washington_, _Independence_, _Pennsylvania_, _Roscoe_, _Patrick Henry_, -_Ashburton_, _Hottinger_, _Queen of the West_, _Liverpool_, _New -World_, and _Cornelius Grinnell_. - -The packet ships slowly increased in tonnage, but did not much exceed -1000 tons until 1846 when the _New World_, of 1404 tons, was built by -Donald McKay, followed by the _Guy Mannering_, of 1419 tons, and the -_Albert Gallatin_, of 1435 tons, built by William H. Webb in 1849, these -three vessels being the largest merchant ships afloat at that period. - -The Black Ball ships carried a large painted black ball below the -close-reef band in their foretopsails, while the Dramatic Line, not to -be outdone, carried a black X which extended diagonally, almost from -clew to earring, across their foretopsails. All packet ships carried a -white light at the bowsprit cap from sunset to sunrise, but side-lights -did not come into use until some years later. These ships also carried a -flare-up which was kept in the companion ready for immediate use. - -Throughout the various changes of management the Black Ball liners -carried a crimson swallowtail flag with a black ball in the centre; the -Dramatic liners, blue above white with a white L in blue and a black L -in white for the Liverpool ships, and a red swallowtail with white ball -and black L in the centre for the New Orleans ships; the Union Line to -Havre, a white field with black U in the centre; John Griswold’s London -Line, red swallowtail with black X in centre; the Swallowtail Line, red -before white, swallowtail for the London ships, and blue before white, -swallowtail for the Liverpool ships; Robert Kermit’s Liverpool Line, -blue swallowtail with red star in the centre; Spofford & Tillotson’s -Liverpool Line, yellow field, blue cross with white S. T. in the centre. -These flags disappeared from the sea many years ago. - -The packet captain, no matter what his age might be, was usually spoken -of as “the old man,” a title frequently embellished by the crew with -vigorous epithets, which seemed to them appropriate, but which must now, -I fear, be left to the imagination of the reader. Few if any Americans -sailed regularly before the mast on board of these vessels, the crews -being largely composed of the most abandoned scoundrels out of British -and continental jails. I shall have something further to say concerning -these interesting beings in connection with their exploits on board of -the California clipper ships. - -Among the famous New York packet captains, and there were many of them, -were Charles H. Marshall, of the _South America_, _James Cropper_, and -_Britannia_; N. B. Palmer, of the _Siddons_, _Garrick_, _Huntsville_, -and _Hibernia_, and his brother, Alexander, later of the _Garrick_; F. -A. De Peyster, of the _Columbus_ and _Ontario_; John Collins, an uncle -of E. K. Collins, of the _Shakespeare_; John Eldridge, of the -_Liverpool_, and his brother Asa, of the _Roscius_, and Oliver, another -brother, who was mate with Captain John; Ezra Nye, of the _Independence_ -and _Henry Clay_; William Skiddy, an older brother of Francis Skiddy, of -the _New World_; Benjamin Trask, of the _Virginia_, _Jamestown_, and -_Saratoga_; Joseph Delano, of the _Columbia_ and _Patrick Henry_; John -Britton, of the _Constitution_, later United States consul at -Southampton; Ira Bursley, of the _Hottinger_; Philip Woodhouse, of the -_Queen of the West_; James A. Wooton, of the _Havre_; William H. Allen, -of the _Virginia_, _Waterloo_, _West Point_, and _Constellation_; E. E. -Morgan, of the _Hudson_ and _Victoria_; John Johnston, of the _Rhone_ -and _Isaac Bell_; and of a later period, Robert C. Cutting, of the -_Adelaide_; and Samuel Samuels, of the _Dreadnought_. - -It required an unusual combination of qualities to command these Western -Ocean packet ships successfully. Above all things it was necessary that -the captains should be thorough seamen and navigators; also that they -should be men of robust health and great physical endurance, as their -duties often kept them on deck for days and nights together in storm, -cold, and fog. Then there were frequently desperate characters among the -crew and steerage passengers, who required to be handled with moral -courage and physical force, while the cabin passengers were usually -gentlemen and gentlewomen of good breeding, accustomed to courtesy and -politeness, which they expected to find in the captains with whom they -sailed. These requirements evolved a remarkable type of men, hearty, -bluff, and jovial, without coarseness, who would never be mistaken for -anything but gentlemen. - -The packet mates, having no social duties on shipboard to distract their -attention, were able to devote their time and energies to improving the -morals and manners of the crew, and it was on board the Black Ball -liners that “belaying pin soup” and “handspike hash,” so stimulating to -honest toil, were first introduced for the benefit of mutinous or -slothful mariners. - -Plenty of sail was carried by the packet ships - -[Illustration: The “Montezuma”] - -of this period--square lower, topmast and topgallant studding sails, -skysails set on sliding gunter masts which were struck in the winter -time, with three reefs in the topsails and single reefs in the -topgallantsails. The racing was fast and furious. In 1837 a match was -made between the Black Ball liner _Columbus_, 597 tons, Captain De -Peyster, and the _Sheridan_, Captain Russell, of the Dramatic Line, then -on her first voyage, for a stake of $10,000 a side, from New York to -Liverpool, play or pay. The _Sheridan_, though only 895 tons, carried a -crew of forty picked men before the mast, with regular pay of $25 a -month, and the promise of a bonus of $50 each, provided their ship won -the race. The ships sailed together from New York on Thursday, February -2, 1837, and the _Columbus_ won the race in sixteen days, followed two -days later by the _Sheridan_. This is the first ocean match across the -Atlantic of which any record has been preserved, though, of course, -there had been many informal races long before. - -The _Isaac Bell_, commanded by Captain John Johnston, made three voyages -from Havre to New York in less than eighteen days each, one being in the -month of January, which is about the hardest month in the twelve for a -ship bound to the westward. The _Independence_, 734 tons, built by Smith -& Dimon in 1834, for a number of years when commanded by Captain Ezra -Nye, took the President’s message to England, her sailing day being -fixed for the 6th of March for that purpose. She more than once made the -passage from New York to Liverpool in fourteen days. In November, 1846, -the _Yorkshire_, Captain Bailey, made the passage from Liverpool to New -York in sixteen days. This is believed to be the fastest passage ever -made from Liverpool to the westward by a packet ship. The _Montezuma_, -1070 tons, and the _Patrick Henry_, 997 tons, the _Southampton_, 1273 -tons, built by Westervelt & Mackay, in 1849, also the _St. Andrew_, -Captain William C. Thompson, of Robert Kermit’s Line, all made the -passage from New York to Liverpool in fifteen days. - -It should, however, be remembered that these packet ships, running -regularly across the Atlantic for many years, necessarily at times -encountered favorable conditions of wind and weather; whereas, a single -ship making the passage occasionally, as did the clipper ships in later -years, might not find so favorable a slant in a lifetime. None of the -packet ships that made these remarkable passages could average more than -twelve knots for twenty-four hours, and the utmost limit of their speed -under the most favorable conditions was not more than fourteen knots, if -as much. Most of these ships, however, made the passage from New York to -Liverpool at one time or another in sixteen days, and there were few -that did not at least once make the run in seventeen days. The secret of -the speed of these ships was that they were commanded by men who kept -them moving night and day, in all sorts of weather, and never let up on -their ships or crews from the time they cast off from the wharf at New -York until they ran their lines ashore on the pier-head at Liverpool. -While it is true that the New York packet ships were by no means -clippers, still, their models and rig were admirably adapted to the -work which they had to perform. It was a splendid service and a fine -prelude to the clipper ship era. - -Of the earlier New York ship-builders, Henry Eckford, who came from -Scotland in 1796, when twenty years of age, died in New York in 1832; -Christian Bergh, who was born in Wettenburgh, Rhinebeck precinct, in -1763, died in New York in 1843; and Isaac Webb, born in Stamford, -Connecticut, in 1794, the son of Wilsey Webb, died in New York in 1840. -To the memories of these men, the founders of modern ship-building in -the United States, the highest praise is due for their integrity, -perseverance, and mechanical skill. - -Of the next generation of builders, Stephen Smith, who like Isaac Webb -was born in Stamford, formed with John Dimon the firm of Smith & Dimon, -and prior to 1843 they had built among other vessels the packet ships -_Roscoe_ and _Independence_, the ship _Mary Howland_, the North River -steamboats _Rochester_, _James Kent_, and _Oregon_, and the Greek -frigate _Liberator_. Their building yard was at the foot of Fourth -Street, East River. David Brown and Jacob Bell formed the firm of Brown -& Bell, and had a yard at the foot of Stanton Street, a part of which -had formerly been the Henry Eckford yard. Prior to 1843, this firm had -built the ships _Orbit_ and _William Tell_ in 1821, the _Canada_, -_Calhoun_, _Savannah_, _Pacific_, _Washington_, _Great Britain_, _John -Jay_, _Britannia_, _George Canning_, _Caledonia_, _Hibernia_, and -_Congress_ from 1821 to 1831; the _Victoria_, _Europe_, _Francis Depaw_, -_Silvia de Grasse_, _Vicksburg_, _Emerald_, _Switzerland_, -_Shakespeare_, _Garrick_, _Sheridan_, _Siddons_, _Roscius_, and -_Cornelia_ from 1831 to 1841; and the _Liverpool_, _Queen of the West_, -and _Henry Clay_ in the period from 1841 to 1843, inclusive. Besides -these, they built fifteen other ships, seven steamers, eight barques and -brigs, thirty-nine steamboats, six ferry-and tow-boats, nineteen sloops -and schooners, seven pilot boats, and four yachts. - -Upon the death of Isaac Webb in 1840, his son William H. Webb, then only -twenty-four years of age, continued the firm of Webb & Allen which built -during the next ten years the packet ships _Montezuma_, _Yorkshire_, -_Havre_, _Fidelia_, second _Columbia_, _Sir Robert Peel_, _Splendid_, -_Bavaria_, _Isaac Wright_, _Ivanhoe_, _Yorktown_, _London_, _Guy -Mannering_, _Albert Gallatin_, _Isaac Webb_, and _Vanguard_. Their yard -extended from the foot of Fifth to Seventh Street, East River. - -Jacob A. Westervelt, born at Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1800, was the -son of a ship-builder. He went to sea before the mast and upon his -return served his apprenticeship with Christian Bergh, subsequently -becoming a partner in the firm and retiring with an ample fortune in -1837. Mr. Westervelt then made an extensive trip through Europe, and -after returning built two ships at Williamsburg. He formed the firm of -Westervelt & Mackay and built a number of London and Havre packet ships, -among which were the _Ocean Queen_, _West Point_, _Toronto_, -_Devonshire_, and _American Eagle_. The front door of Mr. Westervelt’s -house in East Broadway was ornamented with a beautiful carved stone cap -representing the stern of a packet ship. In later - -[Illustration: The “Yorkshire”] - -years, he took his sons Daniel and Aaron into partnership, the firm -being known as Westervelt & Co. Jacob A. Westervelt was Mayor of New -York in 1854. - -George Steers, destined to become famous as the designer of the -_Adriatic_, the _Niagara_, and the yacht _America_, was born in -Washington, D. C., in the year 1819, and in 1843, after having built a -number of fast sail-and row-boats for racing, entered into partnership -with William Hathorne, the firm being known as Hathorne & Steers. Up to -this time Mr. Steers, though he had shown unusual ability as a mechanic, -cannot be said to have done anything predicting his future triumphs. -Other firms that were building good vessels at this time were Thomas and -William Collier; Perin, Patterson & Stack; Laurence & Folkes, and John -Englis, some of whom we shall hear of again. - -The merchants of Boston after the War of 1812, built or bought most of -their vessels at Medford, Newburyport, Salem, Scituate, and Duxbury, -within the State, and at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and other ports -where timber was more plentiful. It was not until 1834, when the East -Boston Timber Company was incorporated by James Paige, Francis Oliver, -and Gideon Barstow, that ship building began to flourish about Boston. -Stephen White was the moving spirit in this transaction, as in 1833 he -had bought on behalf of himself and associates, eighty thousand feet of -land in East Boston, between Border and Liverpool streets, at three -cents per foot, for the establishment of a timber yard and dock. Mr. -White also purchased Grand Island, in the Niagara River, which was -covered with valuable timber. Sawmills were erected on the island, and -a supply of the finest quality of ship timber was created, and brought -by the Erie Canal to tide-water, thence by coasting vessels to East -Boston. This attracted ship-builders from other towns, and eventually -made Boston a famous ship-building centre. Stephen White owned the first -ship built in East Boston, the _Niagara_, of 460 tons, appropriately -named after the river from which the timber used in her construction had -come. She was built in 1834, by Brown, Bates & Delano in their yard at -the foot of Central Square, and was launched amid an uproar of guns, -fire crackers, shouts, and music, with a bottle of good Medford rum -trickling down her port bow. - -The first Boston ferry-boats, the _East Boston_, _Essex_, and -_Maverick_, were built at East Boston in 1834-35, but nothing further -was done in ship-building there until 1839, when Samuel Hall a -well-known builder, of Marshfield and Duxbury, removed to East Boston -and established a yard at the west end of Maverick Street. Mr. Hall not -only contributed to the reputation and welfare of East Boston by -building a large number of splendid vessels and providing employment for -a great number of men, but he was also active in all municipal affairs. -In appreciation of his successful efforts for the introduction of -Cochituate water into East Boston in 1851, his fellow-citizens presented -him with a thousand-dollar service of plate, consisting of eleven -pieces, with the usual inscription, with which most of us are more or -less familiar. - -The Briggs Brothers, of South Boston, came from an old and celebrated -ship-building family of Scituate, their great-grandfather having been a -ship-builder of note in colonial times, while their grandfather, James -Briggs, was the builder of the famous _Columbia_, in 1773. After his -death the yard was continued by his sons, Henry and Cushing, who built -some of the finest ships sailing out of Boston, besides many of the New -Bedford and Nantucket whalers, during the first half of the last -century. The brothers E. & H. O. Briggs, who established their yard at -South Boston in 1848, were the sons of Cushing Briggs, and they -possessed the skill in design and thorough knowledge of construction for -which the family had long been famous among the merchants and -underwriters of Boston. - -At Medford, on the Mystic, Thatcher Magoun established his shipyard in -1802, and there built the brig _Mt. Etna_, of 187 tons, in 1803, -followed by other merchant vessels as well as privateers for the War of -1812. The _Avon_, the most famous of these privateers, was launched in -twenty-six days after her keel was laid. In 1822, Mr. Magoun built the -_Amethyst_, _Emerald_, _Sapphire_, and _Topaz_, ships of about 350 tons, -for the Boston and Liverpool Packet Company, which ran for a few years -between Boston, Charleston, S. C., and Liverpool, and home direct to -Boston. One of the novel features of this line was the arrangement as to -agents, their office being at the end of India Wharf, but in Liverpool -each ship had a separate agent, as it was imagined that four agents -would attract so many times the more business. It is evident that the -promoters of this line had something to learn concerning Liverpool -ship-brokers and their system of working freights, for the enterprise -was not successful. - -Another Liverpool Line was started in Boston in 1828, and the ships -_Boston_, _Lowell_, _Liverpool_, _Plymouth_, and _Trenton_ of this line -were built by Mr. Magoun. He also built between 1822 and 1829, the ships -_Lucilla_, 369 tons, owned by Daniel P. Parker; _Brookline_, 376 tons, -and _Courser_, 300 tons, owned by Henry Oxnard; and the _Margaret -Forbes_, 398 tons, owned by Bryant & Sturgis, all sailing out of Boston. -Other Medford ship-builders were Sprague & James, Isaac Taylor, Hayden & -Cudworth, J. O. Curtis, Waterman & Elwell, Samuel Lapham, and Paul -Curtis. Their ships were known all over the world as fine, well-built -vessels. In 1845 one quarter of all the shipwrights in Massachusetts -were employed in Medford, and 9660 tons of shipping were launched from -its building yards. - -The leading ship-builder at Newburyport was John Currier, Jr., who from -1831 to 1843 built the ships _Brenda_, _Republic_, _Oberlin_, _St. -Clair_, _Leonore_, and _Columbus_ for the Black Ball Line, and in 1836 -the _Talbot_, _Flavio_, _Navigator_, _Huntress_, _Strabo_, and -_Virginia_, ranging from 339 to 365 tons, as well as several barques, -brigs, and schooners. The firms of George W. Jackman and Currier & -Townsend had not been formed at this date. - -Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was also noted for her ships and seamen, the -principal builders in 1840 being George Raynes, Fernald & Pettigrew, and -Toby & Littlefield, while the Shackfords and Salters had been -sea-captains for generations. Mr. Raynes was born at York, Maine, in -1799 and in 1835 removed to Portsmouth where he established a shipyard -upon the famous Boyd estate, with its fine old trees, lawns, and gardens -of vegetables, fruits, and flowers sloping to the clear blue water’s -edge. The family residence, erected by Colonel George Boyd in 1767, was -an excellent example of colonial architecture. In later days it became -known as the Raynes mansion, and for many years was one of the show -places of Portsmouth. The original beauty of the grounds was preserved -so far as possible, and this was perhaps the most beautiful and -picturesque shipyard of modern times. - -The most famous clipper-ship builder of his time, Donald McKay, was born -at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, in 1810, and was a descendant of that sturdy -Highland chieftain, Donald McKay, who died at Tain, County Ross, -Scotland, in 1395. At about the age of sixteen, Donald went to New York, -where he worked and learnt his trade in the shipyards of Isaac Webb, -Brown & Bell, and perhaps others. By his energy and mechanical talents, -he soon became a master shipwright, and turned his face toward the -Eastern country again. In 1840 he finished the ship _Delia Walker_, of -427 tons, for John Currier at Newburyport. This vessel was owned by -Dennis Condry, who, when visiting his ship from time to time, was -impressed by Mr. McKay’s superior mechanical ability and energetic -manner of handling his men. In 1841, Mr. McKay became a partner in the -firm of Currier & McKay, and the barque _Mary Broughton_, 323 tons, was -built by them during this year, followed in 1842 by the ships -_Courier_, 380 tons, and _Ashburton_, 449 tons. The firm then dissolved, -the models and moulds being equally divided--with a saw. - -The little ship _Courier_ was the first vessel designed by Mr. McKay. -She was owned by W. Wolfe & A. Foster, Jr., of New York, who employed -her in the Rio coffee trade. She proved a wonder for speed, and -outsailed everything, big and little, that she fell in with at sea. No -one at that time believed that such a vessel could be built outside of -New York or Baltimore. She not only made a great deal of money for her -owners, but at once brought her designer prominently before the maritime -public. - -In 1843 the firm of McKay & Pickett was formed, and the New York packet -ships _St. George_, 845 tons, in 1843, and _John R. Skiddy_, 930 tons, -in 1844, were built by them at Newburyport. In this year Enoch Train, a -well-known ship-owner and merchant of Boston, engaged in the South -American trade and who had already sent the ships _Cairo_, _St. -Patrick_, and _Dorchester_ to England, decided to put on a regular line -of packets between Liverpool and Boston. While crossing the Atlantic on -board one of the early Cunarders, for the purpose of establishing his -European agencies, it happened that he found himself a fellow-passenger -with Dennis Condry, owner of the _Delia Walker_, the gentleman who had -been so much impressed during his visits to Newburyport, by the energy -and skill of Donald McKay. Mr. Train and Mr. Condry soon became -acquainted and naturally talked a good deal about shipping. Mr. Train -was in doubt as to whom he should entrust the building of his ships; he -did not like to construct them in New York, yet he felt unwilling to -risk failure through employing local talent, however able, for Boston -builders were inexperienced in building this class of vessel, while the -construction of packet ships had been developed to a high degree of -perfection in New York. His doubts were freely expressed, but Mr. Condry -had a strong conviction on this subject, and so convincing were his -arguments in favor of his young ship-builder friend, that Mr. Train, -before landing at Liverpool, had promised that he would see Mr. McKay -upon his return to the United States. - -The meeting at Newburyport of these two really great men, Enoch Train -and Donald McKay, should be memorable in the maritime annals of the -United States. It was the swift contact of flint and steel, for within -an hour a contract had been signed for building the _Joshua Bates_, the -pioneer ship of Train’s famous Liverpool Line, and Mr. Train was -returning to his home in Boston. He visited Newburyport frequently while -his ship was building, and whether Mr. McKay, during the four years that -had elapsed, had further developed the qualities which Dennis Condry had -so admired, as seems probable, or whether Mr. Train’s perceptive -faculties were keener than those of his fellow-passenger, it is a fact -that on the day when the _Joshua Bates_ was launched and floated safely -on the Merrimac River, Mr. Train grasped Donald McKay by the hand and -said to him: “You must come to Boston; we need you; if you wish -financial assistance to establish a shipyard, let me know the amount and -you shall have it.” - -So the young ship-builder had on that day launched his last ship at -Newburyport. He soon closed the pleasant relations which had existed -with his partner, and at the age of thirty-four opened his great -shipyard at the foot of Border Street, East Boston. There he built in -rapid succession, between 1845 and 1850, the packet ships _Washington -Irving_, _Anglo-Saxon_, _Ocean Monarch_, _Anglo-American_, and _Daniel -Webster_ for Train’s Liverpool Line. These ships carried a black T in -their foretopsail below the close reef band, and flew the Enoch Train -signal, a red field with white diamond. The ships _New World_ and -_Cornelius Grinnell_ were built here for Grinnell, Minturn & Co.’s -Swallowtail Line; the _A. Z._, _L. Z._, and _Antarctic_ for Zerega & -Co., New York; the _Jenny Lind_ for Fairbank & Wheeler, Boston; the -_Parliament_, _Plymouth Rock_, _Reindeer_, and barque _Helicon_ for -George B. Upton, Boston; the _Moses Wheeler_ for Wheeler & King, Boston; -and the barque _Sultana_ for Edward Lamb & Co., Boston. These vessels -were much admired in New York, London, Liverpool, and other seaports, -and established the reputation of Donald McKay as a ship-builder equal -to the best. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -OPIUM CLIPPERS AND EARLY CLIPPER SHIPS, 1832-1848 - - -The origin of the word clipper is not quite clear, though it seems to be -derived from the verb clip, which in former times meant, among other -things, to run or fly swiftly. Dryden uses it to describe the flight of -a falcon[4]: - - “Some falcon stoops at what her eye designed, - And, with her eagerness the quarry missed, - Straight flies at check, and clips it down the wind.” - -The word survived in the New England slang expression “to clip it,” and -“going at a good clip,” or “a fast clip,” are familiar expressions there -to this day. It therefore seems reasonable to suppose that when vessels -of a new model were built, which were intended, in the language of the -times, to clip over the waves rather than plough through them, the -improved type of craft became known as clippers because of their speed. -It is probable that the swift privateers built at Baltimore during the -War of 1812 became known as “Baltimore clippers,” and while the first -application of the term in a nautical sense is by no means certain, it -seems to have had an American origin. - -The first clipper constructed in Great Britain was the schooner -_Scottish Maid_, one hundred and fifty tons, built in 1839 by Alexander -Hall & Co., of Aberdeen, to compete with the paddle steamers between -Aberdeen and London. She proved a very fast vessel, and saw half a -century of service before she was wrecked on the coast of England. Three -schooners of the same model and tonnage, the _Fairy_, _Rapid_, and -_Monarch_, were built by this firm in 1842. These four were the first -Aberdeen clippers. The earliest competition between American and British -clippers was in the China seas. As early as 1831 three small English -schooners, the _Jamesina_, _Lord Amherst_, and _Sylph_, were engaged in -the opium trade, which proved exceedingly lucrative. In 1833 the -_Jamesina_ sold opium from India to the value of £330,000 at Foo Chow, -Amoy, Ningpo, and other ports in China. This business increased and -attracted the attention of the American merchants in China. In 1841, the -_Angola_, a schooner of 90 tons, built by Brown & Bell, of New York, for -Russell & Co., China, was despatched to Hong-kong. She was followed in -1842 by the schooners _Zephyr_, 150 tons, built by Samuel Hall at East -Boston; _Mazeppa_, 175 tons, built by Brown & Bell, and _Ariel_, 100 -tons, built by Sprague & James, Medford, and in 1843 by the brig -_Antelope_, 370 tons, built by Samuel Hall at East Boston. These -vessels, owned by John M. Forbes and Russell & Co., soon controlled the -opium-trade and became known as opium clippers. It was necessary that -they should be swift in order to contend with the strong tides and -currents on the China coast, and to beat against the monsoons in the -China Sea. The _Antelope_, under the command of Captain Philip Dumaresq, -still has the reputation of having been the only square-rigged vessel -which could beat through the Formosa Channel against the northeast -monsoon. Moreover, these vessels required speed to escape from the -heavily manned piratical craft which infested the China seas, and which -were formidable vessels, especially in light winds and calms, when they -were propelled by long sweeps. - -In 1846, Alexander Hall & Co. built the clipper schooner _Torrington_ -for Jardine, Matheson & Co., to compete with the American opium clippers -in China. This schooner, the first British clipper in the China seas, -was followed by the _Wanderer_, _Gazelle_, _Rose_, the brig _Lanark_, -and others, until almost every British and American firm in China owned -one or more of these smart vessels. The competition among them was keen, -and the American clippers had decidedly the best of it. The last of -these famous little vessels were the sister schooners _Minna_ and -_Brenda_, of 300 tons each, built in 1851 by George Raynes at -Portsmouth, for John M. Forbes, of Boston, and others, and the schooner -_Wild Dayrell_, 253 tons, built in 1855 by the well-known yacht builders -J. White, of Cowes, Isle of Wight, for Dent & Co., China. These opium -clippers, all beautifully modelled and equipped with long raking masts -and plenty of canvas, like yachts rather than merchant vessels, were -heavily armed and carried large crews. They all made a great deal of -money for their owners until they were superseded by steamers. - -From the earliest times in maritime history it had been the custom to -build large vessels of a model suitable for carrying heavy -cargoes--“ships of burden” they were called,--while the vessels designed -for speed,--the galley of the Mediterranean, caravel of Portugal and -Spain, lugger of France, cutter of England, yacht of Holland, schooner -and sloop of America, had been comparatively small. To the latter class -belonged the earlier British and American clippers of the nineteenth -century. The Baltimore clippers, as we have said, were modelled after -the French luggers which visited American ports during the Revolutionary -War. They gained a world-wide reputation for speed as privateers during -the War of 1812, and later also as African slavers, many of them sailing -under the flags of Portugal and Spain. These vessels were brigs, -brigantines, fore-and-aft or topsail schooners, and rarely exceeded two -hundred tons register. - -So far as history records, no one had ever attempted to reproduce the -lines of a small, swift vessel in a large one, until in 1832 Isaac -McKim, a wealthy merchant of Baltimore, commissioned Kennard and -Williamson, of Fell’s Point, Baltimore, to build a ship embodying as far -as possible the lines of the famous Baltimore clipper brigs and -schooners. This ship was the _Ann McKim_, named in honor of the owner’s -wife, of 493 tons register, a large vessel for those days. She measured: -Length 143 feet, breadth 31 feet, depth 14 feet, and drew 17 feet aft -and 11 feet forward. She possessed many of the striking features of the -Baltimore clippers of that period; namely, great dead-rise at her -midship section, long, easy convex water-lines, low freeboard, and -raking stem, stern-post and masts, and was really an enlarged clipper -schooner rigged as a ship. - -The _Ann McKim_ was a remarkably handsome vessel, built as the pet ship -of her owner without much regard to cost. Her frames were of live oak, -she was copper-fastened throughout and her bottom was sheathed with red -copper imported for this purpose. The flush deck was fitted with Spanish -mahogany hatch combings, rails, companions, and skylights. She mounted -twelve brass guns, and was equipped with brass capstan heads, bells, -etc., and carried three skysail yards and royal studding-sails. She -proved to be very fast, though of small carrying capacity, and the -latter quality together with her elaborate and expensive fittings caused -the older merchants to regard her unfavorably; so that for some years -they still adhered to their full-bodied ships. The _Ann McKim_ sailed in -the China trade for a number of years, and upon the death of Mr. McKim -in 1837, she was purchased by Howland & Aspinwall, of New York, and was -commanded by Captain Perry. Eventually she was sold at Valparaiso in -1847, and ended her days under the Chilian flag. - -Although the _Ann McKim_ was the first clipper ship ever constructed, it -cannot be said that she founded the clipper ship era, or even that she -directly influenced ship builders, since no other ship was built like -her; but she may have suggested the clipper design in vessels of ship -rig, and owing to the fact that she fell into the hands of Howland & -Aspinwall, she without doubt hastened the opening of that era, as the -first really extreme clipper ship, the _Rainbow_, was owned by that -firm. - -It is difficult at this distance of time to determine exactly what -influence the _Ann McKim_ exercised upon the science of ship-building, -though from the fact that no ship had ever been built like her, it is -probable that she was an object of considerable interest in the maritime -world, and it is certain that during the years following her appearance -a more determined effort was made in the United States to improve the -model and sailing qualities of ships. Among the most notable of these -attempts were the _Courier_, already mentioned, built by Donald McKay in -1842, and the _Akbar_, a ship of six hundred and fifty tons, built by -Samuel Hall at East Boston in 1839, for John M. Forbes, and others, who -employed her in the China trade. On her first voyage the _Akbar_ made -the passage from New York to Canton in one hundred and nine days, -beating up the China Sea against the northeast monsoon. On this voyage -she was commanded by Captain James Watkins, in after years commodore of -the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Later she was commanded by Captain Philip -Dumaresq, who made a number of rapid passages in her to and from China. -Then came the _Helena_, of 650 tons, built by William H. Webb in 1841. -This ship was owned by N. L. and G. Griswold, and also sailed in the -China trade under the command of Captain Benjamin, who made some fine -passages. The _Paul Jones_, of 620 tons, built by Waterman & Elwell at -Medford in 1842, was owned by John M. Forbes and Russell & Co., of -China. She was commanded by Captain N. B. Palmer and on her first voyage -in 1843 she sailed from Boston for Hong-kong, January 15th, crossed the -equator 26 days out, was 54 days to the Cape of Good Hope, 88 days to -Java Head, and arrived at Hong-kong 111 days from Boston. In 1848, this -ship made the run from Java Head to New York in 76 days. - -In 1844, A. A. Low & Brother, of New York, contracted with Brown & Bell -to build the _Houqua_, of 706 tons, constructed for Captain N. B. -Palmer. She made a number of very fast passages. On her first voyage she -made the passage from New York to Java Head in 72 days, thence to -Hong-kong in 12 days, total 84 days. Her best records from China were as -follows: From Hong-kong, December 9, 1844, passed Java Head 15 days out, -was 70 days to the Equator in the Atlantic, thence 20 days to New York, -total 90 days--distance by log, 14,272 miles. December 9, 1845, sailed -from Hong-kong, passed Java Head 16 days out, arrived at New York, March -10, 1846, 91 days’ passage. Under the command of Captain McKanzie, in -1850, she made the passage from Shanghai to New York in 88 days, the -shortest passage up to that time. This ship was named in honor of -Houqua, the well-known Canton merchant who was beloved and respected by -American and English residents in China, no less for his integrity than -for his great kindness and his business ability. - -In 1844 also William H. Webb built the _Montauk_, 540 tons, for A. A. -Low & Brother, and the _Panama_, 670 tons, for N. L. & G. Griswold, both -vessels for the China trade, and Samuel Hall, of East Boston, built the -barque _Coquette_, 420 tons, commanded by Captain Oliver Eldridge. The -_Coquette_ sailed from Boston, June 29, 1844, was 76 days to Java Head, -and 99 days to Canton. She was owned by Russell & Co., of China, and -made several fast passages between Calcutta and ports in China. Young -James H. Perkins made a voyage to China as a passenger on board this -vessel, and his famous schooner yacht _Coquette_, which defeated the -sloop _Maria_ in a match off Sandy Hook in 1846, was named for the -clipper barque. - -These were among the first clipper ships built in the United States, and -while by no means extreme clippers, they were sharper and finer models -than any vessels which had been constructed up to that time, and clearly -indicated the dawn of a new epoch in naval architecture. - -I have now brought this narrative to the opening of the clipper ship -era, and have endeavored to sketch the development of the merchant -marine of Great Britain and the United States from the common starting -point--where the ship-builders of both countries derived their best -knowledge of ship models and construction from the French--as they -advanced along diverging lines under different climatic, social, and -political conditions, until we now find them at points widely distant -from each other--Great Britain with her stately, frigate-built Indiaman, -embodying the glories of the past; the United States with her wild -packet ship scending into a long, sweeping head sea, and flinging a -rainbow of flying spray across her weather-bow, in which was imaged the -promise of a glorious future. - -In 1841, John W. Griffeths, of New York, proposed several improvements -in marine architecture, which were embodied in the model of a clipper -ship exhibited at the American Institute, in February of that year. -Later he delivered a series of lectures on the science of ship-building, -which were the first discourses upon this subject in the United States. -Mr. Griffeths advocated carrying the stem forward in a curved line, -thereby lengthening the bow above water; he also introduced long, hollow -water-lines and a general drawing out and sharpening of the forward -body, bringing the greatest breadth further aft. Another improvement -which he proposed was to fine out the after body by rounding up the ends -of the main transom, thus relieving the quarters and making the stern -much lighter and handsomer above the water-line. - -This proposed departure from old methods naturally met with much -opposition, but in 1843 the firm of Howland & Aspinwall commissioned -Smith & Dimon, of New York, in whose employ Mr. Griffeths had spent -several years as draughtsman, to embody these experimental ideas in a -ship of 750 tons named the _Rainbow_. This vessel, the first extreme -clipper ship ever built, was therefore, the direct result of Mr. -Griffeths’s efforts for improvement. Her bow with its concave -water-lines and the greatest breadth at a point considerably further aft -than had hitherto been regarded as practicable, was a radical departure, -differing not merely in degree but in kind from any ship that preceded -her. One critical observer declared that her bow had been turned -“outside in,” and that her whole form was contrary to the laws of -nature. The _Rainbow_ was designed and built with great care and was not -launched until January, 1845. - -Mr. Griffeths relates a good story about the masting of this vessel. It -appears that Mr. Aspinwall, who had an excellent idea of what a ship -ought to be, had come to the conclusion that the masting of vessels was -a question of no small moment in ship-building, and determined that his -new ship should have the benefit of foreign aid in placing the masts. -Accordingly, he informed the builders that he would obtain assistance -from abroad, for their benefit as well as his own. The builders -naturally paid little attention to this information. The port-captain, -who was appointed to superintend the construction, was directed by Mr. -Aspinwall to select the best authorities in Europe on masting ships. The -European experts were written to in reference to this important matter, -and after they had duly considered the principal dimensions of the -vessel, the trade in which she was to be employed, etc., a spar draft -and elaborate calculations were prepared and forwarded to New York. - -In the meantime, the construction of the _Rainbow_ had progressed -steadily. The clamps being ready, the deck beams were placed according -to the original drawings, the framing of the decks completed, hatches -and mast partners framed, channels and mast-steps secured; the masts and -yards were also made and the ship planked and caulked by the time the -important despatches arrived. They were examined by the port-captain, -Mr. Aspinwall was informed that they were all right, and the -port-captain was requested to give the information to the builders, -which, of course, was done. The ship, however, was finished without the -slightest alteration from the original plans. Mr. Aspinwall, who never -doubted that his pet project had been carefully carried out, attributed -much of the success of this vessel to the placing of her masts by -foreign rules. - -The sharp model of the _Rainbow_ gave rise to a great deal of discussion -while she was on the stocks in course of construction. It was generally -admitted by the recognized shipping authorities of South Street, that -she was a handsome vessel, but whether she could be made to sail was a -question on which there were varieties of opinion. She proved an -excellent ship in every way and exceedingly fast. Her second voyage to -China out and home, was made in six months and fourteen days, including -two weeks in port discharging and loading cargo. She went out to China -against the northeast monsoon in ninety-two and home in eighty-eight -days, bringing the news of her own arrival at Canton. Captain John Land, -her able and enthusiastic commander, declared that she was the fastest -ship in the world, and this was undeniably true; finding no one to -differ from him, he further gave it as his opinion that no ship could be -built to outsail the _Rainbow_, and it is also true that very few -vessels have ever broken her record. She was lost on her fifth voyage -while bound from New York for Valparaiso in 1848 under command of -Captain Hayes, and it was supposed that she foundered off Cape Horn. - -The _Ariel_, 572 tons, was built by John Currier at Newburyport in 1846, -for Minot & Hooper, of Boston. This ship became celebrated in the China -trade and was bought by N. L. & G. Griswold, and has a record of 90 days -from Canton to New York. - -In 1846, Howland & Aspinwall, for whom Captain Robert H. Waterman had -been making some remarkably fast voyages in the old packet ship -_Natchez_, had a clipper ship built especially for him, entrusting the -design and construction to Smith & Dimon, the builders of the _Rainbow_, -though all the details of spars, sails, and rigging were carried out -under the supervision of Captain Waterman. This ship was the famous _Sea -Witch_, of 890 tons, length 170 feet, breadth 33 feet 11 inches, and -depth 19 feet. She carried a cloud of canvas; three standing skysail -yards, royal studding sails, large square lower studding sails with -swinging booms, ringtail, and water sails. - -When loaded the _Sea Witch_ lay low on the water; her hull was painted -black and her masts had a considerable rake; her figurehead was an -aggressive-looking dragon, beautifully carved and gilded. She had the -reputation at that time of being the handsomest ship sailing out of New -York, and her officers and crew were picked men, several of whom had -sailed with Captain Waterman on his voyages in the _Natchez_. She sailed -on her first voyage, bound for China, December 23, 1846, went to sea in -a strong northwest gale, and made a remarkable fine run southward, -arriving off the harbor of Rio Janeiro in twenty-five days, where she -exchanged signals with the shore and sent letters and New York -newspapers by a vessel inward bound. She made the passage from New York -to Hong-kong in 104 days, and arrived at New York from Canton July 25, -1847, in 81 days, making the run from Anjer Point to Sandy Hook in 62 -days. On her second voyage she arrived at New York from Hong-kong, -November 7, 1847, in 105 days, and arrived from Canton at New York, -March 16, 1848, in 77 days. On this passage she made the run from St. -Helena to Sandy Hook in 32 days. Her next voyage was from New York to -Valparaiso, where she arrived July 5, 1848, in 69 days, thence to -Hong-kong, where she arrived December 7, 1848, in 52 days. She arrived -at New York March 25, 1849, 79 days from Canton. She next sailed from -New York for Canton via Valparaiso and arrived at Canton July 23, 1849, -118 sailing days from New York. She arrived at New York March 7, 1850, -from Canton in 85 days, making the run from Java Head in 73 days. - -This is a most remarkable series of passages, especially considering the -seasons of the year during which most of her China voyages were made. -Her best twenty-four hours’ run was 358 miles, a speed far in excess of -any ocean steamship of that period. The _Sea Witch_ during the first -three years of her career, was without doubt the swiftest ship that -sailed the seas, and she continued to distinguish herself later on, in -her passages from New York to San Francisco under the command of Captain -George Fraser. - -In 1847, A. A. Low & Bro. brought out the _Samuel Russell_, of 940 tons, -built by Brown & Bell and commanded by Captain N. B. Palmer, formerly of -the _Houqua_. Her first voyage from New York to Hong-kong was made by -the eastern passages in 114 days. On a voyage from Canton in 1851 she -sailed 6780 miles in 30 days, an average of 226 miles per day, her -greatest twenty-four hours’ run being 328 miles. This ship was named for -the eminent New York merchant, founder of the house of Russell & Co., of -China, with whom the brothers Low began their career as merchants and -ship-owners. She was a beautiful vessel, heavily sparred, with plenty of -light canvas for moderate weather, and every inch a clipper. - -The _Architect_, 520 tons, was also built in 1847, at Baltimore, for -Nye, Parkin & Co., American merchants in China, and was commanded by -Captain George Potter. - -The _Memnon_, 1068 tons, owned by Warren Delano, was built by Smith & -Dimon in 1848, and on her first voyage to China was commanded by Captain -Oliver Eldridge. - -These were the most celebrated of the clipper ships built in the United -States prior to the discovery of gold in California in 1848, though -there were, of course, many other fine vessels engaged in the China -trade, which had for years brought home cargoes of tea, silk, and -spices. During the twelve months from June 30, 1845 to July 1, 1846, -forty-one vessels arrived at New York from China, and probably as many -more at other Atlantic ports, chiefly Boston and Salem. Besides these -vessels there were the South American, African, and East India fleets, -as well as the lines of splendid packet ships sailing from New York, -Boston, and Philadelphia to European ports. In 1847, the ships owned in -the United States and engaged in foreign commerce registered 1,241,313 -tons. - -The American clippers were decidedly the fastest ships built up to that -time, yet much of their speed was due to the skill and energy of their -commanders. The manner in which American vessels were handled at this -period will be seen by extracts from the log-book of the ship _Great -Britain_, 524 tons, Captain Philip Dumaresq, on her homeward voyage from -China in 1849-50. She left Java Head December 22, 1849, and by January -14, 1850, had passed seven vessels bound the same way. The log from this -date reads in part as follows: - -“Squally, under double reefed topsails, passed a ship laying-to under a -close reefed main topsail.... January 24th, a southwest gale, close -reefed topsails, split courses; before doing this we were going seven -and one half knots close-hauled, within six points of the wind under -double-reefed topsails and courses; January 25th, split all three -topsails and had to heave-to; five vessels in sight, one a Dutch -frigate, all hove-to; January 27th, seven vessels in sight and we -outsail all of them; January 29th passed the Cape of Good Hope and -anchored in Table Bay, parted both chains and split nearly all the -sails; hove-to outside, blowing a gale offshore; January 30th, at 6 A.M. -bore up for St. Helena; February 1st, fresh trades, passed a ship under -double reefs, we with our royals and studdingsails set; February 8th, -anchored at St. Helena with a stream anchor backed by remainder of one -of the chains; February 10th, having procured anchors and water, left -St. Helena; February 21st, crossed the line in longitude 31; March 12th, -under double-reefed topsails, passed several vessels laying-to; March -17th, took pilot off Sandy Hook, 84 days from Java Head, including -detentions.” - -Probably few if any of the vessels which Captain Dumaresq passed hove-to -or under short canvas were sailing under the American flag. It is worthy -of note that the _Great Britain_ was at that time twenty-six years old, -having been built by Brown & Bell for the New York and Liverpool packet -service in 1824, and of course, was by no means a clipper. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -TWO EARLY CLIPPER SHIP COMMANDERS - - -Captain Robert H. Waterman, the first commander of the _Sea Witch_, had -been known for some years among the shipping community of New York as an -exceptionally skilful seaman and navigator, but he first began to -attract public attention about 1844 by some remarkably fast voyages in -the ship _Natchez_. Captain Waterman was born in the city of New York, -March 4, 1808, and at the age of twelve shipped on board of a vessel -bound for China. After working through the grades of ordinary and able -seaman, and third, second, and chief mate on board of various vessels, -he sailed for a number of voyages as mate with Captain Charles H. -Marshall in the Black Ball packet ship _Britannia_ between New York and -Liverpool. At that time he was counted one of the smartest mates sailing -out of New York, and was noted for keeping the _Britannia_ in fine -shape, as well as for his ability in maintaining proper order and -discipline among the steerage passengers and crew, who were always a -source of anxiety and trouble to packet-ship captains. When his vessel -was bound to the westward in 1831, one of the sailors fell overboard -from aloft during a heavy gale, and Mr. Waterman saved the man’s life -at the risk of his own. The cabin passengers of the _Britannia_ -presented him with a substantial testimonial in appreciation of his -humane and gallant conduct. At this time he was twenty-three years old. -Two years later he was promoted to captain, and in this capacity he made -five voyages round the globe. - -In 1843 he took command of the _Natchez_. This ship, as we have seen in -Chapter III., was one of the full-pooped New Orleans packets, and was -built by Isaac Webb in 1831. Captain Waterman took her around Cape Horn -to the west coast of South America, thence across the Pacific to Canton, -where he loaded a cargo of tea for New York, and made the passage home -in 94 days and the voyage round the globe in 9 months and 26 days. In -1844 Captain Waterman sailed again in the _Natchez_ from New York for -Valparaiso and made the passage in 71 days, thence to Callao in 8 days, -and to Hong-kong in 54 days. She again loaded tea for New York and -sailed from Canton January 15, 1845, passed Java Head on the 26th, and -39 days out was off the Cape of Good Hope, crossed the equator 61 days -out, arriving in New York April 3d, 78 days from Canton, a total -distance of 13,955 miles. Her run from the equator to New York in 17 -days, and indeed, this whole passage, was most remarkable, as the -_Natchez_ during her packet days had established the reputation of being -an uncommonly slow ship. Captain Waterman received a grand ovation in -New York upon this record passage from China, and it was suggested that -he had brought the old hooker home by some route unknown to other -navigators. In 1845-46 Captain Waterman made one more voyage to China in -the _Natchez_, from New York direct to Hong-kong in 104 days, and -returned to New York in 83 days. - -A series of voyages such as these, by a ship of the type and character -of the _Natchez_, would probably have established the reputation of any -one commanding her, and when we consider that “Bob” Waterman, for so he -was known, was at this time a young captain of an unusually attractive -personality, it is not difficult to understand the pride and admiration -with which he was regarded by his friends, of whom he had many, both in -New York and in the various foreign ports to which he had sailed. The -owners of the _Natchez_, Howland & Aspinwall, were so favorably -impressed not only by his ability as a seaman and navigator, but by his -loyalty to their interests, that, as we have seen, they built the -clipper ship _Sea Witch_ for him in 1846. While she was building, -Captain Waterman married Cordelia, a daughter of David Sterling, of -Bridgeport, and Mrs. Waterman was present as a bride when the ship was -launched. - -In 1849, Captain Waterman resigned from the _Sea Witch_ to take the -Pacific Mail steamship _Northerner_ from New York to San Francisco. -During the three years that he had commanded the _Sea Witch_, she had -made a large amount of money for her owners, and Captain Waterman had -added to his reputation,--so much so, indeed, that certain good people -began to say unpleasant things of him. It was alleged that Captain -Waterman carried sail too hard, that he exceeded the bounds of prudence -in this respect, and kept padlocks on the topsail sheets and rackings on -the topsail halliards fore and aft; also that he maintained a standard -of discipline far more severe than was necessary. - -It is probable that Captain Waterman did carry sail rather hard--most -American captains who wanted to get anywhere in those days usually -did--and as to the padlocks and rackings, more than one captain used -these precautions to prevent villainous or cowardly sailors from letting -go sheets and halliards by the run, when according to their ideas the -ship had too much canvas on her. The fact, however, remains that in the -eighteen years during which Captain Waterman commanded various ships, he -never lost a spar or carried away rigging of any importance, and never -called on underwriters for one dollar of loss or damage. The record -shows that six of the men before the mast sailed with him upon all his -voyages in the _Natchez_ and the _Sea Witch_, a rare occurrence at that -period, or at any other time of which we have knowledge, and creditable -alike to the sailors, the ships, and their commander. - -The truth is that Captain Waterman was a humane, conscientious, -high-minded man, who never spared himself nor any one else when a duty -was to be performed. There are, and always have been, lazy, incompetent, -mutinous sailors, a type of men that Captain Waterman detested. They -found no comfort in sailing with him, and were glad when the voyage was -ended, so that they might scramble ashore and relate their woes to the -sympathetic legal “gents” who were usually to be found hanging about -Pier 9, East River, when the _Sea Witch_ was reported coming up the bay. -We shall hear more of Captain Waterman and his crew on board of the -_Challenge_ in a later chapter. - -The celebrated clipper-ship captain, Nathaniel Brown Palmer, the first -commander of the _Paul Jones_, _Houqua_, _Samuel Russell_, and -_Oriental_, was born in the pretty town of Stonington, on Long Island -Sound in 1799, and came from distinguished colonial ancestry. His -grandfather’s only brother fell mortally wounded at the battle of Groton -Heights in 1771, while his father was an eminent lawyer and a man of -marked ability. - -At the age of fourteen or just as the War of 1812 was fairly under way, -Nathaniel shipped on board of a coasting vessel which ran to ports -between Maine and New York, and continued in this service until he was -eighteen, when he was appointed second mate of the brig _Hersilia_, -bound down somewhere about Cape Horn on a sealing voyage. - -These sealing expeditions were also at that period more or less voyages -of discovery. For years there had been rumors of a mythical island -called Auroras, embellished with romance and mystery by the whalers of -Nantucket, New Bedford, and New London, and described as lying away to -the eastward of the Horn, concerning which no forecastle yarn was too -extravagant for belief. Whaling captains by the score had spent days and -weeks in unprofitable search for it. On this voyage Captain J. P. -Sheffield, of the _Hersilia_, landed at one of the Falkland Islands, -where he left his second mate and one sailor to kill bullocks for -provisions, and then sailed away in search of the fabled island. - -Young Nat Palmer proceeded to capture and slay bullocks, and when, after -a few days, a ship hove in sight, he piloted her into a safe anchorage, -and supplied her with fresh meat. This vessel proved to be the _Espirito -Santo_, from Buenos Ayres, and the captain informed Nat that he was -bound to a place where there were thousands of seals, and where a cargo -could be secured with little effort, but he declined to disclose its -position. The mind of the young sailor naturally turned to the magic -isle of Auroras, where, according to the saga preserved beside the -camp-fires of corner grocery stores in New England whaling towns, -silver, gold, and precious gems lay scattered along the beach in -glittering profusion, the treasure of some huge galleon, wrecked and -broken up centuries ago, when Spain was powerful upon the sea. - -There must have been something about the whale fishery highly inspiring -to the imagination, though to see one of the greasy old Nantucket or New -Bedford blubber hunters wallowing about in the South Pacific, one would -hardly have suspected it, yet among the spinners of good, tough tarry -sea yarns, some of the authors of narratives relating to the pursuit and -capture of the whale are easily entitled to wear champion belts as -masters of pure fiction. Whaling is one of the least hazardous, the most -commonplace, and, taken altogether about the laziest occupation that -human beings have ever been engaged in upon the sea. Sailors aboard the -clippers fifty years ago used to refer to whale ships as “butcher shops -adrift,” and on account of the slovenly condition of their hulls, spars, -sails, and rigging, a “spouter” was generally regarded among seamen as -one of the biggest jokes afloat. As a matter of fact the whale is about -as stupid and inoffensive a creature as exists, and when occasionally he -does some harm--smashing up a boat, for instance--it is usually in a -flurry of fright, with no malice or intent to kill. If a whale possessed -the instinct of self-defence he could never be captured with a harpoon, -but he has evidently been created as he is for the benefit of mankind, -and incidentally as a temptation to scribes, from the days of the -indigestible Jonah even to the piscatory romancers of our own times. - -Well, the captain of the _Espirito Santo_, after filling his -water-casks, laying in a stock of provisions, and giving his crew a run -ashore sheeted home his topsails, hove up anchor, and departed. Young -Nat took such a lively interest in the welfare of this craft that he -carefully watched her progress until the last shred of her canvas faded -upon the horizon. He judged by the sun, for he had no compass, that her -course was about south. - -Three days after the departure of the _Espirito Santo_, the _Hersilia_ -appeared. Captain Sheffield had found nothing and seen nothing, except -the cold, gray sky, and the long, ceaseless heaving of the Southern -Ocean’s mighty breast, a few stray, hungry, screeching albatross, and -once in a while, for a moment, a whale, with smooth, glistening back, -spouting jets of feathery spray high in the keen, misty air, then -sounding among the caverns of the deep. He had returned, like so many -other credulous mariners, empty-handed, but he found his young second -mate in a white heat of enthusiasm as he reported to his commander what -he had learned, and finally, with the hopefulness of youth, declared his -belief that “we can follow that _Espirito Santo_, and find her, too.” -And they did, for in a few days she was discovered lying at anchor in a -bay off the South Shetlands, islands at that time unknown in North -America, though soon to become famous as the home of seals. The officers -and crew of the _Espirito Santo_ greeted them with surprise, while their -admiration took the substantial form of assisting to load the _Hersilia_ -with ten thousand of the finest sealskins, with which she returned to -Stonington. - -This exploit spread like wildfire through New England whaling ports, and -secured Captain Palmer at the age of twenty, command of the Stonington -sloop _Hero_, “but little rising forty tons,” on board of which he -sailed again for the Antarctic seas, as tender to the _Hersilia_, in -1819. Upon this voyage, after calling at the Falkland Islands for water -and provisions, they again steered for the South Shetlands, and the -_Hersilia_ and _Hero_ returned to Stonington with full cargoes of -sealskins. - -In 1821, Captain Palmer again sailed in the _Hero_ upon an expedition to -the South Shetlands, composed of six vessels commanded by Captain -William Fenning of the brig _Alabama Packet_. By this time, however, the -seals had been nearly exterminated, and Captain Palmer sailed farther -south in search of new sealing-grounds, until he sighted land not laid -down on any chart. He cruised along the coast for some days and -satisfied himself that it was not an island, and after anchoring in -several bays without finding any seals, although the high cliffs and -rocks were covered by multitudes of penguin, he steered away to the -northward with light winds and fog. - -One night the _Hero_ lay becalmed in a dense fog, the cold, penetrating -mist drenching her sails and dripping from the main boom along her -narrow deck. At midnight Captain Palmer relieved his mate and took the -deck for the middle watch. When the man at the helm struck one bell, the -captain was somewhat startled to hear the sound repeated twice at short -intervals, for he knew, or thought he knew, that the only living things -within many leagues were whales, albatross, penguin, and the like, nor -did he recall ever hearing that these harmless creatures carried bells -with them. The men of the watch on deck were really alarmed, for in -those days superstition had not by any means departed from the ocean. -The crew had heard of the fierce Kraken of northern seas, and suddenly -remembered all about the doomed and unforgiven Vanderdecken, to say -nothing of mythical local celebrities, renowned in all the barrooms of -coast towns between Cornfield Point and Siasconset Head, nor were their -fears assuaged when at two bells the same thing happened again, and so -on through the watch. - -Captain Palmer, however, concluded that, strange as it seemed, he must -be in company with other vessels, and so at four o’clock he left the -mate in charge of the deck with orders to call him if the fog lifted, -and turned in for his morning watch below. At seven bells the mate -reported that the fog had cleared a little and a light breeze was -springing up, and by the time Captain Palmer got on deck two large -men-of-war were in sight not more than a mile distant--a frigate on the -port bow and a sloop of war on the starboard quarter, both showing -Russian colors. Soon the United States ensign was run up at the main -peak of the _Hero_ and floated gaily in the morning breeze. The three -vessels were now hove to, and a twelve-oared launch was seen approaching -from the frigate, her crew and officer in the stern sheets in uniform. -As she swept round the stern of the _Hero_ the crew tossed oars and the -coxswain shot her alongside. She really looked almost as large as the -little sloop; at all events the Russian officer stepped from her gunwale -to the deck of the _Hero_. The officer spoke English fluently, and -presented the compliments of Commander Bellingshausen, who invited the -captain of the American sloop to come on board his ship. - -Captain Palmer was all his life a man of purpose rather than of -ceremony, though by no means deficient in dignity and self-respect. He -accepted the invitation, and giving an order or two to his mate, stepped -into the launch just as he stood, in sea boots, sealskin-coat, and -sou’wester. They were soon alongside the frigate, and Captain Palmer was -ushered into the commander’s spacious and luxurious cabin. The scene was -impressive; the venerable, white-haired commander surrounded by his -officers in uniform, and the stalwart young American captain standing -with respectful dignity, his rough weather-worn sea-dress contrasting -with his fresh, intelligent, handsome face. Commander Bellingshausen -smiled pleasantly, and taking his guest by the hand, said kindly, “You -are welcome, young man; be seated.” - -After questioning Captain Palmer about himself, his vessel, and the land -he had discovered, and incidentally remarking that he himself had been -two years upon a voyage of discovery, the commander asked to see Captain -Palmer’s chart and log-book. These were sent for on board the _Hero_ -while an elaborate luncheon was being served, and were afterwards -carefully examined. The commander then rose from his seat and placing -his hand in a parental manner upon the young captain’s head, delivered -quite an oration: “I name the land you have discovered ‘Palmer Land’ in -your honor; but what will my august master say, and what will he think -of my cruising for two years in search of land that has been discovered -by a boy, in a sloop but little larger than the launch of my frigate?” -Captain Palmer was unable to offer any information on this point, but he -thanked his host for the honor conferred upon him, and for his kindness -and hospitality, remaining somewhat non-committal in his opinion as to -the old gentleman’s qualifications as an explorer. - -It may be mentioned that upon all charts this portion of the Antarctic -Continent is laid down as “Palmer Land,” also that some twenty years -elapsed before it was rediscovered by the British explorer, Sir James -Ross, in command of the famous _Erebus_ and _Terror_ expedition. - -Captain Palmer next took command of the schooner _Cadet_, owned by -Borrows & Spooner, of New York, on board of which he made a number of -voyages to the Spanish Main. In 1826 he took the brig _Tampico_ to -Carthagena, and upon his return he married a daughter of Major Paul -Babcock and sister of Captain David S. Babcock, afterwards famous as -commander of the clipper ships _Sword-Fish_ and _Young America_, and -subsequently President of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Captain Palmer -then took the brig _Francis_ on several voyages to Europe, and in 1829 -was in command of the brig _Anawan_, exploring new sealing-grounds among -the islands about Cape Horn. In 1833 he took command of the New Orleans -packet ship _Huntsville_, and then of the _Hibernia_, _Garrick_, and -_Siddons_. In 1842 and the years following, as we have seen, he -commanded the clippers _Paul Jones_, _Houqua_, _Samuel Russell_, and -_Oriental_, and in 1850 retired from the sea. - -At this time he was well known, not only among his neighbors and friends -at Stonington, but in the great seaports of Europe and China as “Captain -Nat,” and many of those who talked about what he had said and what he -had done were apparently unaware that he possessed any other name. It is -pleasant to reflect that the neighboring seaport of Bristol has -perpetuated the title in one who is respected and beloved, not more for -his genius than for his modesty and reserve. - -It was, of course, impossible for a man of Captain Palmer’s earnest -temperament and varied activities to lead a life of pleasure and -idleness, so one of the first things that he did upon his retirement was -to take the auxiliary steamship _United States_ from New York to Bremen -where she was sold. When some of his friends rallied him, asking whether -he considered this giving up the sea, Captain Palmer replied, “Well, I -really don’t know how you can call a trip like this going to sea.” - -For many years Captain Palmer was the confidential adviser of A. A. Low -& Brother in all matters relating to their ships, which occupied a -considerable portion of his time, and while he was a seaman _par -excellence_, he also possessed other accomplishments. He had much -knowledge of the design and construction of ships, and many of his -suggestions were embodied in the _Houqua_, _Samuel Russell_, _Oriental_, -and other ships subsequently owned by the Lows. He was also a fine -all-round sportsman, being a skilful yachtsman, excellent shot, and -truthful fisherman. Altogether, he owned some fifteen yachts, and he was -one of the earliest members of the New York Yacht Club, joining on June -7, 1845. The beautiful schooner _Juliet_, of seventy tons, designed by -himself, was the last yacht owned by him. On board of her he sailed, -summer after summer, upon the pleasant waters of the New England coast -that he had known from boyhood and loved so well. - -Captain Palmer stood fully six feet, and was a man of great physical -strength and endurance. He was an active member of the Currituck Club, -and at the age of seventy-six, on his annual cruise to the Thimble -Islands for duck shooting, few of the party of much younger men held so -steady a gun, or could endure the fatigue and exposure for which he -seemed to care nothing. Though rugged in appearance, his roughness was -all on the outside; his heart was filled with kindness and sympathy for -the joys and sorrows of others. His brother, Captain Alexander Palmer, a -seaman only less famous than himself, once said: “My home is here in -Stonington, but Nat’s home is the world.” Captain Palmer was deeply -though not vainly religious, and was long a warden of Calvary Episcopal -Church at Stonington. - -In 1876 he accompanied his nephew, Nathaniel B. Palmer, his brother -Alexander’s eldest son, who was in feeble health, to Santa Barbara, but -as the invalid derived no benefit there, they went for the sea voyage to -China on board the clipper ship _Mary Whitridge_. At Hong-kong, Captain -Palmer received an ovation, for, while few of his old friends there were -still alive, those who were left had good memories. On the return voyage -to San Francisco on the steamship _City of Pekin_, Captain Palmer’s -nephew died when the vessel was but one day out. This was a terrible -blow to Captain Palmer, from which he never recovered. On arriving at -San Francisco he was confined to his bed, and although he received every -care, he died there on June 21, 1877, in his seventy-eighth year. At the -close of a glorious summer day, the remains of the devoted uncle and -nephew were laid at rest in the churchyard at Stonington, by the hands -of those who had known and loved them well. - -Captain Palmer was a fine type of the American merchant seaman of that -period, and I have thought it worth while to trace the leading events of -his life, because he always seemed to me to be the father of American -clipper-ship captains. Probably no one ever brought up so many young men -who afterward became successful shipmasters, while his character and -example were an inspiration to many who never sailed with him. It is -indicative of the broad and far-reaching sympathies of Captain Palmer’s -life, that not only a part of the Antarctic Continent bears his name--an -enduring monument to his memory--but that A. A. Low & Brother named one -of their finest clipper ships, the _N. B. Palmer_, and the famous -schooner-yacht _Palmer_, owned for many years by Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, -was also named for him. Few men in private life have had part of a -continent, a clipper ship, and yacht named for them. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE REPEAL OF THE BRITISH NAVIGATION LAWS--THE “ORIENTAL” - - -The repeal of the British Navigation Laws in 1849, after violent -opposition in Parliament and the House of Lords, and from almost every -British ship builder and ship-owner, gave a new impetus to the building -of clipper ships, as the British merchant marine was then for the first -time brought into direct competition with the vessels of other -nationalities, especially those of the United States. - -During the years that had elapsed since the closing up of the East India -Company in 1832, some effort had been made to improve the model and -construction of British merchant ships, and as we have seen, clipper -schooners had been built for the Aberdeen service and for the opium -trade in China, but no attempt had been made in Great Britain to build -clipper ships. British ship-owners still felt secure under the -Navigation Laws, in the possession of their carrying trade with the Far -East, and paid little attention to the improvements in naval -architecture which had been effected in the United States. - -This was not from ignorance of what had been accomplished there, for the -fast American packet ships had long been seen lying in the London and -Liverpool docks. In 1848, Lord William Lennox, in an article entitled _A -Fortnight in Cheshire_, mentions seeing them. He says: “Here (Liverpool) -are some splendid American liners. I went on board the _Henry Clay_ of -New York, and received the greatest attention from her commander, -Captain Ezra Nye. Nothing can exceed the beauty of this ship; she is -quite a model for a frigate. Her accommodations are superior to any -sailing vessel I ever saw.” There were also the _Independence_, -_Yorkshire_, _Montezuma_, _Margaret Evans_, _New World_, and scores of -other fast American packet ships which had been sailing in and out of -Liverpool and London for years. The arrivals and departures of these -vessels created no deep impression upon the minds of British -ship-owners, because they were not at that time competing with sailing -vessels for the North Atlantic trade to the United States. - -The same lack of enterprise was apparent in the men who handled their -vessels, as we may see from the following amusing description in De -Tocqueville’s _Democracy in America_, published in 1835[5]: - -“The European sailor navigates with prudence; he only sets sail when the -weather is favorable; if an unfortunate accident befalls him, he puts -into port; at night he furls a portion of his canvas; and when the -whitening billows intimate the vicinity of land, he checks his way and -takes an observation of the sun. But the American neglects these -precautions and braves these dangers. He weighs anchor in the midst of -tempestuous gales; by night and day he spreads his sheets to the winds; -he repairs as he goes along such damage as his vessel may have sustained -from the storm; and when he at last approaches the term of his voyage, -he darts onward to the shore as if he already descried a port. The -Americans are often shipwrecked, but no trader crosses the seas so -rapidly. And as they perform the same distance in shorter time, they can -perform it at a cheaper rate. - -“The European touches several times at different ports in the course of -a long voyage; he loses a good deal of precious time in making harbor, -or in waiting for a favorable wind to leave it; and pays daily dues to -be allowed to remain there. The American starts from Boston to purchase -tea in China; he arrives at Canton, stays there a few days, and then -returns. In less than two years he has sailed as far as the entire -circumference of the globe, and he has seen land but once. It is true -that during a voyage of eight or ten months he has drunk brackish water, -and lived upon salt meat; that he has been in a continual contest with -the sea, with disease, and with a tedious existence; but, upon his -return, he can sell a pound of tea for a half-penny less than the -English merchant, and his purpose is accomplished. - -“I cannot better explain my meaning than by saying that the Americans -affect a sort of heroism in their manner of trading. But the European -merchant will always find it very difficult to imitate his American -competitor, who, in adopting the system I have just described, follows -not only a calculation of his gain, but an impulse of his nature.” - -At that time there were several American ships that could have -transported De Tocqueville from Boston to Canton and back in -considerably less than two years, and doubtless their captains would -have supplied him with something much better than brackish water to -drink, besides convincing him that what he regarded as recklessness was -in reality fine seamanship, and that he had been in no greater danger of -shipwreck than on board a vessel of any other nationality, besides being -a great deal more comfortable. - -Some time before 1849, British sea-captains must have seen the American -clipper ships in the ports of China; or perhaps an Indiaman in the lone -southern ocean may have been lying almost becalmed on the long heaving -swell, lurching and slatting the wind out of her baggy hemp sails, while -her officers and crew watched an American clipper as she swept past, -under a cloud of canvas, curling the foam along her keen, slender bow. -But when these mariners returned home and related what they had seen, -their yarns were doubtless greeted with a jolly, good-humored smile of -British incredulity. With the Navigation Laws to protect them, British -ship-owners cared little about American ships and their exploits. - -These Navigation Laws, first enacted in 1651 by the Parliament of -Cromwell, and affirmed by Charles II. soon after his restoration to the -throne, were intended to check the increasing power of Holland upon the -sea, but they had quite the contrary effect. With a few slight changes, -however, they were passed along from generation to generation, until -Adam Smith exposed the fallacy of Protection in his _Wealth of Nations_, -which appeared in 1776. From that time on, British statesmen, few in -number at first, adopted his teachings, and under the pressure of -popular clamor some concessions were made, especially in the way of -reciprocity treaties, but it was nearly three quarters of a century -before these barbaric old laws, a legacy from the thieving barons, were -finally swept away. - -It may be well briefly to enumerate these laws as they stood previous to -their repeal, for it is seldom that one comes across so much ingenious -stupidity in so compact a form; also mainly because through their repeal -the ships of Great Britain eventually became the greatest ocean carriers -of the world. - -(I.) Certain enumerated articles of European produce could only be -imported to the United Kingdom for consumption, in British ships or in -ships of the country of which the goods were the produce, or in ships of -that country from which they were usually imported. - -(II.) No produce of Asia, Africa, or America could be imported for -consumption in the United Kingdom from Europe in any ships; and such -produce could only be imported from any other place in British ships or -in ships of the country of which they were the produce. - -(III.) No goods could be carried coastwise from one part of the United -Kingdom to another in any but British ships. - -(IV.) No goods could be exported from the United Kingdom to any of the -British possessions in Asia, Africa, or America (with some exceptions in -regard to India) in any but British ships. - -(V.) No goods could be carried from one British possession in Asia, -Africa, or America to another, nor from one part of such possession to -another part of the same, in any but British ships. - -(VI.) No goods could be imported into any British possessions in Asia, -Africa, or America, in any but British ships, or ships of the country of -which the goods were the produce; provided also, in such case, that such -ships brought the goods from that country. - -(VII.) No foreign ships were allowed to trade with any of the British -possessions unless they had been specially authorized to do so by orders -in Council. - -(VIII.) Powers were given to the sovereign in Council to impose -differential duties on the ships of any country which did the same with -reference to British ships; and also to place restrictions on -importations from any foreign countries which placed restrictions on -British importations into such countries. - -Furthermore, by an act passed in 1786, British subjects were prohibited -from owning foreign-built vessels. This act was regarded as one of the -Navigation Laws, and was repealed with them. - -One of the objects of the repeal of the Navigation Laws was to enable -British ship-owners to become the ocean carriers of the world, and to -remove every restraint as to where they should build or buy their ships. -This step was a natural sequence to the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, -and the glorious dawn of Free Trade, by which every British subject was -permitted to purchase whatever he required in the best and cheapest -market, and so was able to work at a moderate wage, and to have -continuous employment. Thus Great Britain, with few natural advantages, -became the great workshop of the world and controlled every market upon -the globe in which her manufactures were not excluded by the barrier of -Protection. Even from these countries she reaped a decided benefit, for -they were so hampered by Protection, which increased the expense of -living, created high rates of wages for labor but with uncertain -employment, and brought about increased cost of production, whether of -ships or merchandise, that it became impossible for them to compete in -the open markets of the world, and these avenues of trade were left open -for Great Britain to exploit at her pleasure. - -Such was the belief of the great leader, Richard Cobden, and his -brilliant colleagues. They were convinced that if British merchants were -to carry on the commerce of Great Britain they must do so untrammelled -as to where they bought or built their ships; they realized the fact -that cheaper and better wooden sailing vessels--then the ocean cargo -carriers of the world--were being built in the United States than could -be constructed in Great Britain. (Indeed, as we shall presently see, the -finest, largest, and fastest ships owned or chartered in Great Britain -between the years 1850 and 1857, came from the shipyards of the United -States.) They fully recognized the importance of the home ship-building -industry, and did everything possible to encourage it, but they also -perceived that ship-owning is of vastly more importance to a nation than -ship-building, and that fleets of ships are not commerce but only the -instruments with which commerce performs its work; likewise, that the -nation owning the best and cheapest ships, no matter where or by whom -built, must and will, other things being equal, do not only most of its -own carrying trade, but also a considerable portion of that of other -nations. These men were not willing any longer to sacrifice the carrying -trade of their country in order that a few comparatively unimportant -ship-builders, grown incompetent through long years of monopoly, might -continue to thrive at the expense of the nation. - -No people excel the English in courage and resource in times of national -trouble, and they had long before this fought battles for -freedom--freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, -freedom of the slave, freedom to worship God,--and now the final contest -for freedom, the freedom of trade, had been bravely fought and won. The -result, of course, was not immediate, as it required several years to -recover from the evil effects of two centuries of Protection. The fruits -of victories for freedom rarely ripen quickly, and in this instance the -records show that the increase of British shipping for the year before -the repeal of the Navigation Laws had been 393,955 tons, while during -the year following there had been a decrease of 180,576 tons; also that -foreign vessels arriving from foreign ports increased from 75,278 tons -to 364,587 tons in these years. It was therefore natural that there -should be a feeling of despondency throughout Great Britain among those -who had opposed the repeal, for they thought that their fears were being -realized, and that the over-sea carrying trade, which they had regarded -as their own, was being taken from them. In this hour of gloom the -stout-hearted ship-owners of London and Liverpool resolved that England -should again become Mistress of the Sea, and so competition, the -stimulus needed to rouse their latent abilities, was the instrument of -their salvation. - -The first American ship to carry a cargo of tea from China to England -after the repeal of the Navigation Laws was the clipper _Oriental_, of -1003 tons, built for A. A. Low & Brother in 1849, by Jacob Bell, who -continued in the ship-building business after the firm of Brown & Bell -was dissolved in 1848. This ship’s length was 185 feet, breadth 36 feet, -depth 21 feet. She sailed from New York on her first voyage, commanded -by Captain N. B. Palmer, September 14, 1849, and arrived at Hong-kong by -the Eastern passages in 109 days. She discharged, took on board a full -cargo of tea for New York, sailed January 30, 1850, and arrived April -21st, 81 days’ passage. This was Captain Palmer’s last command, though -he lived many years, as we have seen, to enjoy the fruits of his toil -upon the sea. - -The _Oriental_ sailed on her second voyage from New York for China, May -19, 1850, under the command of Captain Theodore Palmer, a younger -brother of Captain Nat, and was 25 days to the equator; she passed the -meridian of the Cape of Good Hope 45 days out, Java Head 71 days out, -and arrived at Hong-kong, August 8th, 81 days from New York. She was at -once chartered through Russell & Co. to load a cargo of tea for London -at £6 per ton of 40 cubic feet, while British ships were waiting for -cargoes for London at £3:10 per ton of 50 cubic feet. She sailed August -28th, and beat down the China Sea against a strong southwest monsoon in -21 days to Anjer, arrived off the Lizard in 91 days, and was moored in -the West India Docks, London, 97 days from Hong-kong--a passage from -China never before equalled in point of speed, especially against the -southwest monsoon, and rarely surpassed since. She delivered 1600 tons -of tea, and her freight from Hong-kong amounted to £9600, or some -$48,000. Her first cost ready for sea was $70,000. From the date of her -first sailing from New York, September 14, 1849, to arrival at London, -December 3, 1850, the _Oriental_ had sailed a distance of 67,000 miles, -and had during that time been at sea 367 days, an average in all -weathers of 183 miles per day. - -Throngs of people visited the West India Docks to look at the -_Oriental_. They certainly saw a beautiful ship; every line of her long, -black hull indicated power and speed; her tall raking masts and -skysail-yards towered above the spars of the shipping in the docks; her -white cotton sails were neatly furled under bunt, quarter, and yardarm -gaskets; while her topmast, topgallant, and royal studdingsail booms -and long, heavy, lower studdingsail booms swung in along her rails, gave -an idea of the enormous spread of canvas held in reserve for light and -moderate leading winds; her blocks, standing and running rigging were -neatly fitted to stand great stress and strain, but with no unnecessary -top-hamper, or weight aloft. On deck everything was for use; the spare -spars, scraped bright and varnished, were neatly lashed along the -waterways; the inner side of the bulwarks, the rails and the deck-houses -were painted pure white; the hatch combings, skylights, pin-rails, and -companions were of Spanish mahogany; the narrow planks of her clear pine -deck, with the gratings and ladders, were scrubbed and holystoned to the -whiteness of cream; the brass capstan heads, bells, belaying pins, -gangway stanchions, and brasswork about the wheel, binnacle, and -skylights were of glittering brightness. Throughout she was a triumph of -the shipwright’s and seaman’s toil and skill. - -No ship like the _Oriental_ had even been seen in England, and the -ship-owners of London were constrained to admit that they had nothing to -compare with her in speed, beauty of model, rig, or construction. It is -not too much to say that the arrival of this vessel in London with her -cargo of tea in this crisis in 1850, aroused almost as much apprehension -and excitement in Great Britain as was created by the memorable Tea -Party held in Boston harbor in 1773. The Admiralty obtained permission -to take off her lines in dry dock; the _Illustrated London News_ -published her portrait, not a very good one by the way; and the _Times_ -honored her arrival by a leader, which ended with these brave, wise -words: - -“The rapid increase of population in the United States, augmented by an -annual immigration of nearly three hundred thousand from these isles, is -a fact that forces itself on the notice and interest of the most -unobservant and uncurious. All these promise to develop the resources of -the United States to such an extent as to compel us to a competition as -difficult as it is unavoidable. We must run a race with our gigantic and -unshackled rival. We must set our long-practised skill, our steady -industry, and our dogged determination, against his youth, ingenuity, -and ardor. It is a father who runs a race with his son. A fell necessity -constrains us and we must not be beat. Let our ship-builders and -employers take warning in time. There will always be an abundant supply -of vessels, good enough and fast enough for short voyages. The -coal-trade can take care of itself, for it will always be a refuge for -the destitute. But we want fast vessels for the long voyages, which -otherwise will fall into American hands. It is fortunate that the -Navigation Laws have been repealed in time to destroy these false and -unreasonable expectations, which might have lulled the ardor of British -competition. We now all start together with a fair field and no favor. -The American captain can call at London, and the British captain can -pursue his voyage to New York. Who can complain? Not we. We trust that -our countrymen will not be beaten; but if they should be, we shall know -that they deserve it.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE RUSH FOR CALIFORNIA--A SAILING DAY - - -The world has seldom witnessed so gigantic a migration of human beings, -by land and sea, from every quarter of the globe, as that which poured -into California in 1848 and the years following. San Francisco, from a -drowsy, Mexican trading station, composed of a cluster of some fifty mud -huts, adobe dwellings, and hide houses, situated upon a magnificent bay -with lofty mountains in the distance, occasionally enlivened by the -visit of a New Bedford or Nantucket whale ship in need of wood and -water, or a Boston hide droger which took away tallow, hides, and horns, -suddenly became one of the great seaports of the world. - -From April 1, 1847, to the same date in 1848, two ships, one barque and -one brig arrived at San Francisco from Atlantic ports, and in the course -of this year nine American whalers called in there. In 1849, 775 vessels -cleared from Atlantic ports for San Francisco; 242 ships, 218 barques, -170 brigs, 132 schooners, and 12 steamers. New York sent 214 vessels, -Boston 151, New Bedford 42, Baltimore 38, New Orleans 32, Philadelphia -31, Salem 23, Bath 19, Bangor 13, New London 17, Providence 11, Eastport -10, and Nantucket 8. Almost every seaport along the Atlantic coast, -sent one or more vessels, and they all carried passengers. The schooner -_Eureka_ sailed from Cleveland, Ohio, for San Francisco via the River -St. Lawrence, September 28, 1849, and carried fifty-three passengers, -among whom were two families from Cleveland. Many of these vessels never -reached California; some of them put into ports of refuge disabled and -in distress; while others were never heard from. Most of the ships that -did arrive at San Francisco made long, weary voyages, their passengers -and crews suffering sore hardships and privations. - -In the year 1849, 91,405 passengers landed at San Francisco from various -ports of the world, of almost every nationality under the sun and -representing some of the best and some of the worst types of men and -women. The officers and crews, with hardly an exception, hurried to the -mines, leaving their ships to take care of themselves; in some instances -the crews did not even wait long enough to stow the sails and be paid -off, so keen were they to join the wild race for gold. Many of these -vessels never left the harbor; over one hundred were turned into store -ships, while others were converted into hotels, hospitals, and prisons, -or gradually perished by decay. - -The first vessel, and one of the few of the California fleet of 1849, -which escaped from San Francisco, was the ship _South Carolina_. This -vessel sailed from New York, January 24, 1849, and returned via -Valparaiso with a cargo of copper to Boston, where she arrived February -20, 1850, after a voyage out and home of some thirteen months. - -A letter from San Francisco to the New York _Herald_, dated February 28, -1850, states that wages for seamen were then from $125 to $200 per -month. There used to be a humorous yarn spun among seamen to the effect -that during the “flush times,” as those glorious days of the gold fever -were called, sailors required a captain to produce a recommendation from -his last crew before they would ship with him or sign articles. However -this may be, it is a fact that as late as 1854, it was so difficult to -induce crews to leave San Francisco that captains were frequently -obliged to ship men out of jail, whether they were sailors or not, in -order to get their ships to sea. - -The gold mines exerted an irresistible attraction, and for a time the -town was almost deserted, except for those passing through on their way -to and from the mines. By degrees, however, it became apparent to some -that more gold-dust was to be collected at San Francisco in business -than by digging among the mountains, and with admirable energy they set -about transforming this lawless camp into a prosperous trading city. - -Prior to 1848, California had been for all practical purposes almost -uninhabited, and now was utterly unable to provide for the needs of her -vastly increased population. The newcomers produced plenty of gold, but -nothing else, and they frequently found themselves on the brink of -starvation. They were too busy with pick and shovel to contribute -anything in the form of manufactures or supplies, so that the most -ordinary articles of every-day use, to say nothing of comforts and -luxuries, had to be brought from places thousands of miles distant. -This precarious means of supply, together with the enormous and reckless -purchasing power developed by the rapid production of gold from the -mines, naturally created a speculative and artificial standard of -values, and goods of every description sold for fabulous amounts: Beef, -pork, and flour brought from $40 to $60 per barrel; tea, coffee, and -sugar, $4 a pound; spirits, $10 to $40 a quart; playing-cards, $5 a -pack; cowhide boots, $45 a pair; picks and shovels from $5 to $15 each; -wooden and tin bowls from $2.50 to $7.50 each; laudanum, $1 a drop, and -so on. These were by no means high prices for stevedores and laborers -receiving from $20 to $30 a day, and miners who were making anywhere -from $100 to $1000 a day washing dirt at the mines. - -An idea of the amount of gold produced may be gained from the fact that -the Pacific Mail Company, whose first steamship, the _California_, -arrived at San Francisco via the Straits of Magellan, February 28, 1849, -had by the end of 1852 shipped gold from that city to the value of -$121,766,425. - -The speculators and shippers of merchandise in the Eastern States were -as deeply interested in the output of the mines of California as the -gold diggers themselves. No one could predict how long this state of -affairs would continue; with them speed meant everything; a week or even -a day’s delay might result in heavy losses, or what was to them the same -thing, failure to reap large profits. They could not send their goods -across the continent, and the Pacific Mail Company had all that it -could attend to in conveying passengers and the mails across the -Isthmus; so that the only means of transportation from the Atlantic -States to San Francisco was round Cape Horn. Under these circumstances -one can easily understand how the rates of freight advanced to -extravagant figures, and created a demand under which the California -clippers came into existence. - -In these days of thrifty transportation by sea, when coal shovels have -superseded watch-tackles, and ship-owners are expected to look cheerful -with steamship rates at $14.00 a ton from New York to San Francisco, and -$12.00 a ton from New York to Melbourne or Hong-kong, the rates of -freight that the clipper ships earned from New York to San Francisco -seem almost incredible. In 1850 the _Samuel Russell_ received $1.50 per -cubic foot, or $60 per ton of 40 cubic feet. She registered 940 tons, -and being a very sharp ship would probably carry not more than 1200 tons -of California cargo. But even so, her freight would amount to $72,000, -or a little more than her first cost ready for sea. The other clippers -at first received the same rate, but by degrees, as they increased in -tonnage and in number, the rates of freight declined to $50 per ton, and -then to $40 where they remained for a considerable time. - -The California clipper period covers the years 1850-1860, during the -first four of which nearly all of these famous ships, numbering one -hundred and sixty, were built. (See Appendix I.) Most of them were -launched at or near New York and Boston, though some were built -elsewhere, Richmond, - -[Illustration: - -Jacob A. Westervelt Jacob Bell - -Clipper-Ship Builders] - -Baltimore, Mystic, Medford, Newburyport, Portsmouth, Portland, Rockland, -Bath, and other ports contributing to the fleet. These splendid -ships--the swiftest sailing vessels that the world has even seen or is -likely ever to see--sailed their great ocean matches for the stake of -commercial supremacy and the championship of the seas, over courses -encircling the globe, and their records, made more than half a century -ago, still stand unsurpassed. - -After carrying their cargoes to California at the enormous rates we have -given, these ships would return round Cape Horn in ballast for another -cargo at the same rate, as they could well afford to do, or would cross -the Pacific in ballast and load tea for London or New York. Many of them -more than cleared their original cost in less than one year, during a -voyage round the globe, after deducting all expenses. - -The central points about which the great ship-owning interests collected -were New York and Boston. Here, too, were the most famous shipyards. All -along the harbor front at East Boston and the water-front of the East -River from Pike Street to the foot of Tenth Street, New York, were to be -seen splendid clipper ships in every stage of construction; and beside -the ship-building yards, there were rigging-lofts, sail-lofts, the shops -of boat-builders, block-and pump-makers, painters, carvers, and gilders, -iron, brass, and copper workers, mast-and spar-makers, and ship stores -of all kinds, where everything required on shipboard, from a palm and -needle, a marlinspike or a ball of spun yarn, to anchors and chains, -was to be found. The ship-yards were great thriving hives of industry, -where hundreds of sledge-hammers, top mauls, and caulking mallets, swung -by the arms of skilful American mechanics, rung out a mighty chorus, and -the fresh odor of rough-hewn timber, seething Carolina pitch, and -Stockholm tar filled the air with healthful fragrance. They were unique -and interesting localities, the like of which have never existed -elsewhere--now long passed away and all but forgotten. - -The principal shipping merchants in New York were William T. Coleman & -Co., Wells & Emanuel, Sutton & Co., John I. Earl, and James Smith & Son, -all of whom managed San Francisco lines and usually had one or more -clippers on the berth, loading night and day for California. The old -Piers 8, 9, and 10, along the East River, were scenes of great activity, -and throngs of people visited them to see: these ships. At all the -seaports along the Atlantic coast, almost every one knew something and -most persons knew a good deal about ships. They were: a matter of great -importance to the community, for as late as 1860, nearly all the large -fortunes in the United States had been made in shipping. - -The captains and officers of the California clippers were as a class men -of integrity, energy, and skill, nearly all of them being of the best -Pilgrim and Puritan stock of New England, and trained to the sea from -boyhood. Many of them were the sons of merchants and professional men, -well known and respected in the communities in which they lived. Their -ships carried large crews, besides being fitted with every appliance for -saving labor: fly-wheel - -[Illustration: William - -H. Webb Samuel Hall - -Clipper-Ship Builders] - -pumps, gypsy winches, gun-metal roller bushes in the sheaves of the -brace, reef tackle and halliard blocks, geared capstans, and plenty of -the best stores and provisions, with spare spars, sails, blocks, and -rigging in abundance. The owners fitted out their vessels with rational -economy and looked to their captains, whom they rewarded liberally, to -see that nothing was wasted and that the ships performed their voyages -quickly and well. - -There was no allowance of food, as on British ships, on board the -American clippers; a barrel of beef, pork, bread, or flour was supposed -to last about so many days, according to the ship’s company; a little -more or less did not matter. The water was in charge of the carpenter, -and was usually carried in an iron tank which rested on the keelson -abaft the mainmast and came up to the main deck. This tank was in the -form of a cylinder, and held from three to four thousand gallons; some -of the larger ships carried their water in two of these tanks. Each -morning at sea, water equal to one gallon for every person on board was -pumped out of the tank and placed in a scuttlebutt on deck; the -carpenter then made a report of the number of gallons remaining in the -tank to the chief officer, who entered it in the log-book. During the -day the crew took the water they needed from the scuttle-butt, the cook -and steward what they required for the galley and aft; and while there -was no stint, woe to the man who wasted fresh water at sea in those -days, for if he managed to escape the just wrath of the officers, his -shipmates were pretty sure to take care of him. The salt beef and pork -were kept in a harness cask abaft the mainmast, and when a fresh barrel -of provisions was to be opened, the harness cask was scrubbed and -scalded out with boiling water, and so was always sweet and clean. The -cooks and stewards were almost invariably negroes, and it is to be -regretted that there are not more like them at the present -time--especially the cooks. “Plenty of work, plenty to eat, and good -pay,” is what sailormen used to say of American clippers, the sort of -ships on board of which good seamen liked to sail. - -The forecastle on board the old type of vessels was in the forepeak, -below the main deck, a damp, ill-ventilated hole, but in the California -clippers it was in a large house on deck between the fore-and -main-masts, divided fore and aft amidships by a bulkhead, so that each -watch had a separate forecastle, well ventilated and with plenty of -light. There was nothing to prevent a crew from being comfortable -enough; it depended entirely upon themselves. Indeed, there were no -ships afloat at that period where the crews were so well paid and cared -for as on board the American clippers. Seamen who knew their duties and -were willing to perform them fared far better than on board the ships of -any other nationality. - -Perhaps, the most marked difference between American merchant ships and -those of other nations was in regard to the use of wine and spirits. On -board British ships grog was served out regularly to the men before the -mast, and the captain and officers were allowed wine money. Nothing of -this sort was permitted on American vessels. Robert Minturn, of the -firm of Grinnell, Minturn & Co., in his evidence before a parliamentary -committee in 1848, stated that teetotalism not only was encouraged by -American ship-owners, but actually earned a bonus from underwriters, who -offered a return of ten per cent of the insurance premium upon voyages -performed without the consumption of spirits. On board the packet ships -and other vessels which carried passengers, there was always wine on the -captain’s table, but the captain and officers rarely made use of it. The -sailors were allowed plenty of hot coffee, night or day, in heavy -weather, but grog was unknown on board American merchant ships. - -In those days, after a New York clipper had finished loading, it was the -custom for her to drop down the East River and anchor off Battery Park, -then a fashionable resort, where she would remain for a few hours to -take her crew on board and usually to ship from five to ten tons of -gunpowder, a part of her cargo that was stowed in the main hatch, to be -easily handled in case of fire. Tow-boats were not as plentiful in New -York harbor as at present, and unless the wind was ahead or calm, the -clippers seldom made use of them, for with a leading breeze these ships -would sail to and from Sandy Hook much faster than they could be towed. -One of the clippers getting under way off Battery Park was a beautiful -sight, and an event in which a large part of the community was -interested. - -The people who gathered at Battery Park to see a clipper ship get under -way, came partly to hear the sailors sing their sea songs, or chanties, -which were an important part of sea life in those days, giving a zest -and cheeriness on shipboard, which nothing else could supply. It used to -be said that a good chanty man was worth four men in a watch, and this -was true, for when a crew knocked off chantying, there was something -wrong--the ship seemed lifeless. These songs originated early in the -nineteenth century, with the negro stevedores at Mobile and New Orleans, -who sung them while screwing cotton bales into the holds of the American -packet ships; this was where the packet sailors learned them. The words -had a certain uncouth, fantastic meaning, evidently the product of -undeveloped intelligence, but there was a wild, inspiring ring in the -melodies, and, after a number of years, they became unconsciously -influenced by the pungent, briny odor and surging roar and rhythm of the -ocean, and howling gales at sea. Landsmen have tried in vain to imitate -them; the result being no more like genuine sea songs than skimmed milk -is like Jamaica rum. - -There were a great many Whitehall boats kept at the lower end of the -Park, and the Battery boatmen were fine oarsmen, Bill Decker, Tom Daw, -Steve Roberts, and Andy Fay being famous scullers. There were some smart -four-and six-oared crews among them which used to swoop down and pick up -the valuable prizes offered by the Boston city fathers for competition -each Fourth of July on the Charles River, but the convivial life which -the gay Battery boatmen led did not improve their rowing, and in 1856 -they were defeated by the famous _Neptune_ crew, of St. John, N. B., in -a match rowed on the Charles River for the stake of $5000, and later -were quite eclipsed by the even more famous Ward crew of Newburgh. - -The time when these men really had to work, was on the sailing day of a -California clipper. A busy scene it was, as they put the crew and their -dunnage on board, one or two lots at a time, accompanied by a -boarding-house runner, the sailormen being in various stages of exalted -inebriation. The helpless in body and mind are hauled over the side in -bowlines and stowed away in their berths to regain the use of their -limbs and senses. These men have been drugged and robbed of their three -months’ advance wages and most of their clothing. In a few hours they -will come to, and find themselves at sea on board of a ship whose name -they never heard, with no idea to what part of the globe they are bound. -A receipt is given for each man by the mate, who considers himself -fortunate if he can muster two thirds of his crew able to stand up and -heave on a capstan bar or pull on a rope. The probable condition of the -crew is so well known and expected that a gang of longshoremen is on -board to lend a hand in getting the ship under way. The more provident -of the seamen bring well-stocked sea chests; the less thoughtful find -moderate-sized canvas bags quite large enough to hold their possessions; -one mariner carries his outfit for the Cape Horn voyage tied up in a -nice bandanna handkerchief, the parting gift of a Cherry Street -damsel--who keeps the change. Jack is in a jovial, tipsy humor, and -appears to be well satisfied with his investment. - -This is an anxious day for the mate, for, while he receives his -instructions from the captain in a general way, yet every detail of -getting the ship to sea is in his hands; and though he seems careless -and unconcerned, his nerves are on edge and every sense alert; his eyes -are all over the ship. He is sizing up each man in his crew and getting -his gauge; when he strikes a chord of sympathy, he strikes hard, and -when his keen instinct detects a note of discord, he strikes still -harder, lifting his men along with a curse here, a joke there, and ever -tightening his firm but not unkindly grasp of authority. The mate is not -hunting for trouble--all that he wants is for his men to do their work -and show him enough respect so that it will not become his unpleasant -duty to hammer them into shape. He knows that this is his day, and that -it is the decisive day of the voyage, for before the ship passes out by -Sandy Hook his moral victory will be lost or won, with no appeal to -Admiralty Boards or Courts of Justice. He knows, too, that a score of -other mates and their captains are looking on with keen interest to see -how he handles his crew, and their opinion is of far greater value to -him than the decrees of Senates; so he intends to lay himself out and -give them something worth looking at. - -There is a crisp northeasterly breeze, and the blue waters of the bay -dance and frolic in the sweet June sunshine. The crew are all on board, -with the captain and pilot in consultation on the quarter-deck; it is -nearly high water, and the tide will soon run ebb. The mate takes charge -of the topgallant forecastle, with the third mate and the boatswain - -[Illustration: Clipper-Ship Captains - -Robert H. Waterman N. B. Palmer -] - -to assist him, while the second mate, with the fourth mate and -boatswain’s mate work the main deck and stand by to look after the chain -as it comes in over the windlass. - -As the crew muster on the forecastle they appear to be a motley gang, -mostly British and Scandinavian, with a sprinkling of Spaniards, -Portuguese, and Italians, and one or two Americans. Some wear thick, -coarse, red, blue, or gray flannel shirts, others blue dungaree jumpers, -or cotton shirts of various colors; their trousers are in a variety of -drabs, blues, grays, and browns, supported by leather belts or braces; -they wear stiff or soft felt hats or woollen caps of many colors. But no -clothes that were ever invented could disguise these men; their bronzed, -weather-beaten faces and sun-baked, tattooed arms, with every swing of -their bodies, betray them as sailormen, and good ones too, above the -average even in those days. They would no more submit to being put into -uniforms or to the cut-and-dried discipline of a man-of-war, than they -would think of eating their food at a table with knives and forks. - -They are all pretty full of alcohol, but the sailor instinct is so -strong in them that they do their work as well, some of them perhaps -better, than if they were sober. There is no romance about them or about -any part of their lives; they are simply common, every-day sailors, and -will never be anything else, unless they happen to encounter some -inspired writer of fiction; then it is difficult to say what may become -of them. Some of them have much good in their natures, others are -saturated with evil, and all need to be handled with tact and judgment, -for too much severity, or on the other hand any want of firmness, may -lead to trouble, which means the free use of knives, belaying pins, and -knuckle-dusters. - -Now the flood-tide begins to slacken, and as the ship swings to the -wind, the order is passed along from aft to man the windlass and heave -short. We hear the mate sing out in a pleasant, cheery voice: “Now, -then, boys, heave away on the windlass breaks; strike a light, it’s -duller than an old graveyard.” And the chantyman, in an advanced stage -of hilarious intoxication, gay as a skylark, sails into song: - - “In eighteen hundred and forty-six, - I found myself in the hell of a fix, - A-working on the railway, the railway, the railway. - Oh, poor Paddy works on the railway. - - “In eighteen hundred and forty-seven, - When Dan O’Connolly went to heaven, - He worked upon the railway, the railway, the railway. - Poor Paddy works on the railway, the railway. - - “In eighteen hundred and forty-eight, - I found myself bound for the Golden Gate, - A-working on the railway, the railway. - Oh, poor Paddy works on the railway, the railway. - - “In eighteen hundred and forty-nine, - I passed my time in the Black Ball Line, - A-working on the railway, the railway, - I weary on the railway, - Poor Paddy works on the railway, the railway.” - -And so on to the end of the century, or till the mate sings out, “Vast -heaving,” lifts his hand, and reports to the captain: “The anchor’s -apeak, sir.” “Very good, sir, loose sails fore and aft.” “Aye, aye, -sir.” “Aloft there some of you and loose sails. One hand stop in the -tops and crosstrees to overhaul the gear.” “Aye, aye, sir. Royals and -sky-sails?” “Yes, royals and skysails; leave the staysails fast.” “Lay -out there, four or five of you, and loose the head sails.” “Here, you -fellow in the green-spotted shirt, lay down out of that; there’s men -enough up there now to eat those sails.” “Mr. Sampson, take some of your -men aft and look after the main and mizzen; put a hand at the wheel; as -he goes along let him clear the ensign halliards; while you’re waiting -lay that accommodation ladder in on deck; leave the spanker fast.” “On -the foretopsail yard, there, if you cut that gasket, I’ll split your -damned skull; cast it adrift, you lubber.” “Boatswain, get your watch -tackles along to the topsail sheets.” “Aye, aye, sir.” “Here, some of -you gentlemen’s sons in disguise, get that fish-davit out; hook on the -pendant; overhaul the tackle down ready for hooking on.” “Mainskysail -yard there, don’t make those gaskets up, my boy; fetch them in along the -yard, and make fast to the tye.” - -By this time the sails are loose and the gaskets made up; courses, -topsails, topgallantsails, royals, and skysails flutter in their gear, -and the clipper feels the breath of life. “Sheet home the topsails.” -“Aye, aye, sir.” “Boatswain, look out for those clew-lines at the main; -ease down handsomely as the sheets come home.” “Foretop there, overhaul -your buntlines, look alive!” “Belay your port maintopsail sheet; clap a -watch tackle on the starboard sheet and rouse her home.” “Maintop there, -lay down on the main-yard and light the foot of that sail over the -stay.” “That’s well, belay starboard.” “Well the mizzentopsail sheets, -belay.” “Now then, my bullies, lead out your topsail halliards fore and -aft and masthead her.” “Aye, aye, sir.” By this time the mate has put -some ginger into the crew and longshoremen, and they walk away with the -three topsail halliards: - - “Away, way, way, yar, - We’ll kill Paddy Doyle for his boots.” - -“Now then, long pulls, my sons.” “Here, you chantyman, haul off your -boots, jump on that main-deck capstan and strike a light; the best in -your locker.” “Aye, aye, sir.” And the three topsail-yards go aloft with -a ringing chanty that can be heard up in Beaver Street: - - “Then up aloft that yard must go, - Whiskey for my Johnny. - Oh, whiskey is the life of man, - Whiskey, Johnny. - I thought I heard the old man say, - Whiskey for my Johnny. - We are bound away this very day, - Whiskey, Johnny. - A dollar a day is a white man’s pay, - Whiskey for my Johnny. - - Oh, whiskey killed my sister Sue, - Whiskey, Johnny, - And whiskey killed the old man, too, - Whiskey for my Johnny. - Whiskey’s gone, what shall I do? - Whiskey, Johnny, - Oh, whiskey’s gone, and I’ll go too, - Whiskey for my Johnny.” - -“Belay your maintopsail halliards.” “Aye, aye, sir.” And so the canvas -is set fore and aft, topsails, topgallantsails, royals, and skysails, -flat as boards, the inner and outer jibs are run up and the sheets -hauled to windward; the main-and after-yards are braced sharp to the -wind, the foretopsail is laid to the mast, and the clipper looks like -some great seabird ready for flight. The anchor is hove up to: - - “I wish I was in Slewer’s Hall, - Lowlands, lowlands, hurra, my boys, - A-drinking luck to the old Black Ball, - My dollar and a half a day.” - -And while some of the hands bring the anchor to the rail with cat and -fish tackle, and: - - “A Yankee sloop came down the river, - Hah, hah, rolling John, - Oh, what do you think that sloop had in her? - Hah, hah, rolling John, - Monkey’s hide and bullock’s liver, - Hah, hah, rolling John.” - -the rest of the crew fill away the foreyard, draw away the head sheets, -and check in the after yards. As the ship pays off, and gathers way in -the slack water, the longshoremen and runners tumble over the side into -the Whitehall boats, the crowd at Battery Park gives three parting -cheers, the ensign is dipped, and the clipper is on her way to Cape -Horn. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE CLIPPER SHIP CREWS - - -The history of men before the mast on board American merchant ships is -not a history of American sailors, for strictly speaking there have -never been any American merchant sailors as a class; that is, no -American merchant ship of considerable tonnage was ever manned by -native-born Americans in the sense that French, British, Dutch, -Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, or Danish ships are manned by men born in -the country under whose flag they sail. Neither have Americans ever -followed the sea all their lives before the mast, as do men of the -nations named. Some of the small Salem ships and perhaps a few of the -Nantucket whalers of a century ago may possibly have carried entirely -American crews, but if so, the men did not remain long in the -forecastle. - -The ship _George_, 328 tons, built at Salem in 1812 and owned by Joseph -Peabody, is a case in point. She was known as the “Salem frigate,” and -made many successful voyages to Calcutta. Of this ship’s sailors, during -her long and prosperous career, forty-five became captains, twenty chief -mates, and six second mates. One of her Salem crew, Thomas M. Saunders, -served as boy, ordinary seaman, able seaman, third, second, and chief -mate on board of her, and finally, after twelve East India voyages, -became her captain. This ship was a fair sample of many American vessels -of that period, but probably no ship of similar or greater tonnage in -the merchant service of any other nation can show such a brilliant -record for her men before the mast. - -The demand for crews for the California clippers brought together a -miscellaneous lot of men, some good and some bad, some accustomed to -deep-water voyages to India and China, and some only to European ports, -while others were not sailors at all, and only shipped as such for the -sake of getting to California. The majority were of course from the -general merchant service of the time. - -During the first half of the nineteenth century, American ships trading -upon long voyages to China and India carried crews composed chiefly of -Scandinavians--splendid sailormen who could do any kind of rigging work -or sail-making required on board of a ship at sea and took pride in -doing it well, and who also had sufficient sense to know that discipline -is necessary on shipboard. These Scandinavians, who were as a rule fine -seamen, clean, willing, and obedient, were the first and best class -among the men of whom the clipper ship crews were composed. A vessel -with a whole crew of these strong, honest sailors was a little heaven -afloat. - -Then there were the packet sailors, a different class altogether, mostly -“Liverpool Irishmen,” a species of wild men, strong, coarse-built, -thick-set; their hairy bodies and limbs tattooed with grotesque and -often obscene devices in red and blue India ink; men wallowing in the -slush of depravity, who could be ruled only with a hand of iron. Among -themselves they had a rough-and-ready code of ethics, which deprived -them of the pleasure of stealing from each other, though it permitted -them to rob and plunder shipmates of other nationalities, or the ship -and passengers. So, too, they might not draw knives on each other, being -obliged to settle disputes with their fists, but to cut and stab an -officer or shipmate not of their own gang was regarded as an heroic -exploit. - -With all their moral rottenness, these rascals were splendid fellows to -make or shorten sail in heavy weather on the Western Ocean, and to go -aloft in a coat or monkey jacket in any kind of weather was regarded by -them with derision and contempt. But making and taking in sail was about -all that they could do, being useless for the hundred and one things on -shipboard which a deep-water sailor was supposed to know, such as -rigging work, sail-making, scraping, painting, and keeping a vessel -clean and shipshape. The packets had all this work done in port, and -never looked so well as when hauling out of dock outward bound; whereas, -the China and California clippers looked their best after a long voyage, -coming in from sea with every ratline and seizing square, the sheer -poles coach-whipped, brass caps on the rigging ends and lanyard knots, -and the man-ropes marvels of cross pointing, Turks’ heads, and double -rose knots. - -The packet sailors showed up at their best when laying out on a topsail -yardarm, passing a weather reef-earing, with their Black Ball caps, red -shirts, and trousers stowed in the legs of their sea boots along with -their cotton hooks and sheath knives, a snow squall whistling about -their ears, the rigging a mass of ice, and the old packet jumping into -the big Atlantic seas up to her knightheads. These ruffians did not much -care for India and China voyages, but preferred to navigate between the -dance-halls of Cherry Street and the grog-shops of Waterloo Road and -Ratcliffe Highway. As has often been said, they worked like horses at -sea and spent their money like asses ashore. - -When the California clippers came out, these packet rats, as they came -to be called aboard the deep-water ships--men who had never before had -the slightest idea of crossing the equator if they could help it,--were -suddenly possessed with the desire to get to the California gold mines. -They, with other adventurers and blacklegs of the vilest sort, who were -not sailors but who shipped as able seamen for the same reason, partly -composed the crews of the clipper ships. The packet rats were tough, -roustabout sailormen and difficult to handle, so that it was sometimes a -toss-up whether they or the captain and officers would have charge of -the ship; yet to see these fellows laying out on an eighty-foot -main-yard in a whistling gale off Cape Horn, fisting hold of a big No. 1 -Colt’s cotton canvas main-sail, heavy and stiff with sleet and snow, -bellying, slatting, and thundering in the gear, and then to hear the -wild, cheery shouts of these rugged, brawny sailormen, amid the fury of -the storm, as inch by inch they fought on till the last double gasket -was - -[Illustration: Clipper-Ship Captains - -Josiah P. Creesy H. W. Johnson -] - -fast, made it easy to forget their sins in admiration of their splendid -courage. - -Then there were Spaniards, Portuguese, Chinamen, Frenchmen, Africans, -Russians, and Italians from the general merchant service, many of whom -were excellent seamen and some of whom were not; and lastly came the men -of various nationalities who were not sailors at all nor the stuff out -of which sailors could be made, and who had no business to be before the -mast on board of a ship. Many of these men had served their time in the -penitentiary and some should have remained there. These impostors -increased the labor of able seamen who were compelled to do their work, -and endangered the safety of the ship so unfortunate as to have them -among her crew. - -With such barbarians the New England captains from the yellow sands of -Cape Cod and the little seaports along the Sound, and from the rocky -headlands of Cape Ann and the coast of Maine, were often called upon to -handle the clipper ships. There were, as has been said, a large number -of respectable, hard-working, Scandinavian sailors, some of whom became -captains and mates, as well as from four to eight smart American boys -aboard each ship who looked forward to becoming officers and captains. - -The clipper ship captains had the reputation of being severe men with -their crews, but considering the kind of human beings with whom they had -to deal, it is difficult to see how they could have been anything else, -and still retain command of their ships. Taken as a class, American -sea-captains and mates half a century ago were perhaps the finest body -of real sailors that the world has ever seen, and by this is meant -captains and officers who had themselves sailed before the mast. They -enforced their authority by sheer power of character and will against -overwhelming odds of brute force, often among cut-throats and -desperadoes. They were the first to establish discipline in the merchant -service, and their ships were the envy and despair of merchants and -captains of other nations. Intrepid and self-reliant sailors, they are -justly entitled to the gratitude of mankind. No doubt there were -instances of unnecessary severity on board the American clipper ships; -they were exceptional, and the provocation was great; but it would be -difficult to cite a case of a sailor being ill-used who knew and -performed the duties for which he had shipped, for captains and officers -appreciated the value of good seamen, and took the best care of them. - -The abuses from which sailors in those days suffered, were not when at -sea or on board ship. It was the harpies of the land who lay in wait -like vultures, to pollute and destroy their bodies and souls--male and -female land-sharks, who would plunder and rob a sailor of his pay and -his three months’ advance, and then turn him adrift without money or -clothes. It made no difference to these brazen-hearted thieves--and the -women, if possible, were worse than the men--whether a sailor was bound -round the Horn in midwinter or to the East Indies in midsummer; they saw -to it that he took nothing away with him but the ragged clothes he -stood in, and perhaps a ramshackle old sea chest with a shabby suit of -oilskins, a pair of leaky sea boots, a bottle or two of Jersey -lightning, and two or three plugs of tobacco chucked into it. These -vice-hardened men and women of various nationalities were permitted to -work their abominable trade unmolested, almost within the shadow of -church spires and Courts of Justice in the chief seaports of the United -States. The destitute condition in which men were put on board of -American ships became so common that clothing and other necessaries were -provided for them in what was known as the slop chest, in charge of the -steward, with which all ships bound upon distant voyages were supplied, -and from which the crew received whatever they required at about one -half the cost extorted by the slop shops on shore. This arrangement was -necessary, as otherwise, in many instances, the men would not have had -sufficient clothing to stand a watch in cold or stormy weather. - -American sea-captains were often compelled to take these outcasts as -they found them, because they could get no other men. They provided them -with better food than they had ever seen or heard of on board vessels of -their own countries, supplied them with clothes, sea boots, sou’westers, -oilskins, and tobacco, restored them to health, paid them money which -many of them never earned, and for the time being, at least, did their -utmost to make men of them. If any one imagines that this class of -sailors ever felt or expressed the least gratitude toward their -benefactors, he is much mistaken. Let him picture to himself these -creatures in their watch below, laying off in their frowzy berths or -sitting around their dirty, unkempt forecastle on their chests--those -who happen to own them--smoking their filthy clay pipes, amid clouds of -foul tobacco smoke, reeking in the stench of musty underclothing, mouldy -sea boots, and rancid oilskins, rank enough to turn the stomach of a -camel, or any other animal than man. The noxious air is too much for the -sooty slush lamp that swings uneasily against the grimy bulkhead; it -burns a sickly blue flame with a halo of fetid vapor; while the big -fat-witted samples of humanity in the bunks and on the sea chests -cheerfully curse their captain up-hill and down dale as their natural -enemy, but are never tired of yarning about their “shore friends.” They -recall the attractive qualities of such characters as Dutch Pete, -One-thumbed Jerry, and Limerick Mike--sleek, smooth-tongued -boarding-house runners who have practised upon the vices of these same -men, robbed them of their advance wages, drugged and shanghaied them -without clothing or tobacco. Then these stupid fellows will yarn about -the enticing charms of such “real ladies” as Big Moll, Swivel-eyed Sue, -or French Kate, and the comfort and hospitality of the establishments -over which these hussies preside. But let the boatswain come along and -knock three times on the forecastle door with his brawny fist, and sing -out, “Now then, get out here and put the stun’sails on her,” and these -hulky brutes will tumble over each other to get on deck, for they know -that they will be beaten and booted if there is any hanging back. - -Unfortunately, this was the only way to deal with this type of men on -shipboard. They were amenable to discipline only in the form of force in -heavy and frequent doses, the theories of those who have never commanded -ships or had experience in handling degenerates at sea to the contrary -notwithstanding. To talk about the exercise of kindness or moral suasion -with such men, would be the limit of foolishness; one might as well -propose a kindergarten for baby coyotes or young rattlesnakes. - -One does not like to dwell upon these depressing phases of human nature -in connection with the graceful, yacht-like clipper, perhaps the most -beautiful and life-like thing ever fashioned by the hand of man. It is -therefore pleasant to record that there were many American clipper ships -with crews that were for the most part decent, self-respecting men, who -kept themselves, their clothes, and their forecastles clean and sweet. -Of course, these men would have their grog and sweethearts on shore, and -their quiet growl at sea--the birthright of all good sailormen; but they -required no urging beyond a word of encouragement to do their work on -deck and aloft quickly and well. Such a crew would not live with men who -were unclean in their speech and habits, and would compel such human -nuisances to pick up their traps and take themselves out under the -topgallant forecastle to get along as best they might; but it was a -great hardship when good seamen found themselves among a crew composed -chiefly of these poor enough sailors but proficient blackguards and -bullies. - -In those days there was a class of persons who did their utmost to -degrade an honorable profession by calling themselves lawyers. The ports -of New York and San Francisco were the scenes of their most lucrative -exploits. When a ship arrived, these fellows would waylay the sailors -and follow them to dance-halls, gin-mills, and other low resorts, -worming their way into the confidence of the too easy mariners by fairy -tales and glittering prospects of large sums of money to be recovered as -damages from their late captains, until they succeeded in extracting a -narrative of the last voyage, including alleged grievances. They would -then libel the ship and commence legal proceedings against the captain -and officers. These cases would be tried before juries of landsmen who, -having no practical knowledge of sailors or of the usages of the sea, -frequently awarded damages, though in many cases the captain and -officers were able to disprove false complaints or to justify their -actions upon the ground of necessity in maintaining proper discipline. -It is perhaps needless to say that of the damages recovered not one -penny was ever handled by the aggrieved sailor, for the guiding -principle of the sea lawyer’s career being the resolve never to part -with his client’s money, these fellows literally made their clients’ -interests their own. Sailors themselves used to laugh and joke about the -bare-faced yarns which they had spun under oath in court and got -greenhorn juries to listen to and believe; but they did not laugh and -joke about their lawyers, whom they regarded with contempt. One of the -most insulting epithets which a sailor could apply to another was to -call him a “sea lawyer,” and there - -[Illustration: - -David S. Babcock George Lane - -Clipper-Ship Captains] - -was a particularly ravenous species of shark which used also to be known -as the “sea lawyer.” - -At one time this abuse of the law became such a powerful instrument of -extortion that captains and officers, innocent of any wrong, unless the -protection of life and property be regarded as wrong, were compelled to -leave their ships in the harbor of New York before they hauled alongside -the wharf, in order to escape prosecution, and were made to appear like -criminals fleeing from justice. This cannot be considered a very -cheerful welcome home after a voyage round the globe. Yet it compares -not unfavorably with the reception sometimes accorded the returning -traveller nowadays--at the hands of officers of the law empowered to -collect “protective” duties on personal effects. - -After a while this nefarious trade, by which ship-owners, captains, -officers, and crews were alike defrauded, perished by its own rapacity; -but the attitude of the United States Government of half a century ago -in permitting her splendid American merchant captains and officers to be -subjected to gross indignities, and the foreign seamen sailing under her -flag to be robbed and shipped away without their knowledge or consent, -must ever remain a blot upon the page of American maritime history. - -Those well-intentioned philanthropists who had an idea that sailors were -being ill-treated on board American ships, and who wasted sympathy upon -a class of men most of whom required severe discipline, might have been -better employed had they exerted their energies toward purging the -seaports of the country of the dens of vice and gangs of robbers that -infested them, though this might not have been so romantic as a -sentimental interest in the welfare of the sailor when encountering the -supposed terrors of the deep. As a matter of fact, the lives, limbs, and -morals of sailors at that period were very much safer at sea than they -were on land. - -It is refreshing to turn to one man, at least, who knew and understood -sailors, and who in early life had himself been a sailor. This was the -Rev. Edward Thompson Taylor, known upon every sea with respect and -affection as “Father Taylor.” In 1833 the Seaman’s Bethel was erected in -North Square, Boston, and there Father Taylor presided for some forty -years. During that time he did an enormous amount of good, both among -sailors themselves, to whom he spoke in language which they could -understand and feel, and by drawing the attention of influential men and -women to the lamentable condition of the life of sailors when on shore, -not only in Boston, but in all the great seaports of the United States. -For many years the Seaman’s Bethel was one of the most interesting -sights of Boston, and all classes were attracted there by the novel and -picturesque earnestness and eloquence of Father Taylor. Distinguished -visitors were usually taken there or went of their own accord, to listen -to the words of this inspired seaman, and many of them have recorded -their impressions. Harriet Martineau, J. S. Buckingham, M. P., Charles -Dickens, Frederika Bremer, John Ross Dix, Mrs. Jameson, Catherine -Sedgwick, and Walt Whitman all testified to the wonderful power of this -homely, self-educated Baptist preacher. - -[Illustration: - -Lauchlan McKay Philip Dumaresq - -Clipper-Ship Captains] - -Father Taylor had little to say about the treatment of sailors on -shipboard, for he knew that they were treated with humanity and -according to their deserts, but he did have a great deal to say about -their life and vile associations on shore; he once prayed with -unconscious humor, “that Bacchus and Venus might be driven to the ends -of the earth and off it.” He possessed a marvellous power of -description, and perhaps no poet or painter has more vividly portrayed -the ever-changing moods of the ocean. He used these superb sea pictures -as metaphors and illustrations. I have a clear remembrance of some of -them and recall them with gratitude, but no words of mine can convey an -adequate impression of their beauty and grandeur; his was a genius that -eludes description. - -It was once said of Father Taylor that he hated the devil more than he -loved God, but I think whoever said this could not have understood him, -for the affection, tenderness, and substantial help which Father Taylor -lavished upon God’s children, afflicted in body and mind, knew no -bounds. At the same time he knew the men whom it was his mission to -rescue, and often when denouncing their follies and vices his words fell -hot as burning coals. He detested shams in any form, and was swift to -detect them in sailors as well as in others. - -In those days there was far too much ignorant sentimentality bestowed -upon seamen and their affairs, too much - - “Poor child of danger, nursling of the storm, - Sad are the woes that wreck thy manly form.” - -Sad enough, no doubt, to the captain of a clipper ship bound round Cape -Horn, compelled to stand by and see his canvas slatting to pieces in the -first bit of a blow outside Sandy Hook, because he was cursed with a -crew unable or unwilling to handle it. But this seldom happened more -than once aboard of an American clipper in the fifties, for such a crew -was taken in hand and soon knocked into shape by the mates, carpenter, -sailmaker, cook, steward, and boatswain. Belaying pins, capstan-bars, -and heavers began to fly about the deck, and when the next gale came -along the crew found that they could get aloft and make some kind of -show at stowing sails, and by the time the ship got down to the line, -they were usually pretty smart at handling canvas. As the clipper winged -her way southward, and the days grew shorter, and the nights colder, -belaying pins, capstan bars, and heavers were all back in their places, -for system, order, and discipline had been established. When the -snow-squalls began to gather on the horizon, and the old-time clipper -lifted her forefoot to the first long, gray Cape Horn roller, with -albatross and Cape pigeons wheeling and screaming in her wake, the mate, -as he stood at the break of the quarter-deck in his long pilot-cloth -watch-coat, woollen mittens, sea boots, and sou’wester, and sung out to -the boatswain to get his men along for a pull on the weather braces, -felt with pride that he had something under him that the “old man” could -handle in almost any kind of weather--a well-manned ship. - -In those days of carrying canvas as long and sometimes longer than -spars and rigging would stand, with only brawn, capstans and watch -tackles to handle it, the crew was a far more important factor on board -a sailing ship than in the present era of steel spars, wire rigging, -double topsail, and topgallant yards, donkey engines and steam winches. -Indeed, all the conditions were quite different from anything known at -the present time and required a type of men, both forward and aft, that -do not sail upon the ocean to-day. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1850 AND THEIR COMMANDERS--MAURY’S WIND AND -CURRENT CHARTS - - -At the time of the discovery of gold in California, American -ship-builders were well prepared for the work that lay before them. The -clippers already built furnished valuable experience, for they had -attracted much attention, and their models and construction were almost -as well known to ship-builders throughout the country as to those from -whose yards they had been launched. It was found that the clippers were -much easier in a sea-way than the old type of vessel; they labored and -strained less, and in consequence delivered their cargoes in better -condition. When driven into a heavy head sea, they would bury their -long, sharp bows in a smother of foam and drench the decks fore and aft -with flying spray; but at a speed that would have swamped the -full-bodied, wall-sided ships and made them groan in every knee, timber, -and beam. - -The superiority of the clippers in speed was even more marked in the -average length and regularity of their voyages than in their record -passages; they could be depended on not to make long passages; with -their sharp lines and lofty canvas they were able to cross belts of -calm and light winds much more quickly than the low rigged, full-bodied -ships, while in strong head winds there was no comparison, as the -sharper ships would work out to windward in weather that held the old -type of vessels like a barrier, until the wind hauled fair or moderated. -In a word, the clippers could go and find strong or favorable winds -while the full-bodied ships were compelled to wait for them. - -It must be admitted that some remarkably fast passages were made by the -old full-built American vessels. We have seen Captain Waterman’s record -with the _Natchez_, and other cases of this kind might be cited; but -they prove nothing beyond the fact that with a fair wind and enough of -it, other things being equal, a well-handled, full-modelled ship is -about as fast as a clipper; also that single passages except as between -vessels sailing together, are not the most reliable tests of speed. A -number of passages by the same vessel, or a record of best days’ runs, -afford a more accurate means of arriving at a just estimate of speed. - -The first California clippers, thirteen in number, were launched during -the year 1850, the _Celestial_, 860 tons, built by William H. Webb and -owned by Bucklin & Crane, of New York, being the first to leave the -ways. She was soon followed by the _Mandarin_, 776 tons, built by Smith -& Dimon for Goodhue & Co., of New York, and the _Surprise_, 1361 tons, -owned by A. A. Low & Brother; _Game-Cock_, 1392 tons, owned by Daniel C. -Bacon, Boston, and the barque _Race Horse_, 512 tons, owned by Goddard & -Co., Boston, all built by Samuel Hall at East Boston. The _Witchcraft_, -1310 tons, was built at Chelsea by Paul Curtis, for S. Rogers & W. D. -Pickman, of Salem; the _John Bertram_, 1080 tons, by R. E. Jackson at -East Boston, for Glidden & Williams, of Boston; the _Governor Morton_, -1318 tons, by James M. Hood at Somerset, for Handy & Everett, of New -York; the _Sea Serpent_, 1337 tons, by George Raynes at Portsmouth, New -Hampshire, for Grinnell, Minturn & Co., of New York; the _Eclipse_, 1223 -tons, by J. Williams & Son at Williamsburg, for T. Wardle & Co., of New -York; the _Seaman_, 546 tons, by Bell & Co., at Baltimore, for Funck & -Meincke, of New York; the _White Squall_, 1118 tons, by Jacob Bell, for -W. Platt & Son, of Philadelphia, and the _Stag-Hound_, 1535 tons, by -Donald McKay at East Boston, for Sampson & Tappan and George B. Upton, -of Boston. - -The _Celestial_ was a remarkably good-looking ship and much sharper than -any vessel built by Mr. Webb up to that time. She carried long, slender -spars, with plenty of canvas, and proved a very fast and able ship. - -The _Mandarin_, also a fine-looking ship, was intended by her builders -to be an improved _Sea Witch_, and although she made some excellent -passages, she never came up to the older vessel in point of speed; the -_Sea Witch_ was her builders’ masterpiece, and they, like many others, -found her a difficult ship to improve upon. - -The _Surprise_ was one of the most successful clipper ships ever -constructed, and proved a mine of wealth for her owners. She was fully -rigged on the stocks, with all her gear rove off, and was - -[Illustration: The “Surprise”] - -launched with her three skysail yards across and colors flying, which -attracted a multitude of people. They rather expected to see her -capsize, and were no doubt highly delighted to find that nothing unusual -happened as she glided swiftly down the ways, or at that critical -instant when her hull was still partly supported on the land and partly -on the waves, or when she swung to her anchors on even keel, with the -beautiful skyline of Boston of half a century ago outlined in the -distance. - -Mr. Hall was a master ship-builder and had figured the weights, -displacement, and stability of his ship with the same exactness with -which an astronomer foretells the transit of a planet; yet with all the -anxiety incident to experiments of this kind, he had found time for -plans of a less serious nature. He had a pavilion erected in order that -the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters of the men who had built this -beautiful ship might look with comfort upon the crowning scene of their -kinsmen’s labors, and after the ship was safely afloat, all were invited -to a luxurious lunch served upon long tables in the mould loft, which -was gaily decorated with flags. There the master foreman of the yard -presided, while Mr. Hall entertained personal friends, whom he had asked -to see the launch, at his own hospitable home. - -The _Surprise_ measured: length 190 feet, breadth 39 feet, depth 22 feet -with 30 inches dead-rise at half floor. Her main-yard was 78 feet long -from boom-iron to boom-iron, and her mainmast was 84 feet from heel to -cap, with other spars in proportion. She was beautifully fitted -throughout, was painted black from the water-line up, and carried a -finely carved and gilded flying eagle for a figurehead, while her stern -was ornamented with the arms of New York. She was manned by a crew of 30 -able seamen, 6 ordinary seamen, 4 boys, 2 boatswains, a carpenter, a -sailmaker, 2 cooks, a steward, and 4 mates, and was commanded by Captain -Philip Dumaresq, who had gained a high reputation while in command of -the _Antelope_, _Akbar_, and _Great Britain_. - -Captain Dumaresq was born at Swan Island, near Richmond, on the Kennebec -River. His father had settled there on an estate which came to him -through his mother, who before her marriage was the beautiful Rebecca -Gardiner, of Gardiner, Maine, and a daughter of the Rev. John Sylvester -Gardiner, the first rector of Trinity Church, Boston. Unlike most -American boys, who used to go to sea, young Dumaresq had no special -desire for a life upon the ocean, but was sent on a voyage to China by -his parents, under the advice of a physician, on account of his delicate -health. He soon grew robust, and at the age of twenty-two took command -of a vessel, afterwards becoming one of the most celebrated and widely -known of all the American clipper ship captains. - -When the _Surprise_ arrived at New York to load for San Francisco, the -New York _Herald_ declared that she was the handsomest ship ever seen in -the port, and a large number of persons gathered to see her placed at -her loading berth by the steamer _R. B. Forbes_, which had towed her -round from Boston. - -The _R. B. Forbes_ at that time, so to speak, was a well-known character -about Massachusetts Bay, and no marine function seemed quite complete -without her presence. She was generally on hand at launches, regattas, -and Fourth of July celebrations, with a jolly party of Boston -underwriters and their friends on board, accompanied by a band of music -and well-filled hampers of refreshments. Her hull was painted a -brilliant red up to the bulwarks, which were black, while the deck -fittings, houses, and the inside of the bulwarks were a bright green. -Altogether, with a rainbow of bunting over her mastheads, the brass band -in full blast, and champagne corks flying about her deck, she -contributed liberally to the gayety of many festive occasions. She was -also usually the first to introduce a new-born ship to the end of a -manila hawser, and for several years she towed most of the eastern-built -clippers to their loading berths at Boston or New York. - -But these were only the odd jobs at which she put in her time when not -engaged in her more serious work of salvage operations, for she was the -best equipped and most powerful wrecking steamer on the Atlantic coast, -and saved much valuable property abandoned to the Boston Underwriters, -for whom she was built by Otis Tafts at East Boston in 1845. She was 300 -tons register, and was one of the few vessels at that date constructed -of iron and fitted with a screw propeller, her engines and boilers being -designed by the renowned Ericsson. Her commander, Captain Morris, not -only was a very able wreck master, but did a great deal by experiment -and observation to solve the intricate problems relating to the -deviation of the magnetic needle on board of iron vessels, and was one -of the few reliable authorities of his day upon this important subject. -At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the _R. B. Forbes_ was -purchased by the United States Government, but before the end of the war -she was wrecked and became a total loss near Hatteras Inlet. It is -hardly necessary to mention that this vessel was named in honor of that -noble seaman, Captain Robert Bennett Forbes, whose acts of kindness and -humanity were so many that a book might well be devoted to a record of -them. - -The _Witchcraft_ was a very beautiful ship, and was commanded by Captain -William C. Rogers, a son of one of the owners, for whom she was built. -Captain Rogers was born at Salem in 1823 and had made several voyages as -supercargo on board of different ships to Calcutta and Canton. He was a -man of unusual ability, and although he never sailed before the mast, or -as officer of a ship, he had acquired a knowledge of seamanship and -navigation which enabled him to become one of the most famous among the -younger clipper ship captains. He was a rare example of a gentleman who -went to sea for the pure love of it, who enjoyed dealing with the useful -realities of life, and liked a real ship with real sailors on board of -her, and a real voyage of commerce profitable to mankind, in preference -to an aimless life of luxury and pleasure. - -During the Civil War Captain Rogers was one of the twelve naval -commanders appointed by Act of Congress, and he commanded the U. S. -clipper barque _William G. Anderson_, which mounted six thirty-two -pounders and a long rifled gun amidships, and carried a crew of one -hundred and ten men. While in command of this vessel, Captain Rogers -captured the Confederate privateer _Beauregard_, Captain Gilbert Hays, -one hundred miles east-northeast of Abaco in the Bahamas, November 12, -1861. He also commanded the U. S. gunboat _Iuka_, and in her rendered -valuable service to his country during the remainder of the war. He -subsequently married a granddaughter of Nathaniel Bowditch, the -illustrious navigator. - -The _John Bertram_ was an extremely sharp ship, and was the pioneer of -Glidden & Williams’s line of San Francisco clippers. She was named for -Captain Bertram, one of Salem’s most famous seamen and merchants, and -was for several years commanded by Captain Landholm. - -The _Sea Serpent_ was the first clipper ship built by Mr. Raynes, and -was a slender, rakish, handsome-looking craft, comparing favorably with -the New York and Boston clippers of that year. She was commanded by -Captain Williams Howland, a seaman of experience and ability, who was -born at New Bedford in 1804. In 1833 he took command of the _Horatio_, -then a new ship and afterwards famous, on her first voyage from New York -to China, and remained in her for about ten years. He subsequently -commanded the packet ships _Ashburton_, _Henry Clay_, _Cornelius -Grinnell_, and the _Constantine_. Captain Howland was a gentleman of -much dignity, who usually wore kid gloves when he came on deck and -seldom gave his orders to any one but the officer of the watch. He had -the reputation of being an A 1 seaman and navigator. - -The _White Squall_ was another handsome clipper, very similar in -construction and design to the _Samuel Russell_ and _Oriental_ from the -same yard. Although but little more than eleven hundred tons register, -this ship cost when ready for sea with one year’s stores and provisions -on board the sum of $90,000, and her freight from New York to San -Francisco on her first voyage amounted to $70,000. She was commanded by -Captain Lockwood, and her measurements were: length 190 feet, breadth 35 -feet 6 inches, and depth 21 feet. - -The _Stag-Hound_, at the time of her launch was the largest merchant -ship ever built, though during the nine years that the Cunard Company -had been running mail steamers across the Atlantic, the tonnage of -American packet ships had steadily increased. In 1846, as we have seen, -Donald McKay had built the _New World_ of 1404 tons, and in 1849 William -H. Webb launched the _Albert Gallatin_ of 1435 tons, so that the -_Stag-Hound_, 1535 tons, was not a very much larger vessel; but she was -of a decidedly different design, having less beam and seventeen feet -more length than either of these packets. She attracted much attention -and many persons came to see her while she was building. A throng -estimated at from twelve to fifteen thousand gathered about the shipyard -at noon on December 7, 1850, to witness her launch. The weather was -bitterly cold, with drift ice in the harbor and snow - -[Illustration: The “Stag-Hound”] - -lying deep on the ground. It was feared that the launch might have to be -postponed on account of the tallow freezing on the ways, but when she -had settled in her cradle and everything was ready, a gang of men came -from the forge bearing cans filled with boiling whale oil, which they -poured upon the ways. When the word was given to knock away the dog -shores, the vessel moved rapidly down the smoking ways and plunged into -the gray, icy waters of the harbor, amid shouts and cheers from a -shivering crowd, while the bells of Boston rang out mellow and clear, on -the calm, frosty air, in welcome to the largest merchant ship afloat. - -Launches were not then regarded as social functions, although some of -the most prominent families in New York and Boston, who were interested -in shipping, attended them, and a pavilion was usually erected where -they might picnic comfortably and enjoy themselves. It was also not -customary in those days for women to name ships, but the ceremony, which -was simple and effective, was usually performed by the foreman of the -yard from which the ship was launched. On this occasion, when the -_Stag-Hound_ began to move along the ways, the foreman had a black -bottle of Medford rum somewhere about, which he seized by the neck and -smashed across her forefoot, at the same time, in the excitement of the -moment, shouting out, “_Stag-Hound_, your name’s _Stag-Hound_!” and thus -brought the ceremony to a close. This vessel measured: length 215 feet, -breadth 40 feet, depth 21 feet, with 40 inches dead-rise at half floor. -Her mainyard was 86 feet and her mainmast 88 feet in length. She was -commanded on her first voyage by Captain Josiah Richardson, and carried -a crew of 36 able seamen, 6 ordinary seamen, and 4 boys. When she -arrived at New York in tow of the _R. B. Forbes_, to load for San -Francisco, the ship fanciers of South Street were for once in their -lives of one mind, and their opinion seems to have been that the -_Stag-Hound_ came pretty near being the perfection of the clipper ship -type. - -Each one of the clippers of 1850 proved a credit to the yard from which -she was launched, and nearly all of them made the passage from New York -or Boston to San Francisco in less than one hundred and ten days. This -is an exceedingly good record, although the passage from New York has -been made by two vessels, the _Flying Cloud_ and the _Andrew Jackson_, -in a few hours less than ninety days. In Appendix II. will be found the -names of ships that made this passage in one hundred and ten days or -less, with the dates of their arrivals at San Francisco, for the years -1850-1860. While this list includes almost all of the extreme clippers, -still there were a number of ships that gave proof by their other -records of being fast and ably commanded, and yet failed to come within -the limit of one hundred and ten days. - -As most persons are aware, foreign vessels have never been allowed to -engage in the United States coasting trade, also that the voyage between -Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States has always been regarded -as a coasting voyage. The California clippers therefore had no foreign -competitors to sail against, but the racing among themselves was -sufficiently keen to satisfy the most enthusiastic lover of sport, while -China and Australia voyages afforded opportunities for international -rivalry. - -The only clipper ship to make the voyage to San Francisco prior to 1850 -was the _Memnon_, under Captain George Gordon, which arrived there July -28, 1849, after a record passage of one hundred and twenty days from New -York. The first contest of clippers round Cape Horn took place in 1850, -between the _Houqua_, _Sea Witch_, _Samuel Russell_, and _Memnon_, old -rivals on China voyages, and the new clippers _Celestial_, _Mandarin_, -and _Race Horse_. All of these vessels had their friends, and large sums -of money were wagered on the result, the four older ships, especially -the _Sea Witch_, having established high reputations for speed. The -_Samuel Russell_ was commanded by Captain Charles Low, previously of the -_Houqua_, while the _Houqua_ was now commanded by Captain McKenzie; -Captain Gordon was again in the _Memnon_, and Captain George Fraser, who -had sailed with Captain Waterman as chief mate, commanded the _Sea -Witch_. - -The _Samuel Russell_ arrived at San Francisco May 6, 1850, after a -passage of 109 days from New York, thus knocking 11 days off the record, -and her friends and backers felt confident that this passage could not -be surpassed, at all events not by any of the clippers of that year. -This opinion was in a measure confirmed when the _Houqua_ arrived on -July 23d, 120 days from New York, but on the following day the _Sea -Witch_ came romping up the bay, 97 days from Sandy Hook, reducing the -record by another 12 days. This passage astonished every one, even her -warmest admirers, and well it might, for it has never been equalled by a -ship of her tonnage and not often excelled even by larger vessels. This -performance of the _Sea Witch_ was the more remarkable as she had -rounded Cape Horn during the Antarctic midwinter. - -The remainder of the fleet arrived in the following order: _Memnon_, -September 27th, 123 days; _Celestial_, November 1st, 104 days; _Race -Horse_, from Boston, November 24th, 109 days; and the _Mandarin_, -November 29th, 126 days from New York. These were all fine passages, -especially when we consider that none of the vessels was over 1100 tons -register. The records show that from June 26 to July 28, 1850, seventeen -vessels from New York and sixteen from Boston arrived at San Francisco, -whose average passages were 159 days, so that even the _Mandarin’s_ -passage of 126 days was very fast by comparison. We must remember also -that none of these vessels had the advantage of using Maury’s Wind and -Current Charts, as at that time sufficient material had not been -collected to perfect them. - -Navigators of all nationalities are deeply indebted to Lieutenant -Matthew Fontaine Maury, U. S. N., for it was his mind that first -conceived the idea of exploring the winds and currents of the ocean. -Lieutenant Maury was a Virginian by birth, and in 1825 at the age of -nineteen, entered the United State Navy as a midshipman on board the -frigate _Brandywine_. In 1830 he was appointed sailing master of the -sloop of war _Falmouth_, and ordered to the Pacific station. At this -time, being anxious to make a rapid passage round Cape Horn, he -searched in vain for information relating to the winds and currents. His -attention was thus directed to this subject, and it was upon this voyage -that he conceived the design of his celebrated Wind and Current Charts. -He also began at this time to write papers for the _American Journal of -Science_ which attracted much attention, and on his return he published -a _Treatise on Navigation_ which was made a text-book for the pupils of -the Naval Academy at Annapolis. - -In 1842 Lieutenant Maury was placed in charge of the Depot of Charts and -Instruments at Washington, which afterwards became the National -Observatory and Hydrographic Office. Here he devoted his attention to -collecting and converting into systematic tables the valuable data -contained in the old log-books of the United States warships, which he -found stowed away as so much rubbish, and which had narrowly escaped -being sold for junk. At the same time he presented a paper to the -National Institute, recommending that all merchant ships be provided -with charts of sailing directions, “on which should be daily registered -all observable facts relating to the winds, currents, and other -phenomena of importance and interest, for the foundation of a true -theory of the winds.” - -A general use of these charts would have constituted one of the greatest -exploring expeditions ever devised, but for a time it met with much -opposition. Lieutenant Maury’s first convert was Captain Jackson of the -Baltimore ship _D. C. Wright_, trading to Rio Janeiro, who made rapid -voyages with the aid of the Wind and Current Charts furnished by -Lieutenant Maury. Soon there were many followers among American -sea-captains, who gave their earnest co-operation and received great -benefits in return, since all who kept Maury’s Log, as it was called, -were entitled to a copy of the Sailing Directions. - -In 1856 the captains and officers of a fleet of no less than a thousand -merchant ships, sailing under the United States flag upon every sea and -ocean, were recording daily and almost hourly observations of the winds -and currents. Under the British flag were to be counted the whole Navy -of Great Britain and over one hundred merchantmen; under the flag of -Holland, two hundred and twenty-five merchant ships and those of the -Royal Navy. Besides these there were the ships of France, Spain, -Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, -Chili, Bremen, and Hamburg, all co-operating and assisting this great -scientist in his noble work. - -Maury’s _Physical Geography of the Sea_ (1853), the first work of the -kind which appeared, ran through twenty editions and was translated into -French, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, and Italian. This book treats of the -clouds, winds, and currents of the ocean in a scientific yet attractive -manner, dispelling the last of the sea myths which for ages had been the -delight of poets and the terror of sailors, and in their stead relating -a story of scientific discovery of greater wonder and beauty than any -fable. - -Maury’s researches had, however, a very practical side to them. Hunt’s -_Merchants’ Magazine_ for - -[Illustration: Matthew Fontaine Maury] - -May, 1854, states that on the outward passages alone from New York to -California, Australia, and Rio Janeiro, American ships, through the use -of Maury’s Sailing Directions, were saving in time the sum of $2,250,000 -per annum, and it is probable that could an estimate have been made of -the saving in time to all of the ships using the Sailing Directions, the -total amount must have considerably exceeded $10,000,000 per annum. - -It should be remembered that this result had been accomplished without -expenditure of money, beyond the moderate salaries of Maury and his -staff of assistants, and the insignificant cost of printing the blank -log-books, charts, and sailing directions. - -Sea-captains of all nations regarded Lieutenant Maury as a wise -counsellor and faithful friend, while France, Holland, Sweden, Spain, -Italy, Russia, Prussia, Austria, Portugal, and Sardinia, all either -conferred upon him orders of knighthood or struck medals in his honor. - -In 1861, Lieutenant Maury resigned the office of Chief Superintendent of -the National Observatory and Hydrographic Office, deeming it his duty as -a Virginian to take the side of his State at the outbreak of the Civil -War. Upon this occasion he received letters of invitation from the Grand -Duke Constantine offering him residence in Russia and every facility for -continuing his scientific researches. A similar offer was made by Prince -Napoleon on behalf of France, and also by the Archduke Maximilian of -Austria. In 1866 a pecuniary testimonial was presented to Lieutenant -Maury at Willis’s Rooms, London, where he was entertained by English -naval officers and scientific men of the highest distinction, Sir John -Parkington being chairman. England, France, Russia, and Holland -contributed 3000 guineas, a substantial token of their esteem and -gratitude for his labors in the service of mankind. - -On one occasion Secretary of the Navy, Graham, wrote to Lieutenant Maury -as follows: - -“Indeed, I doubt whether the triumphs of navigation and the knowledge of -the sea, achieved under your superintendence of the Observatory, will -not contribute as much to an effective Naval Service and to the national -fame as the brilliant trophies of our arms.” - -Maury died in 1873, in his sixty-seventh year, an American scientist -whose life was devoted to discovering the secrets of the sea, and to the -welfare of seamen, irrespective of rank or nationality. In lamenting his -death, the Senate of Virginia closed its resolutions with this eulogy: - -“An honor to Virginia, an honor to America, and an honor to -civilization, and in gratefully recognizing this we do but honor -ourselves.” - - - - -CHAPTER X - -CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1851 AND THEIR COMMANDERS--A DAY ON BOARD THE -“WITCH OF THE WAVE” - - -A little more than sixty thousand tons of shipping had been launched -from the shipyards in and near New York during the year 1850, and over -thirty thousand tons were still under construction there when the year -closed, while the total tonnage of vessels built in the United States -that year was 306,034 tons. - -At this period the California clippers increased rapidly in size. Ships -of a new type from 1500 to 2000 tons register, of which the _Stag-Hound_ -was the pioneer, were now being built, and ship-builders were called -upon to deal with the problem of fitting wooden spars and hemp rigging -that would stand the stress and strain of the enormous amount of canvas -that these powerful vessels were expected to carry. The rigging and -handling of this new type of long-limbed clipper, with her unexplored -peculiarities, gave ship-builders and sea-captains some serious thinking -and the ship lovers of South Street something to talk about and argue -over. - -Thirty-one California clippers were launched during the year 1851, and -almost all the large ship-yards along the Atlantic seaboard were -represented by one or more. Donald McKay built the _Flying Cloud_, -_Flying Fish_, and _Staffordshire_; William H. Webb, the _Challenge_, -_Invincible_, _Comet_, _Gazelle_, and _Sword-Fish_; Fernald and -Pettigrew, of Portsmouth, the _Typhoon_; Jacob A. Westervelt & Sons, the -_Hornet_ and _N. B. Palmer_; George Raynes, the _Wild Pigeon_ and _Witch -of the Wave_; Smith & Co., of Hoboken, the _Hurricane_; Perrin, -Patterson & Stack, of Williamsburg, the _Ino_; Briggs Bros., of South -Boston, the _Northern Light_ and _Southern Cross_; Hood & Co., of -Somerset, the _Raven_; J. O. Curtis, of Medford, the _Shooting Star_; J. -Williams, the _Tornado_, Isaac Taylor, of Medford, the _Syren_; Trufant -& Drummond, of Bath, the _Monsoon_, and Jacob Bell, the _Trade-Wind_. - -It would be impossible to name the handsomest of these ships, for while -they were all of the same general design, each possessed her special -type of beauty; and beauty, as we all know, is elusive, depending -largely on fashion and individual taste. In order to attract the -favorable attention of shippers and to secure the highest rates of -freight, it was necessary that these ships should be handsome as well as -swift. Ship-owners were content to spend large sums of money, not only -upon refined decoration, which was but a small portion of the expense, -but also in carefully selected woods, such as India teak and Spanish -mahogany for deck fittings, and in the finest shipwright’s and joiner’s -work about the decks, which were marvels of neatness and finish. - -Ship-builders certainly had every incentive to exercise their best -skill upon these vessels; they received pretty much their own prices for -building them, and each ship, as she sailed out upon the ocean, held in -her keeping the reputation of her builder, to whom a quick passage meant -fame and fortune. Six of the clipper ships launched in 1851, the _Flying -Cloud_, _Comet_, _Sword-Fish_, _Witch of the Wave_, _Ino_, and _Northern -Light_, established speed records that have not yet been broken, and as -time rolls on, the probability that they ever will be, becomes less and -less. - -The _Flying Cloud_ was originally contracted for by Enoch Train, the -good friend of Donald McKay, but while on the stocks she was sold to -Grinnell, Minturn & Co., under whose flag she sailed for a number of -years. Mr. Train used to say that there were few things in his life that -he regretted more than parting with this ship. She was 1783 tons -register, and measured: length 225 feet, breadth 40 feet 8 inches, depth -21 feet 6 inches, with 20 inches dead-rise at half floor. Her main-yard -was 82 feet and her mainmast 88 feet in length, and like all the large -clippers of her day, she carried three standing skysail yards; royal, -topgallant and topmast studdingsails at the fore and main, square lower -studdingsails with swinging booms at the fore; single topsail yards, -with four reef bands in the topsails; single reefs in the topgallant -sails, and topsail and topgallant bowlines. - -She was commanded by Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy, who was born at -Marblehead in 1814. Like most boys who were brought up along the coast -of Massachusetts Bay, he began his career by being skipper and all -hands of a borrowed thirteen-foot dory, with the usual leg-o’-mutton -sail, and steered by an oar over her lee gunwale. In these dories water -was carried in a strong earthen jug with a stout handle to which a tin -drinking-cup was usually attached, while a wooden dinner-pail, such as -the Gloucester fishermen used in those days, contained provisions. When -the rode line was coiled down clear with the killick stowed away -forward, and the dinner-pail, wooden bailer, and water jug had been made -fast with a lanyard to the becket in the stern sheets, the famous Cape -Ann dory was about ready for sea. - -Joe Creesy was a genuine boy, large and strong for his age, freckled, -good-tempered, and fond of rowing, sailing, and fishing. When he got to -be thirteen or fourteen years old, he used to get some one to lend him a -dory, and in this, during his summer vacation, he would make short -cruises to Beverly and sometimes to the neighboring port of Salem. Here -he would loiter about the wharves, watching an Indiaman discharge her -fragrant cargo, or perhaps some ship fitting out for another voyage to -India or China; and he would gaze up in wonder and admiration at the -long tapering masts, with their lofty yards and studdingsail booms, and -what appeared to him to be a labyrinth of blocks and slender threads. -The ships’ figureheads, especially those representing warriors and wild -animals, pleased Joe mightily, and the spare spars, gratings, capstans, -boats, guns, and shining brass work, all delighted his heart. -Occasionally he would behold a sea-captain who had really sailed to -Calcutta and Canton, and the bronzed mariner was to him a being quite -apart from other mortals. - -At that time Salem retained much of the spicy, maritime flavor of the -olden days, and these pleasant summer cruises to the old seaport -naturally captivated the boy’s imagination, until he yearned for the -time when he, too, might stand upon the quarter-deck in command of a -noble ship. It would, of course, have been sinful to keep a boy like -this on land, so he was permitted to follow his inclination and ship -before the mast on board of a vessel bound for the East Indies. He -advanced steadily through all the grades on shipboard, and became a -captain at twenty-three. - -When Captain Creesy was appointed to command the _Flying Cloud_, he was -well known in New York, as he had commanded the ship _Oneida_, for a -number of years in the China and East India trade, and bore a high -reputation among ship-owners and underwriters, many of whom were his -personal friends and associates. - -The _Flying Fish_ was owned by Sampson & Tappan, who, with George B. -Upton, were the leading Boston ship-owners of their day, and between -them owned the largest and finest clipper ships belonging to that port. -These firms were composed of men in the prime of life, who enjoyed -owning fast and handsome vessels. They cared for nothing but the best in -design, construction, and equipment, and fitted out their ships with -spare gear, stores, and provisions upon a most generous scale. The -_Flying Fish_ was 1505 tons register and measured: length 198 feet 6 -inches, breadth 38 feet 2 inches, depth 22 feet, with 25 inches -dead-rise at half floor. Her commander, Captain Edward Nickels, had -sailed out of Boston for a number of years in command of the ship _John -Quincy Adams_, and was a fine seaman and navigator. He was fond of -entertaining his friends while in home and foreign ports, and his jolly -little lunches and dinners were regarded as models of refined -hospitality on shipboard. Commander John A. H. Nickels, U. S. N., is a -son of Captain Edward Nickels. - -Mr. Webb’s _Challenge_, a still larger merchantman than had yet been -constructed, was regarded with pride by the shipping men of New York. -The _Challenge_ registered 2006 tons, and measured: length 230 feet 6 -inches, breadth 43 feet 6 inches, depth 27 feet 6 inches, with 42 inches -dead-rise at half floor. Her mainmast was 97 feet and mainyard 90 feet -in length, and the lower studdingsail booms were 60 feet long; with -square yards and lower studdingsails set, the distance from boom end to -boom end was 160 feet. She carried 12,780 running yards of cotton -canvas, which was woven especially for her by the Colt Manufacturing -Company. Her mainsail measured: 80 feet on the head, 100 feet on the -foot, with a drop of 47 feet 3 inches, and 49 feet 6 inches on the -leach. She had four reefs in her topsails, and single reefs in her -topgallant sails, and carried skysails, studdingsails, and ringtail. She -was owned by N. L. & G. Griswold, of New York, and was commanded by -Captain Robert H. Waterman, late of the _Sea Witch_. - -The _Invincible_, owned by J. W. Phillips and others, of New York, was -1767 tons register, and measured: length 221 feet, breadth 41 feet 6 -inches, depth 24 feet 10 inches. She was commanded by Captain H. W. -Johnson, a gentleman who possessed a merry wit and a vivid imagination. -Some of his experiences by land and sea, as related by himself, were -certainly startling, and he told them with a minuteness of detail and an -earnestness of manner that carried conviction equal to the most -realistic illusions of the drama. There was one story about a mutiny on -board the British brig _Diadem_, of which vessel Johnson said he was -second mate. This craft carried a Lascar crew, and was in the Bay of -Bengal, bound from Calcutta to Hong-kong with a cargo of opium, when a -mutiny broke out in which all hands took part with such ferocious valor -that the second mate and the serang, both badly wounded, were the only -survivors. - -The listeners are shown the dead bodies of Europeans and Asiatics, lying -about the blood-stained deck under the fierce rays of the southern sun, -and we breathe the tainted air, while chattering cormorants and -screeching fishhawks tear the thin clothing of the corpses into shreds -and fight with claw and beak over the decaying flesh. Johnson and the -serang, so widely separated by blood, language, and religion, now united -by a bond of common suffering, help each other to crawl into the caboose -for shelter from the heat and from the birds of prey. Now we hear the -gentle chafing of the gear aloft, and the lazy slatting of the sails, as -the brig rolls upon the long, glassy swell; we see the sun sink beyond -the ocean’s rim in a glory of gold and purple that illumines the zenith -and turns the sea into a lake of fire; and we feel the benediction of -the cool twilight and whispering breeze. - -In the silence of the night, the two men, weak from loss of blood, drag -themselves aft to the deserted cabin; Johnson lowers himself down the -companion and gropes his way to the pantry, where he finds food to share -with his companion. In the captain’s cabin he finds a decanter of brandy -and a tumbler in the rack at the foot of the berth; he fills the glass -and pours the spirit down his parched throat to brace his shattered -nerves, then fills the glass again and takes it to the serang, but the -faithful follower of Mahomet refuses to lift it to his burning lips. We -live with them as they work their little vessel back to the muddy waters -of the Hooghly and sight a pilot brig lying at anchor on her station, -and their joy is ours when the pilot, with his leadsman, servant, and -boat’s crew, comes on board. Again these unfortunate men, haggard and -still suffering from their wounds, are being tried in an Anglo-Indian -Court of Justice under a charge of murder on the high seas, and we hear -the judge pronounce their solemn sentence of death. - -The scenes to which I have referred were so real that it seemed as if -Johnson, while describing them, must have believed this story himself, -and it was interesting to note the effect upon those who heard it for -the first time, when, after giving a circumstantial account of the -miraculous escape of the serang and himself from the Calcutta prison -during the night before they were to be hanged, he would cheerfully -remark, “Well, now, I call that a pretty good yarn to spin out of -nothing.” Then some one, perhaps a lady, might say, “Why, Captain -Johnson, is it not true?” and he would smile pleasantly and reply, -“True? Why bless your soul, I never heard of a brig called the _Diadem_, -and never was in Calcutta in my life.” He had a number of these stories, -and in China we never tired of listening to them. - -Captain Johnson was an uncommonly able man and a most agreeable -companion. He remained in command of the _Invincible_ for several years, -and in the early sixties he took in succession three frail wooden -side-wheel river steamboats, the _Fire Dart_, _Fire Cracker_, and _Fire -Queen_, from New York round the Cape of Good Hope to China, with no -accident or mishap--a remarkable achievement. In 1866, Captain Johnson -was the navigator, but not in command, of the yacht _Vesta_ in her race -with the _Henrietta_ and _Fleetwing_ across the Atlantic. - -The _Comet_ was 1836 tons register, and measured: length 229 feet, -breadth 42 feet, depth 22 feet 8 inches. She was owned by Bucklin & -Crane, of New York, and was commanded by Captain E. C. Gardner, late of -the _Celestial_, in whose hands she gained a high reputation for speed. - -The _Sword-Fish_ was owned by Barclay & Livingston, of New York, and was -1036 tons register; length 169 feet 6 inches, breadth 36 feet 6 inches, -depth 20 feet. Although not so extremely sharp as the larger ships built -by Mr. Webb during that year, she was quite as handsome, and while -commanded by Captain Babcock she eclipsed them all in speed. - -Captain David Sherman Babcock, brother-in-law of Captain N. B. Palmer, -was born at Stonington in 1822, and came of a distinguished family, his -father being Major Paul Babcock and his grandfather Colonel Harry -Babcock of Revolutionary fame. He received the usual New England school -education of those days, which appears to have been a sufficient -equipment for some of the most useful men that the United States has yet -produced. - -As a boy David developed a strong desire for a seafaring life, which -cannot be wondered at, as at that period Stonington and the neighboring -town of Mystic were flourishing seaports, whose ships sailed to every -quarter of the globe, and whose jovial mariners kept the social -atmosphere well charged with shadowy visions of strange lands, ancient -temples, pagodas, palms, and coral isles lying in distant tropical seas. -The departure of a ship with colors flying, the crisp, incisive orders -of her captain and mates, and the clomp, clomp, clomp, of the windlass -pawl, the songs of the sailors heaving up anchor, the hum of the running -gear as it rendered through the blocks, and the music of their straining -sheaves to the last long pulls on sheets and halliards, were a more -potent means of recruiting bright, young boys, soon to become mates and -captains of American ships, than all the press-gangs that were ever -heard of. - -So it came about that young Babcock, at the age of sixteen, was allowed -to ship as boy before the mast with Captain Nat Palmer on board the -_Hibernia_, and later he sailed again with Captain Palmer as an officer -on board the _Garrick_. After making voyages to India and China on board -of various ships, he was appointed at the age of twenty-five to command -the ship _Charlestown_ on a voyage to Callao and Lima. In 1850, Captain -Babcock married Charlotte, the youngest daughter of Joseph Noyes, of -Stonington, and W. I. Babcock, the well-known naval architect and -engineer, who first introduced the scientific construction of steel -vessels on the Great Lakes, is their son. - -The _Typhoon_ was owned by D. & A. Kingsland, of New York, and was -commanded by Captain Charles H. Salter, who was born at Portsmouth in -1824, and an ancestor of his, Captain John Salter, commanded a vessel in -the European trade during Colonial times, and for generations the -Salters had sailed out of Portsmouth in command of ships. Captain -Charles Salter went to sea at an early age, and at twenty-two commanded -the ship _Venice_ and later the _Samuel Badger_. - -The _Typhoon_ was 1610 tons register, and measured: length 225 feet, -breadth 41 feet 6 inches, depth 23 feet. She was fully rigged on the -stocks and was launched with skysail-yards aloft and colors flying. -Before loading for San Francisco she was sent by her owners to Liverpool -and made the passage from Portsmouth during the month of March in 13 -days, 10 hours from wharf to dock. She frequently ran 15½ knots by the -log on this passage, her best day’s run being 346 miles. At Liverpool -she attracted much attention, as she was not only the first American -clipper, but also the largest merchant ship that had ever been seen at -that port. - -The _N. B. Palmer_ was 1490 tons register, and measured: length 214 -feet, breadth 39 feet, depth 22 feet. She was owned by A. A. Low & -Brother, and was commanded by another brother, Captain Charles Porter -Low. He was born at Salem in 1824, and when a child removed with his -parents to Brooklyn. At any early age he manifested a decided liking for -ships and the society of sailors, and much against the wishes of his -parents, he determined to go to sea. In 1842 he shipped as boy before -the mast on board of the _Horatio_, with Captain Howland and made the -round voyage to China. He made a voyage to Liverpool with Captain -Griswold in the _Toronto_ as ordinary seaman, and was an able seaman on -board the _Courier_ to Rio Janeiro. He then sailed as third, second, and -chief mate of the _Houqua_, with the brothers, Captain Nat, Alexander, -and Theodore Palmer, and at the age of twenty-three took command of that -ship. As we have seen, he also commanded the _Samuel Russell_ on her -first voyage to San Francisco. - -The _N. B. Palmer_ was perhaps the most famous ship built in the -Westervelt yard. In China she was known as “the Yacht,” and with her -nettings in the tops, brass guns, gold stripe, and her lavish -entertainments on the Fourth of July and Washington’s Birthday, she well -deserved the title. Her captain was a princely host, as well as a -thorough seaman, and a fine navigator. A full-rigged model of the _N. B. -Palmer_ was exhibited at the Crystal Palace, London, in 1851, and -attracted much attention as a fine example of the American clipper-ship -type. - -The _Hurricane_ was owned by C. W. & H. Thomas, of New York, and -registered 1607 tons. She had the reputation of being the sharpest ship -ever built at or near New York, and she carried plenty of canvas, with -Cunningham’s rolling topsails, being one of the first American vessels -so fitted. Across the lower part of her foretopsail she carried her name -painted in large black letters that could be read much further than any -signals and looked very smart and shipshape. Her commander, Captain -Samuel Very, was born at Salem in 1815, and was a son of John -Crowninshield Very, a mariner who had sailed on many a brave Salem ship. -Among other experiences, he was one of the survivors of a shipwreck in -mid-ocean during the year 1810, when he was picked up by a passing -vessel after twenty-three days in an open boat. Admiral Samuel W. Very, -U. S. N., is a son of Captain Samuel Very, and was born at Liverpool -while the _Hurricane_ lay in the Mersey. - -The _Northern Light_, of 1021 tons register, measured: length 180 feet, -breadth 36 feet, depth 21 feet 6 inches. She was a very sharp ship below -the water-line, with 40 inches dead-rise at half floor, and full, -powerful lines above water and on deck. She was built by the Briggs -Brothers at South Boston, and owned by James Huckins of Boston. Mr. -Huckins was a jolly, kind-hearted gentleman whom every one liked. His -house-flag was a white field, swallowtail, with a blue star in the -centre, and when he took his two sons into partnership, he placed two -exceedingly small blue stars in the upper and lower luff of the flag, as -he remarked, “to represent their interest in the business.” This, -however, was his joke, as he was most liberal in every way. After this -ship had made her celebrated record passage from San Francisco to -Boston, Mr. Huckins usually closed his discussions upon the speed of -clipper ships by saying, “Well, anyway, none of them can beat my -_Northern Light_.” - -The _Trade Wind_ measured: length 248 feet, breadth 40 feet, depth 25 -feet, and was 2030 tons register, being 24 tons larger than the -_Challenge_. Those two ships were the largest clippers that were ever -built at or about New York, and with the exception of the _Ocean -Monarch_, a packet ship of 2145 tons register, built by William H. Webb -in 1856, were the largest sailing ships ever constructed at that port. -The _Trade Wind_ was an exceedingly sharp and handsome ship, and -attracted a great deal of attention. It was estimated that more than -thirty thousand persons gathered about Jacob Bell’s shipyard at the foot -of Houston Street, East River, one bright morning in August of that year -to see her launched. She was owned by W. Platt & Son, of Philadelphia, -and was commanded by Captain W. H. Osgood, late of the ship -_Valparaiso_. - -The _Nightingale_, one of the most beautiful clippers launched in 1851, -was not built for the California trade, but was originally intended for -a yacht. This ship was constructed by Samuel Hanscom, at Portsmouth, -with the intention of carrying passengers to the World’s Fair, held in -London during that year, and was fitted with extensive and - -[Illustration: The “Nightingale”] - -luxurious accommodations for that purpose, her between-decks being given -up to large saloons and staterooms. It was proposed, after her arrival -at London, to exhibit her in the Thames as a model American clipper -ship, and no expense or skill was spared to make her a worthy -representative. She was 1066 tons register, length 178 feet, breadth 36 -feet, depth 20 feet, with 36 inches dead-rise at half floor. - -Unfortunately, when the _Nightingale_ was nearly completed, and ready -for launching, her owners fell short of money. Mr. Hanscom, however, -carried out his contract, and the ship was finished and then put into -the hands of Governor Goodwin, of Portsmouth, to dispose of, each -sub-contractor agreeing to accept his _pro rata_ share of the proceeds. -She was taken to Boston and there attracted the attention of Sampson & -Tappen, who were so well pleased with the ship that they gladly paid the -sum of $75,000 for her. This left the sub-contractors, such as -sparmakers, sailmakers, riggers, and blockmakers, an additional profit -beyond their contract, and Mr. Hanscom also realized a larger amount -than he would have received under the original contract. So great was -the excitement over the news from California, and so keen the demand for -clippers at this time, that almost any of them could have been sold for -a substantial advance upon their contract price. Those were the palmy -days of the ocean carrying trade, and at no period before, or since, -have ships yielded such golden harvests to their builders and owners. - -The _Witch of the Wave_ registered 1494 tons, and measured: length 202 -feet, breadth 40 feet, depth 21 feet, with 40 inches dead-rise at half -floor. Her mainmast was 90 feet and her mainyard 81 feet in length. -Though built at Portsmouth, she was owned by Captain John Bertram and -Alfred Peabody, of Salem, and was the pride of that ancient seaport. It -was usual in those days for owners to entertain on board their ships -when favorable opportunity offered, so the trip of the _Witch of the -Wave_ from Portsmouth to Salem to obtain her register was made an -occasion of festivity. - -The first of May was the day selected, but lowering clouds and squalls -of wind and rain decided Captain Bertram to postpone the cruise until -more favorable weather, and those of his guests who had appeared upon -the scene were rewarded by an opportunity to examine the ship at their -leisure. They found her a very handsome vessel, with grace and beauty in -every line and curve of her hull. Her decks were remarkably clear, with -plenty of room for working ship, and the between-decks had more than -ample head room and were well ventilated. Her figurehead represented a -young woman partially clad in gossamer drapery of white and gold, with -one shapely arm extended and her small bare feet lightly stepping upon -the crest of a wave, while the stern was ornamented with a seashell in -which a child was being drawn by dolphins. These designs were executed -by John W. Mason, of Boston, and were of decided artistic merit. The -cabins and staterooms were finished in the most luxurious manner, the -wainscot of the main cabin being of rosewood, birdseye maple, satin and -zebra wood, exquisitely polished, with cornices and mouldings of white -and gold. - -After an inspection of the ship lunch was served, and Ephraim F. Miller, -Collector of the Port of Salem, proposed the following toast: “Success -to the newest and youngest of the Salem Witches. She perhaps includes in -her composition an equal amount of craft with her unfortunate -predecessors. Had they possessed a proportional share of her beauty, we -are confident that the sternest tribunal before which any of them were -arraigned, would never have had the heart to subject a single one to the -trial to which their successor is designed--the Trial by Water.” This -sentiment was received with applause by the company, who then separated, -some returning to Salem by train, while others remained over night, to -be ready for the next day in case the weather improved. In the evening -the Raynes Mansion was the scene of generous hospitality. - -During the night the sky cleared, the sun came up warm and bright with a -pleasant northwesterly breeze, and the early morning found Portsmouth in -a state of bustle and excitement. Wagons laden with hampers, bags, and -boxes of good things, with plenty of ice to keep them cool, were -unloaded alongside the ship, and presently the _R. B. Forbes_ appeared -steaming up the river with a big bone in her teeth, the embodiment of -energy and strength. The morning train came in, bringing a large number -of men and women, from Boston, Salem, and Newburyport, who, with the -Portsmouth guests, made a distinguished company of more than two -hundred persons. - -At about eleven o’clock, everything being ready, the _Witch of the -Wave_, with colors flying and the Boston Cadet Band on board playing -“The Star-Spangled Banner,” was towed out into the stream amid the -shouts and cheers of a multitude of people, who thronged the wharves and -shipyards along the river. After passing through the Narrows and -rounding New Castle Point, the _R. B. Forbes_, which had been towing -alongside, took her hawser out ahead and shaped a course for Cape Ann, -which brought the wind well over the starboard quarter. The breeze had -freshened, though the sea was still quite smooth, and this, with the -clear, blue sky and bright sunshine, made a day altogether too fine to -be spent on shore. - -Many of those on board were interested to see what effect some canvas -would have on the new clipper, so Mr. Raynes said to Captain Bertram -that he thought it might perhaps be a good plan to set some sail, “just -to assist the tow-boat a little.” Captain Bertram, with a twinkle in his -eye, said he thought so, too, and gave orders to loose the topsails, -jib, and foretopmast staysail. The _Witch of the Wave_ had a crew of -Portsmouth riggers, shipped by the run to Boston, and it did not take -them long to put the topsails on her. As soon as the yards were braced, -she began to dart through the water like a fish, and soon ranged up on -the weather beam of the _R. B. Forbes_, the hawser towing between them -with the bight skipping along among the blue waves in showers of -sparkling spray. On board the _R. B. Forbes_ the safety valve was -lifting, with steam at thirty pounds pressure murmuring in protest to -the breeze. There was great joy on board the _Witch of the Wave_, with -clapping of hands and waving of handkerchiefs, while the band struck up -“A Life on the Ocean Wave.” The log was hove, and she took nine and one -half knots off the reel. The topsail yards were then lowered on the -caps, and the reef tackles hauled out, yet with only this small canvas, -the _R. B. Forbes_ did not have much towing to do. - -After rounding Thacher’s Island, a banquet was served on tables in the -between-decks, which were decorated with the ensigns of all nations, and -at the close of the entertainment speeches were made by E. H. Derby, a -grandson of Salem’s great merchant of that name, Charles H. Parker, -Henry N. Hooper, and the Hon. Charles W. Upham; then the following -resolution was adopted with hearty cheers: - -“Ship _Witch of the Wave_, -“Off Salem Light, May 2, 1851. - - “At a meeting of invited guests, held this afternoon, it was - unanimously - - “_Resolved_--That the ladies and gentlemen here assembled - gratefully acknowledge the courtesy, kindness, and generous - hospitality of Captain John Bertram and the other owners of the - _Witch of the Wave_, on this festive day, and tender their best - wishes for the success of this noble vessel. - -“E. H. DERBY, _Chairman_. - - “CHARLES H. PARKER, _Secretary_.” - -After this, Jonathan Nicholas, of Salem, recited the following impromptu -lines: - - “I wonder what’s the dreadful row - They’re kicking up in Portsmouth now! - The people running up and down - Crying ‘All Salem’s come to town!’ - - Clear the track, the ship is starting! - Clear the track, the ship is starting! - Clear the track, the ship is starting! - And Portsmouth hearts are sad at parting. - - “They say a man came down to-day - To carry the _Witch of the Wave_ away; - And the people think he oughtn’t oughter - Just because he’s been and brought her. - - “They called it rainy yesterday, - But I know better, anyway; - ’Twas only Portsmouth people crying - To see the good ship’s colors flying! - - “But Captain B. said, ‘Hang the sorrow! - The sun is bound to shine to-morrow.’ - And when he speaks it’s no use talking-- - So the clouds and the blues, they took to walking. - - “And so to-day the sun shines bright, - And Salem sends her heart’s delight; - And the good ship flies, and the wind blows free, - As she leaps to her lover’s arms--the sea! - - “They have crowded her deck with the witty and wise, - The saltest wisdom and merriest eyes; - And manned her yards with a gallant crew - That it tickles her staunch old ribs to view. - - “They say she’s bound to sail so fast - That a man on deck can’t catch the mast! - And a porpoise trying to keep ahead, - Will get run over and killed stone dead. - - “Then here’s a health to the hands that wrought her, - And three times three to the mind that thought her - For thought’s the impulse, work’s the way - That brings all Salem here to-day. - - “Clear the track, the ship is starting! - Clear the track, the ship is starting! - Clear the track, the ship is starting! - And Portsmouth hearts are sad at parting.” - -Repeated rounds of applause greeted this effusion, and the company went -on deck where music called the dancers to their feet. The wind had died -out, and as the sun began to set in the west, the _Witch of the Wave_ -anchored in Salem harbor. The day’s pleasure was brought to a close by a -portion of the company singing these lines of Whittier’s that had been -set to music for the occasion: - - “God bless her wheresoe’er the breeze - Her snowy wings shall fan, - Beside the frozen Hebrides - Or sultry Hindostan! - - “Where’er, in mart or on the main, - With peaceful flag unfurled, - She helps to wind the silken chain - Of commerce round the world. - - “Her pathway on the open main - May blessings follow free, - And glad hearts welcome back again - Her white sails from the sea!” - -The guests were landed in boats at Phillips’s wharf, in time to reach -their homes by the early evening trains, and on the following day the -_R. B. Forbes_ towed the _Witch of the Wave_ to Boston, where she loaded -in Glidden & Williams’s Line for San Francisco, under the command of -Captain J. Hardy Millett. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -CALIFORNIA CLIPPER PASSAGES OF 1851 - - -Each of the clippers had her devoted admirers, who gave tangible proof -of loyalty by investing money liberally in support of their belief in -her speed. At that period the merchants and ship-owners of Boston used -to meet “on ‘change” in front of the old Merchants’ Exchange in State -Street, and before going home to their comfortable two o’clock dinners, -these old-time gentlemen would lay many a quiet wager upon the _Northern -Light_, _Flying Fish_, _Witch of the Wave_, _Raven_, _John Bertram_, -_Shooting Star_, or _Game Cock_ as to their relative speed and the -length of their passages from Boston to San Francisco. - -In New York the Astor House was the meeting-place of merchants, -ship-builders, and sea-captains, who carried on endless arguments -concerning the merits of the clipper ships, their builders, owners, and -captains, and discussed the latest shipping news with untiring -earnestness. These men knew whereof they spoke, for almost any evening -there was sufficient capital represented by ship-owners to pay for half -a dozen clippers, and the men were there also who could build and -navigate them. Occasionally an argument would reach a point of -animation where something had to be done, and one might hear a remark -very much like this: “No, no, Henry, I can’t do that, but I will lay -five dollars at one to three on the _Challenge_ against the fleet, bar -one, or the same even on the _Flying Cloud_ against the _N. B. Palmer_.” -These were pleasant evenings, gay with the clink of mugs and glasses and -the murmur of small talk and laughter rippling among wreaths of smoke -from fragrant Havanas, until, at a little before ten, Michael, the -venerable barkeeper would announce, “Gentlemen, I will take the last -orders of the evening; we close in ten minutes.” - -The interest in clippers was not confined to seamen and capitalists, for -when the mail steamer from Aspinwall was reported toiling up the bay, -there would be a large number of persons patiently waiting on the wharf, -who were not expecting friends among the passengers or crew, but who had -come to hear the latest news, then five or six weeks old, of arrivals of -clipper ships at San Francisco. - -The first clipper to arrive at San Francisco from New York in 1851 in -less than 110 days was the _Seaman_, a smart little Baltimore ship of -546 tons. She made a fine passage of 107 days, arriving on March 11th. - -The second to arrive was the _Surprise_. A merchant of San Francisco -wagered heavily on her beating the passage of the _Sea Witch_--97 -days--of the year before, and as the time limit grew near he began to -feel rather nervous. On the morning of her ninety-sixth day out, March -19th, he thought if the _Surprise_ was going to win his money for him -it was about time for her to do it, so he mounted his horse and rode -over to the North Beach to get a glimpse of her if she was in sight. He -found the weather thick outside and so returned, but he had not reached -his counting-room before the _Surprise_ had passed the Golden Gate. And -by noon, Captain Dumaresq was with his friends on shore, 96 days from -New York. The _Surprise_ had sailed 16,308 miles since leaving Sandy -Hook, and had reefed topsails but twice. It should not, however, be -supposed that she had not had plenty of wind, for it was usually blowing -hard when Captain Dumaresq began to think of taking in his -topgallantsails, to say nothing of reefing topsails. A list of her cargo -on this voyage filled a manifest twenty-five feet long, and her freight -amounted to the sum of $78,000. - -The _Sea Serpent_ arrived on May 17th, after putting into Valparaiso for -repairs, as she had lost spars and sails off Cape Horn. She had made the -passage in 115 days, deducting her delay at Valparaiso. This was the -first of a series of disasters which befell the clippers that year, and -which proved pretty clearly that their power of carrying canvas had been -underestimated. It became quite evident that these ships could stand -stouter spars and rigging, and indeed required them. - -The _Eclipse_, Captain Hamilton, also went into Valparaiso with the loss -of some of her spars and sails, and allowing for her loss of time in -port, made the passage from New York to San Francisco in 112 days, -arriving May 20th, with the remarkable run of 63 days from New York to -Valparaiso to her credit. Captain Hamilton was not only an accomplished -mariner, but a most delightful companion, and he had many friends in San -Francisco, some of whom gave a dinner at the Niantic Hotel in honor of -his arrival on this occasion. When the proper moment came, one of the -party proposed the health of Captain Hamilton, and this is the way he -did it: - -“Gentlemen! I give you the shipper-clips--the clippy--sh--the, -gentlemen, I give you the--the slipper.” Here he paused, steadied -himself by the table edge, bowed with great dignity, and began again -very slowly: “Gentlemen!--I--give--you--the--ship--_E_--_clipse_, and -her gallant cap’n Hamilton,” and then with an -at-peace-with-all-the-world grin, this disciple of Silenus subsided. - -The Niantic had a curious history, even for a San Francisco hotel. This -refuge for the traveller, or rather a portion of it, had originally been -the British ship _Niantic_ which arrived at Valparaiso from Liverpool -just as the California gold fever was at its height. She was bought by a -Chilean merchant and started for Panama, where she loaded a cargo of -tropical fruits and two hundred and forty-eight passengers, and arrived -at San Francisco, July 5, 1849. Most of the fruit had either been -devoured by the passengers or become so decayed that it was thrown -overboard, and as soon as the anchor was down, the captain and all hands -cleared out for the mines, leaving the ship to take care of herself. - -After some months of neglect, she was bought by a real estate -speculator, who hauled her broadside to on the beach, at what was then -the foot of Clay Street, and turned her into a warehouse. By degrees the -old craft found herself embedded in some ten or twelve feet of sand and -mud at a considerable distance from the water-front, but she made more -money for her owner here than at any other time in her career, until one -of the periodical fires swept away her top sides. The rest of her hull, -which being below ground had escaped destruction, became the cellar of -the Niantic Hotel, erected over her remains, and had the reputation of -being the only tight and dry cellar in the neighborhood. - -In the course of time the Niantic Hotel was torn down to make room for a -more substantial building, and upon clearing away the débris to secure a -more solid foundation, thirty-five baskets of champagne were discovered -hidden away among the floor timbers of the old hull, where they had -remained unmolested for some twenty-one years. So faithfully had the -wine been bottled and so dry had been its resting-place, that there was -not a speck of rust on the wires securing the corks, and the labels were -as fresh as the day they were put on, while the wine was found to have -retained much of its original sparkle and _bouquet_. It was the then -celebrated Jacquesson Fils brand, which at the time of its arrival might -easily have been sold for $25 a bottle. I am not sure that it did not -sell at nearly its former value, for almost every one in San Francisco -in 1870 needed at least one bottle with which to celebrate the -anniversary of his arrival “in the fall of Forty-nine or the spring of -Fifty,” and thirty-five baskets would seem a small allowance for that -vast and increasing multitude. - -The _Stag-Hound_ arrived May 26th. She sailed from New York in January, -and when six days out in a heavy southeast gale, her maintopmast and -three topgallantmasts came down by the run. She was without a -maintopsail for nine days and without topgallantsails for twelve days; -nevertheless, she crossed the equator 21 days from Sandy Hook, arrived -at Valparaiso in 66 days under jury rig, and, allowing for her detention -there, reached San Francisco 107 days from New York. Captain Richardson -reported that she was a very fast ship in moderate breezes, while in -strong winds she frequently logged sixteen and seventeen knots, although -her best day’s run was only 358 miles. - -The _Witchcraft_ arrived August 11th. She, too, had suffered aloft and -put into Valparaiso for spars and repairs, and, allowing for this delay, -she had made the passage from New York in 103 days. The _N. B. Palmer_ -arrived August 21st in 108 days, and the _Flying Cloud_ on August 31st -in 89 days--a passage never surpassed and only twice equalled--once -three years later by the _Flying Cloud_ herself, and once in 1860 by the -_Andrew Jackson_. - -The _Flying Cloud’s_ abstract log on this passage is as follows: - -Sandy Hook to the equator 21 days. -Equator to 50° S. 25 “ -50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in Pacific 7 “ -50° S. to the equator 17 “ -Equator to San Francisco 19 “ - -- -Total 89 “ - -It was during this passage that the _Flying Cloud_ made her famous run -of 374 miles, while steering to the northward and westward under -topgallantsails, after rounding Cape Horn. This was the fastest day’s -run, under steam or sail, that had ever been made up to that time, and -exceeded by 42 miles the best day’s run that had ever been made by a -mail steamship on the Atlantic. A few extracts from her log will, I -think, be of interest: - - “June 6th (three days out from New York). Lost main and mizen - topgallantmasts, and maintopsail yard.--June 7th. Sent up main and - mizen topgallantmasts and yards.--June 8th. Sent up maintopsail - yard.--June 14th. Discovered mainmast badly sprung about a foot - from the hounds, and fished it.--July 11th. Very severe thunder and - lightning, double reefed topsails, split fore and maintopmast stay - sails. At 1 P.M. discovered mainmast had sprung, sent down royal - and topgallant yards and studding sail booms off lower and topsail - yards to relieve strain.--July 13th. Let men out of irons in - consequence of wanting their services, with the understanding that - they would be taken care of on arriving at San Francisco. At 6 - P.M., carried away the maintopsail tye and band round - mainmast.--July 23d. Cape Horn north five miles. The whole coast - covered with snow.--July 31st. Fresh breezes, fine weather, all - sail set. At 2 P.M. wind southeast. At 6 squally; in lower and - topgallant studding sails; 7, in royals; at 2 A.M. in foretopmast - studding sail. Latter part, strong gales and high sea running. Ship - very wet fore and aft. Distance run this day by observation is 374 - miles. During the squalls 18 knots of line was not sufficient to - measure the rate of speed. Topgallantsails set.--August 3d. At 3 - P.M. suspended first officer from duty, in consequence of his - arrogating to himself the privilege of cutting up rigging, contrary - to my orders, and long-continued neglect of duty.--August 25th. - Spoke barque _Amelia Packet_, 180 days from London for San - Francisco.--August 29th. Lost foretopgallant mast.--August 30th. - Sent up foretopgallant mast. Night strong and squally. Six A.M. - made South Farallones bearing northeast ½ east; took a pilot at 7; - anchored in San Francisco harbor at 11:30 A.M. after a passage of - 89 days, 21 hours.” - -An analysis of this remarkable log shows that during twenty-six -consecutive days the _Flying Cloud_ had sailed a distance of 5912 miles, -an average of 227 miles a day, or within a fraction of 9½ knots, and for -four consecutive days 284, 374, 334, 264--a total of 1256, or 314 miles -per day, an average speed of 13½ knots. This splendid passage of the -_Flying Cloud_ reduced by one quarter the clipper-ship record of 120 -days made by the _Memnon_ two years before, and established a new record -that stands to-day. - -This grand ocean exploit was celebrated in San Francisco with rejoicing, -as every American in the town felt, now that the voyage round Cape Horn -had been made in three months, that he was nearer to his old home in the -East; while in the Atlantic seaports the news was received with -enthusiasm, and was regarded by the press not only as a personal victory -for the owners, builder, and captain of the _Flying Cloud_, but as a -triumph of the United States upon the sea. One of the New York papers[6] -in the course of an editorial remarked: “Such a passage as this is more -than a local triumph, and inures to the reputation not alone of the -builder of the ship and her enterprising owners, but of the United -States. It is truly a national triumph, and points clearly and -unmistakably to the pre-eminence upon the ocean which awaits the United -States of America. The log of the _Flying Cloud_ is now before us. It is -the most wonderful record that pen ever indited, for rapid as was the -passage, it was performed under circumstances by no means the most -favorable.” - -The _Challenge_ arrived October 29th, 108 days from New York--a fine -passage, certainly, but not what her friends had hoped or expected. She -had on this voyage a large but very poor crew--incompetent and -mutinous--indeed, some of them were among the most desperate characters -that ever sailed out of the port of New York. It was only after the ship -had passed Sandy Hook and the pilot had been discharged that Captain -Waterman began fully to realize what a gang of ruffians he had to deal -with. He seriously considered taking the ship back to New York for -another crew, and a less resolute man probably would have done so; but -he realized that it would mean a heavy expense to the owners, as each of -the crew had received three month’s advance wages, which would have to -be paid over again to another crew, besides other expenses and loss of -time and disappointment to the shippers of cargo, so he decided to -protect every one but himself and kept the ship on her course. - -The crew of the _Challenge_ consisted of 56 men before the mast, -supposed to be able seamen, and 8 boys. Of the men in the forecastle -only two were Americans, the remainder representing most of the maritime -countries of Europe. So soon as Captain Waterman decided to continue the -voyage, he made his plans quickly. After giving some orders to Mr. -Douglas, his chief officer, he called all hands aft and manufactured a -speech in which, among other things he said that the men would find that -they were on board of a good comfortable ship, with plenty to eat and -very little work to do; but when the officers gave them orders they must -obey willingly and quickly; that he hoped none of them had brought -spirits or weapons on board, as such things were apt to make trouble at -sea. This camp-meeting discourse occupied perhaps fifteen or twenty -minutes, during which the mates, carpenter, sailmaker, and boatswain -were employed in the forecastle breaking open chests and boxes, emptying -bags, and gathering up bottles of rum, knuckle-dusters, slingshots, -bowie-knives, and pistols which they threw over the side. After the -watches were chosen, each man was made to lay his knife on the main -hatch, where the carpenter broke the point of the blade off square. - -It was found that only six men among the crew could steer the ship -properly; these were made quartermasters and did nothing else during the -passage except to lend a hand making and taking in sail, Fully one half -of the crew who had shipped as able seamen were not sailormen at all, -but blacklegs of the vilest type, who had taken this means of getting to -the California gold mines. It also developed that many of the men had -contracted a loathsome disease, most difficult to cure at sea, and at -one time seventeen of the crew were laid up and off duty. Captain -Waterman had the sailroom turned into a sick bay, but although these men -received every care, five of them died, and eight were still in their -berths when the _Challenge_ arrived at San Francisco. - -For some time after sailing from New York, Captain Waterman and his -officers were always armed when they came on deck, but after a while the -crew appeared to be in such good shape that this precaution gradually -became neglected, until, one morning off Rio Janeiro, while Captain -Waterman was taking his sights, he heard shouts for help from the main -deck. He at once laid down his sextant and hurried forward to find the -mate, Mr. Douglas, with his back to the port bulwark just abaft the main -rigging, defending himself with bare fists from four of the crew armed -with knives, who were attacking him. As Captain Waterman ran along the -main deck he pulled a heavy iron belaying pin out of the rail, and using -this with both hands as a club, he dealt a terrific blow on the skull of -each of the would-be assassins, which laid them out on deck--two of them -dead. Mr. Douglas had received no less than twelve wounds, some of them -of a serious nature; indeed, he barely escaped with his life. From that -time the officers always carried arms, and there was no further trouble -with the crew. - -Off Cape Horn three men fell from aloft, one of whom was drowned while -two struck the deck and were killed. The bodies of the men who died were -sewn up in canvas with holystones at their feet, and were buried in the -sea. Captain Waterman read the funeral service over their remains, but -the ship was not hove to as the braces were never allowed to be started -except when absolutely necessary, owing to the difficulty and danger of -handling the yards with such an inferior crew. The bodies of the two men -who attempted to murder the chief officer were taken from where they -fell and lowered into the sea. Many years afterward Captain Waterman -told me that he could not bring himself to read the Christian burial -service over these corpses, but that he gave the crew permission to take -the bodies forward, and offered them canvas, holystones, and a -prayer-book with which to hold their own service, but none of the crew -would volunteer to bury these men. - -The _Challenge_ had moderate winds the whole passage, excepting a -succession of westerly gales off Cape Horn, and with her wretched crew -besides, there was really no opportunity properly to test her speed. Her -best day’s run was only 336 miles, with the wind abeam and skysails set. -She was 55 days from Sandy Hook to Cape Horn, thence 34 days to the -equator in the Pacific, and 19 days from the equator to San Francisco. -The great wonder is, not that Captain Waterman made such a fine passage, -but that he succeeded in getting his ship to San Francisco at all. - -Soon after the _Challenge_ rounded to and let go anchor, in San -Francisco Bay, she was boarded by a throng of crimps and runners who at -once took the crew and their dunnage ashore. There was nothing unusual -in this, for it happened nearly every day, captains and mates being -powerless to prevent it. A gang of longshoremen would then be sent -aboard at wages of from $3 to $5 an hour each, to heave up anchor, put -the ship alongside the wharf, stow sails and clear up the decks. As -these prosperous sons of toil were never in much of a hurry, it usually -required from four to five hours to finish up these jobs, and meant a -heavy expense to the ship-owner for work that should have been done by -the crew. - -When the crew of the _Challenge_ got on shore, some of them had terrible -tales to tell about their hardships and privations during the voyage; -how they had been nearly starved to death; how some of the crew had -starved to death or been murdered, and their bodies hove overboard like -dead rats, and how six men had been shot from the mizzentopsail yard in -a gale of wind off Cape Horn. According to these blatant imposters, no -such floating hell as the _Challenge_ had ever before set sail upon the -ocean, and as for Captain Waterman, he was a blood-thirsty, inhuman -navigator, the like of whom had never been seen or heard of, since the -days when Noah put his ship ashore among the mountains of Ararat. All -this was, of course, profitable material for journalists, one impetuous -knight of the pen actually proposing that Captain Waterman should be -burned alive, until finally the publisher of this attack became -frightened for his own safety, as he had incited the most dangerous set -of men, perhaps, that ever existed in any seaport--ticket-of-leave from -Australia, cut-throats from New Mexico, and drainings from the social -gutters and cesspools of European ports. - -At this moment San Francisco happened to be in one of the numerous -stages of reform through which that amazing city has passed. It had -recently emerged from a reign of lawlessness and mob rule under the -guidance of a Vigilance Committee, and while this admirable body of -citizens was not yet disbanded, it had in a measure relaxed its grasp -upon public affairs. Now, a number of the newly-converted thugs, -murderers, and outlaws of the town, whose necks had narrowly escaped the -hangman’s noose, formed themselves into a new “Vigilance Committee,” to -deal with Captain Waterman and the officers of the _Challenge_. These -outcasts, crafty and unscrupulous as they were, possessed neither the -courage nor the mental capacity to carry out their own plans. They -accordingly called a public meeting, held somewhere among the sandhills, -at which it was decided to “execute” Captain Waterman and his officers -“on sight,” and then burn or scuttle the vessel at her wharf. Naturally, -the real Vigilance Committee were the first to learn of these -proceedings, and at once took the captain and officers under their -protection, holding themselves in readiness to scatter the mob should -this measure become necessary. - -The crowd that gathered at the sandhills consisted of two or three -hundred men who had lately been hunted from one end of San Francisco to -the - -[Illustration: The “Challenge”] - -other, and had prudently kept themselves stowed away in order to escape -the righteous wrath of the Vigilance Committee. One can scarcely -conceive anything more grimly grotesque than the spectacle of these -inexperienced reformers, in their red flannel shirts and black slouched -hats with pistols and bowie-knives stuck in their leather belts, and -trousers tucked into the tops of their cowhide boots, the odor of the -gin palace and dance-hall clinging to their unwashed skins and clothing, -as they wended their way to Pacific Wharf, where the _Challenge_ lay -moored, and demanded that Captain Waterman and his officers be delivered -over to them for purposes of justice. - -As might have been expected, these gentlemen had vanished and no one but -a few members of the Committee knew where they were. So finding that -Captain John Land had been placed in command of the ship, the mob seized -this venerable seaman, and for more than an hour wrangled among -themselves as to whether they should shoot, drown, or hang him in place -of Captain Waterman. They, however, concluded to hold him as a hostage, -and walked their white-haired prisoner up to the office of Alsop & Co., -the agents of the _Challenge_. By this time, the crowd had been -considerably augmented and numbered about two thousand men, who filled -the air of California Street with yells, curses, lewd jests, and ribald -songs. They again demanded from the agents that their intended victims -be given up, and six of the ringleaders forced their way with crowbars -and axes into the house of Alsop & Co. At this point the bell of the -Monumental Fire Engine House began to toll--the well-known signal that -called the Vigilance Committee to arms--and long before the Marshal had -finished reading the Riot Act, the mob had dispersed with alacrity. - -Captain Waterman was not the man to submit quietly to such attacks upon -his character and conduct, and he at once offered to meet any charge -that might be brought against him before a proper legal tribunal. When -no one appeared, he demanded that a full investigation be made into the -facts of the voyage of the _Challenge_. It then appeared, from the -testimony of a portion of the crew, that a large number of the men who -had shipped in New York as able seamen were grossly incompetent and -desperately mutinous; that the food had been of the best, in fact, the -same quality of beef, pork, and flour that had been used in the cabin -had also been served to the crew without stint, and that no more -punishment had been inflicted by the officers than was necessary to -maintain proper discipline for the safety of the ship and her cargo. - -It also appeared that from the time the ship sailed from New York until -the time of her arrival at San Francisco, Captain Waterman had never -been out of his clothes except to change them, and had never slept in -his berth, but had taken such rest as he could find upon the transom in -his chart-room near the companionway. He was commended for his skill and -courage in bringing his vessel safely into San Francisco without the -loss of a spar, sail, or piece of rigging. It is therefore humiliating -to record that neither the owners of the _Challenge_ nor their -underwriters, for both of whom Captain Waterman had saved thousands of -dollars, ever had the courtesy to make the slightest acknowledgment of -his services, although they were well aware of their obligation in this -matter. It is, however, some consolation to know that he asked and -needed nothing at their hands. - -As we already have seen, Captain Waterman had taken the Pacific Mail -steamship _Northerner_ from New York to San Francisco in 1850, and fully -intended at that time to retire from the sea. He was then forty-two -years old, and had passed thirty-two years upon the ocean; he possessed -ample means, with a portion of which he bought four leagues of land in -Solano County, California, and it was only at the earnest solicitation -of N. L. & G. Griswold, the owners of the _Challenge_, that he consented -to take her from New York to San Francisco in this year. He was now free -to attend to his own affairs. Together with Captain A. A. Richie, he -founded the town of Fairfield, California. In 1852, he was appointed -Port Warden and Inspector of Hulls at the port of San Francisco, a -position he held for twenty-eight years. He then retired to his farm, -where he died in 1884, at the age of seventy-six. Probably no man in -California was more widely known or more highly respected. - -One of the best ocean races of 1851 was that between the _Raven_, -Captain Henry; the _Typhoon_, Captain Salter, and the _Sea Witch_, -Captain Frazer. These clippers sailed for San Francisco nearly together: -the _Sea Witch_ passed out by Sandy Hook on August 1st, followed by the -_Typhoon_ on August 4th, while the _Raven_ passed Boston Light on -August 6th. All had able commanders, who carried Maury’s wind and -current charts to assist them. In this month of light and baffling -breezes a quick run to the equator was hardly to be expected, but these -clippers threaded their way across the calm belt of Cancer, ran down the -northeast trades, and drifted through the doldrums, with surprising -speed. The _Sea Witch_ still kept her lead at the equator, crossing on -August 30th, closely followed by the _Raven_ and the _Typhoon_, which -crossed together on the 31st, so that the _Raven_ had gained four and -the _Typhoon_ two days on their swift competitor. They all weathered -Cape St. Roque and stood away to the southward for a splendid dash of -over three thousand miles through the southeast trades and the strong -westerly winds further south, all crossing the parallel of 50° S. in the -same longitude, 64° W. The _Raven_ had gained another day on the _Sea -Witch_ and these two clippers were now side by side, with the _Typhoon_ -only two days astern. - -Here began one of the keenest races ever sailed upon the ocean. They all -stood to the southward with studdingsail booms and skysail yards sent -down from aloft, with extra lashings on the boats, spare spars, and -skylights, while all hands hardened their hearts for a thrash to -windward round Cape Horn. On this desolate ocean the clippers raced from -horizon to horizon in heavy westerly gales and a long, fierce, sweeping -head sea. For fourteen exciting days and nights, with single-reefed, -double-reefed, close-reefed topsails, reefs in and reefs out, their -keen, watchful captains made use of every lull and slant to drive their -ships to the westward of Cape Horn, across the great, broad-backed, -white-crested seas. The _Sea Witch_ and _Raven_ were having it out tack -for tack, sometimes one and then the other gaining an advantage, both -carrying sail to the utmost limit of prudence, lifting their long, sharp -bows to the wild, surging seas, the cold spray flying across their decks -and blue water swirling along their lee waists, each handled with -consummate skill, and not a spar carried away or rope parted. The -_Typhoon_ in hot pursuit, was pressing the two leaders and slowly -closing upon them, for her greater length and power helped her here. -Finally the _Sea Witch_ and _Raven_ emerged from this desperate contest -side by side, as they had entered it, both crossing latitude 50° S. in -the Pacific in fourteen days from the same parallel in the Atlantic. The -_Typhoon_ had now gained another day, and was within twenty-four hours’ -sail of each. - -Clear of Cape Horn they all went away fast to the northward, rushing -through the southeast trades with studdingsails, skysails, water-sails, -and ring-tails--every yard of canvass set that would draw. On this -stretch to the equator, the _Sea Witch_ fairly flew through the water, -and crossed in 22 days from 50° S., leading the _Raven_ 2 and the -_Typhoon_ 4 days. They now stood to the northward, close-hauled on the -starboard tack, for their final struggle. Here again length and power -counted in favor of the _Typhoon_, and she came up with the _Sea Witch_ -and _Raven_, leading them both into port; the _Raven_, too, for the -first time fairly headed the _Sea Witch_. The _Typhoon_ glided through -the Golden Gate, November 18th, 106 days from Sandy Hook; the _Raven_, -November 19th, 105 days from Boston Light, and the _Sea Witch_, November -20th, 110 days from Sandy Hook. Here is a brief abstract from their -log-books: - - - _Raven_ _Typhoon_ _Sea Witch_ -To the equator in the Atlantic - 25 days 27 days 29 days. - -From the equator to 50° S. 21 “ 23 “ 22 “ - -From 50° S. in the Atlantic - to 50° S. in the Pacific 14 “ 13 “ 14 “ - -From 50° S. to the equator 24 “ 25 “ 22 “ - -From the equator to the - Golden Gate 21 “ 18 “ 23 “ - --- --- --- -Total 105 “ 106 “ 110 “ - -This was a great victory for the _Raven_, the only ship of her tonnage -that ever outsailed the _Sea Witch_, to say nothing of vanquishing the -large and famous _Typhoon_, a ship more than double her size. It should, -however, be remembered with regard to the _Sea Witch_, that she was at -that time over five years old, and had led a pretty wild life under -Waterman, while she had known no peace with Frazer in command, and had -been strained and weakened by hard driving. Moreover, a wooden ship, -after five or six years, begins to lose her speed through absorbing -water, and becomes sluggish in light airs. In her prime and at her best -with Waterman in command, the _Sea Witch_ was probably the fastest -sailing-ship of her inches ever built. - -The California clippers were, of course, racing all the time, against -each other and against the record, and the strain upon their captains -in driving their ships against competitors whose relative positions were -unknown, was terrific. It became a confirmed habit with them to keep -their ships going night and day in all weathers and at their utmost -speed. - -In order to appreciate what a passage of 110 days or less from an -Atlantic port to San Francisco really means, we must take a few of the -long passages of 1851, made by ships that were not clippers: _Arthur_, -from New York, 200 days; _Austerlitz_, Boston, 185 days; _Barrington_, -Boston, 180 days; _Bengal_, Philadelphia, 185 days; _Capitol_, Boston, -300 days; _Cornwallis_, New York, 204 days; _Franconia_, Boston, 180 -days; _Henry Allen_, New York, 225 days; _Inconium_, Baltimore, 190 -days. The logs of these vessels tell of long, weary days and nights of -exasperating calms, and dreary, heart-breaking weeks of battle with -tempests off Cape Horn. - -Some of the vessels built in 1851 did not take part in the races of that -year, as they were not launched until too late; and did not arrive at -San Francisco before 1852. Those among them which became most famous -were the _Hurricane_, _Comet_, _Northern Light_, _Flying Fish_, -_Staffordshire_, _Trade Wind_, _Sword-Fish_, and _Shooting Star_. We -shall hear of them later. - -The record of San Francisco passages for 1851 should not be closed -without mention of the pilot-boat _Fanny_, of 84 tons; length 71 feet, -breadth 18 feet 4 inches, depth 7 feet 2 inches, built by Daniel D. -Kelly at East Boston in 1850. This schooner was commanded by Captain -William Kelly, a brother of her builder, and arrived at San Francisco -February 18, 1851, 108 days from Boston. She passed through the Straits -of Magellan and thus saved a considerable distance; but even allowing -for this, her passage was a very remarkable one for a vessel of her -tonnage, and reflects much credit upon the skill and courage of her -captain and his plucky companions. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -AMERICAN COMPETITION WITH GREAT BRITAIN IN THE CHINA TRADE - - -The California clippers, after discharging their cargoes at San -Francisco, either returned in ballast round Cape Horn, or continued -their voyages across the Pacific and loaded cargoes at Asiatic ports for -the United States or Great Britain. - -Some of the ships which sailed to China from San Francisco, raced across -the Pacific in ballast, touching at the Sandwich Islands only long -enough to back the main yard off Diamond Head and send the mails ashore -with perhaps a missionary or two. In those days the Kanaka maidens used -to swim off alongside the ships, and they were probably the nearest -approach to mermaids that has ever been known in real life. The -_Stag-Hound_ made the passage from San Francisco to Honolulu in 9, and -the _Flying Cloud_ and _Surprise_ in 12 days each. The _Flying Cloud_ -sailed 374 miles in twenty-four hours, the day after leaving San -Francisco, with a fresh whole-sail breeze and smooth sea, under -sky-sails and royal studdingsails. The _Southern Cross_ made the passage -from San Francisco to Hong-kong in 32, and the _Game-Cock_ in 35 days, -the run of the _Game-Cock_ from Honolulu to Hong-kong in 19 days being -most remarkable. When these and other fast American vessels loaded again -in China for English ports, they, of course, added to the competition -from which British ships were already suffering. - -We have seen how the _Oriental_ brought a cargo of tea from China to -England in 1850, and what interest her appearance excited in London. She -was soon followed by the _Surprise_, _White Squall_, _Sea Serpent_, -_Nightingale_, _Argonaut_, _Challenge_, and other clipper ships built -for the California trade. These American clippers received from £6 to -£6, 10s freight per ton of forty cubic feet, with immediate despatch, -while British ships were loading slowly at £3, 10s per ton of fifty -cubic feet. The American ships made fine passages and delivered their -teas in excellent condition; but what especially appealed to the Briton -was the fact that they had cleared more than their original cost and -running expenses on this, their first voyage. - -An able English writer,[7] referring to the American clippers engaged in -the China tea-trade at this period, remarks: “This new competition -proved for a time most disastrous to English shipping, which was soon -driven out of favor by the lofty spars, smart, rakish-looking hulls, and -famed speed of the American ships, and caused the tea-trade of the -London markets to pass almost out of the hands of the English -ship-owner. British vessels well manned and well found are known to have -lain in the harbor of Foo-chow for weeks together, waiting for a cargo, -and seeing American clippers coming in, loading, and sailing immediately -with full cargoes, at a higher freight than they could command. - -“This soon became a matter of serious moment, and the arrival of these -vessels in the Thames caused great excitement, and aroused no small -amount of curiosity and criticism. Even the attention of the Government -became attracted towards them, and draughtsmen were sent from the -Admiralty to take off the lines of two of the most famous--the -_Challenge_ and the _Oriental_--when they were in Messrs. Green’s -drydock.” - -This state of affairs could not, of course, continue without further -arousing British ship-owners and builders to the danger of their -position. Here was not one vessel, but a fleet of American clippers -bringing cargoes from China at double the rates of freight that British -ships could command, and unless some measures were adopted to check this -invasion no one could predict where it might end. That British merchants -paid so liberally to get their teas to a home market was certainly not -because they cherished any special affection for American ships or their -owners. They would have been quite as willing to pay British clippers -the same freights, had there been any such to receive them, or even -Chinese junks, provided the service could have been performed by them as -quickly and as well. So we find the British ship-owners and builders of -that period forced to exert their finest skill and most ardent energy. - -The firm of Jardine, Matheson & Co., of London and China, were the -owners of the first clipper ship built in Great Britain. This vessel was -the _Stornoway_, 506 tons, launched from the yard of Alexander Hall & -Co., at Aberdeen, toward the close of 1850 for the China trade. It will -be recalled that this firm had built the clipper schooner _Torrington_, -for the same owners, four years before. The new ship was named for -Stornoway Castle, Lewis, one of the Hebrides Isles, which was then owned -by Sir James Matheson, and to which he retired after his long and -successful career as ship-owner and merchant in the China trade. - -It cannot be said that the _Stornoway_ was a copy of any American model, -as a comparison of dimensions will clearly show. Comparing her -measurements with those of the American clipper, barque _Race Horse_, of -512 tons register, built by Samuel Hall at East Boston in the same year, -we find: - - Length Breadth Depth - -_Stornoway_ 157 ft. 8 in. 25 ft. 8 in. 17 ft. 8 in. - -_Race Horse_ 125 ft. 30 ft. 16 ft. - -Thus the _Stornoway_, while she exceeded the _Race Horse_ by 32 feet 8 -inches in length and by 1 foot 8 inches in depth, yet had 4 feet 4 -inches less breadth; and here began a contest, which extended over so -many years, of breadth against length and depth. There can be no doubt -that the _Stornoway_ with more beam and the _Race Horse_ with more -length and depth, would have been faster, but at the same time -considerably larger vessels.[8] - -[Illustration: The “Stornoway”] - -The _Stornoway_ was commanded by Captain Richard Robinson, and on her -first voyage she made the passage from the Downs to Java Head in 80 -days, to Hong-kong in 102 days, and from Hong-kong to London in 103 -days. These were at that time the quickest passages between these ports -that had ever been made by a British vessel. - -In 1851 Alexander Hall & Co. built the China tea-clipper _Chrysolite_, -of 471 tons, for Taylor & Potter of Liverpool; length 149 feet 3 inches, -breadth 29 feet, depth 17 feet. As will be seen this vessel approached -more nearly the proportions of the _Race Horse_, having 8 feet 5 inches -less length than the _Stornoway_, with 3 feet 4 inches more breadth, and -8 inches less depth. She made her first passage from Liverpool to -Canton, under the command of Captain Anthony Enright, in 102 days, and -came home in 104 days. She also made the passage from Liverpool to Java -Head in 80 days, her best day’s run being 320 miles. - -The very keen rivalry between the British and American clipper ships -engaged in the China trade at this time, seems to have been stimulating -to the imagination. W. S. Lindsay, in his _History of Merchant Shipping_ -(vol. iii., p. 291), relates an interesting story of one of the early -races, and as I wish to do the narrative full justice, I give it in Mr. -Lindsay’s own words: - -“Mr. T. C. Cowper, of Aberdeen, himself a member of a well-known -ship-building firm in Aberdeen, who had spent some time in China at the -period to which I refer, and to whom I am much indebted for the -information connected with our struggles to maintain our position in -that trade, gives the following graphic description of his voyage home -in the _Ganges_, Captain Deas, belonging to Leith, one of the vessels we -had sent forth after the repeal of our Navigation Laws, to compete with -the Americans in that trade: ‘We loaded,’ he says, ‘new teas at Wampoa, -and sailed on the first of September, 1851. Two of the fastest American -clippers, the _Flying Cloud_ and _Bald Eagle_, sailed two or three days -after us. A great deal of excitement existed in China about the race, -the American ships being the favorites. The southwest monsoon being -strong, the _Ganges_ made a rather long passage to Anjer, but when we -arrived there we found that neither of our rivals had been reported as -having passed. We arrived in the English Channel on the evening of the -16th of December. On the following morning at daylight we were off -Portland, well inshore and under short sail, light winds from the -northeast, and weather rather thick. About 8 A.M. the wind freshened and -the haze cleared away, which showed two large and lofty ships two or -three miles to windward of us. They proved to be our American friends, -having their Stars and Stripes flying for a pilot. Captain Deas at once -gave orders to hoist his signals for a pilot also, and as, by this time, -several cutters were standing out from Weymouth, the _Ganges_, being -farthest inshore got her pilot first on board. I said that I would land -in the pilot-boat and go to London by rail, and would report the ship -that night or next morning at Austin Friars. (She was consigned to my -firm.) The breeze had considerably freshened before I got on board the -pilot cutter, when the _Ganges_ filled away on the port tack, and -Captain Deas, contrary to his wont, for he was a very cautious man, -crowded on all small sails. The Americans lost no time and were after -him, and I had three hours’ view of as fine an ocean race as I can wish -to see; the wind being dead ahead, the ships were making short tacks. -The _Ganges_ showed herself to be the most weatherly of the three; and -the gain on every tack inshore was obvious, neither did she seem to -carry way behind in fore reaching. She arrived off Dungeness six hours -before the other two, and was in the London docks twenty-four hours -before the first, and thirty-six hours before the last of her -opponents.’” - - * * * * * - -It is always unpleasant to spoil a really good story, but in this -instance I feel constrained to point out that the _Flying Cloud_ -arrived at San Francisco on August 31, 1851, after her famous passage of -89 days from New York; it is therefore difficult to understand how she -could have sailed from Wampoa on the Canton River on or about September -1st of that year, as stated by Mr. Cowper; while the _Bald Eagle_ was -not launched until 1852. - -On January 3, 1852, the _Illustrated London News_, which then, as now, -had many readers in the United States, published a portrait of the -_Chrysolite_ accompanying an article in which it was stated that both -the _Chrysolite_ and the _Stornoway_ had beaten the _Oriental_ and the -_Surprise_, and that the _Chrysolite_ had completely beaten the _Memnon_ -during a race in the Gaspar Straits. This article excited a good deal of -interest in the United States, and it caused the formation by a number -of high-spirited young merchants and ship-owners at Boston of a society -called the American Navigation Club, which consisted of Daniel C. Bacon, -President; Thomas H. Perkins, John P. Cushing, William H. Bordman, John -M. Forbes, Warren Delano, and Edward King. In due time they issued the -following challenge, which was published in all the leading shipping -papers of Great Britain in September, 1852, and was copied into _Bell’s -Life_, at that period the great sporting publication of England: - - “The American Navigation Club challenges the ship-builders of Great - Britain to a ship-race, with cargo on board, from a port in England - to a port in China and back. One ship to be entered by each party, - and to be named within a week of the start. These ships to be - modelled, commanded, and officered entirely by citizens of the - United States and Great Britain, respectively. To be entitled to - rank A 1 either at the American offices or at Lloyd’s. The stakes - to be £10,000 a side, satisfactorily secured by both parties, to be - paid without regard to accidents, or to any exceptions, the whole - amount forfeited by either party not appearing. Judges to be - mutually chosen. Reasonable time to be given after notice of - acceptance to build the ships if required, and also for discharging - and loading cargo in China. The challenged party may name the size - of the ships, not under 800 nor over 1200 American registered tons; - the weight and measurement which shall be carried each way; the - allowance for short weight or over-size. Reference may be made to - Messrs. Baring Bros. & Co. for further particulars. - -“DANIEL C. BACON, _President_.” - - - -A few weeks later, on October 10, 1852, the following comment appeared -in _Bell’s Life_: - - “It will be remembered early in the past month there was wafted - across the broad Atlantic, from the American Navigation Club, a - challenge to the ship-builders of Great Britain, which created no - little interest, and which after the defeat, then just - accomplished, of the magic yacht _America_ by one of our own little - island craft, gave rise to no inconsiderable speculation as to what - might be the result of an acceptance of Brother Jonathan’s - proposal.... The Club by the last clause of their terms held - themselves at liberty to withdraw the challenge should it not be - accepted within thirty days. The limit of the time is now expiring, - and it is with no little disappointment that a letter received from - the head of the eminent banking house of Baring & Co., was received - in Boston a short time since, when it was found that he had nothing - like an acceptance of the challenge to communicate to the American - Club, but that, on the contrary, he had to report no inquiry as to - the proposition. As a sort of enticement, however, to our - ship-builders, the President of the American Navigation Club, Mr. - D. C. Bacon, is authorized, should the present challenge not be - accepted within thirty days, to allow the British vessels a start - of fourteen days before the departure of the American craft. And - also to allow us a crew picked from seamen experienced in voyaging - between English and Chinese ports, while their own crew is to be - composed of American seamen and officers whose experience is - limited in sailing between China and English ports. The Americans, - under the new conditions, are willing to augment the stake to - £20,000, or any higher sum than the £10,000 of the present - conditions most agreeable to us, but the last amount to be the - minimum. The Americans want a match, and it reflects somewhat upon - our chivalry not to accommodate them.” - -The London _Daily News_ also published a leader in which it urged the -importance to Great Britain of making good her claim to maritime -supremacy by accepting the challenge and winning the race; but in spite -of all that was said the challenge was not accepted. Had it been, -Captain Dumaresq would have commanded the American ship, and Lieutenant -Maury was to have prepared special wind and current charts for his -assistance. As nearly all the American clippers had been constructed for -the California trade, it is probable that for an important race of this -nature, two ships would have been built especially for the China trade, -and very likely by Donald McKay and Samuel Hall, as the _Flying Cloud_, -_Flying Fish_, _Stag-Hound_, _Game-Cock_, and _Surprise_ had already -placed these two in the front rank of clipper ship builders. No reason -was ever given for the non-acceptance of the challenge, though the -inference seems obvious. - -It would, however, be a mistake to suppose that the _Stornoway_ and -_Chrysolite_ were not fast vessels; for they were probably the two -fastest ships sailing under the British flag at that time, and were ably -commanded, and on a China voyage, which is very different sailing from a -San Francisco or Australian passage, would have given any ship afloat a -run for her owner’s money. The fitful uncertainty of the monsoons in the -China seas, with an occasional typhoon thrown in, has always rendered -the voyages to and from China rather unsatisfactory tests of speed, and -in this respect not to be compared with those to Australia or to San -Francisco. - -The _Stornoway_ and _Chrysolite_ were soon followed by other British -clipper ships, among them the _Abergeldie_, of 600 tons register, built -by Walter Hood & Co., of Aberdeen, in 1851. This vessel was named for -an estate that adjoins Balmoral, at that time under a forty years’ lease -to Prince Albert, and carried a figurehead of His Royal Highness in full -Highland costume. - -In 1852, Richard Green, of London, built the _Challenger_, of 699 tons. -This ship, owned by W. S. Lindsay, of London, was constructed with the -avowed purpose of beating the _Challenge_ of New York. A comparison of -the dimensions of this ship and those of the _Sword-Fish_, 1036 tons, is -interesting. - - Length Breadth Depth - -_Challenger_ 174 ft. 32 ft. 20 ft. - -_Sword-Fish_ 169 ft. 6 in. 36 ft. 6 in. 20 ft. - -The _Challenger_ was commanded by Captain Killick, who made eight China -voyages in her, the best passage home being 105 days. Although she was -never directly matched with her American rival, they both took part in -an informal race from China in 1852, while the challenge of the -Navigation Club was pending. The passages of the seven vessels, four -American and three British, were as follows: - -_Witch of the Wave_ Canton to Deal 90 days. -_Challenge_ Canton to Deal 105 “ -_Surprise_ Canton to Deal 106 “ -_Stornoway_ Canton to Deal 109 “ -_Chrysolite_ Canton to Liverpool 106 “ -_Nightingale_ Shanghai to Deal 110 “ -_Challenger_ Shanghai to Deal 113 “ - -It is only fair to state that the _Witch of the Wave_, commanded by -Captain Millett, sailed from Canton, January 5th, in the height of the -northeast monsoon, and made the run, remarkable even at that season of -the year, of 7 days 12 hours from Canton to Java Head, while the three -British clippers, _Stornoway_, _Chrysolite_, and _Challenger_, sailed -later with a moderate monsoon, and the _Challenge_, _Surprise_, and -_Nightingale_ later still, when the monsoon was less favorable. The rate -of freight this year was £8 per ton, the highest that was ever paid. - -This race, if so it can be called, resulted in “win, tie, or wrangle” as -it was claimed, for one reason or another, by every vessel engaged in -it, and ended by Sampson & Tappan, of Boston, offering to match the -_Nightingale_ for £10,000 against any ship, British or American, for a -race to China and back. The rivalry of the American clipper ships among -themselves was as keen as with those of Great Britain, and this -challenge was intended for the Navigation Club, of Boston, of which -Sampson & Tappan were not members, and for New York as well, quite as -much as for the British clippers; but it found no response from either -side of the Atlantic. - -The _Nightingale_ was owned by Sampson & Tappan for a number of years, -during which she made some exceedingly fast passages, under the command -of Captain Samuel Mather. Among them were the passage from Portsmouth, -England, to Shanghai, against the northeast monsoon, in 106 days in -1853; and during the year 1855 a passage from Shanghai to London in 91 -days, and from Batavia Roads to London in 70 days, an average of 197 -miles per day, her best day’s run being 336 miles. - -The _Surprise_ proved one of the most successful American clippers in -the China trade. After her first voyage she was for a number of years -commanded by the captains Charles Ranlett, father and son, and in their -hands made many fine passages--she made eleven consecutive passages from -China to New York in 89 days or less, six from Hong-kong, and five from -Shanghai, the best being 81 days from Shanghai, in 1857. Among other -fast passages from Canton to New York may be mentioned those of the -_Stag-Hound_ 85, 91, and 92 days; _Flying Cloud_, 94 and 96 days; _N. B. -Palmer_, 84 days; _Comet_, _Panama_, and _Hurricane_, each 99 days; -_Sword-Fish_, 80 days; _Sea Serpent_, 88 days; _Vancouver_, 96 days; -_Mandarin_, 89 days; but I am unable to find that Captain Waterman’s -passage of 77 days in the _Sea Witch_ in 1848, and 78 days in the -_Natchez_ in 1845, from Canton to New York, have ever been beaten. In -1854 the _Comet_ made a record passage of 84 days from Liverpool to -Hong-kong, an average of 212 miles per day, and in the same year the -_Typhoon_ made the run from the Lizard to Calcutta in 80 days. - -In Great Britain the _Cairngorm_, of 1250 tons register, was built in -1853 by Alexander Hall & Co., and owned by Jardine, Matheson Co. Between -1853 and 1856 came the _Crest of the Wave_, _Norma_, _Flying Dragon_, -_Formosa_, and _Spirit of the Age_, built by John Pile of Sunderland, -and the _Lord of the Isles_ (iron) by John Scott & Co., of Greenock. The -ship last named registered 770 tons, measured: length 190 feet 9 inches, -breadth 27 feet 8 inches, depth 18 feet 5 inches, and was an extremely -sharp and handsome, though a very wet ship. It used to be said that -Captain Maxton, her commander, drove her into one side of a sea and out -the other; at all events, she was generally known among sailormen as the -“Diving Bell.” - -The British clippers of this type, which was extremely sharp and narrow, -very nearly held their own against the American ships, and it is much to -be regretted that there never was a fair and square race between them; -for no British and American clipper ships ever sailed from China near -enough together to afford a satisfactory test of speed. - -The _Lord of the Isles_ made the remarkable run from Shanghai to London -in 1855 during the northeast monsoon of 87 days. In 1856 she sailed -against the American clipper barque _Maury_, commanded by Captain -Fletcher, from Foo-chow to London, both carrying new teas. In this year -a premium of £1 per ton on the freight was offered for the first ship -home during the season. The reward was offered without regard to the -length of the passage, and was intended to encourage quick despatch in -loading as well as fast sailing. The _Lord of the Isles_ finished -loading and sailed four days ahead of the _Maury_. Both vessels arrived -in the Downs on the same morning and passed Gravesend within ten minutes -of each other, the _Maury_ leading, but Captain Maxton, having the -smartest tug, succeeded in getting his ship first into dock, and so won -the prize. The _Maury_ was an exceedingly pretty barque of about 600 -tons, built by Roosevelt & Joyce, and owned by A. A. Low & Brother. She -was a very similar vessel to the barques _Fairy_, _Penguin_, and -_Benefactor_, by the same builders, all engaged in the China trade. The -_Lord of the Isles_ was the only tea-clipper built of iron at that time. -It was found that she sweated her tea cargoes, though otherwise they -were delivered in excellent condition, and she was certainly a very fast -vessel. - -At this period (1853-1856) British iron ships, both sail and steam, were -coming into favor for other trades, but their introduction had been -slow. It is not easy at the present time to realize the difficulties -attending the building of the first iron vessels. The rolling of iron -plates to a uniform thickness was a matter requiring great care and -skill, and a number of years elapsed before plates exceeded or even -reached ten feet in length; then bending the frames and riveting the -plates were difficult processes, only learned through much trial and -experiment. In the early days, when an iron ship was completed, her -owner’s troubles had only begun. Finding a composition that would -prevent fouling and at the same time not destroy the plates; the -adjustment of compasses, and devising effective means of ventilation, -were all matters that required years of investigation and labor, to say -nothing of the prejudice against iron vessels, which time and experience -alone could overcome. Yet it was the skilful use of this stubborn metal -in the construction of ships, together with wise legislation, that -enabled Great Britain to regain her empire upon the sea. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1852--THE “SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS” - - -As one by one the California clippers came home from Asiatic ports or -round Cape Horn from San Francisco in 1852, it was found that almost all -of them needed a pretty thorough overhauling aloft. The masts, spars, -and rigging of the _Flying Cloud_ were fine examples of the skill of her -sailors in clapping on fishings, lashings, stoppers, and seizings, while -her topmast fids, crushed and broken, were taken up to the Astor House -and exhibited to the admiration of the town. Her owners, Grinnell, -Minturn & Co., had her log from New York to San Francisco printed in -gold letters on white silk for distribution among their friends, and -Captain Creesy fled to his home in Marblehead in order to escape -notoriety. - -The _Sea Serpent_, _Eclipse_, and _Stag-Hound_ were in much the same -condition aloft as the _Flying Cloud_, while the _Witchcraft_, on the -voyage from San Francisco to Hong-kong had lost her main and mizzen -masts with all sails and rigging attached, during a severe typhoon in -the China Sea. The _Tornado_, commanded by Captain O. R. Mumford, bound -from San Francisco to New York, had lost her bowsprit with the foremast -and sprung her mainmast, when to the westward of Cape Horn. It required -fourteen days to complete the jury rig at sea, after which she sailed to -New York, a distance of 8000 miles, in 51 days. In acknowledgment of -Captain Mumford’s services on this occasion, the New York, Sun, Astor, -and Mercantile Insurance Companies presented him with a costly solid -silver service, which was made by Ball, Black & Co., and exhibited in -the window of their store on the corner of Murray Street and Broadway. - -All of these ships were rerigged in New York with stouter spars and -rigging than they originally carried, and much valuable experience was -gained by sparmakers and riggers as to the requirements aloft of these -large, powerful clippers, while their captains had at the same time -become better acquainted with their peculiarities. The great difficulty -was to get a large ship, say from 1600 to 2000 tons, that would sail -fast in moderate winds. If she had canvas enough to drive her along in a -light breeze, the chances were that in a gale something was bound to -carry away aloft. The utmost skill and judgment were required to rig and -to handle these heavily masted ships with wooden spars and hemp rigging. - -The great race to San Francisco in 1852 was between the _Sword-Fish_ of -New York and the _Flying Fish_ of Boston, both extreme clippers and -built respectively by William H. Webb and Donald McKay. The _Flying -Fish_ sailed from Boston November 11, 1851, and on the same day the -_Sword-Fish_ passed Sandy Hook. Large sums were wagered upon the -result. Captain Nickels of the _Flying Fish_ and Captain Babcock of the -_Sword-Fish_ were both young and skilful commanders, and it was believed -by their friends that each would send his ship along at her utmost -speed. The _Flying Fish_ made an excellent run of 19 days to the -equator, leading the _Sword-Fish_ by four days. From the equator to 50° -S., the _Flying Fish_ was 26 and the _Sword-Fish_ 22 days, so that they -passed that parallel on the same day. They raced round Cape Horn, part -of the time side by side, the _Flying Fish_ making the run from 50° S. -in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific in 7 and the _Sword-Fish_ in 8 -days. From this point the _Sword-Fish_ came up and steadily drew away. -She made the run to the equator in 19 days, leading the _Flying Fish_ by -3 days, and from the equator to San Francisco in 20 days, gaining on -this stretch another 3 days, and arrived at San Francisco February 10, -1852, after a splendid passage of 90 days 16 hours from New York. The -_Flying Fish_ arrived on the 17th, or 98 days from Boston. The -_Sword-Fish_ was regarded by many as the fastest and handsomest ship -built by William H. Webb; and her passage of 90 days, the second best -ever made from New York to San Francisco, and within one day of the -record, together with many other fast passages, among them her record -run of 31 days from Shanghai to San Francisco in 1855, an average of 240 -miles a day, certainly places her at or very near the head of the list -of clippers launched from this famous yard. - -Some of the other notable passages of this year were made by the -_Sovereign of the Seas_ and _Comet_, each 102 days; _Sea Witch_ 108 -days from New York; _Staffordshire_ 101 days, and _John Bertram_ and -_Shooting Star_ each 105 days from Boston. - -The _Flying Cloud_, on this, her second voyage from New York, arrived at -San Francisco September 6, 1852, 113 days from New York. She had, for -her, a long run of 30 days to the equator; and when she was off the -coast of Brazil, running before a light northerly wind under skysails -and royal studdingsails, with the weather clew of her mainsail hauled -up: as Captain Creesy was taking his noon observation, a large clipper -ship was reported about six miles ahead, under the same canvas but -almost becalmed. She was soon recognized by Captain Creesy and his -officers as the _N. B. Palmer_. The _Flying Cloud_ carried the breeze -until about two o’clock, when she also ran into the calm, and signals -were exchanged. Captain Low, of the _N. B. Palmer_, reported with -pardonable pride, that he had sailed from New York eight days after the -_Flying Cloud_, and had found good winds to the equator; indeed, a few -days after sailing he had made 396 miles in twenty-four hours. - -As may be imagined, Captain Creesy was somewhat chagrined, but at all -events, here at last were the ships about whose speed there had been so -much discussion, side by side on blue water, and soon there would be a -chance to find out which was the faster of the two. As there was every -indication of a southerly breeze, both ships took in their -studdingsails, rigged in the booms, and got ready for the new wind, with -a pull on sheets and halliards fore and aft. The _Flying Cloud_ had a -fine crew, and in after years Captain Creesy in describing this race -said that, “They worked like one man, and that man a hero.” - -At about four o’clock there was a faint southerly air with a few -cat’s-paws, and soon the breeze came up from the south in a dark-blue -line across the horizon. Both ships felt it at the same moment, and -braced their yards on the starboard tack sharp by the wind, which soon -freshened to a fine whole-sail breeze. The _Flying Cloud_ now began to -draw away. At daylight the next morning, the _N. B. Palmer_ was hull -down to leeward, and by four o’clock in the afternoon was no longer in -sight. Both ships had strong westerly gales off Cape Horn, and the -_Flying Cloud_ led her rival into San Francisco by twenty-three days. - -It is only fair to say, however, that the _N. B. Palmer_ lost five days -through putting into Valparaiso to land two of her crew, and as it -turned out, to ship seventeen men to replace deserters. One of the two -men landed had shot and wounded the mate, and the other, known as -“Doublin Jack,” had knocked the second mate down with a handspike. -Captain Low put both these men in irons, triced them up in the mizzen -rigging, and gave them each four dozen lashes of ratline stuff, which -they had well earned. Captain R. B. Forbes, one of the most humane and -kind-hearted of men, declared in an address before the Boston Marine -Society in 1854, that he regarded “the abolition of the power of -flogging refractory seamen as having been injudicious”; and I think that -most men who had experience in handling the crews of merchant ships on -the high seas in those days will be inclined to agree with him. - -The demand for new clipper ships had by no means abated in 1852, and -thirty-three California clippers were launched in this year. Donald -McKay built the _Sovereign of the Seas_, _Bald Eagle_, and _Westward -Ho_; William H. Webb, the _Flying Dutchman_; Samuel Hall, the -_Polynesia_, John Gilpin, _Flying Childers_, and _Wizard_; Jacob A. -Westervelt, the _Golden City_, _Golden State_, and _Contest_; Jacob -Bell, the _Messenger_ and _Jacob Bell_; Paul Curtis, the _Golden West_, -_Queen of the Seas_, _Cleopatra_, and _Radiant_; J. O. Curtis, the -_Phantom_ and _Whirlwind_; Jabez Williams, the _Simoon_; R. E. Jackson, -the _Winged Racer_; Fernald & Pettigrew, the _Red Rover_. - -Undismayed by difficulties as to spars and rigging that beset the minds -of other ship-builders, Donald McKay resolved in this year to build a -still larger clipper than had yet appeared. This ship was the _Sovereign -of the Seas_, of 2421 tons register, and when she was launched in June, -1852, the bells that had welcomed the _New World_ and _Stag-Hound_ as -the largest merchant ships afloat, again rang out a joyous greeting to -this noble clipper, as she glided smoothly and swiftly into the blue -waters of Boston harbor. - -The _Sovereign of the Seas_ measured: length 258 feet, breadth 44 feet, -depth 23 feet 6 inches, with 20 inches dead-rise at half floor. It is -interesting to note that each one of Mr. McKay’s clippers had less -dead-rise than her predecessor. The _Stag-Hound_ had 40 inches dead-rise -at half floor with slightly convex water-lines; the _Flying Cloud_ and -_Staffordshire_ 30 inches with concave water-lines and shorter but -sharper ends. The _Sovereign of the Seas_ had the longest and sharpest -ends of any vessel then built, and combined the grace and beauty of the -smaller ships with immense strength and power to carry sail. - -She had a crew of 105 men and boys, consisting of 4 mates, 2 boatswains, -2 carpenters, 2 sail-makers, 3 stewards, 2 cooks, 80 able seamen, and 10 -boys before the mast. She was commanded by Captain Lauchlan McKay, who -was born at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, in 1811, being one year younger than -his brother Donald. Like him, he went to New York, served an -apprenticeship there with Isaac Webb, and after becoming a master -ship-wright, was appointed carpenter of the U. S. frigate -_Constellation_, in which he served four years. Admiral Farragut was a -young lieutenant on board this ship at the same time. In 1839 Captain -McKay published a work on naval architecture, and soon after, in company -with his brother Hugh, opened a shipyard at Boston. Here they did -repairing, and in 1846 built the bark _Odd Fellow_, in which Lauchlan -sailed as captain. In 1848 he commanded the ship _Jenny Lind_, and made -some excellent passages in her. When he took command of the _Sovereign -of the Seas_, Captain McKay was in his forty-first year, and of gigantic -build and strength. - -The _Sovereign of the Seas_ sailed from New York for San Francisco, -August 4, 1852, a poor season of the year for a rapid run to the -equator, but she crossed 25 days out from Sandy Hook, making a run -which had never been bettered in the month of August, and only twice -equalled--once by the _Raven_ from Boston in 1851 and once by the -_Hurricane_ from New York in 1853. She was 23 days from the equator to -50° S., and 9 days from 50° S. in the Atlantic to the same parallel in -the Pacific. After rounding Cape Horn, she carried away her fore-and -maintopmasts and foreyard, and it required fourteen days to rerig her, -during which time she was kept on her course, and made the run from 50° -S. to the equator in the remarkable time, considering her disabled -condition, of 29 days. She went thence to San Francisco in 17 days, -which is the record for the month of November, and her total run from -New York to San Francisco was 103 days. - -Had the _Sovereign of the Seas_ not been dismasted, it is reasonable to -suppose that she would have equalled the fastest run from 50° S. to the -equator in the month of October, which is 19 days, made by the _Ocean -Telegraph_ in 1855. This would have reduced her passage to 93 days; -still, as it stands, her passage of 103 days has never been equalled by -a vessel sailing from New York for San Francisco in the month of August. -Captain McKay received much credit for rerigging his ship at sea and not -putting into Valparaiso, and was presented with a very beautiful silver -dinner service by the New York Board of Marine Underwriters. - -This was the only passage made by the _Sovereign of the Seas_ between -New York and San Francisco. She carried on this voyage 2950 tons of -cargo, and her freight amounted to $84,000; a portion of the - -[Illustration: The “Sovereign of the Seas”] - -cargo, consisting of flour, sold in San Francisco at $44 per barrel. - -She cleared from San Francisco in ballast for Honolulu, and there loaded -a cargo, or rather several cargoes, of sperm oil which had been landed -by American whale-ships in the Pacific, and sailed for New York, -February 13, 1853. She had light and variable winds to the equator, her -day’s runs ranging from 80 to 302 miles, and she made this stretch from -Honolulu in 8 days. On February 27th, she was off the Navigator or -Samoan Islands, and one cannot help thinking of the delight it would -have given Robert Louis Stevenson if he could have looked upon this -giant clipper flying southward under her white cloud of canvas, and with -what magic words he would have made her name immortal. - -On March 4th, the _Sovereign of the Seas_ sprung her foretopmast, and -although it was fished on the 6th, it was a source of anxiety for the -remainder of the passage, and Captain McKay, mindful of his recent -experience in these seas, carried sail with a considerable caution. -Nothing of special interest occurred until March 15th, when the first -strong westerly gales were felt, and a series of remarkable day’s runs -was begun. Up to noon on March 16th, she had sailed from her position at -noon the day before, 396 miles; on the 17th, 311 miles; on the 18th, 411 -miles, and on the 19th, 360 miles, a total of 1478 miles in four days. -During these four days, she made 34° 43′ of longitude eastward, which -with the difference in time gives an average of 15½ knots, or an average -of a fraction over 378 miles for each twenty-four hours. In the 11 days -from March 10th to the 21st, she made the remarkable run of 3562 miles, -and as she made during this time 82° 24′ of longitude, her average -allowing for difference in time, was 13¾ knots, or 330 miles each -twenty-four hours. - -During her great run on the 18th of 411 miles, she made 10° 30′ of -longitude, which reduced her sea day to 23 hours 18 minutes, and shows -an average speed of 17⅔ knots, or 424 miles in twenty-four hours. On -this day her log records: “Strong northwest breezes and rough sea.” It -seems extremely improbable that she could have maintained uniform speed -of 17⅔ knots throughout the twenty-four hours, but at times her speed -probably slackened to 15 or 16 knots. If this supposition is correct, it -follows that her speed must at times have exceeded 17⅔ knots in order to -account for this average. In the absence of any data on this point, -which is much to be regretted, it seems probable that she must have -sailed at a speed of not less than 19 knots during a portion of these -twenty-four hours, and perhaps 20 knots. After rounding Cape Horn she -had light and moderate winds, her best day’s run being only 286 miles, -and she arrived off Sandy Hook May 6, 1853, after a passage of 82 days -from Honolulu. - -She sailed again from New York for Liverpool, June 18th, passing Sandy -Hook at 6:30 P.M., sighted Cape Race in Newfoundland at 6 A.M. on the -24th, was off Cape Clear in Ireland at 6 A.M. on June 30th, took a pilot -at 2 P.M. July 2d, and anchored in the Mersey at 10:30 P.M. that day, -having made the entire run from dock to anchorage in 13 days 22 hours -and 50 minutes. This must be regarded as a most remarkable passage for -the season, and has never been equalled by a sailing vessel during the -month of June. Her best day’s run was on June 28th, 344 miles, by the -wind, under single-reefed topsails, and on the 30th, 340 miles with -skysails and royal studdingsails set. The Cunard S.S. _Canada_ sailed -from Boston on the same day that the _Sovereign of the Seas_ sailed from -New York, and a comparison of their logs published at the time shows -that in five days, June 25-30th, the ship outsailed the steamer by 325 -miles, and that the best run of the _Canada_ during this passage was -only 306 miles. - -On this voyage her builder, Donald McKay, was a passenger on board the -_Sovereign of the Seas_, and he passed most of his waking moments on -deck, watching her movement through the water and observing the various -strains on her spars and rigging. When he returned home, Enoch Train -asked him what he thought of the ship, and Mr. McKay replied, “Well, she -appears to be a pretty good ship, but I think I can build one to beat -her”; and eventually he did so. - -Mrs. Donald McKay sailed with her husband on this voyage and took a keen -interest in everything that went on aboard ship. Although this was a -summer passage, nevertheless, there was enough rough weather to bring -out the splendid sea-going qualities of the vessel, and to Mrs. McKay, -who, it is a pleasure to record, is still living, the vivid picture of -this thoroughbred clipper wrestling with the winds and waves has always -remained one of the exciting experiences of her life. - -All of the American clippers made good passages home from China to -Atlantic ports in 1852, though no record was broken. The run of the -_Shooting Star_, 83 days from Canton to Boston, was the best of the -year. - -It was during the passage from Canton to New York in this year that -Captain Creesy of the _Flying Cloud_ had the unusual experience of -perusing his own obituary in mid-ocean. It appears that after passing -Java Head, and when his vessel was well across the Indian Ocean, she -fell in with a ship outward bound, and in exchange for chickens, fruits, -and vegetables from Anjer, received newspapers from New York, one of -which contained the following somewhat startling announcement: - -“Captain Creesy of the ship _Flying Cloud_.--It will be seen by the -telegraph news in another column that this gallant sailor is no more. -Two days after sailing from San Francisco, bound to China, he died, and -the ship proceeded in charge of the mate; he was a native of Marblehead, -and about forty-six years of age. For many years, he commanded the ship -_Oneida_ in the China trade, and was distinguished for the rapidity of -his passages. In the _Flying Cloud_, he made the shortest passage on -record to San Francisco, and eclipsed the finest and most costly -merchant ship in the world,[9] and yet this crowning triumph of his life -was attended with many disasters to his spars and sails; still, he -pressed on, disdaining to make a port short of his destination. In -every scene of a sailor’s life ‘with skill superior glowed his daring -mind’--his dauntless soul ‘rose with the storm and all its dangers -shared.’ But now he rests from his toils, regardless of his triumphs. -Peace to his manes.” - -It was found that this news originated in New Orleans, having been -telegraphed from there to New York, and although no explanation of the -blunder was ever made, it at all events relieved Captain Creesy of an -annoying lawsuit. It will be remembered that in August, 1851, on the -passage to San Francisco, his first officer was put off duty soon after -rounding Cape Horn, “in consequence of his arrogating to himself the -privilege of cutting up rigging.” This was a more serious offence than -perhaps appears at first sight, as the _Flying Cloud_ was badly crippled -aloft, and was a long way from the nearest ship chandler’s store, while -Captain Creesy needed every fathom of rope on board for preventers and -lashings. In due time, the mate turned up in New York and got in tow of -a philanthropic legal “gent,” who paid his board and lodging while -awaiting the arrival of the _Flying Cloud_ in order to prosecute Captain -Creesy; but when they learned that he was supposed to be dead, the mate -was shipped off to sea again, while the sea-lawyer friend lost no time -in making fast to his three months’ advance. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1853 - - -During the year 1853, twenty ships arrived at San Francisco from -Atlantic ports, chiefly New York, in 110 days or less, showing the high -standard of efficiency that had been reached. The best passages of the -year were made by the _Flying Fish_, 92 days; _John Gilpin_, 93 days; -_Contest_, 97 days; _Oriental_ 100 days; _Trade Wind_, 102 days; -_Westward Ho_, 103 days; _Phantom_, 104 days; _Sword-Fish_, _Hornet_, -and _Flying Cloud_, each 105 days; and _Sea Serpent_, 107 days. The -_Comet_ arrived on January 17th, after a passage of 112 days from -Boston. While off Bermuda she encountered a heavy southwest gale, and -was laying to under close-reefed fore-and maintopsails and foretopmast -staysail, when the wind suddenly shifted into the southeast and blew -with terrific force, carrying away the foretopmast stays, sending the -foretopmast over the side, and making junk of the two topsails. Captain -Gardner had a good crew, and so soon as the weather moderated, he -rerigged his ship at sea, and took her into San Francisco as noted, in -112 days. - -Racing had now become close and exciting, and the fleet was so large -that it was not uncommon - -[Illustration: The “Comet”] - -for two or three ships to be in company at sea, each striving to outsail -the others. As we have seen, the _Flying Fish_ won the race this year, -and from one of the finest fleets of clippers that ever sailed from New -York. The match between her and the _John Gilpin_ was exceedingly close, -and taken altogether was one of the best ever sailed upon this famous -ocean course, the Derby of the sea. It was Samuel Hall against Donald -McKay, Justin Doane against Edward Nickels, and all against the fleet. - -The _John Gilpin_ sailed out past Sandy Hook, October 29, 1852, followed -by the _Flying Fish_ on November 1st, and before the green Highlands of -Neversink had disappeared below the horizon both ships were under a -cloud of canvas. The _Flying Fish_ fanned along through the doldrums and -crossed the equator 21 days from Sandy Hook, leading the _John Gilpin_ -by one day. From the line to 50° S., the _John Gilpin_ made the run in -23 days, passing the _Flying Fish_ and getting a clear lead of two days. -The _Flying Fish_ did some fine sailing here; dashing through the -Straits of Le Maire, she came up alongside the _John Gilpin_ just off -the Horn, and Nickels, ever famous for his jovial good-cheer, invited -Doane to come aboard and dine with him, “which invitation,” the _John -Gilpin’s_ log-book ruefully records, “I was reluctantly obliged to -decline.” This is perhaps the only instance of an invitation to dine out -being received off Cape Horn. Few men have had the opportunity to extend -such unique hospitality and certainly none could do so more heartily and -gracefully than the famous commander of the _Flying Fish_. His vessel -made the run from 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific in 7 -days, leading her rival by two days. From this point to the equator, the -_Flying Fish_ was 19 and the _John Gilpin_ 20 days. From here the _John -Gilpin_ showed remarkable speed, making the run to San Francisco in 15 -days, a total of 93 days, closely followed by the _Flying Fish_, 92 days -from Sandy Hook. Their abstract logs are as follows: - - _Flying Fish_ _John Gilpin_ - -Sandy Hook to the equator 21 days 24 days. -Equator to 50° S. 27 “ 23 “ -50° in the Atlantic to 50° S. in -Pacific 7 “ 11 “ -To the equator 19 “ 20 “ -Equator to San Francisco 18 “ 15 “ - -- -- -Total 92 “ 93 “ - -When we reflect that this match was sailed over a course of some 15,000 -miles, and that the difference of time was only twenty-four hours, one -is impressed with the perfection to which the models of the vessels had -been brought, as well as the exactness of the data relating to the winds -and currents that had been gathered and reduced to a system by Maury, -and with the skill of their captains, who were guided by his charts and -sailing directions. The average difference of sailing between these two -ships was less than six seconds per mile over the entire distance. Few -races over thirty-mile courses have been sailed by yachts more evenly -matched. - -No racing yachts have ever been handled with greater care and skill than -were these clipper ships over courses of thousands of miles. It was the -custom for the captains to change their clothes at eight o’clock in the -evening and at the same time in the morning, the exceptions being in -thick and stormy weather, when they would not be out of their clothes -perhaps for two or three days at a time. The officers and men of the -watch below were expected to be ready to tumble out on deck at a -moment’s notice to make or to shorten sail. The “old man” was very -likely to appear on deck at any moment, night or day, which kept the -officers in a high state of watchfulness. This was the only way in which -these ships could be sailed and make the passages they did. - -Another splendid match of this year, sailed to the eastward round the -Horn, was that between the _Northern Light_ and the _Contest_. The -_Contest_ was built by Jacob A. Westervelt and commanded by Captain -William Brewster, of Stonington, and was one of the fastest ships owned -by A. A. Low & Brother. She sailed from San Francisco for New York, -March 12, 1853, followed by the _Northern Light_ on the 13th, bound for -Boston. Off Cape Horn, the _Northern Light_ came up with and signalled -the _Contest_, and from there led her home by three days, the _Northern -Light_ being 76 days 5 hours to Boston Light, while the _Contest_ was 80 -days to Sandy Hook. In 1854 the _Comet_ made the passage from San -Francisco to New York in 76 days, these being the record passages from -San Francisco to Atlantic ports. - -On this famous passage the _Northern Light_ made the run from San -Francisco to Cape Horn in 38 days, and was off Rio Janeiro in 52 days, -thence to Boston Light in 24 days. Her best day’s run was 354 miles. She -made the round voyage to San Francisco and return, including detention -in port, in exactly seven months. Captain Hatch, her commander, was a -thorough clipper ship captain, who never allowed his ship to suffer for -want of canvas, and on this passage he brought his vessel across -Massachusetts Bay before a fresh easterly breeze, carrying her ringtail, -skysails, and studdingsails on both sides, alow and aloft, until she was -off Boston Light--a superb marine picture, and one seldom seen by -landsmen even in those days. - -No more beautiful sight can be imagined than a morning at sea, with -these magnificent vessels racing in mid-ocean, perhaps two or three of -them in sight at once; the sun rising amid golden clouds; the dark blue -sea flecked with glistening white caps; long, low black hulls cleaving a -pathway of sparkling foam; towering masts, and yards covered with snowy -canvas which bellies to the crisp morning breeze as if sculptured in -marble; the officers alert and keen for the contest; the African cook -showing his woolly head and grinning, good-natured face out through the -weather door of the galley, while the wholesome odor of steaming coffee -gladdens the hearts of officers and men. And after all, when has -anything ever tasted half so refreshing as a tin pot of hot coffee, -sweetened with molasses, under the lee of the weather bulwark, in the -chill dawn of the morning watch? - -The third mate walks over to the lee side and knocks the ashes out of -his pipe against the rail, and as the sparks fly far to leeward, like -falling stars among the foaming waves, he sings out, “Turn to there -forward and wash down decks; boatswain, take a pair of those gulpins and -rig the head pump; the rest of you get the gear triced up.” The watch, -with sand, buckets of water, and brooms, barefooted and with trousers -rolled up to their knees, begin to scrub and scrub and scrub. Then when -the sun has dried out ropes and canvas, the gear is swayed up fore and -aft, with watch tackles on the chain topsail sheets, and a hearty: - - “Way haul away, - Haul away the bowline, - Way haul away, Haul away, Joe!” - -The halliards are led along the deck fore and aft in the grip of clean -brawny fists with sinewy arms and broad backs behind them, the ordinary -seamen and boys tailing on, and perhaps the cook, steward, carpenter, -and sailmaker lending a hand, and all hands join in a ringing chorus of -the ocean, mingling in harmony with the clear sky, indigo-blue waves, -and the sea breeze purring aloft among the spars and rigging: - - “Oh, poor Reuben Ranzo, - Ranzo, boys, O Ranzo, - Oh, Ranzo was no sailor, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo. - So they shipped him aboard a whaler, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo, - And he could not do his duty, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo. - So the mate, he being a bad man, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo, - He led him to the gangway, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo, - And he gave him five-and-twenty, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo, - But the captain, he being a good man, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo, - He took him in the cabin, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo, - And he gave him wine and whiskey, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo, - And he learned him navigation, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo, - And now he’s Captain Ranzo, - Ranzo boys, O Ranzo.” - -Finally the mate’s clear, sharp order comes: “Belay there; clap a watch -tackle on the lee fore brace.” “Aye, aye, sir!” And so every sheet, -halliard, and brace is swayed up and tautened to the freshening breeze. -The gear is coiled up, the brasswork polished until it glistens in the -morning sun, the paintwork and gratings are wiped off, decks swabbed -dry, and the pumps manned to another rousing chanty: - - “London town is a-burning, - Oh, run with the bullgine, run. - Way, yay, way, yay, yar, - Oh, run with the bullgine, run.” - -The “old man” gets his morning sights, the log is hove, the wheel and -watch are relieved at eight bells, and the clipper is ready for another -day of stress and strain. - -Mornings like these bring keen appetites to officers and men, so the -watch below sit about on their chests in the forecastle or on the fore -hatch and dive into the mess kid with knives and spoons. It may be a -chunk of salt pork or cold salt beef, or what Rufus Choate, in one of -his flights of forensic eloquence, described as the “nutritious hash,” -“succulent lob-scouse,” or “palatable dandy funk,” with plenty of hard -tack in the bread barge, and all washed down with unlimited coffee. Not -quail on toast or devilled kidneys, to be sure, but good substantial -seamen’s food, upon which a man can work better at sea, grow stronger, -and become less tired than on any other. - -In the old days captains used to lay in large stocks of chickens, eggs, -etc., for their crews at Anjer Point, but before the ship was half-way -across the Indian Ocean, the men would begin to crow in the dog watch, -and come aft in a body, asking that their salt junk might be restored to -them. In those days, as now, salmon were plentiful in California, but -their introduction on board the clipper ships failed to tempt the -appetites of sailormen when off soundings. They said they liked salt -junk a good deal better. Besides, it gave them something to growl -about--for sailors knew how to curse junk according to traditions -approved by generations of jackies, but when it came to chickens and -salmon they were at a loss for sufficiently vigorous and appropriate -expletives to express their disgust. There used to be a yarn about an -old shellback who, in a cross-examination, was asked by a smart Boston -lawyer whether the crew did not have enough to eat. The mariner replied, -“Well, yes, your honor, there was enough of it, such as it was”; and -upon further inquiry as to the quality of the food, he answered, “Now, -you see, sir, it was like this: the food was good enough, what there was -of it.” And this summed up a sailor’s idea of food and pretty much -everything else, in those days. - -The building of clipper ships in the United States reached its zenith in -1853. In that year forty-eight clippers were added to the California -fleet, and the wild excitement of building, owning, and racing these -splendid ships was at its height. Every one who had capital to invest -wanted one, or at least shares in one, and the ship-building yards were -taxed to their utmost capacity. It should be remembered also that there -was a great deal of other ship-building going on in the United States -besides the clippers, and that captains, officers, and crews for such a -large number of vessels were by no means easy to obtain. - -In this year Donald McKay built the _Empress of the Seas_ and _Romance -of the Seas_; William H. Webb, the _Fly Away_, _Snap Dragon_, and _Young -America_; Jacob A. Westerwelt, the _Cathay_ and _Sweepstakes_; Samuel -Hall, the second _Oriental_, the _Amphitrite_, and _Mystery_; Greenman & -Co., the _David Crockett_; Roosevelt & Joyce, the _David Brown_; John -Currier, the _Guiding Star_; Thomas Collier, the second _Panama_; J. W. - -[Illustration: The “Young America”] - -Cox, the _Red Gauntlet_; Briggs Brothers, the _John Land_ and _Golden -Light_; and Toby & Littlefield, the _Morning Star_--all beautiful ships, -the pride of their owners and captains. - -The _Romance of the Seas_, owned by George B. Upton, of Boston, was the -last extreme clipper ship built by Donald McKay for the California -trade. She was a beautiful vessel, with extremely fine lines, heavily -sparred, and proved an exceedingly fast ship in moderate weather. -Captain Dumaresq was in command on her first voyage to San Francisco. -She was 1782 tons register; length 240 feet, breadth 39 feet 6 inches, -depth 29 feet 6 inches. The _Sweepstakes_, owned by Grinnell, Minturn & -Co., and designed by Daniel Westervelt, a son of Jacob A. Westervelt, -was a very sharp and handsome ship, and was the last extreme clipper -built in the Westervelt yard. She made three passages from New York to -San Francisco averaging 106 days. Captain George Lane, who commanded her -for a number of years, was subsequently a commander in the Pacific Mail -between San Francisco and China, and later became the agent of the -company at Hong-kong. - -The _Young America_, the last extreme clipper built by William H. Webb, -was owned by George Daniels, of New York, and for several years was -commanded by Captain David Babcock. This ship was 1962 tons register; -length 236 feet 6 inches, breadth 42 feet, depth 28 feet 6 inches. She -proved an excellent and fast vessel. Among her many fine passages may be -mentioned: from New York to San Francisco, 103, 107, 110, 112, 117, and -116 days, and from San Francisco to New York, 92, 97, 85, 101, 103, and -83 days; San Francisco to Liverpool, 103 and 106 days; Liverpool to San -Francisco, 117, 111, and 99 days; and twenty consecutive passages from -New York to San Francisco averaging 117 days. Her best performance, -however, was from 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific, in -the record time of 6 days. She, too, was an exceedingly handsome ship, -and was Mr. Webb’s favorite among all the splendid ships constructed by -him. After thirty years’ continuous service in the San Francisco trade, -during which she is said to have rounded Cape Horn over fifty times, she -was finally sold to a firm in Austria, upon condition that her name -should be changed. She then became known as the _Miroslav_ and foundered -with all hands in 1888, while bound from Philadelphia to a European -port. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE “GREAT REPUBLIC” AND THE “DREADNOUGHT” - - -Two other ships built in 1853 deserve notice here, though they were not -constructed for the California trade. They were Donald McKay’s _Great -Republic_ and the famous packet ship _Dreadnought_. - -For some time Mr. McKay had contemplated building a ship for the -Australian trade, but failing to find any one to join in the -undertaking, and stimulated by the success of the _Sovereign of the -Seas_, he resolved to build her for himself. This vessel was the _Great -Republic_, the largest extreme clipper ship ever built. She attracted -universal attention from the fact of her being by far the largest -merchant ship constructed up to that time, and also, among those -interested in shipping, on account of the excellence of her construction -and her majestic beauty. - -This vessel was 4555 tons register, and measured: length 335 feet, -breadth 53 feet, depth 38 feet. She had four decks, the upper or spar -deck being flush with the covering board and protected by a rail on -turned oak stanchions. She carried a fifteen horse-power engine on deck -to hoist the yards and to work the pumps, this being the first time an -engine was put aboard a sailing ship for these purposes. She had four -masts with Forbes’s rig[10] on the fore-, main-, and mizenmasts, the -after-or spankermast being barque-rigged. - -October 4, 1853, was a proud day for Boston. Business was suspended, and -the schools were closed in order that every one might have an -opportunity to see the launch of the _Great Republic_. People flocked -from far and near. It was estimated that thirty thousand persons crossed -by ferry to East Boston, while Chelsea Bridge, the Navy Yard at -Charlestown, and the wharves at the north end of the city were thronged -by at least as many more. The shipping at the Navy Yard was gayly -dressed with bunting, and the harbor was filled with steamers and -pleasure boats crowded with people. It was a beautiful day, with a clear -blue sky, bright sunshine, and a gentle westerly breeze. - -All the staging used in the construction of the ship had been removed, -leaving her in full view as she rested upon the ways. Her long black -hull had no ornament except a beautifully carved eagle’s head where the -sweep of her raking stem and the sharp lines of her bow intersected, and -across her handsome stern the American eagle with extended wings, under -which her name and port of hail were carved in plain block letters. She -had the same graceful sheer, finely formed midship section, and -beautifully moulded ends that had been seen in this yard in the -_Stag-Hound_, _Flying Cloud_, _Bald Eagle_, _Westward Ho_, _Flying -Fish_, and _Sovereign of the Seas_, only on a much larger scale; indeed, -from end to end she looked the out-and-out clipper. Spars were erected -at the mast partners, and from the main she carried a long coach-whip -pennant and a large white flag with the arms of the United States in the -centre; from the other three spars she flew large United States ensigns, -and from a staff on her bowsprit, the Union Jack. - -The sun gleamed and sparkled upon her smooth, bright yellow-metal -sheathing, when at twelve o’clock the signal was given and the shores -fell, to the wild chorus of topmauls, so well known in every Atlantic -port fifty years ago. She moved slowly at first; then, gathering way, -fairly leaped into the sea, amid smoke and fire from the burning ways, -the roar of artillery, the music of bands, and the cheers of the vast -multitude. So swiftly did she leave the ways that two anchors and the -powerful steamer _R. B. Forbes_ barely succeeded in bringing her up, -close to Chelsea Bridge. The _Great Republic_ was named by Captain Alden -Gifford, who performed the ceremony by breaking a bottle of Cochituate -water over her bow as she began to move along the ways. This was an -innovation that created much comment at the time, and was permitted by -Mr. McKay in deference to the wishes of Deacon Moses Grant and a number -of energetic Boston women who were pushing the temperance movement and -desired to advertise their wares. - -During the afternoon she was towed under the shears at the Navy Yard to -receive her masts, yards, and rigging, and the work of fitting them was -done under the supervision of Lauchlan McKay, her captain. As no vessel -before or since ever had such enormous spars, their dimensions are -interesting enough to be given in full: - -Masts Diameters Lengths Mastheads - Inches Feet Feet - -Fore 44 130 36 -Top 24 76 12 -Topgallant 18 28 0 -Royal 15 22 0 -Skysail 11 19 Pole 12 -Main 44 131 36 -Top 24 76 12 -Topgallant 18 28 0 -Royal 15 22 0 -Skysail 11 19 Pole 12 -Mizen 40 122 33 -Top 22 69 10 -Topgallant 16 22 0 -Royal 10 19 0 -Skysail 8 15 Pole 8 - - -Yards Yardarms - -Fore 26 110 6 -Lower topsail 24 90 5 -Upper topsail 19 76 4½ -Topgallant 15 62 4 -Royal 12 51 3½ -Skysail 9 40 3 -Main 28 120 6 -Lower topsail 24 92 5 -Upper topsail 19 76 4 -Topgallant 15 62 4 -Royal 12 51 3½ -Skysail 9 40 3 -Crossjack 24 90 5 -Lower mizentopsail 19 76 4½ -Upper mizentopsail 15 62 4 -Topgallant 12 51 3½ -Royal 9 40 3 -Skysail 6 29 2 - -The spankermast, nowadays called the jigger, was 26 inches in diameter, -110 feet long, including 14 feet head, and the topmast was 40 feet long -divided at 15 and 10 feet above the cap, for the gaff-topsail and -gaff-topgallantsail. The spanker boom was 40 feet long, including 2 feet -end, and the gaff 34 feet, including 8 feet end. The bowsprit was 44 -inches in diameter and 30 feet out-board; the jibboom 23 inches in -diameter, and 18 feet outside of the cap, and the flying jibboom was 14 -feet long including 6 feet end. Her fore and main rigging and fore-and -maintopmast backstays were 12½ inch, four-stranded Russian hemp rope, -wormed, and served over the eye and over the ends to the leading trucks. -The mizen rigging and mizentopmast rigging were of eight-inch rope. - -It was Mr. McKay’s intention to put the _Great Republic_ into the -Australian trade in competition with the British clippers that were then -coming out, and when her rigging and outfit were completed, she was -towed to New York by the _R. B. Forbes_ and placed in the hands of -Grinnell, Minturn & Co., who began loading her for Liverpool at the foot -of Dover Street, East River. Thousands of people came to see this -splendid ship, including the Governor of New York, members of the -Legislature, and other prominent citizens. The season was favorable for -a rapid passage across the Atlantic, and it was confidently predicted -that the _Great Republic_ would make a record run to Liverpool. - -She was nearly ready for sea with all her sails bent below the royals, -when, on the night of December 26, 1853, a fire broke out in Front -Street, one block from where the vessel lay, and nearly in line with her -as the wind was then blowing. At a little past midnight the watchman -called the second mate, as sparks were flying across and falling in all -directions about the ship. All hands were at once called and stationed -with buckets of water in various parts of the ship; men were sent into -the fore-, main-, and mizentops, and whips were rove to send up buckets -of water. Soon the foresail burst into flames, and one by one the -topsails and topgallantsails took fire. Every effort was made to cut the -sails from the yards, but the men were driven back exhausted, and the -firemen, who by this time had arrived with their engines, refused to -work on board or near the ship for fear of falling blocks and gear. - -Captain McKay, and Captain Ellis, representing the underwriters, had a -hurried consultation, and it was decided, in order to save the hull, to -cut away the masts. The fore-and foretopmast stays and rigging were cut -and the mast went over the side into the dock; the topmast in falling -broke short off and came down, end on, through three decks. The main-and -mizenmasts were next cut away, and in falling, crushed boats, -deck-houses, and rails, and disabled the steam-engine. At this time the -decks were a mass of burning yards, masts, sails, and rigging. The -firemen now got to work, and toward morning succeeded in putting out the -fire on deck. - -The firemen had left, and it was supposed that the hull and cargo were -safe, when suddenly smoke was discovered coming from the hold, and it -was found that the burning foretopmast in falling through the decks had -set fire to the cargo. This fire had gained such headway that it was -beyond control; the ship was therefore scutted in three places and sunk -ten feet when she took the bottom. Every means was used to extinguish -the fire, but she burned for two days until the flames reached the -water’s edge. After the fire had burned itself out a coffer-dam was -built and the wreck floated by means of steam pumps. It was found that a -portion of her cargo of grain had swollen to such an extent as to start -the knees and beams of the lower hold, and that the hull was otherwise -badly strained and buckled. She was therefore condemned and abandoned to -the underwriters. The ships _Joseph Walker_ and _White Squall_ were also -destroyed in this fire. - -The wreck of the _Great Republic_ was subsequently sold by the -underwriters to Captain N. B. Palmer and taken to Greenpoint, Long -Island, to be rebuilt by Sneeden & Whitlock, and she eventually became -the property of A. A. Low & Brother. The rebuilding occupied more than a -year, and when the _Great Republic_ again appeared, much of the original -beauty of her hull had been restored. The spar-deck had not been -replaced, but her freeboard was nearly the same, as the height of the -bulwarks was only a little below the former upper deck, and the same -sheer line had been preserved. Forward, the eagle’s head which had been -destroyed was replaced by a carved billet head and scrool, and her bow -was still exceedingly handsome. A great change had been wrought aloft; -her sail plan had been cut down and all of her spars greatly reduced in -length--the fore-and mainmasts 17 feet, the fore-and main-yards 20 feet, -and all other spars in proportion. She still carried four masts, but her -rig had been changed to Howes’s double topsail yards. - -As rebuilt the _Great Republic_ registered 3357 tons, and was still the -largest merchant ship of her time, - -[Illustration: The “Great Republic”] - -but her reduced rig required only one half the number of hands to handle -it--fifty able seamen and fifteen ordinary seamen and boys. It was for -this purpose that her sail plan had been cut down, as freights were -beginning to slacken and the tide of economy was setting in. It is to be -regretted that she could not have made a few voyages under her original -rig, as her performance in strong winds under the reduced rig left -little room for doubt that she would have proved, what Mr. McKay -intended her to be, the swiftest sailing ship ever built. - -The _Great Republic_ sailed on her first voyage, February 21, 1855, -commanded by Captain Limeburner, and made the run from Sandy Hook to -Land’s End in thirteen days. On her arrival at London, three days later, -she was obliged to lie in the Thames, as no dock was large enough to -take her. She was subsequently chartered by the French Government as a -troop ship during the Crimean War, and carried 1600 British soldiers -from Liverpool to Marseilles. During the Civil War, she was chartered by -the United States Government as a troop ship, and was one of the -transports in Butler’s expedition to Ship Island. - -The burning of the _Great Republic_ was a severe blow to Donald McKay, -from which he never fully recovered, but he soon began to bring out -Australian clippers, some of which proved quite as famous as the ships -he had previously constructed. - -The well-known packet ship _Dreadnought_ also came out in 1853. She was -built by Currier & Townsend at Newburyport, and was 1413 tons register; -length 210 feet, breadth 40 feet, depth 26 feet. This ship was owned by -Governor E. D. Morgan, Francis B. Cutting, David Ogden, and others, of -New York, who subscribed to build her for Captain Samuel Samuels. He -superintended her construction and under his able command she made some -remarkably quick voyages between New York and Liverpool, sailing in -David Ogden’s Red Cross Line, with the _Victory_, _Racer_, and -_Highflyer_. - -Captain Samuels was born in Philadelphia in 1823 and went to sea when he -was eleven years old, and a narrative of his adventures afloat and on -shore is contained in his interesting memoirs entitled, _From the -Forecastle to the Cabin_, published in 1887. He was a most amiable and -entertaining companion, full of good humor and penetrating wit. He also -cherished a belief in the uplifting influence of an enterprising press -agent, and perhaps no merchant ship of modern times has been better -advertised than the _Dreadnought_. She sailed on her first voyage from -New York for Liverpool, December 15, 1853, and from that date until her -arrival at New York, January 28, 1855, had made eight passages between -New York and Liverpool, the average time of her eastern passages being -21 days 15 hours, and her western passages 24 days 12 hours from dock to -dock. - -Captain Samuels commanded the _Dreadnought_ for ten years, and during -that time she made from seventy to eighty passages across the Atlantic, -and must have had ample opportunity to make fast voyages and day’s runs. -The following abstracts from the logs of her best passages are therefore -of interest: - -She sailed from New York for Liverpool, November 20, 1854; passed Sandy -Hook at 6.30 P.M. and ran to noon, November 21st, 120 miles; 22d, 57 -miles; 23d, 225 miles; 24th, 300 miles; 25th, 175 miles; 26th, 125 -miles; 27th, 250 miles; 28th, 263 miles; 29th, 240 miles; 30th, 270 -miles; December 1st, 242 miles; 2d, 222 miles; 3d, 212 miles; 4th, 320 -miles. Total 3071 miles. The log records: - -At noon on the 4th took a pilot off Point Lynas; was detained eight -hours for want of water on the bar; arrived in the Mersey at 10 P.M.; -thus making the passage in 14 days 4 hours, apparent time. Deducting -eight hours for detention by tide at the bar, and also deducting the -difference of longitude, 4 hours and 45 minutes, gives the mean or true -time of passage, 13 days 11 hours and 15 minutes. Average speed for the -passage, 9½ miles per hour. On this passage, the _Dreadnought_ was off -Cape Clear, Ireland, in 12 days 12 hours from Sandy Hook. - -She sailed from New York, May 4, 1855, and arrived at Liverpool May -20th; passage recorded as 15 days 12 hours. - -She sailed from Sandy Hook, January 24, 1856 (time not given), and ran -to noon, January 25th, 345 miles; 26th, 312 miles; 27th, 252 miles; -28th, 223 miles; 29th, violent gale, drifted 90 miles west-southwest; -30th, 115 miles; 31st, 212 miles; February 1st, 228 miles; 2d, 208 -miles; 3d, 185 miles; 4th, 238 miles; 5th, 252 miles; 6th, 244 miles; -7th, 212 miles; 8th, off Point Lynas. Hove-to until daylight for pilot -and tide. Total distance run 3116 miles in 14 days, or an average of 222 -miles per day. - -The _Dreadnought_ sailed from New York, February 27, 1859; at 3 P.M. -discharged pilot, and ran to noon, February 28th, 200 miles; wind south -to west-northwest, brisk breezes. March 1st, 293 miles; west-northwest -fresh breezes. 2d, 262 miles; northwest to north-northwest brisk gales -and snow-squalls. 3d, 208 miles; north-northwest to north heavy gales -and snow-squalls. 4th, 178 miles; north-northeast to north heavy gales -and snow-squalls. 5th, 218 miles; north to north-northeast heavy gales -and snow-squalls. 6th, 133 miles; northeast to south light breezes. 7th, -282 miles; south-southeast brisk breezes and clear. 8th, 313 miles; -south-southwest to south fresh breezes and clear. 9th, 268 miles; south -to southeast brisk gales. 10th, 205 miles; southeast to southwest brisk -breezes and squally. 11th, 308 miles; south to southwest strong breeze -and squally. 12th, 150 miles; southwest, thick weather. Distance sailed -from Sandy Hook to the Northwest Lightship, 3018 miles; passage 13 days -8 hours, mean time. - -It was during this passage that the _Dreadnought_ is supposed to have -made the run from Sandy Hook to Queenstown in 9 days 17 hours, but an -analysis of the abstract log shows that 9 days 21 hours after -discharging her pilot to the eastward of Sandy Hook she was not within -400 miles of Queenstown. - -How this mythical tale originated, is difficult to imagine, but it has -been passed along from one scribe to another these many years, until at -last it has reached the dignity of an “historical fact,” having recently -been embalmed in an encyclopedia. Curiously enough, Captain Samuels -appears to be - -[Illustration: The “Dreadnought”] - -almost the only person who has written about the _Dreadnought_ who does -not refer to this fable. In his memoirs, he makes no mention of it. - -The best passage to the westward made by the _Dreadnought_ was in 1854, -when she ran from the Rock Light, Liverpool, to Sandy Hook in 19 days -While it cannot be said that the _Dreadnought_ ever made the fastest -passage of a sailing vessel between New York and Liverpool, as the -records in this respect are held by the _Red Jacket_, Captain Asa -Eldridge, from Sandy Hook to the Rock Light, in 13 days 1 hour, in 1854, -and by the _Andrew Jackson_, Captain John Williams, from Rock Light to -Sandy Hook in 15 days, in 1860, still the uniform speed of the -_Dreadnought’s_ many voyages entitles her to a high place among the -celebrated packet ships of the past. - -The _Dreadnought_ was a strikingly handsome and well-designed, though by -no means a sharp ship. Her masts, yards, sails, ironwork, blocks, and -standing and running rigging were of the best material and were always -carefully looked after. She was a ship that would stand almost any -amount of driving in heavy weather, and her fast passages were in a -measure due to this excellent quality, though mainly to the unceasing -vigilance and splendid seamanship of her commander. She was wrecked in -1869 while under the command of Captain P. N. Mayhew; her crew were -rescued after being adrift fourteen days in the boats, but the noble old -packet ship went to pieces among the rugged cliffs and crags and roaring -breakers of Cape Horn. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -AMERICAN CLIPPERS OF 1854 AND 1855 - - -During the year 1854 no less than twenty passages were made from -Atlantic ports to San Francisco in 110 days or less. The _Flying Cloud_ -repeated her famous record passage of 89 days, and was followed by the -_Romance of the Seas_, 96 days; _Witchcraft_, 97 days; _David Brown_, 98 -days, and _Hurricane_, 99 days. The abstract log of the _Flying Cloud_ -is as follows: - -Sandy Hook to the equator 17 days. -Equator to 50° South 25 “ -From 50° South in the Atlantic to 50° - South in the Pacific 12 “ -To the equator 20 “ -To San Francisco 15 “ - -- -Total 89 “ - -On this passage the _Flying Cloud_ gave a fine example of her sailing -qualities. She sailed eight days after the _Archer_, also an exceedingly -fast ship, and led her into San Francisco by nine days. Captain Creesy -received a grand ovation on this, his second record passage, and the -merchants of San Francisco, always generous and hospitable, vied with -each other to do him honor. Upon his return to New York, a banquet was -given him at the Astor House, then the finest hotel in the city, and a -splendid service of silver plate was presented to him by the New York -and Boston Marine Underwriters. - -The _Romance of the Seas_ sailed from Boston two days after the _David -Brown_, commanded by Captain George Brewster, of Stonington, had passed -out by Sandy Hook, but came up with her off the coast of Brazil. From -this point they were frequently in company for days together, finally -passing through the Golden Gate side by side, March 23, 1854. After -discharging their cargoes, they again passed out of the Golden Gate -together, this time bound for Hong-kong, and while they were not in -company during this passage of 45 days, they anchored in Hong-kong -harbor on the same day and almost at the same hour. The log of the -_Romance of the Seas_ records that skysails and royal studdingsails were -set just outside the Golden Gate and were not taken in during the -passage until entering the harbor of Hong-kong. - -It is difficult to realize the intense interest with which these clipper -ship races were regarded in those days; and it is doubtful whether at -the present day any branch of sport inspires so much wholesome, -intelligent enthusiasm as did these splendid ocean matches of the old -clippers. - -In this year a change came over the California trade. The wild rush to -the mines had subsided, and the markets of San Francisco, while not -over-stocked, were so sufficiently and regularly supplied as to render -great speed in the transportation of merchandise unnecessary; the rates -of freight had therefore declined, but were still good. Twenty ships, -the last of the extreme clippers, were built in 1854 for the California -trade, including some which became celebrated, such as the _Canvasback_, -_Fleetwing_, _Grace Darling_, _Harvey Birch_, _Nabob_, _Nonpareil_, -_Ocean Telegraph_, _Rattler_, _Robin Hood_, and _Sierra Nevada_; but we -miss from among the ship-builders of this year the names of Donald -McKay, William H. Webb, Samuel Hall, Jacob A. Westervelt, and George -Raynes, none of whom brought out California clippers. - -Although no more extreme clippers were built for the California trade -after 1854, a fine class of ships, known as medium clippers, was -constructed, some of which proved exceedingly fast, and remarkable -passages continued to be made. Many of these medium clippers would be -considered very sharp and heavily sparred vessels at the present time. - -The _Sunny South_, of 703 tons register, was one of the prettiest -clippers ever launched at New York, and was the only sailing ship built -by George Steers, the designer of the yacht _America_, steam frigate -_Niagara_, and Collins Line steamship _Adriatic_. She was built for the -China trade, was launched at Williamsburg, September 7, 1854; was owned -by Napier, Johnson & Co., and was commanded by Captain Michael Gregory. -It is a singular fact that while this ship was well known to possess -great speed when in company with other clippers, yet she never made a -passage worthy of being recorded, and was not a very successful ship -financially; although the product of the skill of a designer, who, dying -in early manhood, left a name so interwoven with his country’s triumphs -upon the sea that it can never be forgotten. - -In 1859, the _Sunny South_ was sold at Havana, her name being changed to -_Emanuela_. At that time her royal studdingsail booms and skysail masts -and yards were removed. On August 10, 1860, she was seized in the -Mozambique Channel flying the Chilian flag, with a cargo of slaves on -board, by the British man-of-war _Brisk_, and the following particulars -of her capture are given by one of the officers of that vessel: - -“At 11:30 A.M. on the 10th of August last, as Her Majesty’s ship -_Brisk_, Captain De Horsey, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral the Hon. -Sir Henry Keppel, K. C. B., was running to the northward in the -Mozambique Channel, a sail was reported as seen from the masthead. Steam -was got up without delay, and sail made in chase. It being hazy, the -stranger was shortly lost sight of. When the weather had partially -cleared the stranger was reported four points on our starboard bow, and -the ship’s course was altered in that direction. We were now going -eleven knots and a half, and the Captain, feeling that it must be -something out of the common that would alter bearings at that distance -in so short a time, proceeded himself with his glass to the foretopmast -head, officers mounting the rigging. - -“That a general excitement prevailed was evident from the manner in -which our sails were trimmed, taken in, and set again. Hottentots and -landsmen, who on other occasions only looked at ropes, now laid hold of -them with a will. The Captain’s order from the masthead to keep away -two points showed that he had observed something suspicious--in fact, he -had noticed a sudden alteration in the course of the chase, and -pronounced her to be a long, rakish-looking ship, too large to be a -slaver, but thought there was something very suspicious in the sudden -alteration of her course, her crowd of sail, and the unusual number of -staysails. - -“At about 3 P.M. we could see her hull from the deck, and, carrying with -us a fresh breeze, while she was in the doldrums, we closed on her -rapidly. When within half a mile we hoisted our colors, when every glass -was pointed toward her peak, and all sorts of conjectures were made as -to what colors she would show. No one could imagine that so large a -vessel could be a slaver. - -“On closing under her lee, and when within a cable’s length, a white -package was thrown from her side into the sea; and the experienced then -exclaimed, ‘A slaver, and there go her papers!’ A few minutes more, and -we sheered up alongside to leeward of as beautiful model of a ship as -ever was seen. Some forty dejected looking individuals, apparently a -mixture of all nations, stood on her deck; still no colors, nor did she -appear inclined to shorten sail or heave-to. The Captain then determined -to run ahead and lower the quarter-boats to drop down and board; and as -this manœuvre was being carried out a blank gun caused her to square the -mainyard, which she did with studding-sails hanging to the yard, and -luffed up into the wind. - -[Illustration: - -The “Brisk” The “Emanuela” -] - -“It was an anxious five minutes to those on board while the boats were -away. A small white British ensign run up at her peak showed that she -was a prize, and a voice hailed us, ‘Eight hundred and fifty slaves on -board!’” - -In 1855 the California fleet was increased by the building of thirteen -medium clipper ships, among which were the _Andrew Jackson_, _Carrier -Dove_, _Charmer_, _Daring_, _Herald of the Morning_, _Mary Whitridge_, -and _Ocean Express_. Only three passages were made from Atlantic ports -to San Francisco during this year in 100 days or less; the _Herald of -the Morning_, from New York, 99 days; _Neptune’s Car_, from New York, -and _Westward Ho_, from Boston, each 100 days. Thirteen ships made the -passage in over 100 days and less than 110 days; among them being the -_Boston Light_, from Boston, 102 days; the _Cleopatra_ and _Red Rover_, -from New York, each 107 days; the _Flying Cloud_, from New York, and -_Meteor_ and _Don Quixote_, from Boston, each 108 days; the _Flying -Fish_, two passages from Boston in 109 and 105 days, and the _Governor -Morton_, from New York in 104 days. - -This was Captain Creesy’s last voyage in the _Flying Cloud_, and he now -retired to his home in Salem until 1861, when he was appointed a -Commander in the United States Navy and assigned to the clipper ship -_Ino_. She carried a crew of eighty men from Marblehead, and on her -second cruise in 1862 made the record run of twelve days from New York -to Cadiz. Captain Creesy subsequently commanded the clipper ship -_Archer_, and made two voyages to China. He died at Salem in 1871, in -his fifty-seventh year. So long as the American clipper ships and their -brilliant exploits hold a place in the memory of man, the names of -Josiah Creesy and the _Flying Cloud_ will be remembered with pride. - -The _Mary Whitridge_ became one of the most famous of the clippers -launched in 1855. She was built in Baltimore, where she was owned by -Thomas Whitridge & Co., and was commanded by Captain Robert B. -Cheesborough, also of that port. She was 877 tons register; length 168 -feet, breadth 34 feet, depth 21 feet. On her first voyage she made the -remarkable run of 13 days 7 hours from Cape Charles to the Rock Light, -Liverpool. She was engaged for many years in the China trade under the -command of Captain Benjamin F. Cutler and bore the reputation of being -the finest and fastest ship sailing out of Baltimore. - -At this time an important development took place in the California -trade. It had been found that the fertile soil of the Pacific slope -could be made to yield other treasures than gold, and in May, 1855, the -barque _Greenfield_, Captain Follansbee, loaded the first consignment of -wheat exported from California, consisting of 4752 bags. She was soon -followed by the _Charmer_, commanded by Captain Lucas, which loaded a -full cargo of 1400 tons of wheat for New York at $28 per ton freight. -The export of wheat in sailing vessels rapidly increased, enabling ships -to earn freights out and home, and this continued for many years. - -In 1855 Donald McKay built three fine medium clipper ships, the -_Defender_, _Amos Lawrence_, and _Abbott Lawrence_, which remind us that -a number of Boston ships bore the names of her distinguished citizens. -There were the _Thomas H. Perkins_, _Rufus Choate_, _Starr King_, -_Edward Everett_, _R. B. Forbes_, _Enoch Train_, _John E. Thayer_, -_George Peabody_, _Samuel Appleton_, _Robert C. Winthrop_, _Russell -Sturgis_, and perhaps others now forgotten. There were already a ship, a -barque, two brigs, and two schooners named the _Daniel Webster_, besides -several steamboats and tugs and a pilot-boat; hence, the owners of ships -who were desirous of honoring the great statesman were obliged to adopt -some other means of expressing their admiration, and since Webster was -known as the Defender of the Constitution and also as the Expounder of -that document, there were two ships named the _Defender_ and the -_Expounder_. Some one suggested that the latter ship might, perhaps, -have been named in honor of Yankee Sullivan, a noted prize-fighter then -retired from the ring. - -The _Defender_ was 1413 tons register, and carried a splendid -full-length figurehead of Daniel Webster. She was owned by D. S. Kendall -and H. P. Plympton, of Boston, and was commanded by Captain Isaac -Beauchamp. - -My object in drawing attention to this vessel is to mention a notable -gathering at Mr. McKay’s house on the day of her launch, July 27, 1855. -The leading merchants of Boston and their families were his guests on -that occasion, and speeches were made by the Hon. Edward Everett, -ex-Mayor, the Hon. Benjamin Seaver, and Enoch Train. In the course of -his address, Mr. Everett remarked: “I was at a loss, I confess, to -comprehend the secret of the great success which has attended our friend -and host. Forty-two ships, I understand, he has built--all vessels such -as we have seen to-day. I do not mean that they were all as large, but -they were as well constructed and looked as splendidly, as they rode on -the waves. Forty-two vessels![11] No one else, certainly, has done more -than our friend to improve the commercial marine of this country, and it -has long seemed to me that there was a mystery about it. But since I -have been under this roof to-day, I have learned the secret of -it--excellent family government, and a good helpmeet to take counsel -with and encouragement from. A fair proportion of the credit and praise -for this success is, I am sure, due to our amiable and accomplished -hostess [Cheers]. I congratulate also the father of our host, the father -of such a family. He has, I am told, fourteen sons and daughters, and -fifty grandchildren. Nine of the latter were born during the last year. -I wish to know, my friends, if you do not call that being a good -citizen!” - -When the _Abbott Lawrence_ was launched, in October of the same year. -Mr. McKay was called upon to respond to the toast, “In memory of Abbott -Lawrence,” and his brief speech has fortunately been preserved: - -“Ladies and gentlemen: I regret my inability - -[Illustration: Donald McKay] - -to do justice to the name that is honored and respected in every part of -the civilized world. My speech is rude and uncultivated, but my -feelings, I trust, are warm and true, and could I express those -feelings, I would tell you how much I honor the memory of Abbott -Lawrence. I know you all honor it, for you all knew him, and to know him -was to love him. Love begets love. He loved our common country as a -statesman of enlarged and liberal views, and our state and city as the -scene of his personal labors. In Massachusetts he commenced his career; -here he toiled and triumphed, here he has bequeathed the richest tokens -of his love, and here all of him that can die mingles with the soil. He -was not only a great man, but a good man. In every relation of life, he -was a model for imitation. Ever be his memory green in the hearts of his -countrymen. When the ship which bears his name shall have been worn out -by the storms and the vicissitudes of the sea, may another, and another, -and so on, till the end of time, perpetuate it upon the ocean, for he -was the patron and friend of commerce as well as of the other great -interests of the state. In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I again -give you the memory of Abbott Lawrence. May his name and noble example -never be forgotten.” - -This speech seems to me to be most interesting, as showing the natural -refinement of a mind destitute of the culture of even a common-school -education, or perhaps it would be nearer the truth to say, a mind that -had escaped the restraining influence of the pedagogue. - - “Yet is remembrance sweet, - Though well I know - The days of childhood - Are but days of woe; - Some rude restraint, - Some petty tyrant sours - What else should be - Our sweetest blithest hours.” - -These lugubrious lines found no echo in the early life of Donald McKay, -for his boyhood was passed in earnest, healthy toil, and filled with a -keen desire for knowledge, while his manhood had known the joy of -well-earned success. - -After the _Abbott Lawrence_, Mr. McKay built the medium clippers -_Minnehaha_, _Baltic_, _Adriatic_, _Mastiff_, and barque _Henry Hill_, -all in 1856; the _Alhambra_, 1857; the _Helen Morris_, and second -_Sovereign of the Seas_, 1868, and the _Glory of the Seas_, 1869. During -the Civil War, he built for the United States Government, the iron -gunboat _Ashuelot_, the ironclad monitor _Nausett_, the wooden gunboats -_Trefoil_ and _Yucca_, and the sloop of war _Adams_. In 1877 he retired -to his farm at Hamilton, Massachusetts, and there he died, September 20, -1880, in the seventy-first year of his age. - -Donald McKay was a man of untiring energy and industry. He was a rapid -and skilful draughtsman and designed and superintended the construction -of every vessel that he built. This may also be said of almost every -ship-builder of that period, but Mr. McKay’s skill, the result of an -intuitive perception ripened by experience, gave him a peculiar insight -not only into how to create, but into what to create, and it was this -genius that made him pre-eminent as a builder of clipper ships. He was a -born artist and his ships were the finest expression of mechanical art. -They are entitled to a place in the realm of fine arts far more than -much of the merchandise that claims that distinction. - -Mr. McKay was of a generous nature, and liberally rewarded the men who -assisted him, and he was ever ready to lend a helping hand to those less -fortunate than himself. So soon as he began to prosper he sent for his -parents and made a new home for them at East Boston, and their comfort -and happiness were always his care and greatest pleasure. In his later -years he endured misfortune and ingratitude with the same sturdy -sweetness and equanimity that he had shown in the days when fortune -smiled. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -AUSTRALIAN VOYAGES, 1851-1854 - - -The years between 1849 and 1856 were perhaps the most prosperous that -ship-owners and ship-builders have ever known. The discovery of gold in -Australia in 1851 had much the same effect as that in California in -1848, and people flocked to Melbourne from all parts of the world. There -was this difference, however, that whereas passengers went to -California, after the first rush, by steamers via Panama, and the mails -and gold were always transported by this route, all the Australian -passengers, mails, and gold were for a considerable period carried by -sailing vessels. The extent of this traffic may be judged from the fact -that the yield of the gold fields up to December 30, 1852, a little more -than a year after their discovery, was estimated at £16,000,000 -sterling, or $80,000,000. Prior to 1851 the emigration to the Australian -colonies had been about 100,000 persons per annum, while the average -between 1851 and 1854 was 340,000 annually. The transportation of these -passengers alone required an enormous amount of tonnage, so that the -discovery of gold in Australia gave an additional impulse to clipper -ship building. - -At this time the proper route to ports on that part of the globe had -only just become known, although British ships had been sailing to and -from Australia and New Zealand for many years, taking out emigrants and -bringing back wool. They usually called at the Cape of Good Hope both -outward and homeward bound, this being the route recommended by the -Admiralty. One of the most important services rendered by Lieutenant -Maury was his careful research in this matter, which resulted in an -entire revolution of both outward and homeward tracks. Instead of -sailing near the Cape of Good Hope outward bound, he discovered that a -ship would find stronger and more favorable winds from 600 to 800 miles -to the westward, then continuing her course southward to 48°, she would -fall in with the prevailing westerly gales and long rolling seas in -which to run her easting down. It was in this region that the Australian -clippers made their largest day’s runs. - -The homeward bound Admiralty track was entirely abandoned by Lieutenant -Maury in favor of continuing in the brave west winds, as he called them, -round Cape Horn, so that a voyage to Melbourne out and home encircled -the globe. By the old routes, vessels were usually about 120 days each -way, though sometimes considerably longer. By the tracks which -Lieutenant Maury introduced, the outward and homeward voyages were made -in about the same time that had formerly been consumed in a single -passage, though of course the increased speed of the clipper ships -contributed to this result. - -The misery and suffering of passengers on board the old Australian -emigrant ships before the days of the clippers are difficult to realize -at the present time, but there is an account compiled from the report of -the Parliamentary Committee appointed in 1844 to investigate the matter, -which reads as follows: - -“It was scarcely possible to induce the passengers to sweep the decks -after their meals, or to be decent in respect to the common wants of -nature; in many cases, in bad weather they would not go on deck, their -health suffered so much that their strength was gone, and they had not -the power to help themselves. Hence the between-decks was like a -loathsome dungeon. When hatchways were opened under which the people -were stowed, the steam rose and the stench was like that from a pen of -pigs. The few beds they had were in a dreadful state, for the straw, -once wet with sea-water, soon rotted, beside which they used the -between-decks for all sorts of filthy purposes. Whenever vessels put -back from distress all these miseries and sufferings were exhibited in -the most aggravated form. In one case it appeared that, the vessel -having experienced rough weather, the people were unable to go on deck -and cook their provisions; the strongest maintained the upper hand over -the weakest, and it was even said that there were women who died of -starvation. At that time the passengers were expected to cook for -themselves, and from their being unable to do this the greatest -suffering arose. It was naturally at the commencement of the voyage that -this system produced its worst effects, for the first days were those in -which the people suffered most from sea-sickness, and under the -prostration of body thereby induced, were wholly incapacitated from -cooking. Thus though provisions might be abundant enough, the passengers -would be half-starved.” - -In an interesting book entitled _Reminiscences of Early Australian -Life_, a vivid description is given of maritime affairs in 1853. The -writer, who had arrived at Melbourne in 1840, says that: “Since that -time the town of Melbourne had developed from a few scattered and -straggling wooden buildings, with muddy thoroughfares interspersed with -stumps of gum trees, into a well-built and formed city, with wide, and -well-made streets, symmetrically laid out, good hotels, club houses, and -Government buildings. Port Phillip Bay, in which two or three vessels -used to repose at anchor for months together, was now the anchorage -ground of some of the finest and fastest clippers afloat.” - -At this time (1853) upwards of two hundred full-rigged ships from all -parts of the world were lying in the Bay. This writer continues: “After -landing their living freight of thousands that were rushing out to the -gold fields to seek for gold, and fearing that they might be too late to -participate in their reputed wealth, ships now waited for return -cargoes, or more probably for crews to take them home, as in many cases -all the hands had deserted for the gold fields. On ascertaining that -there were two good ships sailing for London, with cargoes of wool and -gold-dust, about the same time, or as soon as they could ship crews--one -the _Madagascar_, of Messrs. Green & Co.’s line, and the other the -_Medway_ of Messrs. Tindall & Co.’s line--I proceeded to the office and -booked a passage by the _Madagascar_--the passage in those days for a -first-class cabin being £80. After paying the usual deposit and leaving -the office, I met a friend, who was also homeward bound, and on my -informing him that I had booked by the _Madagascar_, he persuaded me to -change my ship and go home with himself and others whom I knew in the -_Medway_, and upon returning to the office of Green’s ship, and stating -my reasons for wishing to change to Tindall’s ship, they were very -obliging, and returned my deposit, stating that they could easily fill -up my berth. It was well for me at the time that I changed ships, as the -_Madagascar_ sailed the same day from Port Phillip Head as we did, with -four tons of gold-dust on board; and to this day nothing has ever been -heard of her. She either foundered at sea, or, as was generally -supposed, was seized by the crew and scuttled and the gold taken off in -boats. All must have perished, both passengers and crew, as no tidings -of that ill-fated ship ever reached the owners. - -“On board the _Medway_ there were four tons’ weight of gold-dust, packed -in well-secured boxes of two hundred pounds each, five of these boxes -being stowed under each of the berths of the saloon passengers. Each -cabin was provided with cutlasses and pistols, to be kept in order and -ready for use, and a brass carronade gun loaded with grape shot was -fixed in the after part of the ship, in front of the saloon and pointed -to the forecastle--not a man, with the exception of the ship’s officers -and stewards, being allowed to come aft. - -“The character of the crew shipped necessitated the precautions; for -the day previous to the ship’s sailing men had to be searched for and -found in the lowest haunts and were brought on board drugged and under -the influence of liquor, and placed below the hatches. We, the -passengers, heaved up the anchor and worked the ship generally until -outside of Port Phillip Head, when the men confined below, who were to -compose the crew, were brought on deck, looking dazed and confused, any -resistance or remonstrance on their part being futile. But those amongst -them that were able-bodied seamen were paid in gold, forty sovereigns -down, on signing the ship’s articles for the homeward voyage. - -“Amongst them were useless hands and some of a very indifferent -character. Some, no doubt, were escaped convicts, or men who had -secreted themselves to evade the police and law; others deserters from -ships then laying in the Bay--about forty in all, and in general -appearance a very unprepossessing lot. However, there being no help for -it, we had but to keep guarded and prepared against the worst; the -ship’s passengers together with the officers numbering about twenty -hands. The captain was an old and well-known sailor of high reputation -and long experience; and the ship was well found and provisioned, in -anticipation of a long voyage--which it proved to be, extending over -four months from the time we left Port Phillip Head until she reached -the English coast.” - -The first clipper ship constructed for the Australian trade was the -_Marco Polo_, of 1622 tons; length 185 feet, breadth 38 feet, depth 30 -feet. She was built in 1851 by Smith & Co., at St. John, N. B., for -James Baines & Co., Liverpool, and was the pioneer clipper of the famous -Australian Black Ball Line. The _Marco Polo_ was constructed with three -decks, and was a very handsome, powerful-looking ship. Above her -water-line, she resembled the New York packet ships, having painted -ports, and a full-length figurehead of the renowned explorer whose name -she bore. Below water she was cut away and had long, sharp, concave -ends. Her accommodations for saloon and steerage passengers were a vast -improvement upon anything before attempted in the Australian trade. - -She sailed from Liverpool for Melbourne, July 4, 1851, commanded by -Captain James Nicol Forbes, carrying the mails and crowded with -passengers. She made the run out in the then record time of 68 days, and -home in 74 days, which, including her detention at Melbourne, was less -than a six months’ voyage round the globe. Running her easting down to -the southward of the Cape of Good Hope, she made in four successive days -1344 miles, her best day’s run being 364 miles. Her second voyage to -Melbourne was also made in six months out and home, so that she actually -sailed twice around the globe within twelve months. To the _Marco Polo_ -and her skilful commander belongs the credit of setting the pace over -this great ocean race-course round the globe. - -Her success led to the building of a number of vessels at St. John for -British owners engaged in the Australian trade. Among these the most -famous were the _Hibernia_, 1065 tons, _Ben Nevis_, 1420 tons, and -_Guiding Star_, 2012 tons. In Great Britain also a large number of ships -were built for the Australian trade between the years 1851 and 1854. -Many of these were constructed of iron, the finest being the _Tayleur_, -2500 tons, which was built at Liverpool in 1853 and was at that time the -largest merchant ship that had been built in England. She was a very -handsome iron vessel, with three decks and large accommodation for cabin -and steerage passengers. This vessel was wrecked off the coast of -Ireland on her first voyage to Melbourne when only two days out from -Liverpool, and became a total loss; of her 652 passengers, only 282 were -saved. Among the many other vessels built in Great Britain during this -period were the _Lord of the Isles_, already mentioned in Chapter XII; -_Vimiera_, 1037 tons, built at Sunderland; the _Contest_, 1119 tons, -built at Ardrossan on the Firth of Clyde; and the _Gauntlet_ (iron), 784 -tons, and _Kate Carnie_, 547 tons, both built at Greenock. All of these -vessels were a decided improvement upon any ships hitherto built in -Great Britain, and they made some fine passages, among them that of the -_Lord of the Isles_, from the Clyde to Sydney, N. S. W., in 70 days in -1853, but the 68-day record of the _Marco Polo_ from Liverpool to -Melbourne remained unbroken. - -The _Marco Polo_ was still a favorite vessel with passengers, which goes -to show what a good ship she must have been, in view of the rivalry of -newer and larger clippers. She sailed from Liverpool in November, 1853, -commanded by Captain Charles McDonnell, who had been her chief officer -under Captain Forbes. The passengers on this voyage, on their arrival -at Melbourne, subscribed for a splendid service of silver, to be -presented to Captain McDonnell upon his return to England, which bore -the following inscription: “Presented to Captain McDonnell, of the ship -_Marco Polo_, as a testimonial of respect from his passengers, six -hundred and sixty-six in number, for his uniform kindness and attention -during his first voyage, when his ship ran from Liverpool to Port -Phillip Head in seventy-two days, twelve hours, and from land to land in -sixty-nine days.” The _Marco Polo_ came home in 78 days, but these were -the last of her famous passages, as she drifted into the hands of -captains who lacked either the ability or the energy, or perhaps both, -to develop her best speed--the unfortunate fate of many a good ship. - -There were at that time a number of lines and private firms engaged in -the Australian trade, the best known being the White Star Line, later -managed by Ismay, Imrie & Co., and James Baines & Co.’s Black Ball Line, -both of Liverpool. There was keen rivalry between the two, and the _Ben -Nevis_ and _Guiding Star_ had both been built by the White Star in hopes -of lowering the record of the _Marco Polo_. By degrees, however, it -became apparent that she was an exceptional ship, not likely to be -duplicated at St. John, and also that much of her speed was due to her -able commanders, while the ships built in Great Britain, though fine -vessels, had not come up to the mark in point of speed or passenger -accommodations. It was under these circumstances that British merchants -and ship-owners began to buy and build ships for the Australian trade -in the United States. - -The _Sovereign of the Seas_ had attracted much attention upon her -arrival at Liverpool in 1853, and was almost immediately chartered to -load for Australia in the Black Ball Line. It is to be regretted that -for some reason Captain McKay gave up charge of the ship and returned to -the United States, the command being given to Captain Warner, who had no -previous experience in handling American clipper ships, although he -proved an extremely competent commander. The _Sovereign of the Seas_ -sailed from Liverpool September 7, 1853, and arrived at Melbourne after -a passage of 77 days. In a letter from Melbourne Captain Warner gives -the following account of this passage: - -“I arrived here after a long and tedious passage of 77 days, having -experienced only light and contrary winds the greater part of the -passage--I have had but two chances. The ship ran in four consecutive -days 1275 miles; and the next run was 3375 miles in twelve days. These -were but moderate chances. I was 31 days to the Equator, and carried -skysails 65 days; set them on leaving Liverpool, and never shortened -them for 35 days. Crossed the equator in 26° 30′, and went to 53° 30′ -south, but found no strong winds. Think if I had gone to 58° south, I -would have had wind enough; but the crew were insufficiently clothed, -and about one half disabled, together with the first mate. At any rate, -we have beaten all and every one of the ships that sailed with us, and -also the famous English clipper _Gauntlet_ ten days on, the passage, -although the _Sovereign of the Seas_ was loaded down to twenty-three and -one half feet.” On the homeward voyage she brought the mails and over -four tons of gold-dust, and made the passage in 68 days. On this voyage -there was a mutiny among the crew, who intended to seize the ship and -capture the treasure. Captain Warner acted with great firmness and tact -in suppressing the mutineers and placing them in irons without loss of -life, for which he received much credit. - -The White Star Line, not to be outdone by rivals, followed the example -of the Black Ball and in 1854 chartered the _Chariot of Fame_, _Red -Jacket_, and _Blue Jacket_. These ships, of which the first was a medium -clipper and the other two extreme clippers, were built in New England. -The _Chariot of Fame_ was a sister ship to the _Star of Empire_, 2050 -tons, built by Donald McKay in 1853, for Enoch Train’s Boston and -Liverpool packet line. The _Chariot of Fame_ made a number of fast -voyages between England and Australia, her best passage being 66 days -from Liverpool to Melbourne. The _Blue Jacket_ was a handsome ship of -1790 tons, built by R. E. Jackson at East Boston in 1854, and was owned -by Charles R. Green, of New York. Her best passages were 67 days from -Liverpool to Melbourne and home in 69 days. - -The _Red Jacket_, the most famous of this trio, was built by George -Thomas at Rockland, Maine, in 1853-1854, and was owned by Seacomb & -Taylor, of Boston. She registered 2006 tons; length 260 feet, breadth 44 -feet, depth 26 feet; and was designed by Samuel A. Pook, of Boston, who -had designed a number of other clipper ships, including the -_Challenger_--not the English ship of that name,--the _Game-Cock_, -_Surprise_, _Northern Light_, _Ocean Chief_, _Fearless_, _Ocean -Telegraph_, and _Herald of the Morning_. He also designed several -freighting vessels and yachts. It was the custom at that period for -vessels to be designed in the yards where they were constructed, and Mr. -Pook was the first naval architect in the United States who was not -connected with a ship-building yard. On her first voyage the _Red -Jacket_ sailed from New York for Liverpool, February 19, 1854, commanded -by Captain Asa Eldridge, and made the passage in 13 days 1 hour from -Sandy Hook to the Rock Light, Liverpool, with the wind strong from -southeast to west-southwest, and either rain, snow, or hail during the -entire run. During the first seven days she averaged only 182 miles per -twenty-four hours, but during the last six days she made 219, 413, 374, -343, 300, and 371 miles, an average of a fraction over 353 miles per -twenty-four hours. - -Captain Eldridge was well known in Liverpool, having, together with his -brothers, John and Oliver, commanded some of the finest New York and -Liverpool packet ships of their day; he had also commanded Commodore -Vanderbilt’s steam yacht _North Star_ during her cruise in European -waters in 1853. He was afterwards lost in command of the steamship -_Pacific_ of the Collins Line. - -The _Red Jacket_ attracted a great deal of attention at Liverpool, being -an extremely handsome ship--quite as good-looking as any of the clippers -built at New York or Boston. For a figurehead she carried a full-length -representation of the Indian chief for whom she was named. She made her -first voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne in 1854 under command of -Captain Samuel Reed in 69 days, and as she received very quick despatch, -being in port only 12 days, and made the passage to Liverpool in 73 -days, the voyage round the globe, including detention in port, was made -in five months and four days. On the homeward passage, bringing home -45,000 ounces of gold, she beat the celebrated _Guiding Star_ by 9 days, -though she lost considerable time through being among the bergs and -field ice off Cape Horn. Upon her arrival at Liverpool the _Red Jacket_ -was sold to Pilklington & Wilson, of that port, then agents of the White -Star Line, for £30,000, and continued in the Australian trade for -several years, becoming one of the most famous of the American-built -clippers. - -The competition of the Black Ball and White Star lines proved of great -benefit to both cabin and steerage passengers, as their comfort and -convenience became subjects of consideration in a manner unthought of in -the old days before the discovery of gold at Bendigo and Ballarat. - -[Illustration: The “Red Jacket”] - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -AUSTRALIAN CLIPPERS, 1854-1856 - - -In view of the keen rivalry at this period, James Baines & Co. -determined to own the finest and fastest ships that could be -constructed, and accordingly placed an order with Donald McKay to build -four clipper ships for their Australian line. These vessels were the -_Lightning_, 2084 tons; the _Champion of the Seas_, 2448 tons; _James -Baines_, 2515 tons; and _Donald McKay_, 2598 tons, all launched in 1854, -with the exception of the _Donald McKay_, which was not completed until -January, 1855. This firm also bought from Mr. McKay the sister ships -_Japan_ and _Commodore Perry_, 1964 tons each, while they were on the -stocks in course of construction. - -These ships designed for the Australian trade were very similar to the -later California clipper ships built by Mr. McKay, though with less -dead-rise and sharper ends; they were fitted with large accommodation -for cabin and steerage passengers; while the _Japan_ and _Commodore -Perry_ were somewhat fuller ships than the others, and were designed -with a view to carry large cargoes rather than to attain high speed. - -The _Lightning_ measured: length 244 feet, breadth 44 feet, depth 23 -feet, with 20 inches dead-rise at half floor. She had long, concave -water-lines, and at her load-displacement line a chord from her -cut-water to just abaft the fore rigging showed a concavity of 16 -inches. Her stem raked boldly forward, the lines of the bow gradually -becoming convex and blending with sheer line and cutwater, while the -only ornament was a beautiful full-length figure of a young woman -holding a golden thunder-bolt in her outstretched hand, the flowing -white drapery of her graceful form and her streaming hair completing the -fair and noble outline of the bow. The after body was long and clean, -though fuller than the bow, while the stern was semi-elliptical in form, -with the plank-sheer moulding for its base, and was ornamented with -gilded carved work, though this really added nothing to the beauty of -the strong, sweeping outline of her hull. - -Aloft the _Lightning_ was heavily and strongly rigged. Her main yard was -95 feet in length, and the total height from the deck to the mainskysail -truck was 164 feet; her lower studdingsail booms were 65 feet in length; -her topsails and topgallantsails were diagonally roped from clews to -earings, and her fore and main stays, lower rigging, and topmast stays -and backstays were of 11½ inch Russian hemp, with the rest of the -standing rigging in proportion. Indeed, her masts and spars were as -strongly secured as skill and labor could make them. Evidently, Mr. -McKay had grown weary of having his ships go to pieces aloft. - -The quarter-deck was 90 feet long, flush with the top of the bulwarks, -and protected by a mahogany rail on turned stanchions of the same wood. -She had also two large deck-houses, which, together with the -between-decks, gave ample passenger accommodation. The quarters for the -steerage passengers were comfortably fitted and well ventilated, while -the saloons, staterooms, bathrooms, and smoking-room for the cabin -passengers were superbly decorated and furnished. - -Captain Forbes, late of the _Marco Polo_, was appointed to command the -_Lightning_, and came to Boston by one of the Cunard steamers to -superintend the outfit of his ship. He brought good letters of -introduction, and was well received; indeed, he hardly needed any -introduction, as the high reputation he had gained while in command of -the _Marco Polo_ had preceded him. He made many friends in Boston, -especially among the clergy, as he was an enthusiastic churchman, and he -found a congenial spirit in Captain Lauchlan McKay, who likewise took a -great interest in ecclesiastical affairs. These two mariners became such -close friends that Captain McKay consented to accompany Captain Forbes -to Liverpool as his companion and adviser, and as we shall presently -see, the _Lightning_ developed her finest speed in the hands of these -experienced and skilful seamen. - -The _Lightning_ loaded in Train’s Line at Constitution Wharf, and sailed -for Liverpool, February 18, 1854. The Boston _Daily Atlas_ of that date -published the following account of her departure: - -“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, fore-and -mizentopsails, and had a moderate breeze from west to southwest. 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 cutwater, 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 thirty miles -east of Boston Light, with all drawing sails set, and going along like a -steamboat. We think her talented designer and builder, Mr. McKay, cannot -improve upon her model. Her commander, being a pious man, was attended -down the harbor by a select party of brethren and sisters of the church, -who at parting gave him their blessing. This is much better than the -dram-drinking and vociferous cheering which usually make up the parting -scenes of the unregenerated.” - -The voyage so auspiciously begun proved one of the most remarkable ever -made by a ship on the ocean; for before the _Lightning_ set her pilot -signal off Point Lynas, she had left more miles of salt water astern in -twenty-four hours than any vessel that has ever sailed the seas -propelled by winds and canvas. From the abstract log, published in the -Liverpool _Albion_ soon after her arrival, it appears that she went -round the north of Ireland, making the run to Eagle Island in 10 days, -and to the Calf of Man, within 80 miles of Liverpool, in 12 days, thence -to Liverpool in 13 days 19½ hours from Boston Light. Her day’s runs were -as follows: - - 1.--“February 19th. Wind west-southwest, and northwest, moderate; - 200 miles. - - 2.--20th. Wind north-northeast and northeast, strong breezes with - snow; 328 miles. - - 3.--21st. Wind east-southeast with snowstorms; 145 miles. - - 4.--22d. Wind east-southeast, a gale with high cross sea and rain; - 114 miles. - - 5.--23d. Wind north. Strong gales to east-southeast; ends moderate; - 110 miles. - - 6.--24th. Wind southeast, moderate; 312 miles. - - 7.--25th. Wind east-southeast and southeast. Fresh breezes with - thick weather; 285 miles. - - 8.--26th. Wind west-southwest, moderate; 295 miles. - - 9.--27th. Wind west-northwest, moderate; 260 miles. - - 10.--28th. Wind west and northwest, steady breezes; 306 miles.” - - [The position at noon on this day was latitude 52° 38′ N., - longitude 22° 45′ W., and here began the greatest day’s run ever - made by a ship under canvas.] - -11.--“March 1st. Wind south. Strong gales; bore away for the North -Channel, carried away the foretopsail 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. Distance run in -twenty-four hours, 436 miles. - -12.--2d. Wind south, first part moderate, latter part light and calm. - -13.--3d. Light winds and calms. - -14.--4th. Light southeast winds and calms; at 7 A.M. off Great Orms -Head; 12 m. off the N. W. Lightship.” - -This was a remarkable passage considering the percentage of easterly -winds, though its memorable incident is, of course, the phenomenal run -of 436 miles in twenty-four hours, an average of 18½ knots, which -entitles the _Lightning_ to the proud distinction of being the swiftest -ship that ever sailed the seas. There was no ocean steamship of her day -that approached her record by less than 100 miles, and another -five-and-twenty years passed away before the Atlantic greyhound, the -_Arizona_, made 18 knots for a single hour, on her trial trip. Even at -the present time, according to Lloyd’s Register, there are not more than -thirty ocean-going mail steamships afloat, that are able to steam over -18 knots. It must have been blowing hard enough when the _Lightning’s_ -jib and foretopsail carried away, for these were not old, worn-out -sails, put on board to attract the favorable consideration of -underwriters, but were of new canvas, made unusually strong, and had not -been out of the sail loft more than a couple of weeks. - -Strange as it may seem, the “wood butchers of Liverpool,” as Donald -McKay used to call them, were allowed to fill in the concave lines of -the _Lightning’s_ bow with slabs of oak sheathing, and while she -continued to be a fast ship, she doubtless would have proved still -faster had her original design not been tampered with.[12] - -The second of these ships, the _Champion of the Seas_, measured: length -269 feet, breadth 45 feet, depth 29 feet, dead-rise at half floor 18 -inches; length of mainyard 95 feet. The concavity of her water-line -forward was 2½ inches, from which it will be seen that she was a -differently designed ship from the _Lightning_. She was considered by -many to be even a handsomer vessel. Her stern was ornamented with the -arms of Australia, while at her bow she carried a full-length figurehead -of a handsome sailorman rigged out in all his best go-ashore togs. She -was commanded by Captain Alexander Newlands, who came from Liverpool to -superintend her construction and equipment, the whole inside -arrangements of the ship, including the complicated plan for light and -ventilation and the details of the cabin, being made according to his -designs. After fitting out at Grand Junction Wharf, East Boston, she was -towed to New York by the _R. B. Forbes_, where she loaded for Liverpool, -and made the passage to that port during the month of June, 1854, in 16 -days. - -The _James Baines_ measured: length 266 feet, breadth 46 feet 8 inches, -depth 31 feet, with 18 inches dead-rise at half floor. Her mainyard was -100 feet in length, and a single suit of sails contained 13,000 running -yards of canvas 18 inches wide. Originally she carried a main skysail -only, but later she was fitted with three skysails, main moonsail, and -skysail studdingsails, and so far as I know, she was the only clipper -ship so rigged. There was only a very slight difference between the -lines of the _Champion of the Seas_ and those of the _James Baines_, the -latter ship having a somewhat more raking stem, which brought her lines -out forward a little longer and sharper above the water-line. Her bow -was ornamented with a finely executed bust of her namesake, which was -carved in England and was said to be an excellent likeness. Across her -stern she carried a carved medallion of the globe, supported by the arms -of Great Britain and the United States. She was commanded by Captain -McDonnell, late of the _Marco Polo_, who sailed from Liverpool for -Boston soon after his return from Melbourne. - -The _James Baines_ sailed from Boston, September 12, 1854, and made the -run from Boston Light to the Rock Light, Liverpool, in the record time -of 12 days 6 hours. An English correspondent of one of the Boston papers -remarked: “You wish 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.” - -The last of this quartette, the _Donald McKay_, measured: length 269 -feet, breadth 47 feet, depth 29 feet, with 18 inches dead-rise at half -floor, and her mainyard was 100 feet long. While her water-lines were -fuller than those of the _James Baines_, she was still an extremely -sharp vessel, and with the single exception of the _Great Republic_ was -the largest merchant ship afloat. She sailed from Boston, February 21, -1855, under the command of Captain Warner, late of the _Sovereign of -the Seas_, and made the run to Cape Clear in 12 days, and thence to -Liverpool in 5 days. On February 27th, she ran 421 miles in twenty-four -hours, and on that date her log records: “First part, strong gales from -northwest; middle blowing a hurricane from west-northwest, ship scudding -under topsails and foresail at the rate of 18 knots; latter part, still -blowing from west-northwest with heavy hail squalls; very high sea -running.” - -The _Lightning_ sailed from Liverpool on her first voyage to Melbourne, -May 14, 1854. She encountered light winds and calms to the equator, -which she crossed in 25 days from the Mersey; such was the nature of the -winds that the topgallantsails were not taken in during the passage, and -her best day’s runs were only 332, 348, 300, 311, and 329 miles on -various dates. She arrived out in 77 days, but the passage home to -Liverpool was made in the record time of 63 days. In ten consecutive -days of twenty-four hours each, she sailed no less than 3722 miles, her -best day’s run being 412 miles. On this voyage she brought home gold and -dust to the value of £1,000,000 sterling. - -The _James Baines_ sailed from Liverpool for Melbourne December 9, 1854, -and made the passage out in the record time of 63 days, her best -twenty-four hours’ run being 420 miles. She made the passage home in 69 -days, thus sailing around the globe in the record time of 132 days. On a -subsequent voyage in 1856 her log records, “June 16th. At noon sighted a -ship in the distance ahead; at 1 P.M. alongside of her; at 2 P.M., out -of sight astern. The _James Baines_ was going 17 knots with main -skysail set; the _Libertas_, for such was her name, was under -double-reefed topsails.” “June 17th. Latitude 44° S., longitude 106° E., -ship going 21 knots with main skysail set.” This appears to be the -highest rate of speed ever made by a sailing vessel of which any -reliable record has been preserved. - -The _Champion of the Seas_ made the passage out in 71 days and home in -84 days, and the _Donald McKay_ made the voyage in about the same time, -but the _Lightning_ and _James Baines_ proved the most famous of these -ships. So well pleased was Mr. Baines that he wrote to Mr. McKay, -saying, In these ships you have given us all and more than we expected.” -These were the last extreme clipper ships built by Donald McKay. - -During the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 a large number of British and American -merchant ships were chartered by the British Government to carry troops -to India, and among others the _James Baines_, _Champion of the Seas_, -and _Lightning_. The _James Baines_ sailed from Portsmouth for Calcutta -on August 8th, with the Ninety-seventh Regiment on board, and the -_Illustrated London News_, in a notice of her departure, remarked: -“Previous to her starting she was honored by a visit of Her Majesty, who -highly eulogized the vessel and is said to have declared that she was -not aware that so splendid a merchant ship belonged to her dominions.” - -The _Champion of the Seas_ sailed from Portsmouth on the same day, also -bound for Calcutta with troops, and the race between these clippers was -close and exciting. Nine days out they fell in - -[Illustration: The “James Baines”] - -with the steamship _Oneida_ homeward bound, and the _Illustrated London -News_, again mentioning the _James Baines_, said: “When met by the -_Oneida_, on the 17th of August, on her way to Calcutta with troops, she -presented a most magnificent appearance, having in addition to her -ordinary canvas, studdingsails, skysails, and moonsail, set and drawing, -in all thirty-four sails, a perfect cloud of canvas: the troops all -well, and cheering lustily as the vessels passed each other. The sister -ship, the _Champion of the Seas_, was not far astern, both vessels -making great headway.” - -These two ships arrived off the mouth of the Hooghly together, each 101 -days from Portsmouth, and the finish of this race was talked about by -the Calcutta pilots for a good many years: how these splendid clippers -raced in from sea almost side by side, with a fresh three-skysail, -scupper breeze, the regimental bands on board of both ships playing -national airs, while the soldiers were cheering and wild with the joy -and excitement of seeing land once more. - -The _Lightning_ sailed at a more favorable season, and made the passage -from Portsmouth to the Hooghly in 87 days, beating the entire fleet of -sailing transports, including those fitted with auxiliary screw -propellers. - -Of the large number of ships bought or chartered in the United States -for the Australian trade by British ship-owners at this period, those -mentioned, with the _Red Rover_, _Comet_, _Tornado_, _Sierra Nevada_, -and _Invincible_, each with a record of less than 75 days from Liverpool -or London to Melbourne, the _Belle of the Sea_, 64 days from London to -Melbourne, and _North Wind_, 67 days from London to Sydney, N. S. W., -were the most celebrated. - -There were also many American ships that made the voyage from New York -to Melbourne, and among the fast passages may be mentioned those of: the -_Mandarin_, in 71 days; _Flying Scud_ and _Nightingale_, 75 days; -_Whirlwind_, 80 days; _Flying Dutchman_ and _Panama_, 81 days; _Snow -Squall_, 79 days, and _Ringleader_, 78 days. Most if not all these ships -loaded in R. W. Cameron’s line, and it is worth noting that, of all the -great shipping firms that flourished in New York half a century ago, -this is the only one which now survives. - -It was only natural that ship-owners of Great Britain should feel keenly -the invasion of their trade by the American clippers, and in 1855, James -Baines & Co. placed an order with Alexander Hall & Co., of Aberdeen, -then the leading clipper ship-builders in Great Britain, for a large -clipper ship for the Australian trade, to “outdo the Americans.” This -vessel was the _Schomberg_, 2600 tons; length 262 feet, breadth 45 feet, -depth 29 feet. She was very sharp forward and had a long, clean run, -with considerable dead-rise at her midship section. She was built of -wood and heavily sparred, with single topsail yards and three skysails. - -When this ship came around from Aberdeen to load at Liverpool for -Melbourne, she was greatly admired and it was generally believed that -she would prove faster than her American rivals, especially as Captain -Forbes, late of the _Marco Polo_ and _Lightning_, had been appointed to -command her. She sailed from Liverpool on October 6, 1855. Captain -Forbes was a proud man that day, for the pierheads of the port were -thronged with a patriotic, cheering crowd to see the _Schomberg_ off, -and as she towed down the Mersey, the signals reading, “Sixty days to -Melbourne,” fluttered gayly from her mizen truck. - -She had moderate winds to the equator, which she crossed 28 days from -the Mersey, and then drifted into calms and light airs which continued -for ten days and from which she did not possess the nimble speed to -extricate herself. Her best day’s work, while running her easting down, -was 368 miles. When 81 days out she was wrecked and became a total loss -on an uncharted reef about 150 miles to the westward of Melbourne, the -passengers, crew, and mails being saved. This was by no means a record -passage, and it is to be regretted that her career was so short, as it -would be interesting to know what she might have done under more -favorable conditions. She certainly possessed the qualities of a fast -ship, and was ably commanded. - -There were also many fine ships of English build sailing out of London -in the Australian trade; the _Norfolk_ and _Lincolnshire_, built and -owned by Money, Wigram & Sons; the _Kent_, _Trafalgar_, and _Renown_, -built and owned by R. & H. Green; and many others. These ships were -built of teak, oak, and elm; were copper-fastened and sheathed with red -copper. They resembled smart frigates more than merchantmen, and were -about the perfection of that type--splendid ships to be at sea in, -though not so fast as the sharper American clippers. None of these -vessels was over 1500 tons, and it was thought by shipping men in London -and Liverpool that much of the speed of the American ships was due to -their greater tonnage. There may have been some truth in this, but it -should be remembered that with these large wooden vessels an increase in -size made the difficulties in building greater, as well as in getting -their wooden masts to stand with hemp rigging, to say nothing of -handling their enormous single topsails in heavy weather. - -Meanwhile attempts were being made by various companies to introduce -steam in place of the clipper ships that had carried the passengers, -mails, and specie after the discovery of gold in Australia, but these -efforts were beset with many difficulties and heavy financial losses. - -The _Australian_, an iron screw steamer of 2000 tons, was the first -steamship to carry the mails from England to Melbourne. She sailed from -Plymouth, June 5, 1852, and called at St. Vincent, St. Helena, Table -Bay, and St. George’s Sound for coal, which had been sent out by ship -from England to meet her. She arrived at Melbourne in 89 days from -Plymouth, and returned by the Cape of Good Hope in 76 days. She arrived -at London, January 11, 1853, having been 7 months and 6 days upon the -voyage, a creditable but not a very brilliant performance. The -_Australian_ was soon followed by the _Great Britain_, _Adelaide_, -_Queen of the South_, _Sydney_, _Cleopatra_, _Antelope_, and other iron -screw steamers; but these vessels nearly ruined - -[Illustration: The “Schomberg”] - -their owners and did not greatly interfere with the clippers. - -In 1854 the _Argo_, a full-rigged iron ship of 1850 tons register, with -plenty of canvas and fitted with an auxiliary engine and screw, made the -passage from London to Melbourne in 64 days and home round Cape Horn in -63 days; and though she sailed during the greater portion of the voyage, -using her engines only in calms and light winds, she was the first -merchant vessel using steam-power to circumnavigate the globe. This -voyage is peculiarly adapted to auxiliary steam vessels, as, by -following the sailing-ship track, very few strong head winds are met, -and of course the screw is of great assistance in light winds and calms. - -The _Argo_ was followed (1855-1856) by the _Royal Charter_, _Istamboul_, -and _Khersonese_ and other iron auxiliary “steam clippers,” as they were -called. These vessels carried as much canvas as the clipper ships, and -were more expensive to handle and not much faster; the rivalry was -therefore keen. The clippers still secured their full share of the cabin -and steerage passengers, the mails and gold, and were by no means -vanquished; indeed, the auxiliaries proved no more successful than the -steamships, and brought much the same result to their owners. - -It was not till after the close of the Crimean War in 1856, when the -Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company extended their line to -the Australian colonies, that the clipper ships began seriously to feel -the competition of steam. From that time iron sailing vessels for this -trade were built with a view to carrying large cargoes and steerage -passengers, so that by 1860 the day of the Australian clippers had -passed away, although the later China tea-clippers sometimes made this -voyage. Almost countless splendid iron and steel sailing ships have -since been built in Great Britain, and many fine passages have been made -to and from Australia, yet the records of the _James Baines_, _North -Wind_, _Lightning_, _Mandarin_, and _Lord of the Isles_ remain -unbroken. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -LAST YEARS OF THE AMERICAN CLIPPER SHIP ERA--SUMMARY OF CALIFORNIA -PASSAGES - - -During the Crimean War a large number of merchant ships, many of which -were American, were chartered by the British and French Governments to -carry troops, but when peace was declared in 1856 and this demand for -tonnage ceased, it was found that there were more ships afloat than -could find profitable employment, or indeed employment of any kind. - -Only eight ships were added to the California fleet in 1856--the -_Alarm_, _Euterpe_, _Flying Mist_, _Florence_, _Intrepid_, _Mary L. -Sutton_, _Norseman_, and the second _Witch of the Wave_. These were all -handsome medium clippers, and possessed what is so sadly lacking in -sailing ships of the present day--style, distinction. The _Florence_ was -built by Samuel Hall, Jr., who had succeeded his father as a -ship-builder and continued in the same yard at East Boston. She was -owned by Captain R. B. Forbes and others of Boston. Captain Dumaresq -commanded her and also owned an interest in her until his death in 1860. -As Captain Forbes used to say, “He was the prince of sea captains.” - -The _Sweepstakes_ made the fastest passage to San Francisco in 1856--94 -days from New York--followed by the _Antelope_, 97 days; _Phantom_, 101 -days; and _David Brown_, 103 days; the _Ringleader_ made the passage -from Boston in 100 days. The abstract log of the _Sweepstakes_ is as -follows: - -From Sandy Hook to the equator 18 days. -From the equator to 50° S. 23 “ -From 50° in the Atlantic to 50° in the - Pacific 15 “ -From 50° S. to the equator 17 “ -From the equator to San Francisco 21 “ - -- -Total 94 “ - -The year 1857 was one of financial depression throughout the United -States, which was severely felt by the shipping interests of the country -and continued until the Civil War. The rates of freight from New York to -San Francisco, which during the years immediately following the -discovery of gold in California were $60 a ton, gradually declined, and -in 1857 had fallen to $10 per ton. Ships that had formerly loaded -cargoes for San Francisco night and day and were hurried to sea as -quickly as possible, now lay at their loading berths for weeks, -leisurely taking on board such cargo as their agents could engage. -During this period vessels lay idle at the wharves of Atlantic ports for -weeks and even months, in charge of ship-keepers, with sails unbent, -waiting for employment. - -The former activity in the ship-building yards had also subsided. During -the four years prior to the Civil War, Donald McKay built only one -ship, - -[Illustration: The “Sweepstakes”] - -the _Alhambra_ (1857), and William H. Webb built only one ship for the -California trade, the _Black Hawk_, beside the _Resolute_, and the -barque _Trieste_ (1857), and the barque _Harvest Queen_ (1858). The same -depression was felt in all the yards along the Atlantic coast. British -ship-builders had made such rapid progress in the construction and speed -of their vessels that it was now difficult for American ships to obtain -charters from China to England. From 1857 to 1861, they were to be found -lying idle for months at a time in Manila Bay, Hong-kong harbor, -Foo-chow, Shanghai, and Calcutta, seeking employment. - -The depression in the oversea carrying trade was felt quite as much by -the ship-owners of Great Britain as by those of the United States, and -while of short duration, was as serious there as in the United States. -It was at this period, however, that Great Britain began to feel the -benefit of Free Trade in her ship building industry, and entered upon -her conquest of the world’s oversea carrying trade. In this her -ship-builders were greatly assisted by the introduction of iron as a -material for construction. In 1855 the Committee of Lloyd’s Register had -framed rules for the classification of iron ships, as their number had -so increased, and the demand of ship-owners for their official -recognition had become so general, that they could no longer be ignored. -The screw propeller was also beginning to supersede side-wheels as a -means of propulsion, and some of the ablest men in Great Britain were -engaged upon the development and improvement of the marine engine and -boiler. - -The steam tonnage of the British Empire--mostly engaged in the oversea -carrying trade--had increased from 204,654 tons in 1851 to 417,717 tons -in 1856, whereas the steam tonnage of the United States engaged in the -oversea carrying trade had increased from 62,390 tons in 1851 to 115,045 -tons in 1855, but had decreased to 89,715 tons in 1856. It should be -noted that while a large proportion of the steam tonnage of Great -Britain consisted of iron vessels, many of them being screw steamers, -the steam vessels of the United States were very nearly, if not all, -still constructed of wood and propelled by side-wheels. - -The first symptoms of the decadence of the American merchant marine were -the falling-off in the sales of American tonnage to foreign -countries--the reduction being from 65,000 tons in 1855 to 42,000 tons -in 1856, declining to 26,000 tons in 1858 and to 17,000 tons in 1860, a -falling-off of 75% in five years--then in the total tonnage of vessels -built in the United States, which fell from 583,450 tons in 1855 to -469,393 tons in 1856, and to 378,804 tons in 1857. - -These facts refute the historic falsehood that the _Alabama_ and her -consorts were the first and immediate cause of decadence in the American -merchant marine. As a matter of fact, neither the depression preceding -the Civil War, nor the depredations of Confederate privateers, nor the -Civil War itself, have had any material bearing upon the decline of -American shipping during the last fifty years. The gigantic task of -driving the American flag from the ocean has been accomplished by far -more insidious and potent means than these. It has been the inevitable -consequence of irrational and unjust laws, and until these are repealed, -as those of Great Britain were in 1849, we may hope in vain that the -ensign of the United States will be restored to its place upon the sea. - -Amid the discouraging conditions of these years preceding the Civil War, -American sea-captains never lost faith in their ships nor in themselves. -They seemed to think, the lower the rate of freight, the more reason -that it should be earned quickly, and when once clear of the -disheartening influences of a seaport and well off soundings, they sent -their ships along with the same energy and skill for which they had -become famous in more prosperous days. - -It was in the year 1857 that the _Great Republic_ made her remarkable -passage of 92 days from New York to San Francisco, and established a new -record of 16 days from Sandy Hook to the equator. She was still -commanded by Captain Limeburner, who had as his first officer, -Montgomery Parker, an accomplished seaman and navigator, afterward -commander of the ships _Judge Shaw_ and _Lord Lyndhurst_. The crew of 50 -men before the mast were the usual assortment, 15 or 20 good seamen, the -rest adventurers and mongrels of various brands, of whom little could be -expected. Captain Limeburner and his officers always went armed, and it -was perhaps fortunate, with such a crew, that the topgallantsails were -never clewed up during the passage, and that Cape Horn was rounded with -skysails set. - -The abstract log of the _Great Republic_ is as follows: - -From Sandy Hook to the equator 16 days. -From the equator to 50° S. 25 “ -From 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. - in the Pacific 9 “ -From 50° S. to the equator 23 “ -From the equator to San Francisco 19 “ - -- -Total 92 “ - -Lieutenant Maury, in a letter on the subject to the Secretary of the -Navy, remarks: “This vessel did not have the luck to get a wind that -could keep her up to her mettle for twenty-four hours consecutively. -Here and there she got into favorable streaks of wind, but she appears -to have run out of them faster than they could follow. She made the run -to San Francisco in 92 days. - -“The shortest passage that in the present state of ship-building will -probably ever be made from New York to San Francisco, is 85 days; and -the very clever first officer of this ship, writing from California, -expresses the opinion that ‘should she continue to run between New York -and San Francisco, from the experience of this voyage, she will one day -make the trip within your possible 85 days.’ - -“The friends of this noble specimen of naval architecture, however, can -scarcely hope for a fair trial and proper display of her prowess until -she shall be sent on a voyage to Australia. The brave west winds of the -Southern hemisphere, which she will then encounter, will enable her to -show herself; elsewhere, she can scarcely find a sea wide enough, with -belts of wind broad enough for the full display of her qualities and -capabilities.” - -There can be little doubt that with her original spars and sail plan, -the _Great Republic_ would have made this passage in 85 days or less, -and it is to be regretted that, even with her reduced rig, she never -made a voyage between England and Australia, the service for which she -was built and especially adapted. Her best twenty-four hours’ run, made -upon a subsequent voyage while under the command of Captain Josiah Paul, -was 413 miles. - -In 1857 the _Flying Dragon_ made the passage to San Francisco in 97 -days; the _Westward Ho_ and the _Andrew Jackson_ in 100 days, both from -New York; and the _Flying Fish_ in 106 days from Boston. In 1858 the -_Twilight_ made the passage from New York in 100 days; the _Andrew -Jackson_ in 103 days; and in 1859 the _Sierra Nevada_ in 97 days and the -_Andrew Jackson_ in 102 days. In 1860 the _Andrew Jackson_ made the trip -in 89 days. - -As before noted, the _Andrew Jackson_ was built in 1855. Her builders -were Irons & Grinnell, of Mystic, Connecticut; she was owned by J. H. -Brower & Co., of New York, and was commanded by Captain John E. -Williams, of Mystic. She was 1679 tons register and measured: length 222 -feet, breadth 40 feet, depth 22 feet, and while not an extreme clipper, -she was a very handsome, well-designed ship. She was heavily sparred and -carried double topsails, skysails, and royal studdingsails. Her -figurehead was a full-length statue of the famous warrior and statesman -in whose honor she was named. - -Upon Captain Williams’s arrival at San Francisco, in 89 days from New -York, he was presented with a Commodore’s pennant, and on his return to -New York the owners presented him with a valuable chronometer watch -bearing the following inscription: “Presented by J. H. Brower & Co. to -Captain J. E. Williams of the clipper ship _Andrew Jackson_ for the -shortest passage to San Francisco. Time 89 days 4 hours, 1860.” - -With this superb record by the _Andrew Jackson_--four consecutive -passages averaging 98½ days each--the American clipper ship era may well -bring its brilliant career to a close. - -It would be invidious, even if it were possible, to name the fastest of -the splendid fleet of California clippers which sailed during the years -1850-1860, as their voyages were made in different years and at -different seasons of the year; still, a comparison of their records is -of interest. - -Eighteen ships made single passages of less than 100 days from New York -or Boston to San Francisco during this period. The _Flying Cloud_ and -_Andrew Jackson_ share the honor of 89 days each, and are closely -followed by the _Sword Fish_, 90 days; _Flying Fish_ and _Great -Republic_, 92 days; _John Gilpin_, 93 days; _Sweepstakes_, 94 days; -_Surprise_ and _Romance of the Seas_, 96 days; _Sea Witch_, _Contest_, -_Antelope_, _Sierra Nevada_, _Flying Dragon_, and _Witchcraft_, 97 days; -_Flying Fish_ and _David Brown_, 98 days, and _Herald of the Morning_ -and _Hurricane_, 99 days each. - -Four of these ships, the _Flying Cloud_, _Flying Fish_, _Great -Republic_, and _Romance of the Seas_, were built by Donald McKay, and -two of the four, the _Flying Cloud_ and _Flying Fish_, each came within -the limit twice. Two others, the _John Gilpin_ and _Surprise_, were -built by Samuel Hall, and two, the _Contest_ and _Sweepstakes_, by Jacob -A. Westervelt, with one ship each by other builders. Beside Captain -Creesy of the _Flying Cloud_ and Captain Nickels of the _Flying Fish_, -Captain Dumaresq also made the passage twice in less than 100 days, in -command of the _Surprise_ and _Romance of the Seas_. - -For an average of the two fastest passages by one ship, the record of -the _Flying Cloud_--two in 89 days each--stands at the head. The others -are: the _Andrew Jackson_, 98 and 100--94½ days; _Flying Fish_, 92 and -98--95 days; _Sword-Fish_, 90 and 105--97½ days; _David Brown_, 98 and -103--101½ days; _Westward Ho_, 100 and 103--101½ days; _Sea Witch_, 97 -and 108--102½ days; _Contest_, 108 and 97--102½ days; _Herald of the -Morning_, 99 and 106--102½; _Phantom_, 101 and 104--102½ days; _John -Gilpin_, 93 and 115--104 days; _Romance of the Seas_, 96 and 113--104½ -days; _Ringleader_, 100 and 109--104½ days; _Sweepstakes_, 94 and -116--105 days; _Flying Dutchman_, 104 and 106--105 days; _Flying -Dragon_, 97 and 114--105½ days; _Surprise_, 96 and 116--106 days; _Young -America_, 105 and 109--107 days; _Neptune’s Car_, 100 and 112--106; -_Eagle_, 103 and 111--107 days; _Comet_, 103 and 112--107½ days; _Golden -Gate_, 102 and 113--107½ days; _Golden City_, 105 and 113--109 days; -_Flyaway_, 106 and 112--109 days; _Sea Serpent_, 107 and 112--109½ -days; _Shooting Star_, 105 and 115--110 days. - -The fastest three passages in 1850-1860 were made by the _Flying Cloud_, -89, 89, 105--94⅓ days; _Andrew Jackson_, 89, 100, 102--97 days; _Flying -Fish_, 92, 98, 105--98⅓ days; _Westward Ho_, 103, 106, 100--103 days; -_Sword-Fish_, 90, 105, 116--103⅔ days; _Sea Witch_, 97, 108, 110--105 -days; _Young America_, 105, 107, 110--107⅓ days; _Surprise_, 96, 116, -117--109⅔ days; _Sea Serpent_, 107, 112, 115--111⅓ days. - -The best four passages were made by the _Flying Cloud_, 89, 89, 105, -108--97¾ days; _Andrew Jackson_, 89, 100, 102, 103--98½ days; _Flying -Fish_, 92, 98, 105, 106--100¼ days. - -By dividing this great race-course into sections, a further comparison -of the relative speed of the clipper ships may be obtained. Thus the -following separate runs were made during the years in question: - -From Sandy Hook to the equator: _Great Republic_, 16 days; _Flying -Cloud_, _Northern Light_, _Sea Serpent_, _Storm_ (barque), _White -Swallow_, 17 days; _Adelaide_, _Jacob Bell_, _Surprise_, _Sweepstakes_, -18 days; _Atlanta_, _Flying Fish_, _Golden Gate_, _Hornet_, _Samuel -Russell_, _Tingqua_, 19 days; _Archer_, _Antelope_, _Climax_, _Courier_, -_Comet_, _David Brown_, _Hazard_, _Sirocco_, _Tornado_, _White Squall_, -20 days. In February, 1858, the _Stag Hound_, commanded by Captain -Hussey, made the run from Boston Light to the equator in the phenomenal -time of 13 days, eclipsing all records. - -From Cape St. Roque to 50° S.: _Samuel Russell_, 16 days; _Hornet_, -_Ocean Pearl_, 17 days; _Bald Eagle_, _Comet_, _Electric_, _Hurricane_, -_Ocean Express_, _Raven_, 18 days; _Electric Spark_, _Galatea_, -_Governor Morton_, _John Gilpin_, _Sovereign of the Seas_, _Sword-Fish_, -_Witch of the Wave_, 19 days; _Aurora_, _Flying Fish_, _Golden Gate_, -_John Wade_, _Mandarin_, _North America_, _Panama_, _Ringleader_, -_Seaman_, _Sea Witch_, _Skylark_, _Trade Wind_, 20 days. - -From 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific: _Young America_, 6 -days; _Flying Fish_, _Flying Cloud_, _Robin Hood_, 7 days; _Flying -Dutchman_ (twice), _Herald of the Morning_, _Stag Hound_, _Sword-Fish_, -8 days; _Mary L. Sutton_, _Sovereign of the Seas_, _Great Republic_, 9 -days; _Atlanta_, _Golden City_, _Hornet_, _Snap Dragon_ (barque), -_Sweepstakes_, _Typhoon_, _Whistler_, 10 days. - -From 50° S. in the Pacific to the equator: _Live Yankee_, _Mary L. -Sutton_, 16 days; _Flying Cloud_, _Sweepstakes_, 17 days; _Celestial_, -_Eagle_, _Hurricane_, _John Bertram_, _Surprise_, _Young America_, 18 -days; _Belle of the West_, _Courser_, _Don Quixote_, _Flying Dutchman_ -(twice), _Flying Fish_, _Mermaid_, _Neptune’s Car_, _Ocean Telegraph_, -_Sirocco_, _Starlight_, _Sword-Fish_, _Wild Pigeon_, _Winged Arrow_, 19 -days; _Alarm_, _Archer_, _Electric_, _Flying Dragon_, _Golden Eagle_, -_John Gilpin_, _Malay_, _Stag Hound_, _Starr King_, _Syren_, _Shooting -Star_, _Telegraph_, _Unknown_, 20 days. - -From the equator to San Francisco: _White Squall_, 14 days; _Flying -Cloud_, _John Gilpin_, _Phantom_, 15 days; _Antelope_, _Comet_, -_Contest_, _Flying Dutchman_, _Game-Cock_, _Trade Wind_, 16 days; -_Aurora_, _Flying Fish_ (twice), _Sovereign of the Seas_, _Surprise_, -_Young America_, 17 days; _Cleopatra_, _Challenge_, _Golden City_, -_John Bertram_, _Samuel Appleton_, _Seaman_, _Sea Witch_, -_Staffordshire_, _Typhoon_, _Westward Ho_, _Winged Arrow_, 18 days; -_Bald Eagle_, _Boston Light_, _Defender_, _Eagle_, _Electric_, _Golden -Eagle_, _Great Republic_, _Hornet_, _N. B. Palmer_, _Wild Pigeon_, 19 -days; _Celestial_, _Cyclone_, _Eureka_, _Governor Morton_, _Herald of -the Morning_, _Intrepid_, _Living Age_, _Ocean Telegraph_, _Raven_, -_Samuel Russell_, _Sparkling Wave_, _Sword-Fish_, 20 days. - -These records indicate the remarkable sailing qualities of the clipper -ships, for, if the quickest single runs are added together--the _Stag -Hound’s_ 13 days from Boston Light to the equator with an allowance of 2 -days for the run from the equator to Cape St. Roque; the _Samuel -Russell’s_ 16 days from Cape St. Roque to 50° S.; the _Young America’s_ -6 days from 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific; the _Live -Yankee’s_ and _Mary L. Sutton’s_ 16 days from 50° S. to the equator; and -the _White Squall’s_ 14 days from the equator to San Francisco--we find -that these six ships sailed long distances at the rate of a passage of -67 days from Boston Light to San Francisco, or 22 days less than the -record of the _Flying Cloud_ and _Andrew Jackson_--89 days. Yet no one -of the six ships which made these splendid runs made the passage from an -Atlantic port to San Francisco in less than 100 days. - -The records of the other ships are even more remarkable, for allowing 20 -days as the outside limit of the four longer runs, with 10 days from 50° -S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific and 2 days from the equator -to Cape St. Roque, we find that no less than 157 runs were made over -distances of thousands of miles, most of them considerably within an -average rate of 92 days from Sandy Hook to San Francisco, or well within -3 days of the fastest record time. These records prove, if proof were -needed, that the reputation of American clipper ships for speed does not -rest upon the fast passages of a few ships, but is based upon the -established records of many swift vessels. - -Judged by any standard of beauty, the American clipper ships were -handsome, noble-looking vessels. During the past fifty years I have seen -many fleets of men-of-war and merchant ships, besides naval reviews, and -at various times the squadrons of yachts that gather each summer in -Cowes Roads and Newport Harbor, but I have never seen a collection of -vessels which could compare in stately beauty with the fleet of American -clipper ships which lay in the harbor of Hong-kong during the autumn of -1858. - -The American clippers were all built of wood and their hulls were -painted black from the metal up, though the _Invincible_ carried a -crimson stripe, and the _Challenge_, _N. B. Palmer_, _Sweepstakes_, and -perhaps two or three others, a stripe of gold. Their yards and bowsprits -were usually painted black, the lower masts white to the tops, with the -tops and doublings above scraped bright and varnished, but the -_Challenge_, _Young America_, and _Mandarin_ carried black lower masts, -and a few other ships kept their lower masts bright. - -Many of their figureheads were of considerable artistic excellence, -being designed by skilful artists, some of whom have already been -mentioned. The _Romance of the Seas_ carried the full-length figure of -an ancient navigator, whose original might have stood on the high poop -of Magellan’s flag-ship, with head bent forward and right hand raised to -shade his eager eyes, as he gazed upon an unknown land in an uncharted -sea. The _Sea Serpent_ carried a long slender serpent, whose life-like, -slimy-looking body, picked out in shades of green and gold, suggested -his recent escape from the waters of one of the summer resorts along the -Atlantic coast. The _Nightingale_ carried a beautiful bust of Jenny -Lind, for whom she was named. The _Panama_ carried at her bow a nude, -full-length figure of a beautiful woman with arms extended, pure white -and of great artistic merit, perhaps the most beautiful figurehead ever -carried by a ship. The _Flying Fish_ carried a fish on the wing, of -life-like color and giving a vivid sense of speed; the _Witchcraft_, a -grim Salem witch riding upon her aerial broomstick; the _Game-Cock_, a -fighting bird with outstretched neck and head, apparently eager for -combat; the _Northern Light_, the full-length figure of an angelic -creature in flowing white drapery, one graceful arm extended above her -head, and bearing in her slender hand a torch with golden flame. - -One of the most striking figureheads 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 neck 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 only exception that one -could possibly take to this stalwart sailorman was that his living -prototype was likely to be met with so very seldom in real life. There -were many other figureheads that might be mentioned, but these are best -remembered. - -In those days New York was one of the most beautiful and picturesque -seaports of the world; the water-front was lined with majestic clippers, -stately Indiamen, and noble packet ships, their American ensigns and -well-known house flags of many brilliant colors floating in the -breeze.[13] The view and skyline of the port from the harbor were very -beautiful; Battery Park with its fine lawns and trees in the foreground, -the graceful spire of Trinity Church forming a prominent landmark, while -clustered on every side were the modest yet dignified and substantial -residences, gardens, and warehouses of the merchants, with a quiet, -refined atmosphere of prosperity and contentment, long since departed. - -The New York pilot-boats were remarkably fast and able schooners of from -80 to 90 tons, which cruised to the eastward as far as the Grand Banks, -with a hand in the crow’s nest on the lookout for the packets and -steamships bound for New York. Among these stanch little vessels were -the _Washington_, _Ezra Nye_, _George W. Blunt_, _William H. Aspinwall_, -_Mary Taylor_, _Moses E. Grinnell_, _Charles H. Marshall_, _Mary Fish_, -_George Steers_, and _Jacob Bell_. The New York pilots themselves were a -very superior class of men, who always wore beaver hats when boarding a -vessel, and owned their boats, and it was regarded as a compliment and -an honor for a citizen of New York to have one of their vessels named -for him. - -Of the men who commanded the American clipper ships, it may be said that -they carried the ensign of the United States to every quarter of the -globe, with honor to their country and themselves. They were not, -however, all cast in the same mould. Each had his strongly marked -individual traits of character, and his human weaknesses. Nothing could -be more remote from the truth than to imagine these men as blustering -bullies at sea or rollicking shell-backs on shore; neither were they -Chesterfields or carpet knights, afloat or ashore, nor at all the type -of skipper that one is apt to meet in works of fiction. Many of them -might easily have been mistaken for prosperous merchants or professional -men, until a more intimate acquaintance disclosed the aura of salted -winds and surging seas, and a world-wide knowledge of men and cities. -These were the qualities which made so many of these master mariners -delightful companions and welcome guests at the firesides of refined and -luxurious homes, whose doors could not be opened by golden keys. It may -well be doubted whether braver, truer-hearted gentlemen or finer seamen -than many of the American clipper ship captains of half a century ago -have ever sailed the seas. - -Many of the clipper ship captains were accompanied on their voyages by -their wives, whose influence at sea was humanizing, while their -companionship was a comfort and solace to their husbands. In foreign -ports, especially in China and India, they were made much of. The -merchants vied with each other to render their visits enjoyable, and -nothing in the way of lavish entertainment or costly gift was regarded -as too good for them. Mrs. Babcock, of the _Sword-Fish_ and _Young -America_; Mrs. Low, of the _N. B. Palmer_; Mrs. Very, of the -_Hurricane_; Mrs. Creecy, of the _Flying Cloud_, and Mrs. Andrews, of -the _Red Gauntlet_, were veritable sea belles, while Mrs. Patten of the -_Neptune’s Car_ proved herself a true heroine. - -The _Neptune’s Car_ sailed from New York for San Francisco in June, -1856, and before she reached Cape Horn, Captain Patten was compelled to -put his chief officer under arrest on account of incompetence and -neglect of duty. That winter off Cape Horn was unusually cold and -stormy, and the exposure and fatigue which Captain Patten was obliged to -endure brought on an attack of brain fever which soon resulted in his -becoming entirely blind. The second mate was a good seaman but knew -nothing about navigation. Mrs. Patten at that time was not more than -twenty-four years old, but she had acquired a thorough knowledge of -navigation upon a previous voyage with her husband round the globe, and -she at once assumed command of the ship. For 52 days she navigated this -heavily masted clipper of over 1600 tons, taking her safely into the -harbor of San Francisco, besides acting as nurse and physician to her -husband and keeping him alive by constant care and watchfulness. The -chief mate asked to return to duty, but Mrs. Patten declined his aid, as -she had no faith in his ability or loyalty, and preferred to trust the -faithful though illiterate second mate. - -Captain Patten never recovered his health and died at Boston on July 26, -1857, in his thirty-sixth year. His funeral took place at Christ Church -in that city, with the colors of the shipping in the harbor at half -mast, and the bells of the church tolling in his honor. Captain Joshua -A. Patten was born in Rockland, Maine, and had followed the sea from -boyhood. He was a prominent Mason, and for several years had been a -member of Christ Church. Mrs. Mary Patten was a beautiful woman of the -finest New England type, with a refined, gentle voice and manner. While -not active in the then newly-organized women’s rights movement, she was -unwillingly made to appear as the star example of woman’s ability to -compete successfully in the pursuits and avocations of man. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE GREATNESS AND THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE - - -The year 1851 is memorable in our maritime annals, because at that time -the United States was at the zenith of her power upon the ocean, and had -completely outstripped her rival Great Britain in the efficiency and -extent of her oversea carrying trade. It is true that the total tonnage -of merchant shipping owned in the United States in this year, including -steam, was only 3,718,640 tons, against 4,332,085 owned by the British -Empire with all its dependencies; but these figures, like many -statistics of this nature, are somewhat misleading. The primary reason -for the existence of a merchant ship is, of course, her ability to pay -her way and earn money for her owners. When a ship ceases to be able to -do this, the sooner she is converted into a hulk or broken up, the -better. So the true measure of a nation’s merchant marine is its earning -capacity, not merely the number or tonnage of its ships; and judged by -this standard, the merchant marine of the United States was at this time -far in advance of the merchant shipping of the whole British Empire. - -In the first place, the merchant ships of the British Empire were of -such massive construction that they could not carry at the very most -more than ninety per cent. of the cargo carried by ships of similar -tonnage owned in the United States; then in the matter of speed, an -American merchantman would make five voyages while a British ship was -making four of equal length; and as to freights, the American ships had -the splendid rates to San Francisco all to themselves, while from China -to England the rates of freight were quite double in their favor, as -compared with British ships. - -If any one with a liking for statistics will apply these facts to the -foregoing figures, the seeming advantage of tonnage possessed by the -British Empire will disappear and it will be found that the merchant -marine of the United States at that time held a commanding position in -the maritime carrying trade of the world. Furthermore, the ship-builders -of this country still excelled in every branch of merchant marine -architecture. - -On the North Atlantic in 1851, the American Collins Line steamships -_Arctic_, _Atlantic_, _Baltic_, and _Pacific_ were competing -successfully with the British Cunarders _Niagara_, _Canada_, _Asia_, and -_Africa_: the _Baltic_ holding the speed record for both the eastern and -the western passages between New York and Liverpool; while the New York, -Philadelphia, and Boston packet ships still held their own. No sailing -ships of other nationalities could compete with them, and though hard -pressed by steamships of the various lines, they still retained their -popularity with passengers and shipping merchants. American ships from -home ports were profitably engaged in the India, China, African, and -South American trades; the New Bedford and Nantucket whaling ships were -to be found upon every sea; the Mississippi, Hudson River, and Long -Island Sound steamboats were the most perfect types of this period for -inland navigation; and the Massachusetts fishing schooners, the North -River sloops, and the New York pilot-boats were far famed for speed and -beauty; while the American clippers were now known and admired -throughout the maritime world. - -It was in this year also that the Royal Yacht Squadron presented a cup -to be sailed for at Cowes by yachts belonging to the yacht clubs of all -nations, which, as every one knows, was won by the _America_, -representing the New York Yacht Club. - - “To teach the Mistress of the Sea - What beam and mast and sail should be, - To teach her how to walk the wave - With graceful step, is such a lore - As never had been taught before; - Dumb are the wise, aghast the brave.”[14] - -Surely De Tocqueville was right when he said: “Nations, as well as men, -almost always betray the most prominent features of their future destiny -in their earliest years. When I contemplate the ardor with which the -Anglo-Americans prosecute commercial enterprise, the advantages which -befriend them, and the success of their undertakings, I cannot refrain -from believing that they will one day become the first maritime power -of the globe. They are born to rule the seas, as the Romans were to -conquer the world.”[15] - -This day had then come. The victory of the _America_ off the Isle of -Wight may be likened to the gilded weathercock at the top of some lofty -spire, being highly decorative and at the same time showing the -direction of the wind. At that time the commercial greatness of the -United States rested upon the splendid qualities shown by her sailing -ships and their captains upon the ocean. And after all the only really -rational sovereignty of the seas that exists, or has ever existed, is -maintained by the merchant marine, whose ships and seamen contribute not -only to the welfare and happiness of mankind, but also to the wealth of -the nations under whose flags they sail. - -In those early days, as the flaming posters in the downtown streets of -New York used to announce, it was “Sail versus Steam” and the packet -ships justified their claim more than once by beating a steamship from -port to port. When, as not infrequently happened, a packet ship running -before a strong westerly gale in mid-ocean overhauled a wallowing -side-wheel steamer bound the same way, the joyous shouts and derisive -yells of the steerage passengers on board the packet, as she ranged -alongside and swept past the “tea-kettle,” were good for the ears of -sailormen to hear. In those days no sailors liked steamships, not even -those who went to sea in them. If a packet captain sighted a steamer -ahead going the same way, he usually steered for her and passed to -windward as close as possible, in order that the dramatic effect of the -exploit might not be lost upon the passengers of either vessel. - -The Atlantic steamship lines with which the packet ships had to compete, -the Cunard, Collins, Havre, Bremen, and Vanderbilt lines, ran only -wooden side-wheel steamers; but when the Inman Line was founded in 1850, -and began to run iron screw steamers between Liverpool and Philadelphia, -the Atlantic packet ships began to lose their trade. Indeed, from 1840, -when the Cunard Line was established, until the Inman Line began to run -their fast iron screw steamships to New York in 1857, the rivalry -between sail and steam was keen and spirited. During these years the -Atlantic mail steamships carried almost as much canvas as sailing -vessels, and they continued to do so for many years. Most of the -Cunarders were barque-rigged, and the famous _Russia_ of that line -carried topmast and topgallant studdingsails. The Allan liners were also -barque-rigged, and the Inman steamships were full ship-rigged, while the -White Star liners were ship-rigged with a jiggermast. It was not until -1889, when the White Star Line brought out the _Majestic_ and the -_Teutonic_ with twin screws, pole masts, and no canvas, that the -Atlantic Ocean began to be navigated by vessels propelled entirely by -steam; so that the complete transition from sail to steam required very -nearly half a century. - -It cannot be said that steam competition had any direct effect upon the -California clippers, as it is only of late years that there has been -direct communication by sea between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and -the Pacific Mail Company, after once getting its steamers round into the -Pacific, had always carried passengers, the mails, and specie with -transshipment at Panama. The demand for the California clippers ceased -when rapid transportation of cargoes round Cape Horn became no longer -necessary. - -Besides the competition between sail and steam, there was also going on -for many years, as has already been suggested, the attempt to substitute -iron for wood in the construction of vessels, and screw propellers for -paddle-wheels as a means of propulsion by steam. In both branches of -this transition, which were parallel but not necessarily connected, -Great Britain took the lead, and she has rightfully reaped the benefit. - -How gradually the change came about will be seen from the following -facts and figures: The first iron sailing ship was the _Vulcan_, built -on the Clyde in 1818, and in the following year the first sailing vessel -with an auxiliary engine crossed the Atlantic. This was the _Savannah_, -a wooden ship of 350 tons, with portable paddles and an engine and -boiler on deck. She was built at New York. The first vessel to cross the -Atlantic using steam-power during the entire voyage was the _Royal -William_, which was taken from Quebec to London in 1833; and in 1838 the -first steamers of British build, the _Great Western_ and the _Sirius_, -made the westward passage. The first steamer constructed of iron was the -_Aaron Manby_, a small paddle-wheel vessel about 50 feet long, built at -Horsley, England, in 1821; and the first screw steamer of any importance -was the _Archimedes_, an iron vessel of 237 tons, built in England in -1839. The _Great Britain_, built at Bristol, England, in 1843, was the -first screw, as well as the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic, -but it was not until 1850, when the Inman liner _City of Glasgow_ began -to run regularly between Liverpool and Philadelphia, that iron screw -steamers took a recognized place upon the ocean. - -It is to be noticed how closely these last dates correspond with those -of the clipper ship era, which opened with the advent of the _Rainbow_ -in 1843, and was brought to its greatest brilliancy through the -discovery of gold in California and Australia in 1848 and 1851. At this -time each nation was devoting its best talents to developing the -material that lay nearest at hand; and while the American wooden-built -type was earlier brought to perfection, its possibilities were more -limited by natural causes. Greater economy, durability, and regularity -of speed on the part of the iron screw steamer were the qualities that -finally drove from the seas the far more picturesque and beautiful -wooden sailing ship. - -The supremacy held by the merchant marine of the United States in 1851 -was maintained until about 1856, and during this period American ships -continued to be built, bought, and chartered by British ship-owners; but -after the great financial depression which affected both countries from -1857 to 1859, British ship-owners no longer needed American-built -ships, for in Great Britain iron had by this time superseded wood in the -construction of large vessels. Thus the advantage to the United States -of having an abundant supply of timber was taken away, while the -advantage of Free Trade, with low cost of living, was on the side of -England. Moreover, the spirit of enterprise, which had been growing in -Great Britain during the years of free competition in the carrying trade -since 1849, was having its effect. - -Following the repeal of the Navigation Laws, the Merchant Shipping Act -of 1854, a wise and far-seeing measure, completed the foundation upon -which the merchant marine of Great Britain has been developed. This act -of Parliament contains 548 clauses, dealing with all questions which -relate to British merchant ships and seamen, including tonnage. The -ship-builders of Great Britain had been much hampered by the old tonnage -laws and were glad to see them abolished.[16] The new tonnage rules, -which are still in force, were based upon the actual cubic capacity of -the hull, the unit of 100 cubic feet being one ton register, so that a -vessel measuring 100,000 cubic feet internal capacity registers 1000 -tons, and is able to carry 2000 tons at 50 cubic feet per ton. This new -system of measurement encouraged the application of scientific knowledge -to the design of vessels, and, as we shall see, helped somewhat to -prolong the clipper ship era in England, when it was practically dead in -the United States. - -It is true that during our Civil War American ships were still sold in -England, but this was rather because their owners had no profitable use -for them at home than from any lack of British iron vessels. Since that -period, the decline of American shipping, for reasons that should be -well understood, has been constant. - -I refer to the Navigation Laws and Protective Tariff of the United -States. The former, first enacted in 1792 and revised and added to since -that time only in unimportant details, have long out-lived the -usefulness they may once have possessed, and completely fail to meet the -requirements of the changes in ocean navigation that have taken place -during the period of more than a century that has since elapsed. As is -well known, they prohibit an American citizen from owning a -foreign-built merchant ship. Meanwhile the Protective Tariff so -increases the cost of living and with it the cost of the labor and -materials that go into the construction of a modern ship, that the -American ship-builder cannot produce a steel or iron vessel at anything -like a cost that will enable her to compete successfully with a ship of -the same class constructed in a European shipyard. Were it not for this -hindrance, the immense natural advantages of such broad, deep waters as -those of the Delaware and Chesapeake, where the finest coal and iron ore -are within easy transportation, and the abundant food supplies of the -neighboring garden States and of the West which are easily accessible, -would make them ideal spots for the construction of ships. So it will be -seen that the Navigation Laws and Protective Tariff are the mill-stones -between which the American ship-owner and ship-builder at present find -themselves ground with an ever-receding prospect of escape from this -cunningly devised dilemma. Meanwhile, the ensign of the United States no -longer contributes in any marked degree to the gayety of foreign -seaports; whereas, Great Britain, with inferior coal and iron ore, -compelled to import the food and clothing material for her shipwrights -from distant lands, and with certainly no keener intelligence nor -greater energy among her ship-owners and builders, but guided by the -enlightened policy of Free Trade, sends her endless procession of -merchant ships, both sail and steam, to every seaport upon the globe. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE LATER BRITISH TEA CLIPPERS - - -In what may be called the ante-Suez Canal days, China was a pretty -comfortable place to be in. The East India Company, with its pomp and -grandeur, had passed away, but the older residents treasured the -picturesque traditions of former times, and the comfort and luxury of -the old days still survived. - -All white foreigners in China were known as Europeans, and at the little -treaty ports along the coast their communities were closely united by -ties of social necessity, the barriers of national prejudice, if they -existed, being soon obliterated in the effort of each member to -contribute to the well-being of all. Hong-kong was the European capital. -With its cathedral, Government House, regiment of soldiers, court of -justice, race-course, social clubs, and annual Derby and Regatta week, -it was a most entertaining pocket edition of England, set down at the -base of a lofty island mountain-peak, between the bluest of seas and the -brightest of skies. Almost the only things that reminded one of the -Orient were the tiers of junks that lay moored at the western end of the -town, and the industrious well-mannered Chinese who mingled so -unobtrusively with their visitors from the west. - -All of these things worked together for good. There were no cables or -telegraphs to vex the souls of the righteous. The P. & O. steamer, via -the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, usually arrived every month, though -frequently four or five days overdue, and once in a while she would not -appear at all, having fetched up on one of the numerous uncharted reefs -or shoals that then infested these seas. When she did arrive, there was -a ripple of excitement over receiving letters and newspapers from home, -and when she had departed, the little colony settled once more into -agreeable repose. The towns and cities of America and Europe seemed far -away--bright, shadowy visions that dwelt in our hearts as “home.” - -In 1862 the Messageries Imperiales of France extended their steamship -line to China, and in 1867 the first steamship of the Pacific Mail -Company from San Francisco arrived at Hong-kong. Vast numbers of -globe-trotters then began to appear, most of them far too energetic; -they insisted, among other things, on tying their own shoestrings, and -in general proved very inferior lotus-eaters. When the Suez Canal was -opened and telegraph cables began to be laid, then the remnant of charm -that had made the old life in China so pleasant vanished forever. - -In 1859 quite a new type of China tea clipper appeared in Great Britain. -The first of these beautiful vessels was the _Falcon_, built by Robert -Steele & Son, at Greenock, and owned by Shaw, Maxton & Co. She was a -wooden vessel of 937 tons register; length 191 feet 4 inches, breadth 32 -feet 2 inches, depth 20 feet 2 inches, and was commanded by Captain -Maxton, who had been in command of the _Lord of the Isles_. The _Falcon_ -was the first of the really handsome tea clippers sailing out of London. -Like her, the _Fiery Cross_, built by Chalour & Co., of Liverpool, in -1860; the _Min_, by Robert Steele & Son, of Greenock, and the _Kelso_, -by William Pile, of Sunderland, in 1861; the _Belted Will_, by Feel & -Co., of Workington, and the _Serica_, by Robert Steele & Son, in 1863 -were all wooden ships sheathed with red copper. The _Fiery Cross_, the -largest of these, was only 888 tons. They were all beautiful vessels of -an entirely original type and with nothing about them to remind one of -the American clippers; for they had considerably less sheer, much less -freeboard, and lower bulwarks, and their comparatively small breadth -gave them a slim, graceful appearance. - -These ships and the tea clippers which followed them had very clear -decks for working ship. The deck-houses were small, and with the rails, -bulwarks, waterways, bitts, hatch-coamings, companions, and skylights -were of India teak varnished; the decks, also of India teak, were -holystoned; and this, with the polished brasswork and the spare spars -lashed amidships, made them very smart and shipshape. - -The tea-trade in the early sixties was comparatively small, and did not -require many vessels, but speed in the delivery of new teas was of the -utmost importance, and it was this demand that brought these clippers -into existence. They were designed with great skill for this special -purpose, and as they invariably sailed from China with new teas during -the southwest monsoon, it was necessary that they should be smart in -moderate weather going to windward, as well as in getting through the -northeast trades in the Atlantic. It was under these conditions that -they did their best work. They did not carry as heavy spars nor as much -canvas as the American clippers of the same length, and probably could -not have done so to advantage, as their breadth was considerably less, -and with their easy lines they did not require much canvas to drive -them. They were remarkably fast in light and moderate winds, and made -fine averages rather than exceptional daily records of speed, none of -them reaching the extreme speed of many of the sharper and more powerful -American clipper ships. Only twenty-five or thirty of these vessels were -built from first to last, and not more than four or five in any one -year. A list of the most celebrated of them will be found in Appendix -III. - -The captains were men of great ability, who handled their ships with -skill and judgment; some of them accumulated considerable fortunes, -being part owners of the vessels which they commanded. These ships were -manned by fine British seamen, many of whom had served in the Royal -Navy. When these fellows got safely to sea and properly sobered up, -there were no smarter sailors afloat, whether aloft or with marlinspike, -palm and needle, or watch tackle. - -In 1863 the first tea clippers of composite construction were brought -out--the _Taeping_, built by Robert Steele & Son; the _Eliza Shaw_, by -Alexander Stephen, and the _Yang-tze_ and _Black Prince_, by Alexander -Hall. This system of ship-building--iron frames and wood planking--was -invented by John Jordan, son of a member of the firm of L. H. Macintyre -& Co., ship-builders of Liverpool, who built the schooner _Excelsior_ -upon this principle in 1850, and the barque _Marion Macintyre_, in 1851, -these being the first composite vessels constructed. - -This system combined the strength of iron frames with the advantage that -the wooden planking could be coppered to prevent fouling, which was a -serious matter in this trade. Great care had to be taken in building -these vessels to prevent galvanic action so far as possible. -Gutta-percha was placed between the frames and planking as a -non-conductor; the planking was then fastened with yellow-metal screw -bolts with counter-sunk heads, the holes being afterwards filled with a -composition prepared for the purpose. Mr. Jordan obtained a patent for -his invention, but it did not attract much attention until adopted in -the construction of the _Taeping_, _Eliza Shaw_, _Yang-tze_, and _Black -Prince_. From that time all the tea clippers were of composite build, -though it was not until 1867 that the Committee of Lloyd’s Register -issued rules for their construction. - -It was in 1863 also that the _Seaforth_, an iron ship of 1200 tons, -built for the Calcutta trade by Jones, Quiggin & Co., of Liverpool, was -fitted with steel lower masts, topmasts, topsails yards, and bowsprit, -and with standing rigging of steel wire - -[Illustration: The Composite Construction] - -rope. It was estimated that by replacing wood and hemp with steel, she -saved 21 tons weight aloft, besides getting less wind resistance and a -very considerable increase in strength. The _Seaforth_ was the first -vessel to have steel spars and rigging, but they soon came into use on -board the tea clippers. - -The wild, speculative years of ship-owning which followed the discovery -of gold in California and Australia, when a clipper ship was expected to -pay for herself every voyage or two, had now passed away. Ship-owners -retained a lively recollection of the crash in 1857 and the depression -which followed, so the tea clippers were built with an eye to economy as -well as speed. The rates of freight, which in the early fifties had been -£6 and even as high as £8 per ton, were in 1863 £4 10s. to £5 per -ton--still fine paying rates on the investment of capital, after -allowing for running expenses and depreciation. Ship-owning in Great -Britain had now become established upon a less profitable, though more -rational and substantial basis. - -The tea clippers carried from 200 to 300 tons of clean shingle ballast, -laid beautifully smooth and even, upon which the chests of tea were -stowed, and a considerable quantity of dunnage wood, for which -allowances were made in reckoning the actual cargo capacity. The -_Taeping_, which under the new rules based on the cubic capacity of the -hull registered 767 tons, carried 1234 tons of tea at 50 cubit feet per -ton, with a crew of 30 men all told. Vessels were now designed on -scientific principles, and it may be doubted whether the qualities then -desirable in a merchant sailing ship--speed, strength, carrying -capacity, and economy--have ever been so successfully united as in these -famous China tea clippers. - -Some exciting contests took place between the various clippers of the -new type, the _Falcon_, _Fiery Cross_, _Serica_, and _Taeping_ proving -the most successful. In the year 1865 the _Fiery Cross_ and _Serica_ -sailed from Foo-chow side by side, on May 28th, both bound for London. -After a close race during which they sighted each other several times, -both ships made their signals off St. Catharine’s, Isle of Wight, at -almost the same moment, 106 days from Foo-chow, and continued up Channel -before a light westerly breeze. Off Beechy Head they fell in with the -tugs sent out to meet them, the _Serica_ at that time having a lead of -about two miles. The _Fiery Cross_, however, secured the most powerful -tug and reached her dock one tide before the _Serica_, thus winning the -premium of 10 shillings per ton. The _Taeping_ sailed from Foo-chow some -days later and made the passage to the Downs in 101 days. As may be -supposed, this system of awarding premiums led to a good deal of -unpleasantness. - -In 1865, Robert Steele & Son brought out the sister ships _Ariel_ and -_Sir Launcelot_; Alexander Hall, the _Ada_, and Connell & Co., of -Glasgow, the _Taitsing_, all of composite construction; and in the -following year the most famous race between these vessels--the one which -the tea brokers of Mincing Lane still discuss with enthusiasm--was -sailed. It was arranged that nine clippers should sail from Foo-chow as -nearly the same date as possible, and during the last week in May the -picturesque Pagoda Anchorage presented a scene of unusual activity. The -_Ada_, _Black Prince_, _Chinaman_, _Fiery Cross_, _Flying Spur_, -_Serica_, _Ariel_, _Taeping_, and _Taitsing_ were all hurrying to finish -loading and get to sea. Cargo junks and lorchers[17] were being warped -alongside at all hours of the day and night; double gangs of -good-natured, chattering coolies were on board each ship ready to handle -and stow the matted chests of tea as they came alongside; comfortable -sampans worked by merry barefooted Chinese women sailed or rowed in -haste between the ships and the shore; slender six-oared gigs with crews -of stalwart Chinamen in white duck uniforms darted about the harbor; -while dignified master mariners, dressed in white linen or straw-colored -pongee silk, with pipe-clayed shoes and broad pith hats, impatiently -handled the yoke lines. - -On shore the tyepans and their clerks hurried about in sedan chairs -carried on the shoulders of perspiring coolies, with quick, firm step to -the rhythm of their mild but energetic “woo ho--woo-ho--woo ho.” The -broad, cool veranda of the clubhouse was almost deserted; in the great -hongs of Adamson, Bell; Gilman & Co.; Jardine, Matheson; Gibb, -Livingston; and Sassoon, the gentry of Foo-chow toiled by candle-light -over manifests and bills of lading and exchange, sustained far into the -night by slowly swinging punkahs, iced tea, and the fragrant Manila -cheroot. - -The _Fiery Cross_ was the first ship to get her final chest of tea on -board, at midnight, and she towed to sea early on the morning of May -29th; the _Ariel_ left the Pagoda Anchorage at 10:30 and the _Serica_ -and _Taeping_ at 10:50 A.M. on the 30th; the _Taitsing_ followed at -midnight on the 31st. Here we must bid good-bye to the _Ada_, _Black -Prince_, _Chinaman_, and _Flying Spur_, for these vessels, -unfortunately, did not finish loading in time to take part in the race. -The five competing ships, however, represented the flower of the fleet, -and for this reason had been the favorites with shippers. The _Fiery -Cross_, _Taeping_, and _Serica_ were fast and well-tried vessels, while -the _Ariel_ and _Taitsing_ were just beginning their successful career. -The captains, Keay, of the _Ariel_; Robinson, of the _Fiery Cross_; -Innes, of the _Serica_; McKinnon, of the _Taeping_, and Nutsfield, of -the _Taitsing_, were all seamen of skill and experience, well known in -the China trade. - -The _Fiery Cross_ found a light northeast breeze outside, and passed -through the Formosa Channel with royal studdingsails set, followed by -the other four ships. They all carried this breeze for four hundred -miles, when the _Fiery Cross_ drifted into a calm which let the other -ships run up, but she was the first to get the southwest monsoon, and -soon drew away again. On June 8th the _Fiery Cross_ and _Ariel_ met on -opposite tacks, both ships having a strong southwest breeze, and the -_Fiery Cross_ passed three miles to windward. She kept her lead through -the Straits of Sunda, passing Anjer Point at noon on June 19th, and was -followed by the _Ariel_ on the morning of June 20th and the _Taeping_ -during that afternoon; the _Serica_ passed Anjer Point on the 22d and -the _Taitsing_ on the 25th. From Anjer Point to the meridian of -Mauritius they all carried fresh trade winds, and it was on this stretch -across the Indian Ocean that each ship made her best twenty-four hours’ -run--the _Ariel_, 317; _Taeping_, 319; _Serica_, 291; _Fiery Cross_, -328; and _Taitsing_, 318 miles. - -The _Fiery Cross_ rounded the Cape of Good Hope on July 14th, 46 days -from Foo-chow, followed by the _Ariel_ also 46 days; _Taeping_, 47 days; -_Serica_, 50 days, and _Taitsing_, 54 days. The _Fiery Cross_ was on the -equator, August 3d, 20 days from the Cape of Good Hope, with the _Ariel_ -still only one day astern, while the _Taeping_ and _Taitsing_ had each -gained 1 and the _Serica_ 2 days on this stretch. On August 9th, in -latitude 12° 29′ N., the _Fiery Cross_ and _Taeping_ exchanged signals, -and they continued in company, with calms and variable winds until the -17th, when the _Taeping_ picked up a breeze which carried her out of -sight while the _Fiery Cross_ lay becalmed for another twenty-four -hours. Meanwhile, the _Ariel_, which was about thirty miles further to -the westward, found better winds and now led the fleet, while the -_Taitsing_ brought up a good breeze and passed the _Taeping_, _Serica_, -and _Fiery Cross_ and was closing on the _Ariel_. At the Azores the -_Ariel_ still held the lead, though closely followed by the _Taitsing_, -_Fiery Cross_, _Serica_, and _Taeping_ in the order named. From the -Azores to the entrance of the English Channel, the _Taeping_ and -_Serica_ passed the _Taitsing_ and _Fiery Cross_ and closed on the -_Ariel_, the _Taeping_ leading the _Serica_ by about six hours. - -At daybreak on the morning of September 5th, two of the clippers sighted -each other running in for the Lizard; they were about five miles apart, -beam and beam, steering on slightly converging courses. There was a -strong southerly wind with smooth sea, and both ships were being driven -at their utmost speed--a good fifteen knots--their lee scuppers -smothered in foam, with the wind well abaft the starboard beam; both -were under the same canvas, main skysail, topmast, topgallant, royal, -and square lower studdingsails. Neither captain required the example of -the other to send his ship along at her best speed--they had been doing -that for ninety-eight days and nights. When their signals could be made -out these ships proved to be the _Ariel_ and the _Taeping_. After -passing the Lizard the wind moderated, and they raced up channel almost -side by side, now one and then the other gaining a slight advantage, but -never far apart, and as they passed the various headlands along the -coast they presented a spirited marine picture. They were off the pilot -station at Dungeness at three o’clock the next morning and burned their -blue lights for pilots, who boarded both ships at the same time. With a -moderate wind they were now making not more than five or six knots -through the water, but the tide was sweeping them along fast. Off the -South Foreland the wind slackened again with the rising sun. Here the -_Ariel_ held a slight lead and she passed Deal at 8 o’clock, followed by -the _Taeping_ eight minutes later, but as the latter vessel had sailed -from the Pagoda - -[Illustration: The “Ariel” and “Taeping” Running up Channel, September -5, 1866] - -Anchorage twenty minutes after the _Ariel_, ninety-nine days before, she -had won the race by twelve minutes. Both ships had sailed 16,000 miles. - -The _Serica_ passed Deal four hours later; all three ships went up the -Thames on the same tide, and after the usual tugboat race, the _Taeping_ -arrived in the London Docks at 9:45, the _Ariel_ in the East India Docks -at 10:15, and the _Serica_ in the West India Docks at 11:30 P.M. on -September 6th. The _Fiery Cross_ passed Deal on the 7th and the -_Taitsing_ on the 9th, each 101 days from the Pagoda Anchorage. - -The following is an abstract of their logs: - - - _Ariel_ _Taeping_ _Serica_ _Fiery Cross_ _Taitsing_ -From the Pagoda -Anchorage to -Anjer 21 days 21 days 23 days 21 days 26 days. - -From Anjer to -the Cape of -Good Hope 25 “ 26 “ 27 “ 25 “ 28 “ - -From the Cape -of Good Hope -to the equator 20 “ 19 “ 18 “ 20 “ 19 “ - -From the equator -to Deal 33 “ 33 “ 31 “ 35 “ 28 “ - -- -- -- --- --- -Total 99 “ 99 “ 99 “ 101 “ 101 “ - -The best twenty-four hours’ runs were as follows: - - _Average_ -_Ariel_ June 25 317 miles 13.2 knots. -_Taeping_ “ 25 319 “ 13.3 “ -_Serica_ “ 29 291 “ 12.1 “ -_Fiery Cross_ “ 24 328 “ 13.7 “ -_Taitsing_ July 2 318 “ 13.25 “ - -This contest of 1866 was one of the grandest ocean races ever sailed, -partly on account of the number of evenly matched vessels engaged in it, -but chiefly by reason of the splendid manner in which it was contested -and the close, exciting finish. The tea cargoes of the five ships were: -_Taeping_, 1,108,709 lbs.; _Ariel_, 1,230,900 lbs.; _Serica_, 954,236 -lbs.; _Fiery Cross_, 854,236 lbs.; _Taitsing_, 1,093,130 lbs. - -The usual altercation arose over the award of premium, which this year -was 10 shillings per ton; Shaw, Maxton & Co., owners of the _Ariel_, -protested that their ship had arrived first at Deal and was therefore -entitled to the prize money, but the contention of Rodger & Co., owners -of the _Taeping_, that their ship had made the fastest passage and had -also reached her dock first, prevailed, and the matter was finally -adjusted by dividing the premium. The captains all dined together at the -Ship and Turtle Tavern in Leadenhall Street, and harmony was restored, -but there were no premiums after this race. The system of awards had -always led to controversy, and such an effort to combine sport and -business could not be made to flourish. There had also been heavy -betting on these races, large sums of money changing hands, and this -continued; but it was better understood whether wagers were being laid -on the clippers or tugboats, for under the old system, there had been -nothing except expense to prevent a ship towing from the Azores. - -In the next two years the fleet was increased by a number of fine -vessels, built to meet the competition of steam, which was now beginning -to be felt in the China trade. We have seen how fierce and prolonged a -contest there had been between sail and steam on the Atlantic, where the -brave old packet ships had finally been driven into other trades, and -how the California and Australian clippers had gradually been superseded -by other means of transportation. The difficulty and peculiar conditions -of the China voyage made this a harder field to conquer. - -Since 1845 the P. & O. steamers had carried passengers between England -and China via the Red Sea, but they were expensive vessels to operate, -and there were difficulty and delay in transportation across the Isthmus -of Suez; consequently, their rates of freight were high and they were -unable to compete with the tea clippers. On the other hand, auxiliary -vessels did not have sufficient power to drive them against the -southwest monsoon when new teas were shipped from China, as their heavy -masts, yards, and rigging held them back in head winds. A number of -auxiliaries were tried in the China trade, among them the _Scotland_, -_Erl King_, _Robert Lowe_, and _Far East_, but they were not successful. -As late as 1866 there were no steamers that could make the voyage -between England and China with sufficient cargo to meet expenses, and -very few persons at that time believed that the direct trade between -Europe and China could ever be carried on by steamers, or that the Suez -Canal, even if completed, would prove of any commercial value. - -In this year, however, Alfred Holt, of Liverpool, brought out three iron -screw steamships with compound engines--the _Ajax_, _Achilles_, and -_Agamemnon_,--2270 tons gross and 1550 tons net register--and put them -in the China trade. These vessels could steam from London to Mauritius, -a distance of 8500 miles, without coaling, a remarkable performance in -those days, and they made the passage from Foo-chow to London in 58 -days, at an average speed of 235 miles per day. These were the first -steamships to perform long ocean voyages successfully, and they marked a -new era in steam navigation, although they were expensive vessels to -operate compared with steamers of the present day, and it was at first -doubted whether they could be made to pay. - -The owners, builders, and captains of the tea clippers were not men to -yield without a contest; they met this new and aggressive invasion of -steam by building in rapid succession such noted fliers as the -_Titania_, _Spindrift_, _Forward Ho_, _Lahloo_, _Leander_, _Thermopylæ_, -_Windhover_, _Cutty Sark_, _Caliph_, _Wylo_, _Kaisow_, and _Lothair_. -These, with the older tea clippers, held their own against the steamers -until the opening of the Suez Canal in November, 1869, greatly lessened -the length of the voyage and the difficulty and expense of obtaining -coal. - -In 1868 the _Ariel_, _Taeping_, and _Sir Launcelot_ sailed from -Foo-chow on May 28th, the _Spindrift_ on the 29th, the _Lahloo_ on the -30th, the _Serica_ on June 1st, and the _Leander_ on June 3d. The -_Ariel_ and _Spindrift_ made the passage to Deal in 97 days, the _Sir -Launcelot_ in 98 days, the _Lahloo_ in 100 days; _Taeping_, 102 days; -_Leander_, 109 days, and _Serica_, 113 days. - -The famous tea clipper _Thermopylæ_ was launched in this year. She was -of composite construction, built by Walter Hood, of Aberdeen, for George -Thompson & Co., who also owned the _Star of Peace_, _Ethiopian_, -_Aristides_, _Patriarch_, _Salamis_, and other fine ships well known in -the Australian trade. The _Thermopylæ_ was 947 tons register; length 210 -feet, breadth 36 feet, depth 21 feet; she carried double topsails, but -no skysail, and like all the Thompson ships, her hull was painted sea -green from the copper up with white yards and lower masts. She carried a -handsome figurehead of the brave Leonidas, and was a very beautiful -ship. She was designed by Bernard Weymouth, an accomplished naval -architect who was for many years the secretary to Lloyd’s Register of -Shipping. He had before this designed the tea clipper _Leander_, and -later designed the _Melbourne_, a fast ship in the Australian trade, -built and owned by Richard Green, of London, of which further mention -will be made later. - -On her first voyage the _Thermopylæ_ sailed from London to Melbourne -under command of Captain Kemball, who had formerly commanded the -_Fairlight_ and the _Yang-tze_. She left Gravesend, November 7, 1868, -and arrived at Melbourne, January 9, 1869, thus making the passage in -the remarkable record time of 63 days, the same time as the record -passage of the _James Baines_, from Liverpool to Melbourne fourteen -years before. She had a fast run of 21 days to the equator; on the three -days before and after crossing the line she made 202, 140, 228, 271, -288, and 293 miles--an unusual rate of speed for that part of the ocean. -Her best days’ runs were made on January 3d and 4th--330 and 326 miles; -her log records on both days “northerly, strong,” so that it may be -assumed that she had as much fair wind as she needed. Her log records -nine days during the passage when her runs were over 300 miles, and five -days of less than 100 miles. The entries on December 9th and 10th are: -“Northwesterly, fresh gale, 240 miles,” and “southwesterly, blowing a -gale, 224 miles.” These were fair winds. An analysis of this log leads -to the conclusion that the _Thermopylæ_ was a very fast ship in average -weather at sea, but in heavy weather could not be driven at a high rate -of speed for a vessel of her length, probably on account of her small -breadth and low foreboard.[18] - -She next made the run from Newcastle, New South Wales, to Shanghai in 28 -days, which is the record between those ports. On this passage large -days’ runs are not to be expected, but on one day she made 300 miles, -and she showed the same fast averages in moderate weather as before. - -There was great excitement in the hongs at the coast ports of China in -this year (1869) when it became known that the _Thermopylæ_ was -chartered to load new teas at Foo-chow for London; for no racing yachts -ever had firmer friends and backers than the tea clippers; moreover, the -rivalry between Aberdeen and the Clyde was acute. Of late years the -Clyde clippers had carried all before them, and it was now felt that -Aberdeen was about to regain her former glory; but this did not prove to -be the case. The _Ariel_ sailed from the Pagoda Anchorage on June 30th; -the _Leander_, July 1st; _Thermopylæ_, July 3d; _Spindrift_, July 4th; -_Taeping_, July 9th, and the _Sir Launcelot_, July 17th. They arrived -off Deal as follows: _Sir Launcelot_, 89 days; _Thermopylæ_, 91 days; -_Taeping_, 102 days; _Leander_, 103 days; _Ariel_, 104 days, and -_Spindrift_, 106 days. - -The winner, the _Sir Launcelot_, was commanded by Captain Robinson, -formerly of the _Fiery Cross_, a seaman of great energy and experience. -On this passage she sailed 354 miles in twenty-four hours while running -through the trades in the Indian Ocean, which is believed to be the -greatest speed ever made by any of the tea clippers of that period. This -vessel was 886 tons register; length 197 feet 6 inches, breadth 33 feet -7 inches, depth 21 feet, drawing 18 feet 9 inches aft and 18 feet 7 -inches forward, and carried 45,500 square feet of canvas, with a crew of -30 hands all told. She delivered 1430 tons of tea at fifty cubic feet -per ton, and in addition to 200 tons of shingle ballast, she carried 100 -tons of kentledge, cast to fit the floors along the keelson between the -fore and mizzen masts. Her owner, James MacCumm, of Greenock, claimed -that she was the fastest of the tea clippers, which her record passage -of 89 days from Foo-chow to London and her twenty-four hours’ run of 354 -miles would seem to justify, though there were probably very slight -differences in speed between any of these vessels under similar -conditions of wind and weather. - -The race of 1870 from Foo-chow to London was won by the _Lahloo_ in 97 -days, the other vessels being: the _Windhover_, 100 days; _Sir -Launcelot_, 102 days; _Leander_, 103 days; _Thermopylæ_, 106 days. In -1871 the _Titania_ won in 93 days; the _Lahloo_, 111 days, from Foo-chow -to London; and from Shanghai to London the _Thermopylæ_ was 106 days; -_Cutty Sark_, 110 days, and _Forward Ho_, 118 days. This was about the -last of the tea clipper racing, for the combined competition of steam -and the Suez Canal proved too powerful for sail. No more tea clippers -were built after 1869; by degrees these beautiful vessels were driven -into other trades; and so the Clipper Ship Era drifted into history. - -Great Britain had regained her empire upon the sea, and few British -ship-owners could be found who any longer doubted the wisdom of Free -Trade. Through the irony of fate, Duncan Dunbar, who had been one of the -most vehement opponents of the repeal of the Navigation Laws, became -under the new conditions, the largest ship-owner and one of the -wealthiest in the United Kingdom, leaving at his death an estate of -£1,500,000. - -In comparing the speed of the British tea clippers with that of American -clipper ships, a good deal depends on what is meant by speed. In -ordinary weather at sea, when great power to carry sail is - -[Illustration: The “Lahloo”] - -not required, the British tea clippers were extremely fast vessels, -chiefly on account of their narrow beam, which gave their hulls a -comparatively small wetted surface, and their smooth copper bottoms -which reduced skin resistance. Under these conditions they were, -perhaps, as fast as the American clippers of the same class, though from -very different causes;--such ships, for instance, as the _Sea Witch_, -_Samuel Russell_, _Game Cock_, _Phantom_, _White Squall_, _Nightingale_, -_Shooting Star_, _Northern Light_, _Surprise_, _Witch of the Wave_, -_Sword-Fish_, and others. But if speed is to be considered as the -maximum performance of a ship under the most favorable conditions, -though these conditions may not often occur, then the British tea -clippers were certainly no match for the larger American ships such as -the _Flying Cloud_, _Typhoon_, _Neptune’s Car_, _Challenge_, _Comet_, -_Hurricane_, _Flying Fish_, _Stag-Hound_, _Young America_, _Trade-Wind_, -and others of this class, to say nothing of the _James Baines_, _Red -Jacket_, _Champion of the Seas_, _Lightning_, _Sovereign of the Seas_, -and _Great Republic_. The greater breadth of the American ships in -proportion to their length, meant, in sailing vessels of this type, not -only power to carry canvas, but also power in the form of buoyancy; and -this, with their longer and sharper ends, enabled the American clippers -to be driven at much greater speed than the British clippers in strong -gales and before heavy seas. It should, however, be remembered that none -of the British tea clippers exceeded 1000 tons register, and it may -again be said that they probably combined the good qualities of a -merchant ship in a higher degree than any other vessels that have ever -been built. - -The _Melbourne_, already mentioned, was perhaps the fastest ship ever -built in Great Britain. In 1875, commanded by Captain Marsden, she made -the passage from London to Melbourne in the not very remarkable time of -74 days, but when running her easting down in strong westerly gales she -sailed 5100 miles in 17 days, an average of 300 miles a day, and her -best twenty-four hours’ run was 374 miles, an average of over 15½ knots. -She was an iron vessel of 1865 tons register; length 269 feet, breadth -40 feet, depth 23 feet 7 inches, and while not an extreme clipper, was a -finely designed ship. - -It should be remembered that both the American and the British clippers -were dependent upon the form of their lines for stability; this problem -in their design was therefore a far more intricate and difficult one to -deal with than that of producing stability by hanging a huge mass of -lead below the body of a hull, as is the custom with our modern racing -yachts. - -Yachting is the grandest of sports when yachtsmen handle their yachts -themselves, and there are a good number of yachtsman who are excellent -seamen and navigators. It is pleasant to recall that in the race for the -Emperor’s Cup in 1905, four of the competing yachts were sailed and -navigated by their owners; and although there is far too much wasteful -extravagance and enervating luxury in yachting, still, the increasing -number of yachtsmen who show a keen interest and are amateur experts in -the design, construction, rigging, and sailing of their yachts, is an -encouraging sign for the future of the sport. - -Nevertheless, it must be frankly admitted that yacht racing, even across -the Atlantic, in comparison with the old clipper ship racing, resembles -snipe shooting as compared with hunting big game in the wilds of Africa, -while the gold and silver yacht racing cups appear as mere baubles -beside the momentous stake of commercial supremacy for which the -clippers stretched their wings. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE FATE OF THE CLIPPER SHIPS - - -We have already seen how, about the year 1855, the extreme clippers were -succeeded in the United States by a class of vessels known as medium -clippers. These vessels were not so sharp and did not carry as heavy -spars or so much canvas as the old clippers, but they could carry more -cargo and could be handled with fewer men. This made them more -profitable when the demand for speed and the rates of freight had -declined, and the extreme clippers were unable to command any higher -rate than the medium clippers. After the Civil War ship building for the -oversea carrying trade steadily declined, though it was not until 1893 -that the last American wooden sailing ship, the _Aryan_, was launched. -During these thirty-eight years a good many ships were built, and by -degrees a new type of vessel, designed to carry large cargoes at -moderate speed, was developed, which enterprising agents advertised as -clippers; but those who had known the real clippers were not deceived. -Many of the old names survived; thus there were a second _Memnon_, -another _Rainbow_, _Sea Witch_, _Oriental_, _Eclipse_, _Comet_, -_Northern Light_, _Ringleader_, _Invincible_, _Witch of the Wave_, -_Blue Jacket_, _Charmer_, _Sovereign of the Seas_, _Lightning_, and -_Andrew Jackson_ which should not be mistaken for the famous clippers -after which they were named. - -One may well ask what became of all the splendid clipper ships? The fate -of some of them has already been told in these pages, others have -disappeared from one cause or another, as time went on, until now -scarcely one is left. During the Civil War many of them were sold and -sailed under foreign flags, their names were changed and their identity -all but lost. - -Of the more famous early clippers, the _Houqua_ foundered in a typhoon -in the China seas in 1865 while under command of Captain McKenzie. The -_Sea Witch_ made her last voyage to San Francisco in 1852 and then -returned to the China trade for which she had been built. On her voyage -to China in 1855 Captain Fraser was murdered at sea by his chief mate, -and the vessel put into Rio Janeiro, where Captain Lang took command. On -the homeward voyage from Amoy to Havana with a cargo of coolies, the -_Sea Witch_ was wrecked and became a total loss on the eastern coast of -Cuba, March 26, 1856. The _Samuel Russell_ was wrecked in the Gaspar -Straits in 1870, under command of Captain Frederick Lucas. - -The _Stag-Hound_ was burnt off the coast of Brazil in 1863, her United -States ensign, which the captain brought off and returned to the owners -in Boston, being the sole relic. The _Surprise_, under command of -Captain Charles Ranlett, struck a sunken rock while beating into -Yokohama Bay and became a total wreck, February 4, 1876; the -_Game-Cock_ was condemned at the Cape of Good Hope in 1880. - -The _Staffordshire_ was lost off Cape Sable, while bound from Liverpool -for Boston in December, 1854. She struck on a ledge during a thick fog -and foundered in deep water. Two days before her wreck Captain -Richardson had fallen on deck and fractured his spine, and while he lay -helpless in his berth, Joseph Alden, his chief mate, reported that the -ship was sinking. Captain Richardson gave directions to the mate for -saving the women and children passengers, but declined assistance for -himself. His last words were: “God’s will be done,” and as the vessel -settled deeper and deeper in the water and the waves closed in upon her -deck, the brave spirit of her captain returned to God who gave it, to -join the innumerable host of heroes and martyrs of the sea. - -The _Flying Cloud_ was sold to James Baines in 1863 and was destroyed by -fire at St. John, N. B., in 1874. The _Flying Fish_ was wrecked in -November, 1858, while coming out of Foo-chow, bound for New York with a -cargo of tea, and was abandoned to the underwriters, who sold her to a -Spanish merchant of Manila. She was subsequently floated and rebuilt at -Wampoa, her name being changed to _El Bueno Suceso_. She sailed for some -years between Manila and Cadiz, and finally foundered in the China Sea. -The _Typhoon_ was sold to the United States Government during the Civil -War, and was finally broken up. The _Northern Light_ was abandoned at -sea, December 25, 1861, after being in collision while bound from Havre -for New York. - -The _Comet_ was sold under the British flag and renamed the _Fiery -Star_. She sailed between England and Australia for several years and -was finally burned at sea in 1865, while on a voyage from Moreton Bay, -Queensland, for London. She had been on fire for twenty-one days when -the crew were rescued by the ship _Dauntless_. The _Trade Wind_, while -bound from Mobile for Liverpool, in 1854, was in collision with the ship -_Olympus_, from Liverpool for New York. Both vessels foundered, -forty-four of the sixty-four passengers and crew of the _Trade-Wind_ and -fifty-two of the fifty-eight on board the _Olympus_ being rescued by the -Belgian barque _Stadt Antwerpen_, Captain Wyteerhoven, and landed at New -York. - -The _Nightingale_ was sold to a firm in Salem and sent to Rio Janeiro, -where she was bought and sailed in the African slave trade under the -Brazilian flag. About the year 1860 she was captured by a United States -war-vessel and sent home as a prize. She was subsequently fitted out by -the Government as an armed cruiser during the Civil War, and at the -close of the war was sold and sailed in the California and China trade. -Later she sailed for many years under the flag of Norway. The _Shooting -Star_ was sold to a merchant of Siam in 1862 and was wrecked on the -coast of Formosa in 1867. Captain Low remained in command of the _N. B. -Palmer_ until she was sold abroad in 1872. The _Tornado_, _Whirlwind_, -and _Neptune’s Car_ were sold in England and disappeared from the -Shipping Lists many years ago. - -The _Golden Light_ under command of Captain C. F. Winsor, sailed from -Boston on her first voyage bound for San Francisco, February 12, 1853, -and ten days out was struck by lightning which set fire to cargo in the -forehold. After every exertion had been made to save the vessel, Captain -Winsor gave orders to abandon the ship, and at 6 P.M., February 23d, her -people took to the boats. At that time the ship was in flames. Her -foremast had burnt off and fallen; soon after her main-and mizzen-masts -went over the side. She had eleven passengers, including three ladies -who were in the long boat with the captain. There were five boats in -all, four of which, after being adrift eight days, were picked up by the -British ship _Shand_ from Calcutta bound for Boston; the other boat, in -charge of the mate, reached Barbadoes in safety, so that all hands were -saved. - -The _Sovereign of the Seas_ was sold to a Hamburg firm and was wrecked -on the Pyramid Shoal in the Straits of Malacca, August 6, 1859, becoming -a total loss. The _Contest_ and _Winged Racer_ were destroyed by the -_Alabama_ off the coast of Java in 1863, and the _Jacob Bell_ by the -_Florida_ during the same year. The _Harvey Birch_ was destroyed by the -_Nashville_ in 1861. The _Flying Dutchman_ went ashore on the Brigantine -Shoal, off the coast of New Jersey, during a thick snowstorm in -February, 1858, and became a total loss. The _Highflyer_, under command -of Captain Gordon B. Waterman, sailed from San Francisco, October 24, -1856, bound for Hong-kong and was never heard from. The _John Gilpin_ -struck an iceberg off Cape Horn and foundered, January 29, 1858, while -bound from Honolulu for New Bedford under command of Captain John F. -Ropes, all hands, including fifteen passengers, being saved by the -British ship _Herefordshire_. - -The _Phantom_ was lost on Prates Shoal, about two hundred miles -east-southeast of Hong-kong, in 1862, while under command of Captain -Henry Sargent. All hands were saved in the boats, which reached -Hong-kong safely, and a large amount of treasure that she had on board -was also saved. Captain Sargent received great credit for his brave and -judicious action at the time of the wreck; for in those days the China -Sea was filled with junks whose crews required only the sight of a -vessel in distress to turn them into most barbarous pirates. Captain -Sargent soon after took command of the clipper barque _Emily C. Starr_ -and sailed from Shanghai for Yokohama. She was never heard from, and it -was supposed that she foundered in a typhoon. Captain Sargent belonged -to an old Boston family whose home was on Beacon Street. He had sailed -with Captain Nickels in the _Flying Fish_ and had also commanded the -ship _Rockland_. He was one of the youngest and most accomplished of all -the American clipper ship captains. - -The _Bald Eagle_ and _Romance of the Seas_ both sailed from Hong-kong in -1860 and were never heard from. The _Reporter_ foundered off Cape Horn -in 1863, and in the same year the _Undaunted_ was condemned at Rio -Janeiro. - -The _Sweepstakes_ was condemned in Batavia in 1864. The _Great Republic_ -was sold to the Merchants’ Trading Company, of Liverpool, in 1869 and -her name was changed to the _Denmark_. She finally foundered in a -hurricane off Bermuda in 1872. The _Morning Star_ was sold to a -Liverpool firm, who renamed her the _Rockingham_; she foundered while on -a voyage from Samarang for Falmouth in 1879. The _Ocean Telegraph_ was -sold to an English firm and renamed the _Light Brigade_ and was finally -condemned at Gibraltar and converted into a coal hulk. - -The _Marco Polo_, _Red Jacket_, and _Donald McKay_ ended their days in -the Quebec lumber trade, and the _Lightning_ disappeared from the -Shipping List in 1866. The _Champion of the Seas_ foundered while -homeward bound round Cape Horn in 1877. The _James Baines_ was burnt at -Liverpool in 1858, and her wreck was converted into the old landing -stage for Atlantic steamship passengers, few of whom probably realized -that they were walking over the remains of one of the grandest ships -that ever sailed the sea. - -Of the British-built clippers, the first _Lord of the Isles_ built in -1854 was burnt in 1862. The second of the name, built in 1864 by Robert -Steele, of Greenock, was sold in France and became known as the _Paul -Albert_. The _Spindrift_ and _Serica_ were both wrecked in 1869. The -_Forward Ho_ was lost in 1881. The _Sir Launcelot_ was sold to a -merchant of Bombay and sailed for many years between that port and -Mauritius, and was finally wrecked in 1895. The _Cutty Sark_ was sold to -a merchant in Lisbon in 1895. The _Chinaman_ was sunk by a steamer on -the coast of China in 1880. The _Windhover_ was wrecked on the coast of -Australia in 1884. The _Falcon_ was sold in Australia, her name being -changed to the _Sophia Branilla_. She was wrecked on the coast of Java -in 1871. The _Thermopylæ_ is now a schoolship at the mouth of the Tagus. -The _Yang-tze_ was lost in 1872. The first _Guinevere_, built by Robert -Steele, in 1862, was lost in 1866, while the second _Guinevere_, built -by Randolph Elder & Co., in 1868, was sold in Norway. The _Ariel_ sailed -for Melbourne and was never heard from. The _Taitsing_ was wrecked on -the coast of Zanzibar in 1883. - -The _Titania_ is the only one of all the old clipper ships that can now -be traced as in active service. She is owned by Madame Maresca, of -Castellamare, and sails under the flag of Italy, usually between -European and South American ports. A few years ago she arrived at New -York, and I was much interested in going on board of her, as I had known -the ship and her captain many years before in China. She appeared so -little changed that it was difficult to realize that nearly forty years -had passed away since I last stood upon her deck one bright June morning -at the Pagoda Anchorage, bidding Captain Burgoyne good-bye as he was -getting under way bound for London with new teas. Her spars had been -somewhat reduced and her rig changed to a barque, but the beautiful -India teak used in the construction of her hull, decks, and bulwarks, -with the polished brasswork of her rails, skylights, bells, and -capstans, blinking cheerfully in the autumn sunshine, seemed to have -paid little heed to the flight and ravages of time. - -And so I have endeavored to record the leading events of an era in -maritime history long ago departed; and however much the remarkable -development of steam navigation may have contributed to the welfare of -mankind, I think that the memory of the clipper ships and the men who -built and commanded them, will always find a welcome in the hearts of -those who know and love the sea. - - - - -Appendix I - -CALIFORNIA CLIPPER SHIPS BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 1850 TO 1857 -INCLUSIVE - -1850 - - - SHIP TONS CAPTAIN BUILDER OWNER & PORT - -_Celestial_ 860 Gardner William H. Webb, Bucklin & Crane, - New York New York. - -_Eclipse_ 223 Hamilton J. Williams & Son, T. Wardle & Co., - Williamsburg, N. Y. New York. - -_Game-Cock_ 392 Hollis Samuel Hall, Daniel C. Bacon, - East Boston East Boston. - -_Governor Morton_ 318 Burgess James M. Hood, Handy & Everett, - Somerset New York. - -_John Bertram_ 080 Landholm R. E. Jackson, Glidden & Williams, - East Boston Boston. - -_Mandarin_ 776 Stoddard Smith & Dimon, Goodhue & Co., - New York New York. - -_Race Horse_ 512 King Samuel Hall, Goddard & Co., - East Boston Boston. - -_Seaman_ 546 Myrick Bell & Co., Funch & Meincke, - Baltimore Baltimore. - -_Sea Serpent_ 1337 Howland George Raynes, Grinnell, Minturn & Co., - Portsmouth, N. H. New York. - -_Stag-Hound_ 1535 Richardson Donald McKay, George B. Upton and Sampson - East Boston & Tappan, Boston. - -_Surprise_ 1361 Dumaresq Samuel Hall, A. A. Low & Brother, - East Boston New York. - -_White Squall_ 1118 Lockwood Jacob Bell, W. Platt & Son, - New York Philadelphia. - -_Witchcraft_ 1310 Rogers Paul Curtis, S. Rogers & W. D. Pickman, - Chelsea, Mass. Salem. - -1851 - -_Alert_ 764 Bursley Crocker & Warren, - Damariscotta, Me. New York. - -_Challenge_ 2006 WatermanWilliam H. Webb, N. L. & G. Griswold, - New York New York. - -_Comet_ 1836 Gardner William H. Webb, Bucklin & Crane, - New York New York. - -_Courser_ 1026 Berry Paul Curtis, Richardson & Co., - East Boston Boston. - -_Eagle_ 1340 Farran Perrin, Patterson & Stack, Harbeck & Co., - Williamsburg, N. Y. New York. - -_Eureka_ 1050 Canfield Jacob A. Westervelt & Son, - New York - -_Flying Cloud_1793 Creesy Donald McKay, Grinnell, Minturn & Co., - East Boston New York. - -_Flying Fish_ 1505 Nickels Donald McKay, Sampson & Tappan, - East Boston Boston. - -_Gazelle_ 1244 Henderson William H. Webb Chamberlain & Heyser, - New York New York. - -_Golden Gate_ 1347 Barstow Taylor & Merrill, - New York New York. - -_Hornet_ 1426 Lawrence Jacob A. Westervelt & Son, Chamberlain & Co., - New York New York. - -_Hurricane_ 1607 Very Smith & Co., C. W. & H. Thomas, - Hoboken, N. J. New York. - -_Invincible_ 1767 Johnson William H. Webb, J. W. Phillips, - New York New York. - -_Ino_ 895 Plummer Perrin, Patterson & Stack, Sifkin & Ironside, - Williamsburg, N. Y. New York. - -_John Wade_ 639 Willis Augustine Heard & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. - -_Monsoon_ 773 Winsor Trufant & Drummond, G. Hussey, - Bath, Me. New Bedford. - -_Northern Light_ 1021 Hatch Briggs Brothers, James Huckins & Sons, - South Boston Boston. - -_N. B. Palmer_ 1490 Low Jacob A. Westervelt, A. A. Low & Brother, - New York New York. - -_Queen of the East_ 1275 Bartlett Metcalf & Co., Crocker & Warren, - Damariscotta, Me. New York. - -_Raven_ 715 Henry Hood & Co., Crocker & Warren, - Somerset New York. - -_Shooting Star_ 903 Baker J. O. Curtis, S. G. Reed & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. - -_Snow Squall_ 742 Bursley Charles R. Green & Co., - Portland, Me. New York. - -_Southern Cross_ 950 Stevens Briggs Brothers, Baker & Morrell, - Boston Boston. - -_Staffordshire_ 1817 Richardson Donald McKay, Enoch Train & Co., - East Boston Boston. - -_Sword-Fish_ 1036 Babcock William H. Webb, Barclay & Livingston, - New York New York. - -_Syren_ 1064 Silsbee Isaac Taylor, G. Z. Silsbee & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. - -_Tornado_ 1801 Mumford J. Williams, W. T. Frost & Co., - Williamsburg, N. Y. New York. - -_Trade-Wind_ 2030 Osgood Jacob Bell, W. Platt & Son, - New York Philadelphia. - -_Typhoon_ 1610 Salter Fernald & Pettigrew, D. & A. Kingsland, - Portsmouth, N. H. New York. - -_Wild Pigeon_ 996 Putnam George Raynes, Olyphant & Co., - Portsmouth, N. H. New York. -_Witch of the Wave_ 1500 Millett George Raynes, Glidden & Williams, - Portsmouth, N. H. Boston. - -1852 - -_Antelope_ 1187 Cole J. Williams & Son, Harbeck & Co., - Williamsburg, N. Y. New York. -_Ariel_ 1340 Delano Patten & Co., Patten & Co., - Bath, Me. Bath, Me. -_Bald Eagle_ 1790 Dumaresq Donald McKay, George B. Upton, - East Boston Boston. -_Celestial Empire_ 1399 Pierce J. Stetson, C. H. Parsons & Co., - East Boston New York. -_Cleopatra_ 1562 Thayer Paul Curtis, - East Boston -_Climax_ 1051 Howes Howes & Crowell, - Boston. -_Contest_ 1150 Brewster Jacob A. Westervelt, A. A. Low & Brother, - New York New York. -_Dauntless_ 791 Miller -_Fleetwood_ 666 Dale George Raynes, Captain and others, - Portsmouth, N. H. Boston. - -_Flying Childers_ 1125 Cunningham Samuel Hall, Cunningham & Sons, - East Boston Boston. -_Flying Dutchman_ 1257 Hubbard William H. Webb, - New York -_Golden City_ 810 Canfield Jacob A. Westervelt, H. A. Pierce & Co., - New York Boston. -_Golden Eagle_ 1120 Fabens Hayden & Co., William Lincoln & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Golden Light_ 1141 Winsor Briggs Brothers, James Huckins & Sons, - South Boston Boston. -_Golden State_ 1363 Barstow Jacob A. Westervelt, A. A. Low & Brother, - New York New York. -_Golden West_ 1443 Kerwin Paul Curtis, Glidden & Williams, - Boston Boston. -_Highflyer_ 1092 Waterman Currier & Townsend, David Ogden, - Newburyport New York. -_Jacob Bell_ 1382 Kilham Jacob Bell, A. A. Low & Brother, - New York New York. -_John Gilpin_ 1089 Doane Samuel Hall, Pierce & Hunnewell, - East Boston Boston. -_Messenger_ 1350 Corning Jacob Bell, Slade & Co., - New York New York. -_Meteor_ 1063 Pike Briggs Brothers, Curtis & Peabody, - South Boston Boston. - -_Phantom_ 1177 Paterson J. O. Curtis, Henry P. Sturgis, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Polynesia_ 1068 Watson Samuel Hall, Hunnewell, Pierce & Co., - Boston Boston. -_Queen of the Seas_ 1400 Knight Paul Curtis, Glidden & Williams, - East Boston Boston. -_Radiant_ 1300 Hallet Paul Curtis, Baker & Morrell, - East Boston Boston. -_Red Rover_ 1021 Putnam Fernald & Pettigrew, R. C. Taylor, - Portsmouth, N. H. New York. -_Simoon_ 1436 Smith Jabez Williams, B. A. Mumford & Co., - New York New York. -_Sovereign of the Seas_ 2421 McKay Donald McKay, Grinnell, Minturn & Co., - East Boston New York. -_Storm_ (barque) 545 Roberts Chamberlain & Heyser, - Sag Harbor New York. -_Westward Ho_ 1600 Hussey Donald McKay, Sampson & Tappan, - East Boston Boston. -_Whirlwind_ 962 Burgess J. O. Curtis, W. & F. H. Whitmore, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Winged Racer_ 1760 Esterbrook R. E. Jackson, R. L. Taylor, - East Boston New York. -_Wizard_ 1600 Woodside Samuel Hall, Slade & Co., - Boston New York. - -1853 - -_Amphitrite_ 1687 Samuel Hall, - East Boston -_Archer_ 1098 Bursley Hood & Co., Crocker & Warren, - Somerset New York. -_Belle of the West_ 936 Howes Glidden & Williams, - Dennis Boston. -_Black Warrior_ 1878 Murphy Austin & Co., W. Wilson & Sons, - Damariscotta, Me. Baltimore. -_Bonita_ 1127 Windsor Hallett & Co., - Boston Boston. -_Boston Light_ 1164 Crowell Briggs Brothers, James Huckins & Sons, - Boston Boston. -_Challenger_ 1334 Hill R. E. Jackson, Whitmore & Son, - East Boston Boston. -_Cyclone_ 1109 Osgood Briggs Brothers, Curtis & Peabody, - Boston Boston. -_Dashing Wave_ 1239 Young Fernald & Pettigrew, S. Tilton, - Portsmouth, N. H. Boston. -_David Brown_ 1715 Brewster Roosevelt & Joyce, A. A. Low & Brother, - New York New York. -_David Crockett_ 1679 Spicer Greenman & Co., Handy & Everett, - Mystic, Conn. New York. - -_Don Quixote_ 1470 Nott John E. Lodge, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Eagle Wing_ 1174 Linnell J. O. Curtis, Chase & Tappan, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Edwin Forrest_ 1200 D. D. Kelly, - East Boston -_Empress of the Seas_ 2200 Putnam Donald McKay, W. Wilson & Son, - East Boston Baltimore. -_Fearless_ 1183 Manson A. & G. T. Sampson, W. F. Weld & Co., - East Boston Boston. -_Flora Temple_ 1915 Myers J. Abraham, Abraham & Oshcroft, - Baltimore Baltimore. -_Flying Dragon_ 1140 Baker Trufant & Drummond, S. G. Reed & Co., - Bath, Me. Boston. -_Gauntlet_ 1860 Borland T. J. Southard, Stephenson & Thurston, - Richmond, Me. New York. -_Great Republic_ 3357 Limeburner Donald McKay, A. A. Low & Brother, - East Boston New York. -_Guiding Star_ 899 Hale J. Currier, C. Hill & Co., - Newburyport, Mass. Newburyport, Mass. -_John Land_ 1061 Howes Briggs Brothers, Baker & Morrell, - South Boston Boston. -_Kate Hooper_ 1507 Johnson Hunt & Wagner, J. Hooper, - Baltimore Baltimore. - -_Kathay_ 1460 Stoddard Jacob A. Westervelt, - New York -_Kingfisher_ 1300 Crosby William Lincoln & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Lightfoot_ 1996 Jackson & Ewell, - East Boston -_Live Yankee_ 1637 Thorndike Foster & Nickerson, - Rockland, Me. New York. -_Matchless_ 1033 Potter N. S. Goddard, - Chelsea, Mass. Boston. -_Morning Light_ 1713 Knight Toby & Littlefield, Glidden & Williams, - Portsmouth, N. H. Boston. -_Mystery_ 1200 Samuel Hall, - East Boston -_Neptune’s Car_ 1616 Patten Foster & Nickerson, - Portsmouth, Va. New York. -_North Wind_ 1041 Gore Jacob Bell, Grinnell, Minturn & Co., - New York New York. -_Oriental_ 1654 Fletcher Samuel Hall, D. G. & W. B. Bacon. - East Boston Boston. -_Pamparo_ 1376 Coggins Charles Mallory, J. Bishop & Co., - Mystic, Conn. New York. -_Panama_ 1349 Cave Thomas Collyer, N. L. & G. Griswold, - New York New York. - -_Queen of Clippers_ 2360 Zerega Jackson & Ewell, Zerega & Co., - East Boston New York. -_Red Gauntlet_ 1038 Andrews J. W. Cox, F. Boyd & Co., - Robbinston, Me. Boston. -_Reporter_ 1474 Howes Paul Curtis, E. Snow, - East Boston Boston. -_Ringleader_ 1156 Matthews Howes & Crowell, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Romance of the Seas_ 1782 Dumaresq Donald McKay, George B. Upton, - East Boston Boston. -_Skylark_ 1209 Henry Hood & Co., Crocker & Warren, - Somerset New York. -_Snapdragon_ (barque) 619 Brown William H. Webb, - New York -_Spirit of the Times_ 1206 Klein Cooper & Slicer, Aymer & Co., - Baltimore New York. -_Spitfire_ 1550 Arey Manning & Stanwood, - Frankfort, Me. Boston. -_Storm King_ 1408 Callahan Isaac Taylor, John E. Lodge, - Chelsea, Mass. Boston. -_Sweepstakes_ 1735 Lane Jacob A. Westervelt, Grinnell, Minturn & Co., - New York New York. -_Undaunted_ 1371 Freeman Snow & Hall, W. H. Foster & Co., - Bath, Me. Boston. - -_Viking_ 1449 Windsor Trufant & Drummond, G. Hussey, - Bath, Me. New Bedford. -_Whistler_ 820 Brown George W. Jackman, Bush & Wildes, - Newburyport, Mass. Boston. -_Wild Wave_ 1547 Knowles G. H. Ferrin, Benjamin Bangs, - Richmond, Me. Boston. -_Young America_ 1961 Babcock William H. Webb, George Daniels, - New York New York. - -1854 - -_Adelaide_ 1831 Wakeman Jacob Bell, Williams & Guion, - New York New York. -_Canvas Back_ 735 Clarke S. Lurman, - Baltimore Baltimore. -_Black Prince_ 1050 Brown George W. Jackman, Bush & Wildes, - Newburyport, Mass. Boston. -_Electric_ 1271 Gates C. Adams, - Mystic, Conn. New York. -_Fleetwing_ 912 Howes Hayden & Cudworth, Crowell, Brooks, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Grace Darling_ 1240 Doane Briggs Brothers, C. B. Fessenden, - South Boston Boston. -_Harvey Birch_ 1488 Nelson Irons & Grinnell, J. H. Brower & Co., - Mystic, Conn. New York. -_Midnight_ 1000 Hatch Fernald & Pettigrew, Henry Hastings, - Portsmouth, N. H. Boston. -_Nabob_ 1254 Baxter J. Taylor, William Appleton, - Chelsea, Mass. Boston. -_Nonpareil_ 1431 Dunham & Co., T. Richardson & Co., - Frankfort, Me. New York. -_Nor’wester_ 1267 Gregory S. Lapham, Coolidge & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Ocean Telegraph_ 1492 Willis J. O. Curtis, S. G. Reed & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Rattler_ 794 Forrest Forster & Borze, D. Stewart, - Baltimore Baltimore. -_Robin Hood_ 1185 Sears Hayden & Cudworth, Howe & Crowell, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Sancho Panza_ 850 Friend John E. Lodge, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Saracen_ 1266 Barry Briggs Brothers, Curtis & Peabody, - South Boston Boston. -_Sierra Nevada_ 1942 Penhallow Toby & Littlefield, Glidden & Williams, - Portsmouth, N. H. Boston. -_Starlight_ 1150 Matthews Briggs Brothers, Baker & Morrell, - South Boston, Boston. -_Starr King_ 1170 Turner George W. Jackman, Bates & Thaxter, - Newburyport, Mass. Boston. -_Swallow_ 1435 Tucker Robert E. Jackson, W. T. Dugan, - East Boston. New York. - -1855 - -_Andrew Jackson_ 1676 Williams Irons & Grinnell, J. H. Brower & Co., - Mystic, Conn. New York. -_Beacon Light_ 1320 Barwell J. A. Stetson, - Chelsea, Mass. Boston. -_Carrier Dove_ 1694 Conner J. Abraham, Montell & Co., - Baltimore. Baltimore. -_Charmer_ 1060 Lucas George W. Jackman, Burt & Wildes, - Newburyport, Mass. Boston. -_Courier_ 1025 Smith Foster & Elliott, - Newburyport, Mass. New York. -_Daring_ 1097 Simonson George W. Jackman, Bush & Comstock, - Newburyport, Mass. Boston. -_Electric Spark_ 1215 Howes Thacher & Magoun, Magoun & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Golden Fleece_ 1538 Manson Paul Curtis, Weld & Baker, - East Boston. Boston. -_Herald of the Morning_ 1300 Baker Thacher & Magoun, Magoun & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Mary Whitridge_ 978 Cheesebrough Hunt & Wagner, T. Whitridge, - Baltimore. Baltimore. -_Noonday_ 1177 Gerry Fernald & Pettigrew, Henry Hastings, - Portsmouth, N. H. Boston. -_Ocean Express_ 1699 Cunningham J. O. Curtis, Reed & Wade, - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_War Hawk_ 1067 Simmons George W. Jackman, Captain and others, - Newburyport, Mass. Boston. - -1856 - -_Alarm_ 1184 Matthews Briggs Brothers, Baker & Morrell, - South Boston. Boston. -_Euterpe_ 1984 Avery H. Merriman, Foster & Nickerson, - Rockland, Me. New York. -_Florence_ 1310 Dumaresq Samuel Hall, Jr., R. B. & John M. Forbes, - East Boston, Boston. -_Flying Mist_ 1150 Fennell J. O. Curtis, T. Chase & Co., - Medford, Mass. Boston. -_Intrepid_ 1173 Gardner William H. Webb, Bucklin & Crane, - New York. New York. - -_Mary L. Sutton_ 1450 Rowland Charles Mallory, Charles Mallory, - Mystic, Conn. Mystic, Conn. - -_Norseman_ 820 Haskell R. E. Jackson, Cunningham Brothers, - East Boston. Boston. - -_Witch of the Wave_ 1200 Todd Titcomb & Co., - Portsmouth, N. H. Newburyport, Mass. - -1857 - -_Black Hawk_ 1108 Bowers William H. Webb, Bucklin & Crane, - New York. New York. - -_Black Hawk_ 970 Shoof J. Currier, M. Devenport & Co., - Newburyport, Mass. Newburyport, Mass. - -_Hotspur_ 862 Porter Roosevelt & Joyce, Wisner, McCready & Co., - New York. New York. - -_Twilight_ 1482 Gates Charles Mallory, G. Gates & Co., - Mystic, Conn. Mystic, Conn. - - - - -Appendix II - -RECORD PASSAGES OF THE CALIFORNIA CLIPPER SHIPS MADE IN 110 DAYS OR LESS -FROM 1850 TO 1860, INCLUSIVE - - -1850 - - PORT OF ARRIVAL AT -SHIP DEPARTURE SAN FRANCISCO DAYS - -_Celestial_ New York November 1 104 -_Race Horse_ Boston November 24 109 -_Samuel Russell_ New York May 1 109 -_Sea Witch_ New York July 24 97 - -1851 - -_Challenge_ New York October 29 108 -_Flying Cloud_ New York August 31 89 -_N. B. Palmer_ New York August 21 106 -_Raven_ Boston November 19 105 -_Sea Witch_ New York November 20 110 -_Seaman_ New York March 11 107 -_Stag-Hound_ New York May 26 107 -_Surprise_ New York March 19 96 -_Typhoon_ New York November 18 106 -_Witchcraft_ New York August 11 103 - -1852 - -_Celestial_ New York February 17 106 -_Comet_ New York January 13 103 -_Courser_ Boston April 28 108 -_Eclipse_ New York April 22 104 -_Northern Light_ Boston March 8 109 -_Sea Witch_ New York December 8 108 -_Staffordshire_ Boston August 13 101 -_Sword-Fish_ New York February 10 90 -_Flying Fish_ Boston February 17 98 -_John Bertram_ Boston March 26 105 -_Shooting Star_ Boston August 17 105 -_White Squall_ New York July 29 110 -_Wild Pigeon_ New York January 28 104 -_Sovereign of the Seas_ New York November 15 103 - -1853 - -_Bald Eagle_ New York April 11 107 -_Contest_ New York February 24 108 -_Contest_ New York October 24 97 -_Flying Cloud_ New York August 12 105 -_Flying Dutchman_ New York January 27 104 -_Flying Dutchman_ New York October 7 106 -_Flying Fish_ New York February 1 92 -_Golden Age_ (barque) Boston May 31 103 -_Golden Gate_ New York March 20 102 -_Hornet_ New York August 12 105 -_Invincible_ New York September 9 110 -_John Gilpin_ New York February 2 93 -_Meteor_ Boston March 10 110 -_Oriental_ New York May 7 100 -_Phantom_ Boston April 21 104 -_Rebekah_ (barque) Baltimore May 10 106 -_Sea Serpent_ New York June 1 107 -_Sword-Fish_ New York May 30 105 -_Storm_ (barque) New York April 10 109 -_Tornado_ New York May 2 109 -_Trade-Wind_ New York February 24 102 -_Westward Ho_ Boston February 1 103 -_Witchcraft_ New York July 8 110 -_Winged Racer_ New York March 30 105 -_Young America_ New York August 29 110 - -1854 - -_Archer_ New York April 29 106 -_Challenger_ Boston June 9 110 -_Courier_ Boston April 28 108 -_David Brown_ New York March 23 98 -_Eagle_ New York February 16 103 -_Eagle Wing_ Boston April 5 106 -_Flying Cloud_ New York April 20 89 -_Golden City_ New York February 8 105 -_Herald of the Morning_ Boston May 7 106 -_Hurricane_ New York September 4 99 -_Matchless_ Boston February 8 109 -_Pamparo_ New York January 25 105 -_Polynesia_ New York April 10 104 -_Ringleader_ Boston February 8 109 -_Romance of the Seas_ Boston March 23 96 -_Samuel Russell_ New York January 20 106 -_San Francisco_ New York February 8 105 -_Stag-Hound_ New York August 14 110 -_Westward Ho_ New York February 28 106 -_Witchcraft_ New York August 15 97 -_Young America_ New York October 20 110 - -1855 - -_Boston Light_ Boston April 11 102 -_Cleopatra_ New York March 4 107 -_Don Quixote_ Boston March 29 108 -_Electric_ New York March 4 109 -_Flying Cloud_ New York June 6 108 -_Flying Fish_ Boston January 10 109 -_Flying Fish_ Boston December 27 105 -_Golden Eagle_ New York August 25 106 -_Governor Morton_ New York April 2 104 -_Greenfield_ (barque) New York May 6 110 -_Herald of the Morning_ New York May 16 99 -_Meteor_ Boston August 30 108 -_Neptune’s Car_ New York April 25 100 -_Red Rover_ New York June 13 107 -_Telegraph_ Boston April 9 109 -_Westward Ho_ Boston April 24 100 - -1856 - -_Antelope_ New York March 15 97 -_David Brown_ New York April 28 103 -_Don Quixote_ Boston May 31 108 -_Electric Spark_ Boston April 9 106 -_Flyaway_ New York April 8 106 -_Mary L. Sutton_ New York July 20 110 -_North Wind_ Boston July 21 110 -_Phantom_ New York April 29 101 -_Red Rover_ New York April 7 110 -_Reporter_ New York March 27 107 -_Ringleader_ Boston February 3 106 -_Sweepstakes_ New York May 25 94 -_Tornado_ New York March 27 110 -_Wild Hunter_ Boston April 29 108 -_Young America_ New York October 14 107 - -1857 - -_Andrew Jackson_ New York February 28 100 -_Flying Dragon_ New York April 10 97 -_Flying Dutchman_ New York September 10 102 -_Flying Fish_ Boston October 2 100 -_John Land_ New York July 30 104 -_Reporter_ New York April 17 110 -_Westward Ho_ New York March 26 100 - -1858 - -_Andrew Jackson_ New York April 27 103 -_Dashing Wave_ New York August 18 107 -_Don Quixote_ New York March 4 108 -_Esther May_ Boston May 19 103 -_John Land_ New York July 24 108 -_Twilight_ New York April 16 100 - -1859 - -_Andrew Jackson_ New York April 5 102 -_Robin Hood_ New York March 25 107 -_Sierra Nevada_ New York December 17 97 -_Young America_ New York July 24 105 - -1860 - -_Andrew Jackson_ New York March 23 89 -_Archer_ New York March 18 106 -_Lookout_ New York February 20 108 -_Mary L. Sutton_ New York May 12 103 -_Ocean Telegraph_ New York March 13 109 -_White Swallow_ New York August 7 110 - -During the forty-five years that have elapsed since the close of the -Civil War a large number of sailing ships have been built for the -California trade, and it is a notable fact that only two of these -vessels made the passage from an Atlantic port to San Francisco in less -than one hundred days. The _Seminole_, built by Maxon & Fish at Mystic, -Connecticut, in 1865, arrived at San Francisco from New York, March 10, -1866, in 96 days, and the _Glory of the Seas_, already mentioned as the -last ship built by Donald McKay, made the same voyage, arriving at San -Francisco, January 18, 1874, in 94 days. - -The two most successful ships in after years were the _David Crockett_ -and _Young America_. Both were built in 1853, and both continued in the -San Francisco trade until 1883, during which time the _David Crockett_ -made her best twelve passages from New York to San Francisco in an -average of 109-7/12 days each, her best being 102 days in 1872. The -_Young America_, during this period also made twelve passages in an -average of 110-7/12 days each, her best being 102 days in 1880. - -As these ships were by many years the oldest survivors of the California -clippers, there was a good deal of rivalry between them, and their -records show that they were very evenly matched. It should, however, be -remembered that about the year 1860 their spars and canvas were -considerably reduced and that they were fitted with double topsail -yards, all of which hampered their speed in moderate weather. Indeed, -they resembled two faded beauties who in their youth had been rival -belles. - - - - -Appendix III - -CHINA TEA CLIPPERS, 1859-1869 - - - SHIP TONS CONSTRUCTION BUILDER YEAR - -_Falcon_ 937 Wood Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1859 -_Isle of the South_ 821 “ Laing & Co., Sunderland 1859 -_Fiery Cross_ 888 “ Chalour & Co., Liverpool 1860 -_Min_ 629 “ Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1861 -_Kelso_ 556 “ Pile & Co., Sunderland 1861 -_Belted Will_ 812 “ Feel & Co., Workington 1863 -_Serica_ 708 “ Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1863 -_Taeping_ 767 Composite Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1863 -_Eliza Shaw_ 696 “ Alexander Stephen, Glasgow 1863 -_Yang-tze_ 688 “ Alexander Hall, Aberdeen 1863 -_Black Prince_ 750 “ Alexander Hall, Aberdeen 1863 -_Ariel_ 853 “ Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1865 -_Ada_ 686 “ Alexander Hall, Aberdeen 1865 -_Sir Launcelot_ 886 “ Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1865 -_Taitsing_ 815 “ Connell & Co., Glasgow 1865 -_Titania_ 879 “ Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1866 -_Spindrift_ 899 “ Connell & Co., Glasgow 1867 -_Forward_ Ho 943 “ Alexander Stephen, Glasgow 1867 - - - SHIP TONS CONSTRUCTION BUILDER YEAR - -_Leander_ 883 Composite Lawrie & Co., Glasgow 1867 -_Lahloo_ 779 “ Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1867 -_Thermopylæ_ 947 “ Walter Hood, Aberdeen 1868 -_Windhover_ 847 “ Connell & Co., Glasgow 1868 -_Cutty Sark_ 921 “ Scott & Co., Dumbarton 1868 -_Caliph_ 914 “ Alexander Hall, Aberdeen 1869 -_Wylo_ 799 “ Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1869 -_Kaisow_ 795 “ Robert Steele & Sons, - Greenock 1869 -_Lothair_ 794 “ Walker & Son, London 1869 - - - - -Appendix IV - -RULES FOR TONNAGE MEASUREMENTS - - -The English system of measuring the tonnage of vessels in the eighteenth -century is given in Falconer’s _Marine Dictionary_, 1780, as follows: - -“To determine the burden, or, in other words, the tonage, of a ship, it -is usual to multiply the length of keel into the extreme breadth of the -ship within board, taken along the midship beam, and multiplying the -product by the depth in the hold from the plank joining to the keelson -upwards to the main-deck, and divide the last product by 94; then will -the quotient be the burden required, in tons.” - -This rule continued in force till 1819, when it was changed by the Lords -Commissioners of the Admiralty as follows: - -“Multiply the length of the keel by the breadth of beam, and that -product by half the breadth of beam, and divide the last product by 94, -and the quotient will be the tonnage” (_Marine Dictionary_, William -Burney, LL.D., 1830). Dr. Burney remarks: “It appears from the general -construction of merchant ships, that more attention is paid to evade the -tax on tonnage than to their sailing well with the wind in different -directions; and if the real tonnage of ships were taken, an alteration -would soon be made in the construction for the better.” - -This form of the rule continued until 1842, when by Act of Parliament -the following method was adopted: - -“Divide the length of the upper deck between the after part of the stem -and the fore part of the stern-post into six equal parts. Depths: at the -foremost, the middle, and the aftermost of these points of division, -measure in feet and decimal parts of a foot the depths from the under -side of the upper deck to the ceiling at the limber strake. In the case -of a break in the upper deck, the depths are to be measured from a line -stretched in a continuation of the deck. Breadths: Divide each of those -three depths into five equal parts, and measure the inside breadths at -the following points--viz., at one fifth and at four fifths from the -upper deck of the foremost and aftermost depths, and at two fifths and -four fifths from the upper deck of the midship depth. Length: At half -the midship depth, measure the length of the vessel from the after part -of the stem to the fore part of the stem-post; then, to twice the -midship depth add the foremost and the aftermost depths; add together -the upper and lower breadths at the foremost division, three times the -upper breadth, and the lower breadth, at the midship division and the -upper and twice the lower breadth at the after division, for the sum of -the breadths; then multiply the sum of the depths by the sum of the -breadths, and this product by the length, and divide the final product -by three thousand five hundred, which will give the number of tons for -register” (Young’s _Marine Dictionary_, 1846). - -In 1854 this rule was changed by the Merchant Shipping Act, which -provided that the actual cubic contents of a vessel’s hull should be -measured, a registered ton being reckoned as 100 cubic feet. This is -known as the Moorsom system, and is still in use and likely to continue. -It was adopted by the United States in 1865; Denmark, 1867; Austria, -1871; Germany, France, and Italy, 1873; Spain, 1874; and Sweden, 1875. - -The old practice of calculating tonnage in the United States was adapted -from the English, and the mode of measurement was as follows: - -The length was measured on deck from the fore part of the stem to the -after part of the stern-post; the breadth from outside to outside -planking at the broadest part of the vessel; the depth of the hold from -the plank on deck to the ceiling of the hold. This last measurement was -not used, the depth of a vessel for tonnage purposes being assumed to be -one half of her breadth. In order to find the tonnage, three fifths of -the breadth were deducted from the length and the remainder multiplied -by the breadth, and this product multiplied by one half the breadth, or -the assumed depth, the last product was then divided by 95, giving the -formula: - - (L - ⅗ B) × B × ½ B/95 - -Thus in a vessel measuring 100 ft. x 20 ft. x 18 ft.: - -Length of vessel 100 - -Subtract ⅗ breadth 12 - ------ -Length for measurement 88 - -Multiply by the breadth 20 - ------ - 1760 - -Multiply by half breadth 10 - ------ - 17,600 - -Divide 17,600 by 95 and - - the result is 185 + 12/19 - -Total tonnage 185 + 12/19 - -This mode of measurement continued from colonial times until the Moorsom -system was adopted in 1865. - -The dimensions of ten representative American and British clippers were -as follows: - - Length Breadth - - _Nightingale_ (1851) 178 “ 36 “ - -American _Oriental_ (1849) 183 ft. 36 ft. - - _Celestial_ (1850) 158 “ 34 “ 6 in. - - _Stag-Hound_ (1850) 209 “ 39 “ - - _Flying Dutchman_ (1852) 187 “ 38 “ 6 in. - -British _Falcon_ (1859) 191 “ 4 in. 32 “ 2 in. - - _Taitsing_ (1865) 192 “ 31 “ 5 in. - - _Titania_ (1866) 200 “ 35 “ - - _Spindrift_ (1867) 219 “ 4 in. 35 “ 6 in. - - _Thermopylæ_ (1868) 210 “ 36 “ - -Although these British ships show less breadth than the American, yet -they have more breadth in proportion to length than the earlier British -clippers, such as the _Stornoway_ (1850), _Lord of the Isles_ (1855), -etc. - - - - -INDEX - -Vessels not otherwise designated are American - - -A - -_Abbot Lawrence_, medium clipper ship, 255, 256, 258 - -_Abergeldie_, British clipper ship, 205 - -Abrahams, J., builder, Baltimore, 357, 362 - -Abrahams & Ashcroft, owners, Baltimore, 357 - -_Achilles_, British iron screw steamer, 332 - -Ackley, Samuel, builder N. Y., 16, 17 - -_Ada_, Brit. clipper ship, tea-trade, 325-6, 371 - -Adamson & Bell, China merchants, 325 - -_Adelaide_, packet ship, 44 - ----- clipper ship, 298, 360 - ----- British iron screw steamer, 286 - -_Admiral Gardner_, Brit. E. Indiamen, 25 - -_Adriatic_, Collins Line S. S., 49, 250; - med. clipper ship, 258 - -_Ajax_, Brit. iron screw steamer, 332 - -_Akbar_, clipper ship, China trade, 62, 138 - -_Alarm_, Cal. clipper ship, 289, 299, 363 - -_Albert Gallatin_, packet ship, 42, 48, 142 - -_Albion_, packet ship, 38 - -_Alert_, Cal. clipper ship, 350 - -_Alexander Marshall_, packet ship, 41 - -_Alfred_, Brit. ship, 36-37 - -_Alhambra_, med. clipper ship, 258, 291 - -Allen, Wm. H., N. Y. packet captain, 44 - -_Alliance_, U. S. frigate, 1778, 6, 7 - -Alsop & Co., S. Francisco, agents of _Challenge_, 187 - -_Amelia Packet_, Brit. barque, 180 - -_America_, Brit. fifty-gun frigate, built at Portsmouth, N. H., 9 - -_Amos Lawrence_, med. clipper ship, 255 - -_Amphitrite_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 256 - -_Andrew Jackson_, Cal. med. clipper ship, 253, 295; 362; - 89 days to S. Francisco, 144, 178, 296, 300, 369; - other records, 247, 295, 297, 298, 368 - -Andrews, Capt., later ship, 341; - _Red Gauntlet_, 359 - -_Anglo-American_, packet ship, 56 - -_Anglo-Saxon_, packet ship, 56 - -_Angola_, clipper schooner, opium trade, 58 - -_Ann McKim_, first clipper ship built, 60-2 - -_Antarctic_, ship, 56 - -_Antelope_, clipper brig, opium trade, 58, 59, 138 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 353; - records, 290, 296, 298, 299, 368 - -Appleton, Wm., ship-owner, Boston, 361 - -_Archer_, Cal. clipper ship, 248, 356; - records, 248, 298, 299, 367, 369 - -_Architect_, clipper ship, 70 - -_Arctic_, Collins Line S. S., 309 - -Arey, Capt., _Spitfire_, 359 - -_Argo_, Brit., first merchant ship with steam power to circumnavigate the globe, 287 - -_Argonaut_, clipper ship, 196 - -_Ariel_, clipper schooner, opium trade, 58 - ----- clipper ship, China trade, 68 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 353 - ----- Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 324, 347, 371; - racer, 324-30, 332-3, 335 - -_Aristides_, Brit. ship, Australian trade, 333 - -_Arizona_, S. S., 278 - -_Aryan_, last Amer. wooden sailing ship, 1893, 340 - -_Ashburton_, N. Y. packet, 41, 54 - -_Atlanta_, clipper ship, Cal. trade, 298, 299 - -_Atlantic_, first Amer. ship in India, 12-13 - -_Aurora_, ship, 236, 299 - -_Austerlitz_, ship, 193 - -Austin & Co., builders, Damariscotta, Me., 356 - -_Australian_, Brit. screw steamer, 286 - -Avery, Capt., _Euterpe_, 363 - -Aymer & Co., owners, N. Y., 359 - - -B - -Babcock, Col. Harry, 160 - ----- Maj. Paul, 84, 160 - ----- Capt. David S., 84; - _Sword Fish_, 160-1, 213, 352; - _Young America_, 233, 360 - -Bacon, Daniel C., owner, 135, 349; - Pres. Amer. Nav. Club, 202-4 - ----- D. G. & W. B., owners, 304, 358 - -Bailey, Capt., _Yorkshire_, 46 - -Baines, James, owner, L’pool, 342 - ----- & Co., L’pool, Australian Black Ball Line, 266, 268, 272; - vessels for, 273, 284 - -Baker, Capt., 352, 357, 363 - -Baker & Morrill, owners, Boston, 352, 355, 357, 361, 363 - -_Bald Eagle_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 237, 343, 353; - story of race, 200-2; - records, 299, 300, 366 - -_Baltic_, med. clipper ship, 258 - ----- Collins Line S. S., 309 - -Baltimore, ship-building, 54, 60-62, 70, 136, 254, 350, 357, 362 - -_Baltimore_, Havre packet ship, 41 - -Bangs, Benj., owner, Boston, 360 - -Barclay & Livingston, owners, N. Y., 159, 352 - -Baring Bros. & Co., 203-4 - -_Barrington_, ship, 193 - -Barry, Commodore, 11 - -Barry, Capt., _Saracen_, 361 - -Barstow, Gideon, of E. Boston Timber Co., 49 - -Barstow, Capt., 351, 354 - -Bartlett, Capt., 352 - -Barwell, Capt., 362 - -Bates & Thaxter, owners, Boston, 362 - -Bath, Me., ship-building, 105, 152, 351, 353, 357 - -_Bavaria_, packet ship, 48 - -Baxter, Capt., _Nabob_, 361 - -_Beacon Light_, Cal. clipper ship, 362 - -Beauchamp, Capt. Isaac, _Defender_, 255 - -_Beauregard_, Confederate privateer, 14 - -_Beaver_, ship, China trade, 17 - -Bell, Jacob, builder, N. Y., 47, 136, 152, 164, 216, 352, 354, 358, 360; - _see_ Brown - -Bell & Co., builders, Baltimore, 136, 350 - -_Belle of the Sea_, clipper ship, Australian trade, 284 - -_Belle of the West_, Cal. clipper ship, 299, 356 - -_Belted Will_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 320, 371 - -_Ben Nevis_, Brit. clipper ship, Australian trade, 266, 268 - -_Benefactor_, clipper barque, China trade, 209 - -_Bengal_, ship, 193 - -Benjamin, Capt., _Helena_, 62 - -Bennett, Capt., _Oliver Ellsworth_, 16 - -Bergh, Christian, builder, N. Y., 17, 47, 48 - -Berry, Capt., _Courser_, 350 - -Bertram, Capt. John, Salem, 141, 166-8 - -Best days’ run, 69, 70, 178, 179, 207, 220, 221, 228, 266, 278, 281, 295, 320, 327, 330, 334, 336, 338 - -Bishop, J., & Co., owners, N. Y., 358 - -Black Ball Line, N. Y., L’pool packets, 38, 39-40, 41, 42; - vessels, 38, 41, 52; - flag, 42; - match, 45; - captains, 39-40; - discipline, 44, 73 - -Australian clippers, _see_ James Baines & Co. - -_Black Hawk_, Cal. clipper ships (Webb), 291, 364; - (Currier), 364 - -_Black Prince_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 322, 371; - race, 325-6 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 360 - -_Black Warrior_, Cal. clipper ship, 356 - -_Blenheim_, Brit. merchant frigate, 36 - -_Blessing of the Bay_, colonial barque, 1631, 2 - -_Blue Jacket_, clipper ship, Australian trade, 270; - later ship, 341 - -_Bombay_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 34 - -_Bonita_, Cal. clipper ship, 356 - -Bordman, Wm. H., Amer. Nav. Club, 202 - -Borland, Capt., _Gauntlet_, 357 - -Borrows & Spooner, owners, N. Y., 84 - -_Boston_, packet ship, 52 - -_Boston Light_, clipper ship, 253, 300, 356 - -Boston & Liverpool Packet Company, 51-2 - -Bowditch, Nath., navigator, 141 - -Bowers, Capt., _Black Hawk_, 364 - -Boyd, Col. Geo., 1767, 53 - -Boyd, F., & Co., owners, Boston, 359 - -_Brenda_, packet ship, 52 - -Brewster, Capt. Geo., 249, 356 - -Brewster, Capt. Wm., 227 - -_Briganza_, ship, eighteenth century, 16 - -Briggs Brothers (E. & H. O.), builders, South Boston, 50-1; - Cal. clippers, 152, 163, 233, 351-63 - -_Brighton_, packet ship, 40 - -_Britannia_, Black Ball packet ship, 38, 43, 47, 73 - -Britton, Capt. John, _Constitution_, 43 - -_Brookline_, ship, 52 - -Brower, J. H., & Co., owners, N. Y., 295, 361, 362 - -Brown, Adam & Noah, builders, 17 - ----- Charles, builder, N. Y., 17 - ----- David, of Brown & Bell, 47 - ----- Vernon H., owner, 303 - ----- Bates & Delano, builders, E. Boston, 50 - ----- & Bell, builders, N. Y., 47-8, 53, 58, 63, 70, 72 - -Brown, Capt., 359, 360 - -Bryant & Sturgis, owners, Boston, 52 - -_Bucephalus_, Brit. frigate, 36 - -_Buckinghamshire_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32, 34 - -Bucklin & Crane, owners of first Cal. clipper ship, N. Y., 135, 159, 349, 350, 363, 364 - -Burgess, _see_ Snow, owners, 304 - -Burgess, Capt., 349, 355 - -Burgoyne, Capt., _Titania_, 347 - -Bursley, Capt. Ira, 43, 350, 356 - -Bush & Comstock, owners, Boston, 360, 362 - -Bush & Wildes, owners, Boston, 362 - - -C - -_Cairngorm_, Brit. clipper ship, China trade, 208 - -_Cairo_, ship, Boston, 54 - -_Caledonia_, ship, 47 - -_Calhoun_, ship, 47 - -_California_, Pacific Mail, S. S., 103 - -_Caliph_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 372 - -Callahan, Capt., _Storm King_, 359 - -_Cambria_, N. Y., packet ship, 40 - -_Cambridge_, N. Y. packet ship, 41 - -Cameron, R. W.’s Australian line, 284, 304 - -_Canada_, N. Y. packet ship, 38, 47 - ----- Cunard S. S., 221, 309 - -Canfield, Capt., 351, 354 - -_Canning_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32, 34 - -_Canvasback_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 360 - -_Capitol_, ship, 193 - -_Carmelite_, ship, 1807, 17-18 - -_Carnatic_, Brit. ship, 36 - -_Carrier Dove_, Cal. clipper ship, 253, 362 - -_Castle Eden_, Brit. ship, 36 - -_Cathay_, _Kathay_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 358 - -Cave, Capt., _Panama_, 358 - -_Celestial_, Cal. clipper ship, first to be launched, 135, 136, 159, 349; - records, 145-6, 229, 300, 365 - -_Celestial Empire_, Cal. clipper ship, 353 - -_Challenge_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 156, 164, 174, 222, 337, 350; -vicious crew, 77, 181-9; -in China trade, 196-7, 206-7; -records, 181, 299, 301, 365 - -_Challenger_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 206; - race, 206-7 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 271, 356, 367 - -Chamberlain & Co., owners, N. Y., 351 - -Chamberlain & Heyser, owners, N. Y., 351, 355 - -_Chariot of Fame_, med. clipper ship, Australian trade, 270 - -_Charles Carroll_, packet ship, 41 - -_Charles Grant_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Charles H. Marshall_, N. Y., pilot boat, 305 - -_Charlestown_, ship, South American trade, 161 - -_Charmer_, Cal. clipper ship, 253, 254, 362 - ----- later ship, 341 - -Chase, T., & Co., owners, Boston, 363 - -Chase & Tappan, owners, Boston, 357 - -Cheesborough, Capt. Robt. B., 254, 363 - -_Chinaman_, clipper ship, 325-6, 346 - -_Chrysolite_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 199, 202, 205, 206-7 - -Chrystall, James, British owner, 35 - -_City of Glasgow_, Inman Line, S. S., 314 - -_City of Pekin_, Pacific S. S., 86 - -Clarke, Capt., _Canvasback_, 360 - -_Cleopatra_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 353; - records, 253, 299, 367 - -_Climax_, Cal. clipper ship, 298, 353 - -Coggin, Capt., _Panparo_, 358 - -Coleman, Wm. T., & Co., owners, N. Y., 106 - -Collins, E. K., manager of Dramatic Line, 40, 43 - ----- Capt. John, _Shakespeare_, 43 - -Collins Line S. S., 250, 271, 309, 312 - -Collyer, Thos., & Mm., builders, N. Y., 49, 232, 358 - -_Columbia_, 1773, first Amer. ship to sail round globe, 14, 51 - ----- N. Y. packet ship, 38, 40, 43; - No. 2, 48 - -_Columbus_, N. Y., packet ship, 41, 43, 45, 52 - -_Comet_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 153, 159, 193, 337, 343, 350; - records, 213, 224, 227, 297, 299, 365; - China passage, 208; - Australian trade, 283 - ----- later ship, 340 - -_Commodore Perry_, ship, Australian trade, 273 - -Composite build, 321-2, 371-2 - -Condry, Dennis, owner of _Delia Walker_, 53-5 - -_Congress_, ship, 47 - -Connell & Co., builders, Glasgow, 324, 371, 372 - -Conner, Capt., _Carrier Dove_, 362 - -_Constant Warwick_, first frigate built, 5 - -_Constantine_, packet ship, 141 - -_Contest_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 227, 344, 353; - records, 224, 296, 297, 299, 366; - race with _Northern Light_, 227 - ----- Brit. ship, 267 - -Coolidge & Co., owners, Boston, 361 - -Cooper & Slicer, owners, Baltimore, 359 - -Cope, Thos., Phila., owner of packet line, 40 - -Copper fastened, 10, 30, 33, 34, 61, 285; - sheathed, 61, 285, 320, 322 - -_Coquette_, clipper barque, China trade, 64 - -_Corinthian_, packet ship, 40 - -_Cornelia_, ship, 48 - -_Cornelius Grinnell_, packet ship, 42, 56, 141, 236 - -_Cornwallis_, ship, 193 - -_Cortes_, N. Y. packet ship, 40 - -_Courier_, packet ship, 1816, 38 - ----- early clipper ship, 1842, 54, 62, 162 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 1855, 298, 363, 367 - -_Courser_, Boston packet ship, 52 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 299, 350, 366 - -Cox, J. W. builder, Robbinston, Me., 233, 359 - -Creesy, Capt. Josiah P., boyhood, 153-5; - _Oneida_, 155; - _Flying Cloud_, 153, 211, 248-9, 253-4, 297, 351; - race, 214-15; - “obituary,” 222-3; - Mrs. Creesy, 306 - -_Creole_, N. Orleans packet ship, 41 - -_Cressy_, Brit. ship, 36 - -_Crest of the Wave_, Brit. clipper ship, 208 - -Crocker & Warren, owners, N. Y., 304, 356, 359 - -Crosby, Capt., _Kingfisher_, 358 - -Crowell, Capt., _Boston Light_, 356 - -Crowell & Brooks, owners, Boston, 360; - _see_ Howes - -Crowninshield, Jacob, owner, Salem, 13 - -Cunningham, Capt., 354, 363 - ----- Bros., owners, Boston, 364 - ----- & Sons, 354 - -Cunningham’s rolling topsails, 163 - -Currier, John, Jr., builder, Newburyport, 52, 68, 232, 357, 364 - ----- & McKay, 53-4 - ----- & Townsend, 52, 243, 354 - -Curtis, J. O., builder, Medford, 52, 152, 216, 352, 355, 357, 361, 363 - ----- Paul, builder, Chelsea, 136, 350; - E. Boston, 216, 350, 353, 354, 355, 359, 362 - -Curtis & Peabody, owners, Boston, 354, 356, 361 - -Cutler, Capt. Benj. F., _Mary Whitridge_, 254 - -Cutting, Capt. Robt. C., packet ship _Adelaide_, 44 - -Cutting, Francis B., part owner of _Dreadnought_, N. Y., 244 - -_Cutty Sark_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 336, 346, 372 - -_Cyclone_, Cal. clipper ship, 300, 356 - - -D - -Dale, Capt Fleetwood, 353 - -_Daniel Webster_, packet ship, 56 - -Daniels, Geo., owner, Boston, 233, 303 - -_Daring_, Cal. clipper ship, 253, 362 - -_Dashing Wave_, Cal. clipper ship, 356, 369 - -_Dauntless_, Cal. clipper ship, 343, 363 - -_David Brown_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 356; - records, 248, 290, 296, 297, 298, 367, 368 - -_David Crockett_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 356, 369-70 - -_David Malcolm_, Brit. ship, 36 - -Dean, Capt. Stewart, sloop _Enterprise_, 1785, 6 - -Deas, Capt., _Ganges_, 200-1 - -Decline of American shipping, 290, 292-3, 314-17, 341 - -_Defender_, med. clipper ship, 255-6, 300 - -De Horsey, Capt. of H. M. S. _Brisk_, 251-2 - -Delano, Capt., _Ariel_, 353 - ----- Capt. Joseph, packets, 43 - ----- Warren, owner, Boston, 70; -Amer. Nav. Club, 202 - -_Delia Walker_, ship, 53, 54 - -Dent & Co., owners, China, 59 - -Depaw, Francis, owner of Havre packet line, 41 - -De Peyster, Capt. F. A., packets, 43, 45 - -Derby, Elias Haskett, Salem merchant, eighteenth century, 12-13; - Jr., Capt., _Atlantic_, 12 - -_Devonshire_, packet ship, 48 - -“_Diadem_,” Brit. brig., Capt. Johnson’s story, 157-9 - -“Diving Bell,” _Lord of the Isles_, 209 - -Doane, Capt. Justin, 225, 354, 360 - -Donald McKay, clipper ship, Australian trade, 273, 280, 346 - -_Don Quixote_, packet ship, 41 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 357; - records, 253, 299, 367, 368, 369 - -_Dorchester_, Boston ship, 54 - -_Dorsetshire_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -Douglas, Mr., chief officer on _Challenge_, 182-3 - -_Dragon_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 23, 32 - -Dramatic Line, 40, 42, 45 - -_Draper_, 18th cent. ship, 16 - -_Dreadnought_, 44, 235, 243-7 - -_Duchesse d’Orléans_, Havre packet ship, 41 - -_Duke of York_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -Dumaresq, Capt. Phillip, 62, 71, 138, 175, 205, 233, 289, 297, 350, 353, 359, 363 - - -E - -_Eagle_, N. Y. packet ship, 38 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 297, 299, 350, 367 - -_Eagle Wing_, Cal. clipper ship, 357, 367 - -_Earl of Balcarras_, largest ship of Brit. E. India Co., 32, 33, 34 - -_Echo_, early N. Y. ship, 16 - -Eckford, Henry, builder, N. Y., 17, 47 - -_Eclipse_, Cal. clipper ship, 136, 175-6, 211, 349, 364 - ----- later ship, 340 - -_Edward Everett_, ship, 255 - -_Edwin Forrest_, Cal. clipper ship, 357 - -Elder, Randolph & Co., builders, 347 - -Eldridge, Capt. Asa, 43, 247, 271 - ----- Capt. John, 43, 271 - -Eldridge, Capt. Oliver, 43, 64, 70, 271 - -_Electric_, Cal. clipper ship, 299, 300, 360, 367 - -_Electric Spark_, Cal. clipper ship, 299, 362, 368 - -_Eliza Shaw_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 322, 371 - -Ellis, Capt., 241 - -Emanuel, _see_ Wells - -_Emily C. Starr_, barque, 345 - -_Empress of the Seas_, Cal. clipper ship, 232-3, 357 - -Englis, John, 149 - -Enright, Capt. Anthony, _Chrysolite_, 199 - -_Erie_, Havre packet ship, 41 - -_Erl King_, Brit. auxiliary steamer, China trade, 331 - -_Espirito Santo_, 78-9 - -Esterbrook, Capt., _Winged Racer_, 355 - -_Esther May_, clipper ship, 369 - -_Ethiopian_, Brit. ship in Australian trade, 333 - -_Eureka_, Cal. clipper ship, 351 - -_Euterpe_, Cal. clipper ship, 289, 363 - - -F - -Fairbank & Wheeler, owners, Boston, 56 - -_Fairlight_, Brit. ship, 333 - -_Falcon_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 319-20, 324, 347, 375 - -Farran, Capt., _Eagle_, 350 - -Fast days’ runs, 179, 180, 195, 214, 219-20, 245-6, 271, 277, 281, 334 - -Fast passages: Atlantic, 46, 221, 247, 254, 277-8 - Australian, 266, 268, 281-2, 284, 336, 338 - California, 213, 218, 225, 227-8; - (eastward), 233, 293, 296, 365-9 - China, 199, 207, 208, 209, 329, 335 - -Fastest ships: packet, _Yorkshire_, 46; - clipper, _Rainbow_, 67; - _Sea Witch_, 192; - _Gt. Republic_, 243; - _Lightning_, 278 - -_Fearless_, Cal. clipper ship, 271, 357 - -_Federal Eagle_, brig, 15 - -Fennell, Capt., _Flying Mist_, 363 - -Fernald & Pettigrew, builders, Portsmouth, N. H., 52, 152, 216, 352, 355, 356, 361, 363 - -Fessenden, C. B., owner, Boston, 360 - -_Fidelia_, N. Y. packet ship, 41, 48 - -_Fiery Cross_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 320, 335, 371; - race, 325-30 - -_Fiery Star-Comet_, 343 - -_Flavio_, ship, 52 - -_Fleetwing_, yacht, 159 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 250, 260 - -_Fleetwood_, Cal. clipper ship, 353 - -Fletcher, Capt., _Maury_, 209; - _Oriental_, No. 2, 358 - -_Florence_, Cal. clipper ship, 289, 363 - -Floyd, John, builder, N. Y., 17 - -_Fly Away_, clipper ship, 232, 297, 368 - -_Flying Childers_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 236, 354 - -_Flying Cloud_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 153, 155, 174, 205, 217, 237, 254, 337, 342, 351; - N. Y. to S. F. - -in 89 days, 144, 178-81, 248, 296, 297, 300, 365, 367; - log, 179-80, 248; - other California passages, 214-15, 224, 253, 298-9, 366, 367; - other passages, 195, 208, 222; - story of race with _Ganges_, 200-2 - ----- Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 208 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 357; -records, 295, 296, 297, 299, 368 - -_Flying Dutchman_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 344, 354, 375; - records, S. F., 297, 299, 366, 368; - Australia, 284 - -_Flying Fish_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 155-6, 173, 193, 205, 237, 302, 337, 342, 345, 351; - race with _Sword-Fish_, 212-13; - other Cal. passages, 224-6, 253, 295-9, 366-8 - -_Flying Mist_, Cal. clipper ship, 289, 363 - -_Flying Scud_, clipper ship, 284 - -_Flying Spur_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 325, 326 - -Food on board ship, 29, 78, 90, 107-8, 188, 231-2, 262 - -Forbes, Capt. James Nicol, _Marco Polo_, 266; - _Lightning_, 275-6; - _Schomberg_, 284 - -Forrest, Capt., _Rattler_, 361 - -_Forward Ho_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 336, 346, 371 - -Foster, W. H., & Co., owners, Boston, 359 - ----- & Nickerson, owners, Boston, 358, 363 - -_Francis_, brig, 84 - -_Francis Depaw_, ship, 47 - -Fraser, Capt. Geo., _Sea Witch_, 69, 145, 189, 192, 341 - -Freeman, Capt., _Undaunted_, 359 - -Friend, Capt., _Sancho Panza_, 361 - -Funch & Meincke, owners, N. Y. and Baltimore, 136, 350 - - -G - -_Galatea_, clipper ship, 299 - -_Game Cock_, Cal. clipper ship, 135, 173, 205, 271, 302, 337, 342, 349; - records, 195, 299 - -_Ganges_, Brit. ship, 200-1 - -Gardner, Capt. E. C., _Celestial_, 159, 349; - _Comet_, 159, 224, 350; - _Intrepid_, 363 - -Gates, Capt., 360, 364 - -_Gauntlet_, 267 - -_George Canning_, ship, 47 - -_George Peabody_, ship, 255 - -Gerry, Capt., _Noonday_, 363 - -Gibb & Livingston, 325 - -Gilman & Co., 325 - -_Gipsey_, brig, 1804, 17 - -Girard, Stephen, capt. and owner, 15 - -Glidden & Williams, Boston, owners of line of S. Francisco clippers, 136, 141, 172, 349-61 - -_Globe_, Brit. merchant ship, 36 - -_Gloriana_, Brit. ship, 36 - -_Glory of the Seas_, med. clipper ship, 258, 369 - -Goddard, N. S., owner, Boston, 358 - -Goddard & Co., owners of _Race Horse_, Boston, 135, 349 - -_Golden Age_, clipper barque, 366 - -_Golden City_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 354; - records, 297, 299, 300, 367 - -_Golden Eagle_, Cal. clipper ship, 354; - records, 297, 299, 300, 367 - -_Golden Fleece_, Cal. clipper ship, 362 - -_Golden Gate_, Cal. clipper ship, 351; - records, 297, 298, 299, 366 - -_Golden Light_, Cal. clipper ship, 233, 343-4, 354 - -_Golden State_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 354 - -_Golden West_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 354 - -Goodhue & Co., N. Y., owners of _Mandarin_, 135, 349 - -Goodwin, Gov. of N. H., 165 - -Gordon, Capt. Geo., _Memnon_, 145 - -Gore, Capt., _North Wind_, 358 - -_Governor Morton_, Cal. clipper ship, 136, 349; - records, 253, 299, 300, 368 - -_Grace Darling_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 360 - -_Grand Turk_, Salem ship, 12 - -Gray, Capt. Robt., 1788, 14 - ----- Wm., Salem merchant, 13 - -_Great Britain_, packet ship, 47, 71-2, 138 - -_Great Republic_, clipper ship, largest extreme clipper ship ever built, 235-43, 337, 345, 357; - launch, 236-8; - masts and spars, 238-40, 242-3; - burnt, 240-2; - rebuilt, 242-3; - records, 293, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300; - log, 294; - estimated speed, 343, 294-5 - -_Great Western_, packet ship, 41 - -_Greenfield_, barque, 368; - brought first cargo of wheat from California, 254 - -Greenman & Co., builders, Mystic, Conn., 232 - -Gregory, Capt. Michael, 250, 361 - -Griffeths, John W., 65-66 - -Grinnell, Minturn & Co., N. Y., owners, packet lines, 40, 42; - Cal. clippers, 136, 153, 211, 233, 350, 351, 355, 358, 359; - flags, 42, 303 - -Griswold, John, N. Y.,-London packet line, 40, 42 - ----- N. L. & G., owners, N. Y., 60, 62, 64, 68, 156, 189, 303, 350, 358 - ----- Capt., _Toronto_, 162 - -_Guest_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 1611, 23 - -_Guiding Star_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 357 - ----- Brit. clipper ship, 267, 268, 269, 272 - -_Guinevere_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, Nos. 1 and 2, 347 - - -H - -Hackett, Wm. & John, builders, Salisbury, Mass; U. S. frigate _Alliance_, 1778, 6 - -Hale, Capt., _Guiding Star_, 357 - -Hall, Alexander, & Co., 58, 59, 198, 199, 208, 284, 322, 324, 371-2 - -Hall, Samuel, builder, East Boston, 50, 137, 205, 250; - clipper schooner, 58; - China clippers, 62, 64; - - Cal. clippers, 135, 198, 216, 225, 232, 349-58 - ----- Jr., 289, 363 - -Hallet, Capt., _Radiant_, 355 - ----- & Co., owners, Boston, 356 - -Hamilton, Capt., _Eclipse_, 175-6, 349 - -Handy & Everett, owners, N. Y., 136, 349 - -Hanscom, Saml., Portsmouth, N. H., builder of _Nightingale_, 164-5 - -_Harvest Queen_, packet ship, 41 - ----- barque, 291 - -_Harvey Birch_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 344, 361 - -Haskell, Capt., _Norseman_, 364 - -Hastings, Henry, owner, Boston, 361, 363 - -Hatch, Capt., _Northern Light_, 228, 351; - _Midnight_, 361 - -Hathorne, Wm., of Hathorne & Steers, builders, N. Y., 49 - -Hayden & Cudworth, builders, Medford, 52, 354, 361 - -Hayes, Capt., lost on _Rainbow_, 68 - -Hays, Capt. Gilbert, of _Beauregard_, 141 - -_Hazard_, Cal. clipper ship, 298 - -Heard, Augustine, & Co., owners, Boston, 303, 351 - -_Hebe_, French frigate, model for British, 5 - -_Hector_, Brit. E. Indiamen, in first fleet, 23, 24 - -_Helen Mar_, packet ship, 41 - -_Helen Morris_, clipper ship, 258 - -_Helena_, early clipper ship, 62 - -_Helicon_, barque, 56 - -_Helvetia_, Girard ship, China trade, 16 - -Henderson, Capt., _Gazelle_, 351 - -Henning, Capt., Brit. ship _Alfred_, 37 - -_Henrietta_, yacht, 159 - -Henry, Capt., _Raven_, 189-92, 352; - _Skylark_, 359 - -_Henry Allen_, ship, 193 - -_Henry Clay_, packet ship, 43, 48, 141; - admired at L’pool, 89 - -_Henry Hill_, clipper barque, 258 - -_Herald of the Morning_, med. clipper ship, 253, 271, 363; - records, 253, 296, 297, 299, 300, 367, 368 - -_Hercules_, early ship, 16 - ----- packet ship, 40 - -_Herefordshire_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32, 345 - -_Hersilia_, brig, sealing voyages, 77-80 - -_Hibernia_, packet ship, 43, 47, 84, 160 - ----- Brit. clipper ship, Australian trade, 266 - -_Highflyer_, N. Y. packet ship, 244 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 344, 354 - -Hill, Capt., _Challenge_, 356 - -Hollis, Capt., _Game Cock_, 349 - -Holt, Alfred, L’pool, builder of iron screw steamers, 332 - -Hood, Jas. M., builder, Somerset, Mass., 136, 349 - ----- & Co., builders, Somerset, Mass., 152, 356, 359 - -Hood, Walter & Co., builders, Aberdeen, _Abergeldie_, 205-6; - _Thermopylæ_, 333, 372 - -Hooper, J., owner, Baltimore, 357; - _Witch of the Wave_, 169 - -_Hope_, ship, 15 - -_Horatio_, ship in China trade, 141, 162 - -_Hornet_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 351; -records, 224, 298, 299, 300, 366 - -_Hotspur_, Brit. merchant frigate, 36 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 364 - -_Hottinger_, N. Y. packet ship, 41, 43 - -_Houqua_, clipper ship in China trade, 63, 70, 77, 84, 85, 162, 341 - -Howes, Capt. Frederic, 236, 353, 357, 359, 360, 362 - -Howes & Crowell, owners, Boston, 353, 359 - -Howland, Capt. Williams, 141-2, 162, 350 - -Hubbard, Capt., _Flying Dutchman_, 354 - -Huckins, Jas., Boston, owner of _Northern Light_, 163-4 - ----- & Co., owners, Boston, 351, 354, 356 - -_Hudson_, N. Y., packet ship, 40, 44 - -Hunnewell, Jas., owner, Boston, 354, 355 - -Hunt & Wagner, builders, Baltimore, 357, 363 - -_Huntress_, ship, 52 - -_Huntsville_, N. Y.,-N. Orleans packet ship, 41, 43, 84 - -_Hurricane_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 163, 193, 337, 351; - records, 208, 218, 248, 296, 299, 367 - -Hussey, Capt., _Westward Ho_, 355 - -_Hyderabad_, Brit. ship, 36 - - -I - -_Inconium_, ship, 193 - -_Independence_, New York-L’pool packet ship, 41, 43, 45, 47, 48; - carried President’s message, 45 - -Innes, Capt., _Serica_, 326 - -_Ino_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 153, 351; - in U. S. Navy, 253 - -_Intrepid_, Cal. clipper ship, 289, 300, 363 - -_Invincible_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 156-7, 159, 301, 351, 366; - in Australian trade, 283 - -Irons & Grinnell, builders, Mystic, Conn., 295 - -_Isaac Wright_, N. Y. packet ship, 41, 44, 45 - -_Isaac Webb_, N. Y. packet ship, 41, 48 - -_Isaac Wright_, N. Y. packet ship, 41, 48 - -Ismay, Imrie & Co., L’pool, White Star Australian Line, 268 - -_Istamboul_, Brit. auxil. vessel, 287 - -_Ivanhoe_, packet ship, 48 - - -J - -Jackman, Geo. W., builder, Newburyport, 52, 360-3 - ----- R. E., builder, East Boston, 136, 216, 270, 349, 355, 356 - ----- & Ewell, builders, E. Boston, 358, 359 - -_Jacob Bell_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 298, 344, 354 - ----- N. Y. pilot boat, 305 - -_James Baines_, clipper ship, for Australian service, 273, 279-80, 281, 288, 334, 337, 346; - carried troops to India, 281-2 - -_James Cropper_, N. Y. packet ship, 38, 43 - -_James Monroe_, N. Y. packet ship, 38 - -_Jamestown_, N. Y. packet ship, 43 - -_Japan_, ship in Australian trade, 273 - -Jardine, Matheson & Co., China merchants, 59, 197, 208, 325 - -_Jenny Lind_, ship, Boston, 56, 217 - -_John Bertram_, Cal. clipper ship, 136, 141, 173, 349; - records, 299, 300, 366 - -_John E. Thayer_, ship, Boston, 255 - -_John Gilpin_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 344, 354; - records, 224, 296, 297, 299, 366; - race, 224-6 - -_John Jay_, ship, N. Y., 47 - -_John Land_, Cal. clipper ship, 233, 357, 368, 369 - -_John Quincy Adams_, ship, Boston, 156 - -_John R. Skiddy_, N. Y. packet ship, 54 - -_John Wade_, Cal. clipper ship, 299, 351 - -Johnson, Capt. H. W., _Invincible_, 157, 159, 351; - story of _Diadem_, 157-9 - ----- Capt., _Kate Hooper_, Baltimore, 357 - ----- Napier & Co., 303 - -Johnston, Capt. John, N. Y. packets, 44, 45 - -Jones, Quiggin & Co., L’pool, owners of _Seaforth_, 322 - -Jordan, John, L’pool, inventor of composite construction, 322 - -_Joseph Walker_, ship, 242 - -_Joshua Bates_, Boston-L’pool packet ship, 55 - -_Judge Shaw_, ship, 293 - - -K - -_Kaisow_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 372 - -_Kate Carine_, Brit. ship, 267 - -_Kate Hooper_, Cal. clipper ship, Baltimore, 357 - -_Kathay_, _Cathay_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 358 - -Keay, Capt., tea clipper _Ariel_, 326 - -_Kellie Castle_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -Kemball, Capt. John, 1788, 14 - -Kennard & Williamson, Baltimore, builders of _Ann McKim_, 60 - -Kermit, Robert, N. Y.-L’pool packet line, 42, 46 - -Kerwin, Capt., _Golden West_, 354 - -_Khersonese_, Brit. auxiliary steamer, 287 - -Kilham, Capt., _Jacob Bell_, 354 - -Killick, Capt., _Challenger_, 206 - -King, Capt., _Race Horse_, 349 - -_Kingfisher_, Cal. clipper ship, 358 - -Klein, Capt., _Spirit of the Times_, 359 - -Knight, Capt., _Queen of the Seas_, 355; - _Morning Light_, 358 - -Knowles, Capt., _Wild Wave_, 360 - - -L - -_L. Z._, N. Y. ship, 56 - -_Lady Melville_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Lahloo_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 372; - races, 332-3, 336 - -Laing & Co., builders, Sunderland, Eng., 371 - -Lamb, Edward, & Co., Boston, owners, 56 - -_Lanark_, Brit. clipper brig, opium trade, 59 - -_Lancaster_, packet ship, 40 - -Land, Capt. John, 67, 187 - -Landholm, Capt., _John Bertram_, 141, 349 - -Landor, W. S., yacht _America_, 310 - -Lane, Capt. Geo., _Sweepstakes_, 233, 359; -Pacific Mail S. S. Co., 233 - -Lang, Capt., _Sea Witch_, 341 - -Lapham, Saml., builder, Medford, 52 - -Laurence & Folkes, builders, N. Y., 49 - -Lawrie & Co., builders, Glasgow, 372 - -_Leander_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 372; - records, 333-6 - -_Leonore_, packet ship, 54 - -_Libertas_, ship, 282 - -_Liberator_, Greek frigate built in N. Y., 47 - -_Light Brigade-Ocean Telegraph_, 346 - -_Light Horse_, barque, Salem, 1784, 12 - -_Lightfoot_, Cal. clipper ship, 358 - -_Lightning_, clipper ship for Australian trade, 273, 274-5, 285, 337, 346; - passages, 275-8, 281-8; - log, 227-8; - carrying troops to India, 282-3 - ----- later ship, 341 - -Limeburner, Capt., _Great Republic_, 243, 293, 357 - -Lincoln, Wm., & Co., Boston, owners, 354, 358 - -_Lincolnshire_, Brit. ship in Australian trade, 285 - -Linnell, Capt., _Eagle Wing_, 357 - -_Lintin_, ship. Forbes’s rig, 236 - -_Live Yankee_, Cal. clipper ship, 299, 300, 358 - -_Liverpool_, packet ship, N. Y., 42, 43, 48 - ----- packet ship, Boston, 52 - -Lockwood, Capt., _White Squall_, 142, 350 - -Lodge, John E., Boston, owner, 357, 359, 361 - -Logs: _Flying Cloud_, 178-81, 211; - _Raven et al._, 192; - _Sov. of Seas_, 219-20; - _Flying Fish_ and _John Gilpin_, 226; - _Dreadnought_, 245-6; - _Romance of Seas_, 249; - _Lightning_, 277; - _James Baines_, 281-2; - _Sweepstakes_, 290; - _Great Republic_, 294; - tea clippers, 329-30; - _Thermopylæ_, 334 - -_Look Out_, clipper ship, 369 - -_Lord Amherst_, Brit. schooner, opium trade, 58 - -_Lord Lyndhurst_, ship, 293 - -_Lord of the Isles_, Brit. clipper ship (iron), tea trade, 208-10, 267, 288, 320, 346, 376; - second of the name, 346 - -_Lothair_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 372 - -_Louis Philippe_, Havre packet ship, 41 - -Low, Capt. Chas. P., 145, 162, 214-15, 343, 352; - Mrs. Low, 306 - ----- A. A., & Brother, owners, N. Y., 63, 64, 70, 85, 87, 135, 162, 209, 227, 242, 303 - -_Lowell_, Boston packet ship, 52 - -_Lowther Castle_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32, 34 - -Lucas, Capt. Frederic, 254, 341, 362 - -_Lucilla_, ship, 52 - - -M - -McCumm, Jas., Greenock, owner of _Sir Launcelot_, 335 - -McDonnell, Capt. Chas., _Marco Polo_, 267-8 - -McIntyre, L. H., & Co., builders, Liverpool, 322 - -McKay, Donald, Highland chieftain, 53 - -McKay, Donald, clipper ship builder, 42, 53, 205, 225, 258-9, 276, 297; - boyhood, 53, 258; - New York, 53; - Newburyport, 53-5; - East Boston, 56, 62; - packet ships, 62, 270; - California clippers, 136, 142, 152, 153, 212, 216, 232, 233, 250; - _Sovereign of the Seas_, 221; - _Great Republic_, 235, 243; - medium clippers, 255, 258, 290-1; - tribute to Abbott Lawrence, 256-7; - Australian clippers, 273-83; - Civil War, 258; - last years, 258; - Mrs. McKay, 221-2; - Currier & McKay, 53-4; - McKay, & Pickett, 54 - ----- Hugh, builder, Boston, 217 - ----- Capt. Lauchlan, 217-275; - _Sov. of the Seas_, 217-19, 269, 355; - _Great Republic_, 238, 241 - -McKenzie, Capt., _Houqua_, 63, 145, 341 - -McKim, Isaac, Baltimore, owner of _Ann McKim_, 60, 61 - -McKinnon, Capt., _Taeping_, 326 - -_Madagascar_, Brit. ship, Australian line, 263-4 - -Magoun, Thacher, builder, Medford, 51-2 - ----- Medford, builder of Cal. clippers, 362-3 - -_Malay_, clipper ship, 299 - -Mallory, Chas., builder, Mystic, Conn., 358, 364 - -_Mandarin_, Cal. clipper ship, 135, 136, 145-6, 301, 349; - passages: S. Francisco, 146, 299; - Canton, 208; - Melbourne, 284, 288 - -_Manhattan_ ship, 1796, China trade, 16-17 - ----- N. Y. packet ship, Red Star Line, 40 - ----- N. Y. packet ship, Black Ball Line, 41 - -Manning & Stanwood, owners, Boston, 359 - -Manson, Capt., 357, 362 - -_Marco Polo_, Brit. clipper ship, Australian service, 265-6, 267-8, 275, 284, 346 - -_Margaret Evans_, packet ship, 89 - -_Margaret Forbes_, ship, Boston, 52 - -_Maria Somes_, Brit. ship, 36 - -_Marion_, Brit. ship, 36 - -_Marion MacIntyre_, Brit. barque, composite build, 322 - -_Marlborough_, Brit. merchant frigate, 36 - -_Marquis of Camden_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Marquis of Wellington_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -Marsden, Capt., _Melbourne_, 338 - -Marshall, Benj., part owner, Black Ball Line, N. Y.-L’pool, 38 - ----- Capt. Chas. H., owner, Black Ball Line, 41, 43, 73, 303 - -_Mary and John_, ship of Popham colonists, 1607, 1 - -_Mary Broughton_, barque, 53 - -_Mary Fish_, N. Y. pilot boat, 305 - -_Mary Howland_, ship, N. Y., 47 - -_Mary L. Sutton_, Cal. clipper ship, 289, 364; - records, 299, 300, 368, 369 - -_Mary Taylor_, N. Y. pilot boat, 305 - -_Mary Whitridge_, Cal. clipper ship, 86, 253, 254 - -Mason, John W., carver, Boston, 166 - -_Mastiff_, med. clipper ship, 258 - -Masting of _Rainbow_, 66-7 - -_Matchless_, clipper ship, Boston, 367 - -Materials of merchant ships, 3, 10, 30, 50, 210, 285, 287-8, 301, 313-15, 316, 322, 340 - -Mather, Capt. Saml., _Nightingale_, 207 - -Matheson, Sir James, owner of _Stornoway_, 198; - _see_ Jardine - -Matthews, Capt., Cal. clippers, 359, 361, 363 - -Maury, Lieut. M. F., U. S. N., life, 146-50; - Wind and Current Charts, 147-8, 205, 226; - “Maury’s log,” 148; - Sailing Directions, 147-49; - Physical Geography of the Sea, 148; - Australian routes, 261; - opinion of _Gt. Republic_, 294 - -_Maury_, clipper barque, tea trade, 209 - -Maxon & Fish, builders, Mystic, Conn., 369 - -Maxton, Capt., _Lord of the Isles_, 209, 320 - -Mayhew, Capt. P. N., _Dreadnought_, 247 - -_Medway_, ship, London-Melbourne line, 263-5 - -_Memnon_, clipper ship, China trade, 70, 202; - California passages, 145-6, 180 - -_Merchants’ Hope_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 232 - -_Merchants’ Magazine_, Hunt’s, 148 - -_Mercury_, packet ship, 41 - -_Mermaid_, clipper ship, 299 - -_Messenger_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 354 - -Metcalf & Co., builders, Damariscotta, Me., 352 - -_Meteor_, packet ship, 40 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 354; - records, 253, 366, 368 - -Middleton, Sir Henry, commander of _Trades Increase_, 1609, 23 - -_Midnight_, Cal. clipper ship, 361 - -Miller, Capt., _Dauntless_, 353 - -Millett, Capt. I. H., _Witch of the Wave_, 172, 206, 353 - -_Min_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 320, 371 - -_Minerva_, ship, 15 - ----- Brit. E. Indiaman, 32, 34 - -_Minna_, clipper schooner, opium trade, 59 - -_Minnehaha_, med. clipper ship, 258 - -Minot & Hooper, owners, Boston, 68 - -Minturn, Robt., 109 - -_Miroslav-Young America_, 234 - -_Monarch_, Brit. ship, 36 - ----- Aberdeen clipper, 58 - -_Monsoon_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 351 - -_Montana_, packet ship, 41 - -_Montauk_, clipper ship, China trade, 63-4 - -_Montesquieu_, Girard ship, China trade, 16 - -_Montezuma_, N. Y. packet ship, 41, 46, 48, 89 - -Morgan, Capt. E. E., packet ships, 44 - -_Morning Light_, Cal. clipper ship, 358 - -_Morning Star_, Cal. clipper ship, 233, 346 - -Morris, Capt., _R. B. Forbes_, 139-40 - -_Moses Wheeler_, ship, Boston, 56 - -Mumford, Capt. O. R., _Tornado_, 211-12, 352 - -Murphy, Capt., _Black Warrior_, 356 - -Murray, Alexander, 11 - -Myers, Capt., _Flora Temple_, 357 - -Myrick, Capt., _Seaman_, 350 - -_Mystery_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 358 - -Mystic, Conn., 160; - ship-building, 105, 295, 360, 364 - - -N - -_N. B. Palmer_, Cal. clipper ship, 87, 152, 162, 174, 301, 306, 343, 352; - records, 178, 208, 300, 365; - race with _Flying Cloud_, 214-15 - -_Nabob_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 361 - -Napier, Johnson & Co., N. Y., owners of _Sunny South_, 250, 303 - -_Napoleon_, N. Y. packet ship, 40 - -_Nashville_, New Orleans packet ship, 41 - -_Natchez_, N. Orleans packet ship, 41, 68; - in China trade, 74-5, 135, 208 - -Nelson, Capt., _Harvey Birch_, 361 - -_Neptune’s Car_, Cal. clipper ship, 306-7, 337, 343, 358; - records, 253, 297, 299 - -_Nestor_, packet ship, 38 - -_New World_, packet ship, 42, 43, 56, 89, 142, 216 - -_New York_, packet ship, 38, 41 - -Newburyport, 167; - ship-builders, 18, 52; - _see_ Currier, Jackson, McKay; - ship-building, 7, 49, 68, 105, 243 - -Newlands, Capt. Alexander, _Lightning_, 279 - -_Niagara_, first ship built at E. Boston, 50 - -_Niantic_, Brit. ship, 176-7 - -Nicholas, Jonathan, impromptu lines, 170 - -Nickels, Capt. Edward, _Flying Fish_, 156, 213, 225, 297, 345, 351 - ----- Commander John A. H., U. S. N., 156 - -_Nightingale_, Cal. clipper ship, 164-5, 196, 302, 337, 343, 375; - China passage, 206-7; - Australian passage, 284 - -_Nonpareil_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 361 - -_Noonday_, Cal. clipper ship, 363 - -_Norfolk_, Brit. ship, Australian trade, 285 - -_Norma_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 208 - -_Norseman_, Cal. clipper ship, 289, 364 - -_North America_, ship, 1804, 17 - ----- clipper ship, 299 - -North Beach, S. Francisco, 175 - -_North Wind_, Cal. clipper ship, 284, 288, 358, 368 - -_Northern Light_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 153, 163, 164, 173, 193, 302, 337, 351; - records, 227-8, 298, 366; - quickest eastward passage from S. Francisco, 227-8 - ----- later ship, 340 - -_Northerner_, Pacific Mail S. S., 75, 189 - -Northfleet, Kent, ship-building, 32 - -_Nor’wester_, Cal. clipper ship, 361 - -Nott, Capt., _Don Quixote_, 357 - -Noyes, Charlotte, Mrs. D. S. Babcock, 161, 306 - ----- Joseph Stonington, 161 - -Nutsfield, Capt., _Taitsing_, 326 - -Nye, Capt. Ezra, packet ships _Independence_, 45; - _Henry Clay_, 89 - -Nye, Parkin & Co., China merchants, 70 - - -O - -_Oberlin_, packet ship, 52 - -_Ocean Chief_, clipper ship, 271 - -_Ocean Express_, Cal. clipper ship, 253, 299, 363 - -_Ocean Monarch_, packet ship (McKay), 56 - ----- packet ship (Webb), 164 - -_Ocean Pearl_, clipper ship, 299 - -_Ocean Queen_, packet ship, 48 - -_Ocean Telegraph_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 271, 346, 361; - records, 218, 299, 300, 369 - -_Odd Fellow_, barque, 217 - -Ogden, David, N. Y., owner Red Cross packets, 244, 304 - -_Oliver Ellesworth_, ship, N. Y., 16 - -Oliver, Francis, E. Boston Timber Co., 49 - -_Olympus_, ship, 343 - -_Oneida_, packet ship, 41 - ----- ship, China trade, 155, 222 - -_Orbit_, packet ship, 1821, 38, 47 - -_Oriental_, clipper ship, 1849, China trade, 77, 84, 85, 96-8, 142, 202, 375; - carrying tea to London, 97-8, 196; - California passage, 224, 366 - ----- Cal. clipper ship, 1853, 232, 358 - ----- later ship, 340 - -Osgood, Capt. W. H., _Trade Wind_, 164, 352; - _Cyclone_, 356 - -_Oxford_, packet ship, 41 - -Oxnard, Henry, owner, Boston, 52 - - -P - -_Pacific_, packet ship, 1816, 38 - ----- ship, 47 - ----- Collins Line S. S., 271, 309 - -Pacific Mail S. S. company, 62, 75, 84, 103, 189, 233, 313; - first S. S. to reach S. Francisco, 1849, 103; - first to reach China, 1862, 319 - -Paige, James, E. Boston Timber Co., 49 - -_Pallas_, barque, Boston, 15 - -Palmer, Capt. Alexander, 43, 86, 162 - ----- Capt. N. B., 43, 63, 70, 77-86 (life), 96, 160-2, 242; - mate of _Hersilia_, 77-80; - discovered Antarctic continent, 81-3 - ----- N. B., 2d, 86 - ----- Capt. Theodore, 97, 162 - -_Palmer_, schooner yacht, 87 - -_Pamparo_, Cal. clipper ship, 358, 367 - -_Panama_, clipper ship (Webb), 1844, China trade, 64, 208 - ----- Cal. clipper ship (Collyer, 1853), 232, 284, 299, 358 - -_Panther_, N. Y. packet ship, 40 - -Parker, D. P., Boston, owner of _Lucille_, 52 - -Paterson, Capt., _Phantom_, 355 - -_Patriarch_, Brit. ship, Australian trade, 333 - -_Patrick Henry_, packet ship, 41, 43, 46 - -Patten, Capt. Joshua A., _Neptune’s Car_, 306-7; - Mrs. Mary Patten, 306-7 - -Paul, Capt. Josiah, _Great Republic_, 295 - -_Paul, Albert-Lord of the Isles_, 346 - -_Paul Jones_, clipper ship, 62-3, 77, 84 - -Peabody, Alfred, owner, Salem, 166 - ----- Joseph, owner, Salem, 13, 119 - -_Peggy_, Salem ship, brought first cargo of cotton to Massachusetts, 13 - -Pierce, Henry A., Boston, owner, 354, 355 - -_Penguin_, clipper barque, China trade, 209 - -Penhallow, Capt., _Sierra Nevada_, 361 - -_Pennsylvania_, N. Y. packet ship, 41 - -Perrin, Patterson & Stock, builders, Williamsburg, N. Y., 49, 152, 351 - -Perry, Capt., _Ann McKim_, 61 - -_Perseverance._, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Phantom_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 337, 345, 355; - records, 224, 290, 297, 299, 366, 368 - -Phillips, J. W., N. Y., owner of _Invincible_, 156 - -Pierce, Capt., _Celestial Empire_, 353 - -Pike, Capt., _Meteor_, 354 - -Pile, John, builder, Sunderland, Eng., 208 - ----- Wm., builder, Sunderland, 320 - -Pile & Cole, builders, Sunderland, 371 - -Pilkington & Wilson, Liverpool, owners, 272 - -Pitcher shipyard, Northfleet, Kent, 33 - -Platt, W., & Son., Phila., owners, 136, 164, 350, 352 - -_Plymouth_, packet ship, 52 - -_Plymouth Rock_, ship, Boston, 56 - -Plympton, H. P., Boston, part owner of _Defender_, 255 - -_Polynesia_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 355, 367 - -Pook, Saml., naval architect, 270-1 - -Potter, Capt. Geo., _Architect_, 70 - ----- Capt., _Matchless_, 358 - -_President_, 44-gun frigate, 16 - ----- packet ship, 40 - -_Prince Regent_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Prince of Wales_, “Blackwall frigate,” 36 - -_Princess Amelia_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Princess Royal_, Brit, ship, 36 - -Protection, 92, 94, 95, 316-17 - -Putnam, Capt., Cal. clippers, 353, 355, 357 - - -Q - -_Queen of Clippers_, Cal. clipper ship, 359 - -_Queen of the East_, Cal. clipper ship, 352 - -_Queen Mab_, packet ship, 41 - -_Queen of the Seas_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 355 - -_Queen of the South_, Brit. iron screw steamer, 286 - -_Queen of the West_, packet ship, 41, 43, 48 - - -R - -_R. B. Forbes_, ship, 236, 255 - ----- wrecking steamer, 138-40, 167-72, 238, 240, 279 - -_Race Horse_, Cal. clipper barque, 135, 145, 198, 349; - records, 146, 365 - -Races: - packet, 45; - yachts, 64, 159, 310-11; - California clippers, 145-6, 189-92, 212-13, 214-15, 225-6, 227-8; - tea clippers, 200-2, 206-7, 209, 324-30, 332-3, 335-6; - to India, 282-3 - -Racing: - packet ship, 45; - yacht, 226, 339; - Cal. clippers, 145, 192-3, 195, 224, 226, 228, 249; - sail and steam, 311-12 - -_Radiant_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 355 - -_Rainbow_, Brit. frigate, 1782, 5 - ----- first extreme clipper ship, 62, 65-7, 68, 314 - ----- later ship, 340 - -Ranlett, Capt. Chas., 208 - ----- Jr., 208, 341 - -_Rapid_, schooner, Aberdeen clipper, 58 - -_Rattler_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 361 - -_Raven_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 173, 352; - race, 189-92; - log, 192; - records, 218, 299, 300, 365 - -Raynes, Geo., builder, Portsmouth, N. H., 52-3, 59, 136, 141, 152, 168, 250, 350, 353 - -_Rebekah_, clipper barque, 366 - -Record days’ runs, 179, 278; - _see_ Best days’ runs - -Record passages: - transatlantic, 221, 247, 309 (steamer); - California, westward, 144, 145-6, 175, 178, 295, 296-8, 298-300 (in sections); - eastward, 227; - Pacific, 195-6, 218; - China, 74, 329, 336-7; - Australian, 281, 287, 333-4 - -_Red Gauntlet_, Cal. clipper ship, 233, 306, 359 - -_Red Jacket_, clipper ship, Australian service, 247, 270-2, 337, 346 - -_Red Rover_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 355; - records, 253, 283, 368 - -Reed, Capt. Saml., _Red Jacket_, 272 - -_Reindeer_, ship, 56 - -_Reporter_, Cal. clipper ship, 345, 359, 368 - -_Republic_, packet ship, 52 - -_Rescue_, Boston wrecking steamer, 275 - -_Resolute_, clipper ship, 291 - -_Resource_, ship, 16 - -_Rhinebeck_, 47 - -_Rhone_, packet ship, 41, 44 - -Richardson, Capt. Josiah, _Stag Hound_, 144, 178, 350; - _Staffordshire_, 342, 352 - -Richie, Capt. A. A., Fairfield, Cal., 189 - -_Ringleader_, Cal. clipper ship, 359; - records, 284, 290, 297, 299, 367, 368, (to Melbourne) - ----- later ship, 340 - -_Robert C. Winthrop_, Boston ship, 255 - -_Robert Lowe_, Brit. aux. steamer, 331 - -Roberts, Capt., _Storm_, 355 - -_Robin Hood_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 361; - records, 299, 369 - -Robinson, Capt. Richard, tea clippers, 199, 326, 335 - -_Rockland_, ship, 345 - -Rodger & Co., London, owner of _Taeping_, 330 - -Rogers, S., Salem, owner, 136 - ----- Capt. Wm. C., _Witchcraft_, 140-1, 350 - -_Romance of the Seas_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 233, 302, 345, 359; - records, 248, 249, 296, 297, 367 - -Roosevelt & Joyce, builders, N. Y., 209, 232 - -Ropes, Capt. John F., _John Gilpin_, 345 - -_Roscoe_, packet ship, 41, 47 - -_Roscius_, packet ship, 40, 43 - -_Rose_, Brit. clipper schooner, opium trade, 59 - -Ross, Sir John, explorer, 84 - -_Rousseau_, Phila. ship, China trade, 16 - -Rowland, Capt., _Mary L. Sutton_, 364 - -_Royal Charter_, Brit. iron aux. steamer, 287 - -_Royal William_, first vessel to cross Atlantic by steam power, 313 - -_Rufus Choate_, Boston ship, 255 - -Russell, Capt., packets, 45 - ----- & Co., China merchants, 58, 63, 64, 70, 97, 303 - -_Russell Sturgis_, Boston ship, 255 - - -S - -_St. Andrew_, packet ship, 46 - -_St. Clair_, packet ship, 52 - -_St. George_, packet ship, 54 - -_St. Lawrence_, Brit. merchant frigate, 36 - -_St. Michael_, schooner, 15 - -_St. Patrick_, Boston ship, 54 - -_Salamis_, Brit. ship, Australian trade, 333 - -Salter, Capt. Chas. H., _Typhoon_, 161, 189, 352 - -_Samarang_, 346 - -_Sampson_, ship, 16 - -Sampson & Tappan, Boston, owners of _Nightingale_, 136, 155, 165, 207, 303, 350, 351, 355 - -_Samuel Appleton_, Boston ship, 255, 300 - -_Samuel Badger_, ship, 161 - -_Samuel Russell_, clipper ship, China trade, 70, 77, 84, 85, 142, 162, 337, 341; - records to S. Francisco, 145, 298, 300, 365, 367 - -Samuels, Capt. Samuel, _Dreadnought_, 44, 244, 246-7 - -San Francisco passages: - Atlantic ports, 1849, 101, 145; - 1850, 145-6; - 1851, 174, 175, 178-81, 181-5, 189-94; - 1852, 212-5, 217-8, 222; - 1853, 224-8, 233; - 1854, 248-9; - 1855, 253, 254; - 1856, 290, 306-7; - 1857, 293-4, 295; - General, 69, 233-4, 365-9; - long, 193; - Pacific ports, 195, 211, 219 - -_San Francisco_, clipper ship, 367 - -_Sancho Panza_, Cal. clipper ship, 361 - -_Santa Barbara_, 86 - -_Sapphire_, packet ship, 51 - -_Saracen_, Cal. clipper ship, 361 - -_Saratoga_, packet ship, 43 - -Sargent, Capt. Henry, _Phantom_, 345 - -Saunders, Capt. Thos. M., Salem, from cabin boy to captain, 119-20 - -_Savannah_, ship, 47 - ----- first sailing ship with auxl. engine to cross Atlantic, 1819, 313 - -_Schomberg_, Brit. clipper ship, built for Australian service, 284-5 - -Scott, John, & Co., builders, Greenock, 208 - -Scott & Co., builders, Dumbarton, 372 - -_Sea Serpent_, Cal. clipper ship, 136, 141, 196, 211, 302, 350; - records, 175, 208, 224, 298, 366 - -_Sea Witch_, clipper ship, built for China trade, 68, 69, 73, 75-7, 136, 156, 337, 341; - passages, 68-9, 189-92 (race); - records, 145, 174, 208, 214, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, 365 - -Seacomb & Taylor, owners, Boston, 270 - -_Seaforth_, Brit. ship, first vessel with steel spars and rigging, 322-3 - -_Seaman_, Cal. clipper ship, Baltimore, 136, 174, 350; - records, 299, 300, 365 - -Sears, Capt., _Robin Hood_, 361 - -Seaver, Hon. Benj., Boston, 225 - -_Seminole_, ship, 369 - -_Serica_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 320, 346, 371; - races, 324, 325-30 - -_Severn_, ship, 16 - -Shackfords, captains and builders, Portsmouth, N. H., 52 - -_Shakespeare_, packet ship, 40, 43, 48 - -_Shand_, Brit. ship, 344 - -Shaw, Maxton, & Co., owners, London, 319-20 - -Sheathing, copper, 61, 285, 320, 322; - yellow metal, 237 - -Sheer, 18, 237, 320 - -Sheffield, Capt. J. P., _Hersilia_, 77-80 - -Shelburne, N. S., 53, 217 - -_Sheridan_, packet ship, 40, 45, 48 - -Shoof, Capt., _Black Hawk_, 361 - -_Shooting Star_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 173, 193, 337, 343, 352; - records, 214, 222, 298, 299, 366 - -Shuter, Thos. A., owner, London, 34 - -_Siddons_, packet ship, 40, 43, 48, 84 - -_Sierra Nevada_, Cal. clipper ship, 250, 283, 361; - records, 295, 296, 369 - -_Silas Richards_, packet ship, 40 - -Silsbee, Capt., _Syren_, 352 - -_Silvia de Grasse_, packet ship, 41, 47 - -Simmons, Capt., _War Hawk_, 363 - -Simonson, Capt., _Daring_, 362 - -_Simoon_, Cal. clipper ship, 355 - -_Sir George Seymour_, Brit. ship, 36 - -_Sir Launcelot_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 324, 332-3, 335-6, 346, 371 - -_Sir Robert Peel_, packet ship, 48 - -_Sirius_, Brit. steamer, 313 - -_Sirocco_, clipper ship, 298, 299 - -Skiddy, Francis, 43 - ----- Capt. William, 43 - -_Skylark_, Cal. clipper ship, 299, 359 - -Smith, Adam, _Wealth of Nations_, 92 - ----- James, & Son, owners, N. Y., 106 - ----- Stephen, builder, 47 - ----- T. & W., builders, Newcastle, Eng., 35, 36 - ----- & Co., builders Hoboken, N. J., 152, 351 - ----- & Co., builders, St. John, N. B., 266 - ----- & Dimon, builders, N. Y., 45, 47, 65, 68, 70, 135, 349 - ----- Capt., 355, 362 - -_Smyrna_, brig, first Amer. vessel in Black Sea, 15 - -_Snapdragon_, Cal. clipper barque, 232, 299, 359 - -Sneeden & Whitlock, builders, Greenpoint, L. I., rebuilt _Great Republic_, 242 - -Snow & Burgess, owners, 304 - -_Snow Squall_, Cal. clipper ship, 284, 352 - -Somes, Jos., owner, London, 34, 35, 36 - -_Sophia Branilla-Falcon_, 347 - -_South America_, packet ship, 43 - -_South Carolina_, ship, first to leave S. Francisco in 1849, 101 - -_Southampton_, packet ship, 46 - -_Southern Cross_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 195, 352 - -_Sovereign_, packet ship, 40 - -_Sovereign of the Seas_, Cal. clipper ship, 216-21, 235, 237, 281, 337, 344, 355; - speed, 220-1; - records: California, 213, 217, 299, 366; - N. Y.-L’pool, 220-1; - Australia, 269-70 - ----- No. 2, 258 - ----- No. 3, 341 - -_Sparkling Wave_, clipper ship, 300 - -Speed: - Conditions and tests, 9-10, 11, 39, 46, 71, 90, 134, 192, 198, 205, 243, 286, 294-5, 321, 336-7 - Vessels built for, 57, 60 - Speed of Brit. and Amer. frigates, 4, 8, 10; - E. Indiamen, 30, 35; - opium clippers, 59; - Amer. clippers, 135-6, 153, 193, 278, 282 (highest rate); - of Brit. tea clippers, 320-1, 324, 334, 335-6; - of steamers, 221, 278, 309 - -Speed in knots, 71, 161, 169, 178, 220, 251, 276, 278, 281, 282, 328; - average, 46, 180, 219-20, 245, 278, 338 - -Spicer, Capt., _David Crockett_, 356 - -_Spindrift_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 333, 335, 346, 371, 375 - -_Spirit of the Age_, Brit. clipper ship, 208 - -_Spirit of the Times_, Cal. clipper ship, 359 - -_Spitfire_, Cal. clipper ship, 359 - -_Splendid_, packet ship, 48 - -Spofford & Tillotson, N. Y.-L’pool packet line, 42-3 - -Spooner, _see_ Borrows - -Sprague & James, builders, Medford, 52, 58 - -_Stadt Antwerpen_, Belgian barque, 343 - -_Staffordshire_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 193, 217, 342, 352; - records, 214, 300, 366 - -_Stag Hound_, Cal. clipper ship, 136, 142-3, 151, 205, 211, 216, 237, 337, 341, 350, 375; - records, 178, 195, 208, 298, 299, 365, 367 - -_Star of Empire_, packet ship, 270 - -_Star of Peace_, Brit. ship, Australian trade, 333 - -_Starlight_, Cal. clipper ship, 299, 361 - -_Starr King_, Cal. clipper ship, 255, 299, 362 - -Steele, Robt., & Son, builders, Greenock, 319, 320, 322, 324, 346, 347, 371, 372 - -Steers, Geo., designer and builder, 49, 250 - -_Stephania_, packet ship, 41 - -Stephen, Alex., builder, Glasgow, 322, 371 - -Stoddard, Capt., 349, 358 - -Stevens, Capt., _Southern Cross_, 352 - -_Storm_, Cal. clipper barque, 298, 355, 366 - -_Storm King_, Cal. clipper ship, 359 - -_Stornoway_, Brit. clipper ship, 198, 202, 205, 206-7, 376 - -_Strabo_, ship, 52 - -_Sultana_, barque, 56 - -_Sunny South_, clipper ship, China trade, 250; - slaver, 251 - -Supremacy, 339; - American, 311, 314; - British, 210 - -_Surprise_, Cal. clipper ship, 135, 136-8, 174-5, 196, 202, 205, 207-8, 271, 337, 341, 350; - records, 175, 195, 206, 208, 296, 297, 298, 299, 365 - -_Susannah_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -Sutton & Co., N. Y., owners, 106, 303 - -_Sweepstakes_, Cal. clipper ship, 232, 233, 301, 345, 359; - records, 289-90, 296, 297, 298, 299, 368; - log, 290 - -_Sword Fish_, Cal. clipper ship, 84, 152, 153, 159, 193, 206, 306, 337, 352; - records, 208, 224, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, 366; - race, 212-13 - -_Syren_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 352 - - -T - -_Taeping_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 322, 371; - races, 324-30, 332-5 - -_Taitsing_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 324, 347, 371, 375; - race, 324-30 - -_Talbot_, ship, 52 - -_Tampico_, brig, 84 - -_Tayleur_, Brit. ship (iron), for Australian service, 267 - -Tea Trade, iii: - to England: Amer. clippers in, 96-8 196-7, 200-2; - _see_ Tea clippers; - amount, 320; - freights, 196, 207, 323; - premiums, 324, 330 - -_Telegraph_, clipper ship, Cal. passages, 299, 368 - -Templer, Henry, owner, London, 34 - -_Teutonic_, White Star S. S., 312 - -Thacker & Mangels, owners, London, 34 - -_Thames_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 35 - -Thayer, Capt., _Cleopatra_, 353 - -_Thermopylæ_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332-6, 347, 371, 375 - -Thomas, C. W. & H., N. Y., owners of _Hurricane_, 163 - ----- Geo., Rockland, Me., builder of _Red Jacket_, 270 - -_Thomas_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 24 - -_Thomas Coutts_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Thomas Granville_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Thomas H. Perkins_, ship, Boston, 255 - -Thorndike, Capt., _Live Yankee_, 358 - -Tindall & Co.’s Australian line, 263 - -_Tingqua_, clipper ship, 298 - -_Titania_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 336, 375; - still in service, 347 - -Toby & Littlefield, builders, Portsmouth, N. H., 52, 233 - -Todd, Capt., 2d _Witch of the Wave_, 364 - -Ton in cubic feet, 104, 196, 323, 335, 373-5 - -Tonnage, aggregate: - Afloat, 289; - built, 3-4, 52, 151; - captured, 7; - owned, 13, 71, 292 - (steam), 308; - sent out, 33; - sold, 292 - -Tonnage, detail: - American, early, 1, 2, 4, 6, 14-18, 51-4, 80, 119; - packets, 38, 40, 42, 45, 46, 142, 243; - opium clippers, 58-9; - China clippers, 60, 62-5, 68, 70, 96, 250; - California clippers, 135-6, 142, 153-6, 159, 161-6, 216, 233, 254, 349-64; - Australian clippers, 235, 242, 265-7, 270, 273; - pilot boats, 193, 305; - increase in, 42, 151, 216 - British: E. Indiamen, 23, 25, 32-7; - Aberdeen clippers, 58; - tea clippers, 198, 199, 205-6, 208, 320, 322-3, 333, 371-2; - Australian clippers, 267, 284, 338; - steamers, 286, 287 - -Tonnage Laws, 20, 198-9, 315, 323, 373-6; - _see_ Tax - -_Topaz_, packet ship, 51 - -_Tornado_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 211, 283, 343, 352 - -_Toronto_, packet ship, 48, 162 - -_Trade Wind_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 164, 193, 337, 343, 352; - records, 224, 299, 366 - -_Trades Increase_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 1609, 23 - -Train, Enoch, Boston, owner, 54-5, 153, 221, 255 - -Train’s Line, Boston-L’pool packets, 55-6, 270, 275 - -Trask, Capt. Benj., packet ships, 43 - -_Trenton_, packet ship, 52 - -_Trident_, ship, 1805, 17 - -_Trieste_, barque, 291 - -_Triton_, ship, 1805, 17 - -Trufant & Drummond, builders, Bath, Me., 152, 351, 357, 360 - -Tucker, Capt., _Swallow_, 362 - -Turner, Capt., _Starr King_, 362 - -_Tuscarora_, packet ship, 40 - -_Twilight_, Cal. clipper ship, 295, 364, 369 - -_Two Friends_, brig, 15 - -_Typhoon_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 161, 337, 342, 352; - race, 189-92; - records, 192, 208, 299, 300, 365 - - -U - -_Undaunted_, Cal. clipper ship, 345, 359 - -_Union_, sloop, 15 - -Upham, Hon. Chas. W., 169 - -Upton, Geo. B., Boston, owner, 56, 136, 155, 233, 304 - -_Utica_, packet ship, 41 - - -V - -Vail, Thos., builder, N. Y., 16 - -_Valparaiso_, ship, 164 - -_Vancouver_, ship, 208 - -_Vanguard_, packet ship, 48 - -_Venice_, ship, 161 - -Very, John Crowninshield, 163 - ----- Capt. Saml., _Hurricane_, 163, 351; - Mrs. Very, 306 - -_Vicksburg_, ship, 47 - -_Victoria_, packet ship, 44, 47 - -_Victory_, packet ship, 244 - -_Viking_, Cal. clipper ship, 360 - -_Vimiera_, Brit. ship, 267 - -Vincent, Wm., builder, N. Y., 16 - -_Voltaire_, ship in China trade (Girard), 16 - -_Vulcan_, Brit. ship, first iron sailing ship, 1818, 313 - - -W - -Wakeman, Capt., _Adelaide_, 360 - -_Wanderer_, Brit. clipper schooner, opium trade, 59 - -_War Hawk_, Cal. clipper ship, 363 - -Wardle, T., & Co., N. Y., owners of _Eclipse_, 136, 349 - -Warner, Capt., _Sov. of the Seas_, 269-70; - _Donald McKay_, 281 - -_Washington Irving_, packet ship, 56 - -Waterman, Capt. G. B., _Highflyer_, 344, 354 - ----- Capt. Robt. H., 73-7, 145, 189; - _Britannia_, 73-4; - _Natchez_, 68, 74-5; - _Sea Witch_, 68-9, 73, 75, 208; - _Northerner_, 75, 189; - _Challenge_, 156, 181-9, 350; - Mrs. Waterman, 75 - ----- & Elwell, builders, Medford, 52, 63 - -Watkins, Capt. Jas., _Akbar_, 62 - -Watson, Capt., _Polynesia_, 355 - -Webb, Isaac, builder, N. Y., 47, 48, 53, 74, 217; - & Co., 40 - ----- Wm. H., son of Isaac, builder, 42, 48, 62, 63, 135-6, 142, 152, 156, 159, 164, 212, 216, 232-4, 250, 291, 349-52, 354, 359 - ----- Wilsey, father of Isaac, 47 - ----- & Allen, builders, N. Y., 48 - -Weld, W. F., & Co., owners, Boston, 304, 357 - ----- & Baker, owners, Boston, 363 - -Wells & Emanuel, owners, N. Y., 106, 304 - -_West Point_, packet ship, 44, 48 - -Westervelt, Aaron and Daniel, sons of Jacob A., 49, 233 - ----- Jacob A., builder, N. Y., 48-9, 216, 227, 232, 250, 297, 352-4, 358-9 - ----- & Co., 49 - ----- & Sons, 49, 152, 162, 351 - ----- & Mackay, 46, 48 - -_Westward Ho_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 237, 255; - records, 224, 253, 295, 297, 298, 300, 366, 367, 368 - -_Whirlwind_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 284, 343, 355 - -_Whistler_, Cal. clipper ship, 299, 360 - -_White Squall_, Cal. clipper ship, 136, 142, 196, 242, 337, 350; - records, 298, 299, 300, 366 - -_White Swallow_, clipper ship, 298, 369 - -Whitridge, Thos., & Co., owners, Baltimore, 254 - -Wigram, Robt., builder and owner, London, 35, 36, 285 - -_Wild Dayrell_, Brit. clipper schooner, opium trade, 59 - -_Wild Hunter_, clipper ship, 368 - -_Wild Pigeon_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 353; - records, 299, 300, 366 - -_Wild Wave_, Cal. clipper ship, 360 - -_William G. Anderson_, U. S. clipper barque, 141 - -_William Tell_, packet ship, 41, 47 - -_William Thompson_, packet ship, 38 - -Williams, J., & Son, builders, Williamsburg, N. Y., 136, 152, 349, 352 - ----- Jabez, builder, N. Y., 216, 355 - ----- Capt. John E., _Andrew Jackson_, 247, 295, 362 - ----- & Guion, owners, 304 - -Willis, Capt., Cal. clippers, 351, 361 - -Wilson, W., & Sons, owners, Baltimore, 356, 357 - -_Windhover_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 336, 346, 372 - -_Windsor_, Brit. E. Indiaman, 32 - -_Windsor Castle_, Brit. ship, 36 - -_Winged Arrow_, clipper ship, 299, 300 - -_Winged Racer_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 344, 355, 367 - -Winsor, Capt. C. F., 344, 351, 354, 356 - -_Witch of the Wave_, Cal. clipper ship, 152, 153, 166-72 (trip on), 173, 353; - records, 206, 299 - -_Witchcraft_, Cal. clipper ship, 136, 140, 211, 302, 350; - records, 178, 248, 296, 365, 366, 367 - -_Wizard_, Cal. clipper ship, 216, 355 - -Wolfe, W. A. & A. Foster, Jr., N. Y., owners of _Courier_, 54 - -Woodhouse, Capt. Philip, packet ships, 43 - -Woodside, Capt., _Wizard_, 355 - -Wooton, Jas. A., packet ship captain, 44 - -_Wylo_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 332, 372 - -Wyteerhoven, Capt., 343 - - -Y - -_Yang-tze_, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, 322, 333, 347, 371 - -_Yorkshire_, packet ship, 41, 46, 48, 89 - -_Yorktown_, packet ship, 48 - -_Young America_, Cal. clipper ship, 84, 232, 233-4, 301, 306, 337, 360; - records, 233-4, 297-300, 367-70 - - -Z - -Zerega, Capt., _Queen of Clippers_, 359 - -Zerega & Co., owners, N. Y., 56, 359 - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] A frigate was a ship designed to be a fast, armed cruiser and -mounted from twenty to fifty guns; when a naval vessel mounted less -than twenty guns she became a sloop of war, and when she mounted more -than fifty guns she became a line-of-battle ship. The frigate was -always a favorite type of vessel with the officers and men of the -navy, as she was faster and more easily handled than a line-of-battle -ship, and was at the same time a more powerful fighting and cruising -vessel than a sloop of war. Frigate-built means having the substantial -construction, arrangement of the decks, masts, spars, rigging, and guns -of a frigate. - -[2] When peace was declared in 1783, the Government of the United -States sold or otherwise disposed of all its vessels, a fact that was -quickly taken advantage of by the Barbary corsairs. They at once began -to prey upon American merchant shipping in the Mediterranean and even -in the Atlantic, and made slaves of the captured crews. The French and -English, too, in their wars with each other, by no means respected the -neutrality of American commerce, the former being the worse offenders. -It was not, however, until 1794 that Congress again authorized the -formation of a navy, under the Secretary of War, and in 1798 the -office of Secretary of the Navy was created. Among the vessels built -in 1794-98 was the frigate _Constitution_, the famous “Old Ironsides” -which still survives. The separate States had meanwhile maintained -vessels for the protection of their own coasts, and, of course, there -had been no cessation in the building of merchant ships during the -period preceding the War of 1812. - -[3] A typean was the head merchant of one of the Company’s “factories” -or mercantile houses, such as were later known in China as “hongs.” - -[4] _Annus Mirabilis_, stanza 89 (1667). - -[5] Second American edition, translated by H. Reeve, pp. 403-4. - -[6] _New York Commercial_, October 8, 1851. - -[7] William John, in an article on clipper ships in _Naval Science_, -vol. ii. (1873), p. 265. - -[8] The various systems of calculating the tonnage of vessels which -were in force in Great Britain prior to 1854, (see Appendix iv.,) gave -the breadth measurement a preponderating influence upon the result, and -as taxation, port, and light dues, etc., were based upon the registered -tonnage of a vessel, there was economy in decreasing the breadth of a -vessel at the expense of the other dimensions. Ship-builders and owners -in England showed a much greater tendency to profit by this feature -of the law than did those in the United States, where substantially -the same system was in force. In this country some very narrow vessels -were built for the New Orleans and West India trade, in the period -1820-1845, but it was found that the saving in taxation did not pay for -using such an undesirable type of vessels, so they were given up. As a -rule, American owners and builders preferred to build vessels of a type -which they regarded as the best for speed and for the trade in which -they were engaged, without regard for the tonnage laws. - -[9] The _Challenge_. - -[10] Forbes’s rig was invented by Captain R. B. Forbes, and was -first put on the topsail schooner _Midas_ in 1841, afterwards on the -auxiliaries _Edith_, _Massachusetts_, and _Meteor_; ships, _R. B. -Forbes_, _Lintin_, _Flying Childers_, _Aurora_, _Cornelius Grinnell_, -and probably others. In this rig the topmast was fidded abaft the -lowermast head, and the lower topsail yard hoisted on the lowermast -head from the eyes of the lower rigging to the cap. The lower topsail -had two reefs with reef-tackles, buntlines, and clew-lines, as in the -single topsail rig. The upper topsail hoisted on the topmast and had -the same gear as the lower topsail. Sometimes the topmast was fidded -before the lower masthead, and then the lower topsail yard hoisted -on the doubling of the topmast. This rig was an improvement upon the -single topsail rig, but was eventually superseded by Howes’s rig, which -was invented by Captain Frederic Howes, of Brewster, Massachusetts, -who in 1853 first put it on the ship _Climax_, of Boston, which he -commanded. Captain Howes took out a United States patent for his rig in -1854. In this rig, the lower topsail yard is slung by a truss at the -lower mast cap; indeed, Howes’s rig is the double topsail rig of the -present day, though one does not often hear the name of Captain Howes -in connection with it. - -[11] Mr. Everett is reported to have said “eighty-two,” but if he did -so, it was a mistake, for forty-two is the true number. - -[12] These slabs were subsequently removed, one side being washed away. - -[13] The following are some of these house flags: The crimson field -and black ball, of Charles H. Marshall; the red, white, and blue -swallowtail, of Grinnell, Minturn & Co.; the yellow, red, and yellow -horizontal bars with white “L” in centre, of A. A. Low & Brother; the -thirteen blue and twelve white squares, of N. L. & G. Griswold; the -crimson field and yellow beehive, of Sutton & Co.; the crimson field, -white border, and white “D” in centre, of George Daniels; the red, -white, and red vertical stripes with red “B” in centre, of Vernon H. -Brown; the blue and white half-diamonds, of Russell & Co.; the crimson -field and white diamond, of Augustine Heard & Co.; the white above -blue and red ball in the centre, of Sampson & Tappan; the white above -yellow and red star in centre, of Glidden & Williams; the narrow blue -and white horizontal stripes with red ball in the centre, of Napier, -Johnson & Co.; the white field and blue cross, of George B. Upton; the -crimson swallowtail and blue cross, of Charles R. Green; the white -swallowtail, red cross with white diamond in the centre, of R. W. -Cameron; the crimson swallowtail, blue cross, and white ball in the -centre, of Wells & Emanuel; the blue above white, white ball in blue -and red ball in white, of D. & A. Kingsland; the white field and red -cross in the centre of D. G. & W. B. Bacon; the white swallowtail and -black S. & B., of Snow & Burgess; the white field and black horse, of -William F. Weld & Co. The flag of Howland & Aspinwall had a blue square -in the upper corner of the luff and lower corner of the fly; the rest -of the flag was white with narrow blue lines in the lower corner of the -luff and upper corner of the fly, which formed squares, and also formed -a white cross extending the full hoist and length of the flag. David -Ogden’s flag was a white field and red cross; Crocker & Warren’s, blue -above yellow with a yellow “C” in the blue and blue “W” in the yellow. -Then there was the red swallowtail with white cross and black star in -the centre, of Samuel Thompson & Nephew; the blue field, white diamond, -and black star, of Williams & Guion; the crimson field and black “X” of -John Griswold. These were the private signals of most of the leading -New York and Boston ship-owners, which, half a century ago, enlivened -the water front of New York, though there were some others which have -now faded from memory. - -[14] Walter Savage Landor. - -[15] _Democracy in America_ (1835); Second American edition, p. 408. - -[16] See Appendix IV. - -[17] A lorcher is a fast Chinese vessel, used a good deal by fishermen, -and in former times by the Chinese pirates and smugglers. - -[18] The _Thermopylæ_ repeated this remarkable passage of sixty-three -days from London to Melbourne during the following year. - - - -Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber: - -their chests, mess-kids=> -their chests, mess-kits -{pg 28} - -A seires of voyages=> -A series of voyages -{pg 75} - -upon the the transom=> -upon the transom -{pg 188} - -a ship-bulding yard=> -a ship-building yard -{pg 271} - -receiving letters and newspapars=> -receiving letters and newspapers -{pg 319} - -David Crocket=> -David Crockett -{pg 369} - -McKensie, Capt., _Houqua_, 63, 145, 341=> -McKenzie, Capt., _Houqua_, 63, 145, 341 -{pg 391 index} - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CLIPPER SHIP ERA *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Clark</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The clipper ship era</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Arthur H. Clark</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: October 14, 2022 [eBook #69154]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Chuck Greif, deaurider and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CLIPPER SHIP ERA ***</div> -<hr class="full"> -<p class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="320" height="500" alt="[Image -of the book's cover is unavailable.]"> -</p> - -<table style="border: 2px black solid;margin:auto auto;max-width:50%;page-break-before:always;page-break-after:always; -padding:1%;"> -<tr><td> -<p class="c"><a href="#CONTENTS">Contents.</a><br> -<a href="#INDEX">Index.</a></p> -<p class="c">Some typographical errors have been corrected; -<a href="#transcrib">a list follows the text</a>.</p> -<p class="c"><a href="#ILLUSTRATIONS">List of Illustrations</a> -<p class="c">(etext transcriber's note)</p></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_i">{i}</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_001" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_f000.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_f000.jpg" width="600" height="434" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Flying Cloud"</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="blk"> -<h1><span class="redd">The<br> -Clipper Ship Era</span></h1> - -<p class="cb">An Epitome of Famous American and British<br> -Clipper Ships, Their Owners, Builders,<br> -Commanders, and Crews<br><br> -<span class="big">1843-1869</span><br><br><br> -By<br> -<span class="big"><span class="redd">Arthur H. Clark</span></span><br><br> -<small>Late Commander of Ship “Verena,” Barque “Agnes,”<br> -Steamships “Manchu,” “Suwo Nada,” “Venus,”<br> -and “Indiana.” (1863-1877)<br> -Author of “The History of Yachting”</small></p> -</div> - -<p class="c"><i>With 39 Illustrations</i><br><br><br> -<span class="redd">G. P. Putnam’s Sons</span><br> -New York and London<br> -<span class="eng">The Knickerbocker Press</span><br> -1911<br><br><br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_ii">{ii}</a></span> -<small><span class="smcap">Copyright</span>, 1910<br> -BY<br> -ARTHUR H. CLARK<br><br> -Published, November, 1910<br> -Reprinted, January, 1911; March, 1911<br><br> -<span class="eng">The Knickerbocker Press, New York</span></small> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_iii">{iii}</a></span><br><br><br> -</p> - -<div class="blk"> -<p class="c"> -<span class="eng">To</span><br> -<br> -THE MEMORY OF<br> -<br> -A FRIEND OF MY BOYHOOD<br> -<br> -DONALD McKAY<br> -<br> -BUILDER OF SHIPS<br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_iv">{iv}</a></span></p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_v">{v}</a></span>  </p> - -<h2><a id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE Clipper Ship Era began in 1843 as a result of the growing demand for -a more rapid delivery of tea from China; continued under the stimulating -influence of the discovery of gold in California and Australia in 1849 -and 1851, and ended with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. These -memorable years form one of the most important and interesting periods -of maritime history. They stand between the centuries during which man -navigated the sea with sail and oar—a slave to unknown winds and -currents, helpless alike in calm and in storm—and the successful -introduction of steam navigation, by which man has obtained mastery upon -the ocean.</p> - -<p>After countless generations of evolution, this era witnessed the highest -development of the wooden sailing ship in construction, speed, and -beauty. Nearly all the clipper ships made records which were not -equalled by the steamships of their day; and more than a quarter of a -century elapsed, devoted to discovery and invention in perfecting the -marine engine and boiler, before the best clipper ship records for speed -were broken by steam vessels. During this era, too, important -discoveries<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_vi">{vi}</a></span> were made in regard to the laws governing the winds and -currents of the ocean; and this knowledge, together with improvements in -model and rig, enabled sailing ships to reduce by forty days the average -time formerly required for the outward and homeward voyage from England -and America to Australia.</p> - -<p>In pursuing this narrative we shall see the stately, frigate-built -Indiaman, with her batteries of guns and the hammocks stowed in -nettings, disappear, and her place taken by the swift China, California, -and Australian clippers, which in their turn, after a long and gallant -contest, at last vanish before the advancing power of steam.</p> - -<p>Many of the clipper ships mentioned in this book, both American and -British, were well known to me; some of the most celebrated of the -American clippers were built near my early home in Boston, and as a boy -I saw a number of them constructed and launched; later, I sailed as an -officer in one of the most famous of them, and as a young sea-captain -knew many of the men who commanded them. I do not, however, depend upon -memory, nearly all the facts herein stated being from the most reliable -records that can be obtained. So far as I am aware, no account of these -vessels has ever been written, beyond a few magazine and newspaper -articles, necessarily incomplete and often far from accurate; while most -of the men who knew these famous ships have now passed away. It seems -proper, therefore, that some account of this remarkable era should be -recorded by one who has a personal knowledge of the most exciting -portion<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_vii">{vii}</a></span> of it, and of many of the men and ships that made it what it -was.</p> - -<p>Of late years there has been a confusing mixture of the terms <i>knot</i> and -<i>mile</i> as applied to the speed of vessels. As most persons are aware, -there are three kinds of mile: the geographical, statute, and sea mile -or knot. The geographical mile is based on a measure upon the surface of -the globe, and is a mathematical calculation which should be used by -experts only. The statute mile, instituted by the Romans, is a measure -of 5280 feet. The sea mile or knot is one sixtieth of a degree of -latitude; and while this measurement varies slightly in different -latitudes, owing to the elliptical shape of the globe, for practical -purposes the knot may be taken as 6080 feet.</p> - -<p>The word knot is now frequently used to express long distances at sea. -This is an error, as the term knot should be used only to denote an -hourly rate of speed; for instance, to say that a vessel is making nine -knots means that she is going through the water at the rate of nine -knots an hour, but it would be incorrect to say that she made thirty-six -knots in four hours; here the term miles should be used, meaning sea -miles or knots. The term knot is simply a unit of speed, and is derived -from the knots marked on the old-fashioned log line and graduated to a -twenty-eight-second log glass which was usually kept in the binnacle. In -this book the word mile means a sea mile and not a geographical or -statute mile.</p> - -<p>I wish to make my grateful acknowledgment to the Hydrographic Office at -Washington, the British<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_viii">{viii}</a></span> Museum, Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, the -American Bureau of Shipping, the Boston Athenæum, and the Astor Library, -for much of the data contained in this book.</p> - -<p class="r"> -A. H. C.<br> -</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">New York, 1910.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_ix">{ix}</a></span></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table> -<tr><td><small>CHAPTER</small></td><td> </td> -<td><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">I.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_I"> <span class="smcap">American Shipping to the Close of the War of 1812</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_1">1</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">II.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_II"> <span class="smcap">British Shipping after 1815—The East India Company</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_19">19</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">III.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_III"> <span class="smcap">The North Atlantic Packet Ships, 1815-1850</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_38">38</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">IV.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV"> <span class="smcap">Opium Clippers and Early Clipper Ships, 1838-1848</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_57">57</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">V.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_V"> <span class="smcap">Two Early Clipper Ship Commanders</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_73">73</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">VI.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI"> <span class="smcap">The Repeal of the British Navigation Laws—The “Oriental”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_88">88</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">VII.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII"> <span class="smcap">The Rush for California—A Sailing Day</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_100">100</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">VIII.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII"> <span class="smcap">The Clipper Ship Crews</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_119">119</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">IX.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX"> <span class="smcap">California Clippers of 1850 and their Commanders—Maury’s Wind and Current Charts</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_134">134</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">X.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_X"> <span class="smcap">California Clippers of 1851 and their Commanders—A Day on Board the “Witch of the Wave”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_151">151</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">XI.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI"> <span class="smcap">California Clipper Passages in 1851</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_173">173</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">XII.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII"> <span class="smcap">American Competition with Great Britain in the China Trade</span></a><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_x">{x}</a></span></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_195">195</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">XIII.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII"> <span class="smcap">California Clippers of 1852—The “Sovereign of the Seas”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_211">211</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">XIV.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV"> <span class="smcap">California Clippers of 1853</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_224">224</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">XV.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV"> <span class="smcap">The “Great Republic” and the “Dreadnought”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_235">235</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">XVI.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI"> <span class="smcap">American Clippers of 1854 and 1855</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_248">248</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">XVII.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII"> <span class="smcap">Australian Voyages, 1851-1854</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_260">260</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">XVIII.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII"> <span class="smcap">Australian Clippers, 1854-1856</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_273">273</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">XIX.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX"> <span class="smcap">Last Years of the American Clipper Ship Era—Summary of California Passages</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_289">289</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">XX.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX"> <span class="smcap">The Greatness and the Decline of the American Merchant Marine</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_308">308</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">XXI.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI"> <span class="smcap">The Later British Tea Clippers</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_318">318</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">XXII.</a></td><td class="pdd"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII"> <span class="smcap">The Fate of the Old Clipper Ships</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_340">340</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>  </td><td><span class="smcap">Appendices</span></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_349">349</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>  </td><td><span class="smcap">Index</span></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_377">377</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_xi">{xi}</a></span>  </p> - -<h2><a id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<table> -<tr><td> </td><td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_001"><span class="smcap">The “Flying Cloud”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#ill_001"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_002"><span class="smcap">East Indiamen, 1720</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_24">24</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_003"><span class="smcap">An East Indiaman, 1788</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_30">30</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_004"><span class="smcap">The “Marlborough” and “Blenheim”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_36">36</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_005"><span class="smcap">The “England”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_40">40</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_006"><span class="smcap">The “Montezuma”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_44">44</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_007"><span class="smcap">The “Yorkshire”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_48">48</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_008"><span class="smcap">Jacob A. Westervelt</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_104">104</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_008"><span class="smcap">Jacob Bell</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_104">104</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_009"><span class="smcap">William H. Webb</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_106">106</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_009"><span class="smcap">Samuel Hall</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_106">106</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_010"><span class="smcap">Robert H. Waterman</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_112">112</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_010"><span class="smcap">N. B. Palmer</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_112">112</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_011"><span class="smcap">Josiah P. Creesy</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_122">122</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_011"><span class="smcap">H. W. Johnson</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_122">122</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_012"><span class="smcap">David S. Babcock</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_128">128</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_012"><span class="smcap">George Lane</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_128">128</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_013"><span class="smcap">Lauchlan McKay</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_130">130</a> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_xii">{xii}</a></span></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_013"><span class="smcap">Philip Dumaresq</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_130">130</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_014"><span class="smcap">The “Surprise”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_136">136</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_015"><span class="smcap">The “Stag-Hound”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_142">142</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_016"><span class="smcap">Matthew Fontaine Maury</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_148">148</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_017"><span class="smcap">The “Nightingale”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_164">164</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_018"><span class="smcap">The “Challenge”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_186">186</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_019"><span class="smcap">The “Stornoway”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_198">198</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_020"><span class="smcap">The “Sovereign of the Seas”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_218">218</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_021"><span class="smcap">The “Comet”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_224">224</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_022"><span class="smcap">The “Young America”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_232">232</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_023"><span class="smcap">The “Great Republic”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_242">242</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_024"><span class="smcap">The “Dreadnought”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_246">246</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_025"><span class="smcap">The “Brisk” and “Emanuela”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_252">252</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_026"><span class="smcap">Donald McKay</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_256">256</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_027"><span class="smcap">The “Red Jacket”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_272">272</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_028"><span class="smcap">The “James Baines”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_282">282</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_029"><span class="smcap">The “Schomberg”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_286">286</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_030"><span class="smcap">The “Sweepstakes”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_290">290</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_031"><span class="smcap">The Composite Construction</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_322">322</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_032"><span class="smcap">The “Ariel” and “Taeping” Running up Channel, September 5, 1866</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_328">328</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_033"><span class="smcap">The “Lahloo”</span></a></td><td class="rtb"><a href="#page_336">336</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_xiii">{xiii}</a></span>  </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_xiv">{xiv}</a></span>  </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_1">{1}</a></span>  </p> - -<p class="c"><span class="big">The Clipper Ship Era</span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I<br><br> -<small>AMERICAN SHIPPING TO THE CLOSE OF THE WAR OF 1812</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE deeds that have made the Clipper Ship Era a glorious memory were -wrought by the ship-builders and master mariners of the United States -and Great Britain, for the flag of no other nation was represented in -this spirited contest upon the sea. In order, therefore, to form an -intelligent idea of this era, it is necessary to review the condition of -the merchant marine of the two countries for a considerable period -preceding it, as well as the events that led directly to its -development.</p> - -<p>From the earliest colonial days, ship-building has been a favorite -industry in America. The first vessel built within the present limits of -the United States was the <i>Virginia</i>, a pinnace of thirty tons, -constructed in 1607 by the Popham colonists who had arrived during the -summer at Stage Island, near the mouth of the Kennebec River, on board -the ships <i>Gift of God</i> and <i>Mary and John</i>. When these vessels returned -to England, leaving forty-<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_2">{2}</a></span>five persons to establish a fishing station, -and a severe winter followed, the colonists became disheartened and -built the <i>Virginia</i>, which carried them home in safety and which -subsequently made several voyages across the Atlantic.</p> - -<p>The <i>Onrust</i>, of sixteen tons, was built at Manhattan in 1613-14, by -Adrian Block and his companions, to replace the <i>Tiger</i>, which had been -damaged by fire beyond repair. After exploring the coasts of New England -and Delaware Bay, she sailed for Holland with a cargo of furs. The -<i>Blessing of the Bay</i>, a barque of thirty tons, was built by order of -Governor John Winthrop at Medford, near Boston, and was launched amid -solemn rejoicings by the Puritans on July 4, 1631. This little vessel -was intended to give the New England colonists a means of communication -with their neighbors at New Amsterdam less difficult than that through -the wilderness. So we see that ship-building was begun in America under -the pressure of necessity, and it was fostered by the conditions of life -in the new country.</p> - -<p>In the year 1668, the ship-building in New England, small as it may now -seem, had become sufficiently important to attract the attention of Sir -Josiah Child, sometime Chairman of the Court of Directors of the East -India Company, who in his <i>Discourse on Trade</i> protests with patriotic -alarm: “Of all the American plantations, His Majesty has none so apt for -building of shipping as New England, nor any comparably so qualified for -the breeding of seamen, not only by reason of the natural industry of -that people, but principally by reason<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_3">{3}</a></span> of their cod and mackerel -fisheries, and, in my poor opinion, there is nothing more prejudicial, -and in prospect more dangerous, to any mother kingdom, than the increase -in shipping in her colonies, plantations, and provinces.”</p> - -<p>The apprehension of the worthy Sir Josiah was well founded, for at that -period most of the spars and much of the timber which went into the -construction of the East Indiamen and the fighting ships of his royal -master, King Charles II., had grown in American soil, and of 1332 -vessels registered as built in New England between 1674 and 1714, no -less than 239 were built for or sold to merchants abroad. Not that they -were better than foreign built vessels, but on account of the plentiful -supply of timber they could be built more cheaply in America than in -Great Britain and on the Continent.</p> - -<p>The industry was in a promising and healthy condition, and so continued, -until in 1720 the London shipwrights informed the Lords of Trade that -the New England shipyards had drawn away so many men “that there were -not enough left to carry on the work.” They therefore prayed that -colonial built ships be excluded from all trade except with Great -Britain and her colonies, and that the colonists be forbidden to build -ships above a certain size. The Lords of Trade, though fine crusty old -protectionists, were unable to see their way to granting any such prayer -as this, and so ship-building continued to flourish in America. In the -year 1769, the colonists along the whole Atlantic coast launched 389 -vessels, of which 113 were square-<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_4">{4}</a></span>riggers. It should not, however, be -imagined that these vessels were formidable in size. The whole 389 had -an aggregate register of 20,001 tons, an average of slightly over 50 -tons each. Of these vessels 137, of 8013 tons, were built in -Massachusetts; 45, of 2452 tons in New Hampshire; 50, of 1542 tons, in -Connecticut; 19, of 955 tons, in New York; 22, of 1469 tons, in -Pennsylvania. It is probable that few of them exceeded 100 tons -register, and that none was over 200 tons register.</p> - -<p>With the advent of the Revolutionary War, the rivalry on the sea between -the older and the younger country took a more serious turn. Centuries -before clipper ships were ever thought of, England had claimed, through -her repeated and victorious naval wars against Spain, Holland, France, -and lesser nations, the proud title of Mistress of the Seas, but in the -Revolutionary War with her American colonies and the War of 1812 with -the United States, her battleships and fleets of merchantmen were sorely -harassed by the swift, light-built, and heavily-armed American frigates -and privateers. While it cannot be said that the naval power of England -upon the ocean was seriously impaired, yet the speed of the American -vessels and the skill and gallantry with which they were fought and -handled, made it apparent that the young giant of the West might some -day claim the sceptre of the sea as his own.</p> - -<p>During the latter half of the eighteenth century, however, the leading -nation in the modelling and construction of ships was France, and during -this period the finest frigates owned in the British Navy<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_5">{5}</a></span> were those -captured from the French. The frigate was indeed invented in England, -the first being the <i>Constant Warwick</i>, launched in 1647, by Peter Pett, -who caused the fact of his being the inventor of the frigate to be -engraved upon his tomb; but in the improvement of the type, England had -long been outstripped by her neighbor across the channel. William -James,<a id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> the well known historian of the British Navy, makes mention of -the French forty-gun frigate <i>Hebe</i> which was captured by the British -frigate <i>Rainbow</i> in 1782, and records that “this prize did prove a most -valuable acquisition to the service, there being few British frigates -even of the present day (1847) which, in size and exterior form, are not -copied from the <i>Hebe</i>.” As late as 1821 the <i>Arrow</i>, for many years the -fastest yacht owned in England, was modelled from the lines of a French -lugger, recently wrecked upon the Dorset coast, which proved to be a -well known smuggler that had for years eluded the vigilance of H. M. -excise cutters, always escaping capture, although often sighted, through -her superior speed.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_6">{6}</a></span></p> - -<p>The United States no less than Great Britain was indebted to France for -improvements in the models of her ships at this period. During the -Revolutionary War, when a treaty was entered into between France and the -United States in 1778, a number of French frigates and luggers appeared -in American waters. The luggers, rating from one hundred and fifty to -two hundred tons and some even higher, belonged to the type used by the -privateersmen of Brittany, a scourge upon every sea where the merchant -flag of an enemy was to be found. They were the fastest craft afloat in -their day. When the French frigates and luggers were dry docked in -American ports for cleaning or repairs, their lines were carefully taken -off by enterprising young shipwrights and were diligently studied. It -was from these vessels that the first American frigates and privateers -originated, and among the latter were the famous Baltimore vessels which -probably during the War of 1812 first became known as “Baltimore -clippers.”</p> - -<p>Congress ordered four frigates and three sloops of war to be built in -1778, and almost countless privateers suddenly sprang into existence at -ports along the Atlantic seaboard, most of them copied from models of -the French vessels. One of the frigates, the <i>Alliance</i>, named to -commemorate the alliance between France and the United States, was built -at Salisbury, Massachusetts, by William and John Hackett. Her length was -151 feet, breadth 36 feet, and depth of hold 12 feet 6 inches, and she -drew when ready for sea 14 feet 8 inches aft and 9 feet forward. She was -a favorite with the whole<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_7">{7}</a></span> navy by reason of her speed and beauty, and -on her first voyage she had the honor of conveying Lafayette to France. -At the close of the war she was sold by the Government and became a -merchantman famous in the China and India trade. Several of the -privateers were built and fitted out at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and -Newburyport, Massachusetts. Those in which Nathaniel Tracy was -interested captured no less than 120 vessels, amounting to 23,360 tons, -which with their cargoes were condemned and sold for 3,950,000 specie -dollars; and with these prizes were taken 2220 prisoners of war. Many -other instances of this nature might, of course, be mentioned, but the -important point is the fact that in the latter part of the eighteenth -century and the early part of the nineteenth, as well, the fastest -vessels owned or built in the United States and Great Britain were from -French models.<a id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_8">{8}</a></span></p> - -<p>The characteristics of the French model were a beautifully rounded bow, -by no means sharp along the water-line, easy sectional lines developing -into a full, powerful forebody and midship section, and great dead rise -at half floor. The greatest breadth was well forward of amidships and at -the water-line, with a slight, gracefully rounded tumble home to the -plank-sheer. The after-body was finely moulded, clean, sharp, and long, -with a powerful transom and quarters. The time-honored cod’s head and -mackerel’s tail: the figureheads and ornamentation of the quarters and -stern, were veritable works of art. By comparing the models of the -British frigates of that day to be seen in the Naval Museum at -Greenwich, and the lines of the American frigates and Baltimore clippers -of the same period, with the models still preserved in the Louvre, it is -easy to trace a family likeness among them all, the parent being of -French origin. The grandparent also might easily be identified, in the -Italian galleys of Genoa and Venice, though this is of no importance to -our present purpose.</p> - -<p>That the American vessels showed a marked superiority in point of speed -over British men-of-war and merchant ships during these two wars is the -more remarkable from the fact that frigates had been built in England -for a century and a half, as we have seen, and, while it is true that -two vessels for the British Government were built at Portsmouth previous -to the Revolutionary War—the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_9">{9}</a></span> <i>Faulkland</i>, fifty-four guns, in 1690, -and the <i>America</i>, fifty guns, in 1740—still, at the outbreak of the -Revolution, the shipwrights of America scarcely knew what a frigate was, -and much less had thought of building one. It had been the policy of -Great Britain to keep her American colonies as much as possible in -ignorance concerning naval affairs, doubtless from fear of their growing -ambition. They were therefore led to copy the models of French vessels, -not only from choice, on account of their excellence, but from necessity -as well. Thus it came about that the frigates of Great Britain and the -United States were developed from the same source.</p> - -<p>A sailing ship is an exceedingly complex, sensitive, and capricious -creation—quite as much so as most human beings. Her coquetry and -exasperating deviltry have been the delight and despair of seamen’s -hearts, at least since the days when the wise, though much-married, -Solomon declared that among the things that were too wonderful for him -and which he knew not, was “the way of a ship in the midst of the sea.” -While scientific research has increased since Solomon’s time, it has not -kept pace with the elusive character of the ship, for no man is able to -tell exactly what a ship will or will not do under given conditions. -Some men, of course, know more than others, yet no one has ever lived -who could predict with accuracy the result of elements in design, -construction, and rig. History abounds in instances of ships built for -speed that have turned out dismal failures, and it has occasionally -happened that ships built with no<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_10">{10}</a></span> especial expectation of speed have -proven fliers. It would seem, after ages of experience and evolution, -that man should be able at last to build a sailing ship superior in -every respect to every other sailing ship, but this is exactly what he -cannot and never has been able to accomplish. A true sailor loves a fine -ship and all her foibles; he revels in the hope that if he takes care of -her and treats her fairly, she will not fail him in the hour of danger, -and he is rarely disappointed.</p> - -<p>While all this is true in the abstract, yet it is not difficult to -account for the performance of ships in retrospect, and in this -particular matter, the superior speed of American frigates during the -two wars with the mother country, it is quite easy to do so.</p> - -<p>In the first place, British men-of-war and merchantmen were at that time -built with massive oak frames, knees, and planking, the timber of which -had lain at dockyards seasoning in salt water for many years, and was as -hard and almost as heavy as iron, while they were fastened with weighty -through-and-through copper bolts; so that the ships themselves became -rigid, dead structures—sluggish in moderate winds, and in gales and a -seaway, wallowing brutes—whereas the American frigates and privateers -were built of material barely seasoned in the sun and wind, and were put -together as lightly as possible consistent with the strength needed to -carry their batteries and to hold on to their canvas in heavy weather. -Also, the British ships were heavy aloft—spars, rigging, and -blocks—yet their masts and yards were not so long as<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_11">{11}</a></span> those of the -American ships, nor did they spread as much sail, although their canvas -was heavier and had the picturesque “belly to hold the wind,” by which, -when close-hauled, the wind held the vessel.</p> - -<p>Then the British men-of-war were commanded by naval officers who were -brave, gallant gentlemen, no doubt, but whose experience at sea was -limited to the routine of naval rules formulated by other gentlemen -sitting around a table at Whitehall. The infraction of one of these -regulations might cost the offender his epaulets and perhaps his life. -In this respect the captains of the American Navy enjoyed a great -advantage, for at this early period the United States authorities had -their attention fully occupied in preserving the government, and had no -time to devote to the manufacture of red tape with which to bind the -hands and tongues of intelligent seamen. We think, and rightly, too, of -Paul Jones, Murray, Barry, Stewart, Dale, Hull, Bainbridge, and others, -as heroes of the navy, yet it is well for us sometimes to remember that -all of these splendid seamen were brought up and most of them had -commanded ships in the merchant marine. They were thus accustomed to -self-reliance, and were filled with resource and expedient; they had -passed through the rough school of adversity, and their brains and -nerves were seasoned by salted winds, the ocean’s brine mingling with -their blood.</p> - -<p>What wonder then that the American frigates, so built and so commanded, -proved superior in point of speed to the British men-of-war? Less<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_12">{12}</a></span> -wonder still that the American privateers, whose men in the forecastle -had in many instances commanded ships, should sweep the seas, until the -despairing merchants and ship-owners of Great Britain, a nation whose -flag had for a thousand years “braved the battle and the breeze” and -which boasted proudly and justly that her home was upon the sea, -compelled their government to acknowledge as political equals a people -who had proved themselves superior upon the ocean.</p> - -<p>So in the struggle for a national existence and rights as a nation, the -foundations of the maritime power of the United States were laid. The -ship-builders and the seamen of the Revolution and the War of 1812 were -the forefathers of the men who built and commanded the American clipper -ships.</p> - -<p>After the Revolutionary War the merchants of Salem, Boston, New York, -and Philadelphia vied with each other in sending their ships upon -distant and hazardous voyages. Notwithstanding the natural difficulties -of navigating, what to their captains were unknown seas, and the -unnatural obstacles invented by man in the form of obstructive laws, the -merchant marine of the United States steadily increased not only in -bulk, but what was of far more importance, in the high standard of the -men and ships engaged in it.</p> - -<p>Salem took the lead, with her great merchant, Elias Hasket Derby, who -sent his barque <i>Light Horse</i> to St. Petersburg in 1784, and soon after -sent the <i>Grand Turk</i> first to the Cape of Good Hope and then to China. -In 1789, the <i>Atlantic</i>, commanded by his son, Elias Hasket Derby, Jr., -was the first<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_13">{13}</a></span> ship to hoist the Stars and Stripes at Calcutta and -Bombay, and she was soon followed by the <i>Peggy</i>, another of the Derby -ships, which brought the first cargo of Bombay cotton into Massachusetts -Bay. Mr. Derby owned a fleet of forty vessels, and upon his death in -1799 left an estate valued at more than $1,000,000, the largest fortune -at that time in America, as well as a name honored for integrity -throughout the mercantile world. William Gray, another famous Salem -merchant, owned in 1807 fifteen ships, seven barques, thirteen brigs, -and one schooner, his fleet representing one quarter of the total -tonnage of Salem at that time. Then there were Joseph Peabody, Benjamin -Pickman, and Jacob Crowninshield, all ship-owners who contributed to the -fame of this beautiful New England seaport.</p> - -<p>Many of the merchants had been sea-captains in their youth, and it was -the captains who really made Salem famous. These men, from the training -of the New England schoolroom and meeting-house, went out into the world -and gathered there the fruits of centuries of civilization, which they -brought home to soften the narrow self-righteousness of their -fellow-citizens. In later years these captains carried missionaries to -India, China, and Africa, unconscious that they were themselves the real -missionaries, whose influence had wrought so desirable a change in New -England thought and character. When Nathaniel Hawthorne served in the -Custom House at Salem, the friends in whom he most delighted were -sea-captains, for it was through their eyes that he looked out upon the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_14">{14}</a></span> -great world, and gathered the knowledge of human nature that enabled him -to portray in such grim reality the hidden springs of human thought and -action. These captains were the sons of gentlemen, and were as a class -the best educated men of their time in the United States, for they could -do more important and difficult things, and do them well, than the men -of any other profession. The old East India Museum at Salem is a -monument to their taste and refinement. Nowhere else, perhaps, can be -found another little museum as unique and beautiful, of treasures -brought home one by one from distant lands and seas by the hands that -gave them.</p> - -<p>Boston, too, had her ships and seamen. From that port were sent out in -1788 the <i>Columbia</i>, a ship of two hundred and thirteen tons, and the -sloop <i>Washington</i>, of ninety tons, commanded by Captains John Kendrick -and Robert Gray, who took them round Cape Horn to the northwest coast of -America, and then after trading for cargoes of furs, went across to -China. The <i>Columbia</i> returned to Boston by way of the Cape of Good -Hope, and was the first vessel to carry the United States ensign round -the globe. Subsequently she discovered the majestic river that bears her -name, and so won the great Northwest for the flag under which she -sailed. The <i>Massachusetts</i>, of six hundred tons, the largest merchant -vessel built in America up to her time, was launched at Quincy in 1789 -and was owned in Boston. She sailed for Canton and was sold there to the -Danish East India Company for $65,000.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_15">{15}</a></span></p> - -<p>Ezra Western was the most famous of the old time Boston ship-owners. He -began business in 1764, and owned his own shipyard, sail-loft, and -extensive rope-walk at Duxbury, Massachusetts, where his vessels were -built and equipped. In 1798 his son Ezra became a partner, and this firm -continued until the death of the father in 1822. The son Ezra then went -on in his own name until 1842, when his sons Gersham, Alden, and Ezra, -were taken into the firm, and they continued it until 1858, in all some -ninety-three years, the last place of business being Nos. 37 and 38, -Commercial Wharf. From the year 1800 to 1846 the Westerns owned -twenty-one ships, ranging in tonnage from the <i>Hope</i>, of 880 tons, to -the <i>Minerva</i>, of 250 tons; one barque, the <i>Pallas</i>, of 209 tons; -thirty brigs, from the <i>Two Friends</i>, of 240 tons, to the <i>Federal -Eagle</i>, of 120 tons; thirty-five schooners, from the <i>St. Michael</i>, of -132 tons, to the <i>Star</i>, of 20 tons; and ten sloops, from the <i>Union</i>, -of 63 tons, to the <i>Linnet</i>, of 50 tons. The brig <i>Smyrna</i>, one of the -Western fleet, built in 1825, of 160 tons, was the first American vessel -to bear the flag of the United States into the Black Sea after it was -opened to commerce. She arrived at Odessa July 17, 1830. The Westerns -were easily the largest ship-owners of their time in the United States, -and not only built but loaded their own vessels. Their house-flag was -red, white, and blue horizontal stripes.</p> - -<p>In the year 1791, Stephen Girard, who was born near Bordeaux in 1750 and -had risen from cabin-boy to be captain of his own vessel, built four -beautiful ships at Philadelphia for the China and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_16">{16}</a></span> India trade—the -<i>Helvetia</i>, <i>Montesquieu</i>, <i>Rousseau</i>, and <i>Voltaire</i>. These vessels, -long the pride of Philadelphia, greatly enriched their owner.</p> - -<p>The sloop <i>Enterprise</i>, of eighty tons, built at Albany and commanded by -Captain Stewart Dean, was sent from New York to China in 1785. This was -the first vessel to make the direct voyage from the United States to -Canton. She returned during the following year with her crew of seven -men and two boys all in excellent condition. When she warped alongside -the wharf at New York, Captain Dean and his crew were in full uniform, -and the scene, which was witnessed by an admiring throng, was enlivened -by “martial music and the boatswain’s whistle.”</p> - -<p>Thomas Cheesman was one of the first ship-builders in New York, and he -was succeeded in business, before the end of the eighteenth century, by -his son Forman, born in 1763. The latter built the forty-four-gun -frigate <i>President</i>, launched in the year 1800 at Corlear’s Hook—by far -the largest vessel built in New York up to that time. Previous to this, -however, he had built the <i>Briganza</i> and the <i>Draper</i>, each of three -hundred tons, and the <i>Ontario</i>, of five hundred tons. Thomas Vail, -William Vincent, and Samuel Ackley also built several vessels prior to -the year 1800. The ships <i>Eugene</i>, <i>Severn</i>, <i>Manhattan</i>, <i>Sampson</i>, -<i>Echo</i>, <i>Hercules</i>, <i>Resource</i>, <i>York</i>, and <i>Oliver Ellsworth</i> were -launched from their yards. In 1804 the <i>Oliver Ellsworth</i>, built by Vail -& Vincent and commanded by Captain Bennett, made the passage from New -York to Liverpool in fourteen days, notwithstanding that<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_17">{17}</a></span> she carried -away her foretopmast, which was replaced at sea.</p> - -<p>All of these shipyards were below Grand Street, on the East River. -Samuel Ackley’s yard was at the foot of Pelham Street, and here the -<i>Manhattan</i>, of six hundred tons, was built for the China and East India -trade. She was regarded as a monster of the deep, and when she sailed -upon her first voyage in 1796, it took nearly all the deep water seamen -in the port to man her. Henry Eckford opened a shipyard at the foot of -Clinton Street in 1802. From this yard he launched, in 1803, John Jacob -Astor’s famous ship <i>Beaver</i>, of four hundred and twenty-seven tons. It -was on board this ship that Captain Augustus De Peyster made his first -voyage as a boy before the mast. Subsequently he commanded her, and upon -retiring from the sea in 1845 he became the Governor of the Sailors’ -Snug Harbor at Staten Island. The <i>Beaver</i> once made the homeward run -from Canton to Bermuda in seventy-five days. Christian Bergh began -ship-building in 1804 with the ship <i>North America</i>, of four hundred -tons, built for the Atlantic trade, and the brig <i>Gipsey</i>, of three -hundred tons, a very sharp vessel for those days. She was dismasted off -the Cape of Good Hope upon her first voyage to Batavia, and afterwards -foundered in a heavy squall, all hands being lost. The <i>Trident</i>, of -three hundred and fifty tons, was built by Adam and Noah Brown in 1805, -and the <i>Triton</i>, of three hundred and fifty tons, by Charles Brown -during the same year, both for the China and India trade. John Floyd -began ship-building in 1807, and launched the <i>Carmelite</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_18">{18}</a></span> a ship of -four hundred tons, during that year, but was soon appointed naval -constructor at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.</p> - -<p>Until 1794 ships had been built from skeleton models composed of pieces -that showed the frames, keel, stem, and stern post, but were of little -use in giving an accurate idea of the form of a vessel, while it -required much time and labor to transfer the lines of the model to the -mould loft. In this year, however, Orlando Merrill, a young ship-builder -of Newburyport, at that time thirty-one years old, invented the -water-line model, which was composed of lifts joined together, -originally by dowels and later by screws. These could be taken apart and -the sheer, body, and half-breadth plans easily transferred to paper, -from which the working plans were laid down in the mould loft. This -ingenious though simple invention, for which, by the way, Mr. Merrill -never received any pecuniary reward, revolutionized the science of -ship-building. The original model made by him in 1794 was presented to -the New York Historical Society in 1853. Mr. Merrill died in 1855 at the -age of ninety-two.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_19">{19}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II<br><br> -<small>BRITISH SHIPPING AFTER 1815—THE EAST INDIA COMPANY</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">G</span>REAT BRITAIN and the United States signed a treaty of peace and -good-will at Ghent in 1814. During the following year the wars of -England and France ended on the field of Waterloo. And so at last the -battle flags were furled. The long-continued wars of England had, -through neglect, reduced her merchant marine to a low standard of -efficiency, and both men and ships were in a deplorable condition. There -was no government supervision over British merchant shipping except -taxation, the only check, and that but partially effective, being the -Underwriters at Lloyd’s. Unscrupulous ship-owners might and often did -send rotten, unseaworthy vessels to sea, poorly provisioned, short of -gear and stores, with captains, mates, and crews picked up from low -taverns along the docks. These vessels were fully covered by insurance -at high rates of premium, with the hope, frequently realized, that they -would never be heard from again.</p> - -<p>The “skippers,” “maties,” and “jackies” alike belonged to the lowest -stratum of British social classification, which, according to the -chronicles<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_20">{20}</a></span> of those days, was pretty low. They were coarse, vulgar, -ignorant men, full of lurid oaths; their persons emitted an unpleasant -odor of cheap rum and stale tobacco; they had a jargon of their own and -were so illiterate as to be unable to speak or write their own language -with any degree of correctness. In a certain sense the captains were -good sailors, but their knowledge and ambition were limited to dead -reckoning, the tar bucket and marlinspike, a wife in every port, and -plenty of rum and tobacco with no desire or ability to master the higher -branches of navigation and seamanship. Mariners that a landsman delights -to refer to as “real old salts,” of the Captain Cuttle and Jack Bunsby -species, are amusing enough, perhaps, in the hands of a skilful -novelist, but not at all the class of men that one would willingly -select to assist in carrying forward the commerce of a great maritime -nation.</p> - -<p>Then the stupid and obsolete Tonnage Laws encouraged and almost -compelled an undesirable type of vessels, narrow, deep, flat-sided, and -full-bottomed—bad vessels in a seaway, slow, and often requiring a -considerable quantity of ballast, even when loaded, to keep them from -rolling over.</p> - -<p>It is, of course, always hazardous to deal in generalities, but I think -that this may be accepted as a fair description of the merchant marine -of Great Britain up to 1834, when the Underwriters at Lloyd’s and the -better class of ship-owners founded Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, to -provide for the proper survey and classification of the merchant ships -of Great Britain. This first important step<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_21">{21}</a></span> in a much needed reform was -followed in 1837 by the appointment of a committee by Parliament to -investigate the general condition of shipping engaged in foreign trade. -The committee reported as follows:</p> - -<p>“The American ships frequenting the ports of England are stated by -several witnesses to be superior to those of a similar class amongst the -ships of Great Britain, the commanders and officers being generally -considered to be more competent as seamen and navigators, and more -uniformly persons of education, than the commanders and officers of -British ships of a similar size and class trading from England to -America, while the seamen of the United States are considered to be more -carefully selected, and more efficient. American ships sailing from -Liverpool to New York have a preference over English vessels sailing to -the same port, both as to freight and the rate of insurance; and, the -higher wages being given, their whole equipment is maintained in a -higher state of perfection, so that fewer losses occur; and as the -American shipping having increased of late years in the proportion to -12¾% per annum, while the British shipping have increased within the -same period only 1½% per annum, the constantly increasing demand for -seamen by the rapidly growing maritime commerce of the whole world, the -numbers cut off by shipwrecks, and the temptations offered by the -superior wages of American vessels, cause a large number of British -seamen every year to leave the service of their own country, and to -embark in that of the United States; and these comprising chiefly the -most skil<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_22">{22}</a></span>ful and competent of our mariners, produce the double effect -of improving the efficiency of the American crews, and in the same ratio -diminishing the efficiency of the British merchant service.”</p> - -<p>In 1843 a circular was issued from the Foreign Office to all British -consuls requesting information on the conduct and character of British -shipmasters, especially with regard to the “incompetence of British -shipmasters to manage their vessels and crews, whether arising from -deficiency of knowledge in practical navigation and seamanship, or of -moral character, particularly want of sobriety.” The consular reports -revealed a startling condition of affairs, requiring immediate -attention, and led to the establishment in 1847, of the Marine -Department of the Board of Trade, with authority to supervise maritime -affairs. From such unpromising material the formation was begun of the -greatest merchant marine that has ever existed.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, one of the most important branches of British commerce, the -East India trade, had been following an independent career, for the -ships of the East India Company, although engaged in commercial -pursuits, were under the direct patronage of the government, and cannot -be regarded as forming part of the merchant marine of Great Britain. Yet -as this Company had an important bearing upon the mercantile affairs of -the nation, I propose to review as briefly as possible some of its -remarkable exploits.</p> - -<p>“The United Company of Merchant Venturers of England trading to the East -Indies” was familiarly known as the “John Company,” and among those<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_23">{23}</a></span> -endowed with a larger bump of reverence, as the “Honorable John -Company”; but by whatever name it may be called, this was the most -gigantic commercial monopoly the world has ever known, since the days -when the merchants of Tyre claimed the exclusive right to send their -ships across certain waters known by common consent as Tyrian Seas.</p> - -<p>The East India Company was founded in the year 1600, during the reign of -Queen Elizabeth. The subscribed capital of £72,000 was expended on the -first voyage in five vessels with their cargoes. This fleet consisted of -the <i>Dragon</i>, of 600 tons, her commander receiving the title of Admiral -of the squadron; the <i>Hector</i>, 300 tons, with a Vice-Admiral in command; -two vessels of 200 tons each; and the <i>Guest</i>, a store ship of 130 tons. -Four hundred and eighty men were employed in the expedition, including -twenty merchants as supercargoes. The vessels were all heavily armed and -were provided with small arms and an abundance of ammunition. They cost, -with their equipment, £45,000, and their cargoes £27,000.</p> - -<p>Friendly relations were formed with the King of Achin, in Sumatra, and a -station, known in those days and long afterward as a “factory,” was -established at Bantam, in Java. The fleet returned to England richly -laden with silks and spices in 1603. In 1609 the <i>Trades Increase</i>, of -1209 tons, the largest ship launched in England up to that time, was -built, but she was wrecked and became a total loss on her first voyage. -Sir Henry Middleton, her commander, died soon after. This was an -unfortunate expedition and resulted in heavy losses<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_24">{24}</a></span> to the Company, but -in 1611 the <i>Globe</i> cleared 218%, and in the following year the <i>Globe</i>, -<i>Thomas</i>, and <i>Hector</i> turned over profits amounting to 340% upon the -capital invested. Other successful voyages followed, so that in 1617 the -stock of the Company reached a premium of 203%.</p> - -<p>The East India Company had its troubles, to be sure, which were many and -great, yet it increased in power, wealth, and strength, until at the -close of the eighteenth century it had become possessed of a large -portion of the continent of India, maintaining its own armies, forts, -palaces, Courts of Directors, Boards of Council, Governors, and -Typeans.<a id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> Eventually, this Company became the ruler of more than one -hundred million human beings, not naked savages, but civilized men and -women, many of whose ancestors had been learned scholars and merchant -princes long prior to the invasion of Britain by the Roman, Dane, and -Saxon.</p> - -<p>It is not, however, with the political affairs of this Company that I -wish to deal, but rather with the ships and the men who navigated them. -The princely emoluments known as “indulgences” in which the captains and -officers of these ships participated, naturally attracted the attention -of parents and guardians, so that younger sons, otherwise destined for a -life of ill-requited repose in the church, the Army, or the Navy, found -lucrative service with the East India Company. These perquisites, which -were handed out by the Honorable Court of</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_002" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p024a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p024a.jpg" width="600" height="401" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>East Indiamen, 1720</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_25">{25}</a></span></p> - -<p>Directors, were no doubt intended to be of pleasing variety and -magnitude. The Company adhered strictly to promotion by seniority as -vacancies occurred, from ship to ship when necessary. Captains were -appointed to their ships before launching, in order that they might -superintend their equipment and get them ready for sea. Midshipmen were -appointed by the Court of Directors, and no youth of less than thirteen -or over eighteen years was eligible. Second mates were required to be at -least twenty-two, chief mates twenty-three, and commanders twenty-five -years of age.</p> - -<p>Captains were entitled to fifty-six and one half tons of space on board -the ships commanded by them, which they might use at their discretion, -either to collect the freight or to carry cargo on their own account, -credit being furnished by the company for the latter purpose at the -usual interest. The rate of freight ranged from £35 to £40 per ton, -though in 1796 the <i>Admiral Gardner</i>, a ship of 813 tons, commanded by -John Woolmore, Esq., was chartered for “six voyages certain” from London -to India and return, at £50 for every ton of cargo carried. Even at the -lowest rate of £35 per ton, the voyage out and home of about eighteen -months yielded a captain some £3955, and if he carried goods on his own -account, as was usually the case, he realized a much larger sum. -Captains were also allowed primage, which was a percentage upon the -total gross freight earned by the ship, and the passage money for -passengers carried, except the Company’s troops, less the cost of -living. Considering that the passage money to or<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_26">{26}</a></span> from India or China -was for a subaltern £95, and for a general officer £234, to say nothing -of directors and governors and their families, and that these ships -usually carried from twenty to thirty passengers, we may conclude that -this also was a considerable source of revenue.</p> - -<p>Then captains were permitted to own the dunnage used for the protection -of homeward cargoes, which they supplied in the form of stone and -chinaware, canes, bamboos, rattans, sapan-wood, horns, nankins, etc. All -of these goods might in those days be bought at very low prices in India -and China, and under the monopoly of the East India Company, they sold -at very high prices in London. Most of this “dunnage,” however, came to -the captains in the form of presents, known in the fragrant language of -the Far East as “cumshaws,” from admiring Indian and Chinese merchants.</p> - -<p>Naturally all of the cargoes were well dunnaged, so much so, indeed, as -finally to attract the attention of the benevolent Court of Directors, -who deemed it expedient to restrain the zeal of their captains in this -direction by issuing an order that “as dunnage has been brought home in -the Company’s ships far beyond what is necessary for the protection of -the cargo and stores, occupying tonnage to the exclusion of goods, or -cumbering the ship, the court have resolved that unless what is brought -home of those articles appears absolutely and <i>bona fide</i> necessary for -and used as dunnage, the exceeding of such requisite quantity shall be -charged against the tonnage of the commanders and officers.” This -dunnage business had been progress<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_27">{27}</a></span>ing favorably for about two centuries -when this mandate was issued, and had enriched many a deserving mariner. -It was estimated that an Indiaman’s captain received in one way or -another from £6000 to £10,000 per annum, and there is a record of one -ship that made what was known as a double voyage—that is, from London -to India, China, and return—a twenty-two months’ cruise—whose -commander made profits amounting to the tidy sum of £30,000.</p> - -<p>The mates and petty officers were also well provided for, having forty -and one half tons of space allotted among them to do with as they -pleased, and all hands were supplied with wines, spirits, and beer in -quantities which if stated might seem like an attempt to impose upon the -reader’s credulity.</p> - -<p>A more showy if less substantial honor was conferred by the distinctive -dress of the company’s servants. The captains were arrayed in a -picturesque uniform consisting of a blue coat with black velvet lapels, -cuffs and collar, bright gold embroidery, and yellow gilt buttons -engraved with the Company’s crest, waistcoat and breeches of deep buff, -black stock, or neck-cloth, cocked hat and side-arms. The chief, second, -third, and fourth officers wore uniforms of a similar though less -gorgeous character, and all were particularly requested “not on any -account to appear in boots, black breeches, and stockings” and “to -appear in full dress when attending the Court of Directors.”</p> - -<p>The charter of the East India Company provided that its ships should fly -the long coach-whip pennant of the Royal Navy. During the last quarter<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_28">{28}</a></span> -of the eighteenth and first part of the nineteenth centuries, the ships -were built, rigged, equipped, armed, manned, and handled like the -frigates of the Royal Navy, though they were beautifully and luxuriously -fitted for passengers, many of whom were personages of high social and -official rank. They differed, however, from the frigates in one -important particular. Whereas, the navy constructors, as we have seen, -profited by the models of the French frigates, the builders of the -Indiamen kept to the full-bodied, kettle-bottomed model, in order that -these ships might carry large cargoes. They were of quite as bad a type -as the ships of the more humble merchant marine. I have before me the -particulars of one of the East India Company’s ships that carried four -hundred and nineteen tons of general cargo, and required eighty tons of -iron kentledge to keep her on her legs. They were nevertheless grand, -stately-looking ships, and were well cared for.</p> - -<p>The crews were divided into the usual two watches, but the officers had -three watches, four hours on and eight hours off. The watches were -divided into messes of eight men each, who had a space allotted to them -between the guns in the between-decks. Here their hammocks were slung -and their chests, mess-kits, copper pots, kettles, and tin pannikins -were stowed, clean and bright, under the inspection of the commander and -the surgeon, who were assisted in their duties by wearing white gloves -with which to test the appearance of cleanliness. The crews slept in -hammocks which were stowed in nettings at seven bells in the morning -watch, to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_29">{29}</a></span> the pipe of the boatswain’s whistle. The decks were washed -and holystoned in the morning watch, and at eight bells all hands -breakfasted. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the between-decks were turned -out, washed, and holystoned. On Sunday mornings the crew was mustered -and inspected by the chief officer, and then assembled for Divine -service, which was read by the commander, as the Court of Directors -required the captains “to keep up the worship of Almighty God, under a -penalty of two guineas for every omission not satisfactorily accounted -for in the log-book.”</p> - -<p>The crews were drilled at the guns and with cutlass, musket, and -boarding-pikes, and other small arms, Courts-martial were held on board -and the rawhide cat-o’-nine-tails was freely used by the boatswain upon -the naked backs and shoulders of triced-up seamen—one, two, three -dozen, perhaps, with a bucket of salt water to rinse off the blood. This -was not so brutal a form of punishment as may perhaps appear to -landsmen, and was probably the best method of enforcing proper -discipline among the reckless men who for the most part formed the crews -of ships at that period.</p> - -<p>These vessels carried large crews, whose work was easy and who were well -looked after and provided for. They had plenty of the best food and -quite as much rum as was good for them. In the dog-watches they were -allowed and even encouraged to enjoy themselves in the manner known on -board ship as “skylarking.” Saturdays they had to themselves to wash and -mend their clothes, and in the dog-watches of that day they were given -an extra<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_30">{30}</a></span> allowance of grog, with which to drink long life and happiness -to sweethearts and wives, with music, dance, and song. Seamen who had -served eight years in the Company’s ships were entitled to liberal -pensions, as were also the wives and children of those who had been -killed in the service of the Company, or who had been so maimed or -wounded as to be unable to perform further service. There can be no -question that the directors of the East India Company took good care of -those who served them faithfully.</p> - -<p>The East Indiamen were always fine, strong ships, built of oak, elm, and -teak, copper-fastened throughout, their cost being £40 per ton ready for -sea; but they were very slow, and their passages were reckoned not by -days but by months. Every evening, no matter how fine the weather, -royals and all light sails were taken in and stowed, and the royal yards -sent on deck. If the weather looked at all as if it might become -threatening during the night, the topgallantsails and mainsail were -stowed and a single reef put in the topsails. Safety and comfort were -the watchwords, with no desire or effort for speed. No one ever knew how -fast these vessels really could sail, as they never had any one on board -who tried to get the best speed out of them, but without doubt their -passages might have been considerably shortened with even a moderate -amount of vigilance and energy. All we know is, how slow they were. Yet -these ships were fought through many a desperate battle upon the sea, -with foreign men of war, privateers, and other foes, and the skill and -valor of their captains, officers, and</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_003" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p030a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p030a.jpg" width="600" height="354" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>An East Indiaman, 1788</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_31">{31}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">crews shed a new lustre upon the ensign under which they sailed. Indeed, -the maritime records of the East India Company read more like a naval -history than the annals of ships engaged in commercial pursuits.</p> - -<p>In some respects these Indiamen were remarkable ships, and they should, -like men, be judged by the standards of the times in which they existed. -They were owned by a company which for more than two centuries held a -monopoly of the British China and East India trade without the spur of -competition urging them to perfect their vessels and to exact vigorous -service from the officers and crews who sailed them. Under such a system -there could be no marked progress in naval science. It would, of course, -be an exaggeration to say that there had been no improvement in British -shipping from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the Victorian era, but it -was so gradual as to be perceptible only when measured by centuries. -Thus we speak of the ships of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth -centuries, and upon examination are surprised to find how few and slight -were the improvements made during these three hundred years in the -design and construction of hulls or in spars, rigging, and sails. The -only striking improvement was a modification of the really beautiful -ornamentation which embellished and at the same time lumbered up the -lofty hulls of the earlier ships.</p> - -<p>Some of the Indiamen were built in Wigram’s famous yard at Blackwall on -the Thames, which was in existence for more than two centuries. Indeed, -some of the first ships owned by the East<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_32">{32}</a></span> India Company, the <i>Dragon</i>, -<i>Susannah</i>, and <i>Merchants’ Hope</i> were launched there. During the reigns -of Elizabeth, James, Charles I., Charles II., and the Georges, this yard -turned out many of the ships owned in the Royal Navy, and through all -these years it had in time of need been a faithful standby of the -British Government. Some of the ships of the Company were, however, -built in other yards and in their own building establishment at Bombay.</p> - -<p>During the years 1819 and 1820 the Company sent to their different -stations in Bengal, Madras, Bombay, China, Ceylon, and Penang, -twenty-three of their own ships aggregating 26,200 tons, besides -twenty-one chartered vessels measuring 10,948 tons. Among the Company’s -ships were the <i>Canning</i>, <i>Duke of York</i>, <i>Kellie Castle</i>, <i>Lady -Melville</i>, <i>Thomas Coutts</i>, and <i>Waterloo</i>, built by Wigram, and all -from 1325 to 1350 tons, each mounting 20 guns with a crew of 130 men. -The <i>Buckinghamshire</i>, <i>Earl of Balcarras</i>, <i>Herefordshire</i>, <i>Thomas -Granville</i>, <i>Minerva</i>, and <i>Charles Grant</i>, all from 923 to 1417 tons, -26 guns, and 130 men with the exception of the <i>Minerva</i> and <i>Thomas -Granville</i> which mounted the same number of guns but had 115 and 107 -men, respectively, were built by the Company at Bombay. The <i>Asia</i>, -<i>Dorsetshire</i>, <i>Duneira</i>, <i>Marquis of Wellington</i>, <i>Prince Regent</i>, -<i>Princess Amelia</i>, and <i>Windsor</i>, which were all over 1000 tons and -mounted 26 guns with crews of from 115 to 130 each, were built in the -Barnard yard, also on the Thames. The <i>London</i>, <i>Lowther Castle</i>, -<i>Marquis of Camden</i>, and <i>Perseverance</i>, all from 1329 to 1408 tons, 26 -guns,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_33">{33}</a></span> and 130 men each, were built in the Pitcher yard at Northfleet in -Kent. The <i>Earl of Balcarras</i>, of 1417 tons, built in 1815 at Bombay, -was the largest ship owned by the Company. She was built of India teak, -copper-fastened throughout, and mounted batteries on two decks. Her crew -of 133 men was made up as follows: Commander, 6 mates, 2 surgeons, 6 -midshipmen, purser, gunner, carpenter, master-at-arms, armour, butcher, -baker, poulterer, caulker, cooper, 2 stewards, 2 cooks, 8 boatswains, -gunner’s, carpenter’s, caulker’s, and cooper’s mates, 6 quartermasters, -sailmaker, 7 servants for the commander and officers, and 78 seamen -before the mast.</p> - -<p>These facts illustrate not only the manner in which the ships of the -East India Company were officered and manned, but also the extravagant -scale upon which the affairs of the Company were administered. Of -course, a gross monopoly like this, legalized though it was by Acts of -Parliament, could not continue indefinitely among a free and intelligent -people. For many years mutterings of discontent, gathering in force and -volume, had been heard from all parts of Great Britain, indicating the -disapproval of the people concerning the methods of the Company. At -last, in 1832, these mutterings burst into a storm of indignation from -the people through their representatives in Parliament, which swept the -frigates of the Honorable John Company off the face of the deep; for in -that year commerce to the Orient was thrown open to all British ships, -and knowing their utter inability to compete successfully with free and -intelligent personal energy, the East India Company condemned or sold -their<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_34">{34}</a></span> entire fleet. Sixteen ships were broken up for their massive -copper fastenings and other valuable material, while forty-six were -sold, and no finer tribute can be offered to the excellent construction -of these vessels than the figures which they realized at what may justly -be called a forced sale.</p> - -<p>Naturally these ships were not all sold at the some moment, as some of -them were on their way to China and India when the crash came; in fact, -it required about three years to close them all out; still, it was well -known that the Court of Directors had decreed that they must all be -sold, and this gave bargain hunters a chance to practise their wiles. At -first two or three of the ships were put up at public auction; the bids -were few and meagre, indicating an assumed and perhaps preconcerted -apathy. Negotiations of a less public nature ensued, which resulted as -follows: The <i>Buckinghamshire</i>, of 1369 tons, then eighteen years old, -was sold to Thacker & Mangels for £10,550. The <i>Canning</i>, 1326 tons, -seventeen years old, sold for breaking up to Joseph Somes at £5750. The -<i>Minerva</i>, 976 tons, eighteen years old, ready for sea, to Henry -Templer, at £11,800; this ship, after thirty-seven years of service in -the India trade was wrecked off the Cape of Good Hope in 1850. The <i>Earl -of Balcarras</i>, 1417 tons, nineteen years old, to Thomas A. Shuter for -£15,700; this ship after fifty-two years’ service, became a receiving -hulk on the west coast of Africa. The <i>Bombay</i>, 1246 tons, twenty-two -years old, sold to Duncan Dunbar for £11,000, was wrecked after -fifty-nine years of service. The <i>Lowther Castle</i>, 1408 tons, nineteen -years old, went<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_35">{35}</a></span> to Joseph Somes for £13,950. The <i>Waterloo</i>, 1325 tons, -eighteen years old, was sold for breaking up at £7200. The <i>Thames</i>, -1360 tons, thirteen years old, went to James Chrystall at £10,700. The -remaining ships of the fleet brought equally good prices. Thus ended the -maritime exploits of the “United Company of Merchant Venturers of -England trading to the East Indies”; although its influence upon the -merchant marine of Great Britain continued for many years.</p> - -<p>With the opening of the China and India trade to all British ships, -there came the long-wished for competition—one of the hinges upon which -commerce swings—and a number of British ship-owners, hardly known -before, now came into prominence. Among them were Green, Wigram, Dunbar, -and Somes, of London, and the Smiths, of Newcastle. So strongly was the -example of the East India Company impressed upon their minds that they -still continued to construct frigate-built ships, though with some -slight effort toward economy and speed. Many of the former captains, -officers, and seamen of the East India Company sailed for the private -firms, and so the personnel of the British merchant marine was much -benefited. The private ships, of course, were not permitted to fly the -naval pennant, but in other respects the service remained pretty nearly -the same. Much of the wasteful extravagance was naturally eliminated, -and the “indulgences” were substantially reduced, but the time-honored -practice of “making snug for the night” was too ancient and comfortable -a custom to be very speedily abolished.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_36">{36}</a></span></p> - -<p>Joseph Somes, one of the promoters of Lloyd’s Register, bought a number -of the Company’s old ships, as we have seen, and in addition he built -the <i>Maria Somes</i>, <i>Princess Royal</i>, <i>Sir George Seymour</i>, and <i>Castle -Eden</i>. Thomas and William Smith, of Newcastle, were an old ship-building -firm, who had in 1808, at their yard in St. Peter’s, constructed the -frigate <i>Bucephalus</i>, 970 tons, 52 guns, for the Royal Navy, while in -later years they built many merchant vessels. The finest of their new -ships were the <i>Marlborough</i> and the <i>Blenheim</i>, of 1350 tons each, -built under special government survey and granted certificates as -frigates equipped for naval service. This firm also built the -<i>Gloriana</i>, 1057 tons, <i>Hotspur</i>, 1142 tons, and <i>St. Lawrence</i>, 1049 -tons, all of the frigate type, though employed as merchantmen.</p> - -<p>Duncan Dunbar owned a number of fine ships and eventually became the -largest ship-owner of his time in Great Britain. Many of his vessels -were built in India. The <i>Marion</i>, 684 tons, built in Calcutta in 1834, -was in active service until 1877, when she was wrecked on the -Newfoundland coast. The <i>David Malcolm</i> was built in 1839, and the -<i>Cressy</i>, 720 tons, and the <i>Hyderabad</i>, 804 tons, in 1843, at -Sunderland.</p> - -<p>Robert Wigram and Richard Green, at one time partners, built and owned -their own ships, known as the “Blackwall frigates.” In 1834-35, they -brought out the <i>Malabar</i>, <i>Monarch</i>, and <i>Windsor Castle</i>, and -subsequently the <i>Carnatic</i>, <i>Prince of Wales</i>, <i>Agamemnon</i>, <i>Alfred</i>, -and others, from 1200 to 1400 tons each. As late as 1849 the <i>Alfred</i>, -of</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_004" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p036a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p036a.jpg" width="600" height="359" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Marlborough” and “Blenheim”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_37">{37}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">only 1291 tons, commanded by Captain Henning, carried a crew of eighty -men, which included five mates, three boatswains, two carpenters, four -quartermasters, a number of stewards and cooks, with sixty men before -the mast.</p> - -<p>These were the last of the frigate-built ships; for when the Navigation -Laws were repealed in 1849, and the carrying trade of Great Britain and -her colonies was thrown open to all nations, the British merchants and -ship-builders found it necessary to construct a very different type of -vessel in order to compete in the ocean carrying trade.</p> - -<p>Farewell, then, to the gallant old Indiaman, with her hammock nettings, -bunt jiggers, rolling tackles, jeers, gammon lashings, bentinck shrouds, -and cat harpings, dear to sailors’ hearts; and good-bye to her sailors, -too, sons of the men who fought in the victorious fleets of Nelson, -fellows who drank gunpowder in their rum before stripping to battle with -the enemy, who could stand triced up by the thumbs and take their -four-and-twenty of rawhide on the naked back without wetting an eyelash. -And farewell to the merry dance and song, the extra dram of grog in the -dog-watch, and jovial toasts to sweethearts and wives, as the sun sinks -beneath the blue wave and the cool evening trade wind fills the sails.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_38">{38}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III<br><br> -<small>THE NORTH ATLANTIC PACKET SHIPS, 1815-1850</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">W</span>HILE progress in ship-building in the United States had been constant -up to the War of 1812, American ship-owners and builders had been much -hampered by the interference of both Great Britain and France, but in -1815, when the smoke of battle had cleared away and the rights of -American ships and seamen had been established upon the sea, -ship-building was taken up with renewed energy.</p> - -<p>The famous New York-Liverpool packets came out in 1816. The pioneer, -Black Ball Line, established by Isaac Wright, Francis and Jeremiah -Thompson, Benjamin Marshall, and others, led the van for years. The -original ships belonging to this line were the <i>Amity</i>, <i>Courier</i>, -<i>Pacific</i>, and <i>James Monroe</i>, of about 400 tons; they were followed by -the <i>New York</i>, <i>Eagle</i>, <i>Orbit</i>, <i>Nestor</i>, <i>James Cropper</i>, <i>William -Thompson</i>, <i>Albion</i>, <i>Canada</i>, <i>Britannia</i>, and <i>Columbia</i>, vessels of -from 300 to 500 tons register. For the first ten years the passages of -the fleet averaged 23 days outward and 40 days to the westward. The -fastest outward passage was made by the <i>Canada</i> in 15 days, 18 hours, -and her total averages—19 days outward and 36 days homeward—were the -best of that period.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_39">{39}</a></span></p> - -<p>These ships were all flush deck, with a caboose or galley and the -housed-over long-boat between the fore-and main-masts. The long-boat, -which was, of course, securely lashed, carried the live stock,—pens for -sheep and pigs in the bottom, ducks and geese on a deck laid across the -gunwales, and on top of all, hens and chickens. The cow-house was lashed -over the main hatch, and there were also other small hatch-houses and a -companion aft leading to the comfortable, well-appointed cabins, which -were lighted by deck skylights, candles, and whale-oil lamps. The -steerage passengers lived in the between-decks amidships, and the crew’s -forecastle was in the fore-peak. The stores, spare sails, gear, etc., -were kept in the lazarette abaft the cabins, with a small hatch leading -to the main-deck. The hulls were painted black from the water-line up, -with bright scraped bends, which were varnished, and the inner side of -the bulwarks, rails, hatch-houses, and boats were painted green. It was -said that some of the early Black Ball captains had commanded privateers -during the War of 1812. At all events, these little ships, with their -full-bodied, able hulls, and their stout spars, sails, and rigging, were -driven outward and homeward across the Atlantic, through the fogs and -ice of summer and the snow, sleet, and gales of winter, for all the -speed that was in them. They were in their day the only regular means of -communication between the United States and Europe. Their captains were -the finest men whose services money could secure, and to their care were -entrusted the lives of eminent men and women, government despatches, the -mails and specie.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_40">{40}</a></span> Rain or shine, blow high, blow low, one of the Black -Ball liners sailed from New York for Liverpool on the first and -sixteenth of each month, and for many years these were the European mail -days throughout the United States.</p> - -<p>In 1821, Thomas Cope of Philadelphia started his line of packets between -that port and Liverpool with the ships <i>Lancaster</i>, of 290 tons, and -<i>Tuscarora</i>, of 379 tons, which were soon followed by larger vessels, -among them some of the finest ships on the Atlantic.</p> - -<p>The Red Star Line of Liverpool packets from New York was also -established in 1821 with the <i>Panther</i>, <i>Meteor</i>, <i>Hercules</i>, and second -<i>Manhattan</i>, and soon after, the Swallow Tail Line of Grinnell, Minturn -& Co., came into existence with the <i>Napoleon</i>, <i>Silas Richards</i>, -<i>George</i>, and <i>York</i>. Grinnell, Minturn & Co.’s London Line was -established in 1823 with the <i>Brighton</i>, <i>Columbia</i>, <i>Cortes</i>, and -<i>Corinthian</i>, of less than 500 tons each, and during this year John -Griswold’s London Line was also started with the <i>Sovereign</i>, -<i>President</i>, <i>Cambria</i>, <i>Hudson</i>, and the second <i>Ontario</i>.</p> - -<p>The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 gave a great impetus to commerce, -causing New York to become the eastern gateway of the United States, and -from that date to 1850 may be counted the glorious years of the Atlantic -packet ships.</p> - -<p>The Dramatic Line to Liverpool was started in 1836 with the <i>Siddons</i>, -<i>Shakespeare</i>, <i>Garrick</i>, and <i>Roscius</i>, under the management of E. K. -Collins. These vessels did not much exceed 700 tons, and when, in 1837, -Isaac Webb & Co. built the <i>Sheridan</i>,</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_005" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p040a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p040a.jpg" width="600" height="403" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “England<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_41">{41}</a></span>”</p></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">of 895 tons for this line, she was regarded as too large for a Liverpool -packet, and after a few voyages was placed in the China trade.</p> - -<p>The first Havre line of packets was founded by Francis Depaw in 1822 -with the <i>Stephania</i>, <i>Montana</i>, <i>Henry IV.</i>, <i>Helen Mar</i>, <i>Louis -Philippe</i>, and <i>Silvia de Grasse</i>. A second line was formed in 1827 with -the <i>Baltimore</i>, <i>Charles Carroll</i>, <i>Erie</i>, <i>France</i>, <i>Oneida</i>, -<i>Mercury</i>, <i>Utica</i>, <i>Rhone</i>, <i>William Tell</i>, and in 1832 a third line, -with the <i>Formosa</i>, <i>Galia</i>, <i>Albany</i>, <i>Duchesse d’Orléans</i>, <i>Isaac -Bell</i>, <i>Queen Mab</i>, and <i>Don Quixote</i>.</p> - -<p>In 1831 the New Orleans Line from New York was formed with the -<i>Nashville</i>, <i>Huntsville</i>, <i>Louisville</i>, <i>Creole</i>, and <i>Natchez</i>. These -were the first packet ships built with full poop-decks, then quite a new -feature in ship-building. Gradually the flush deck gave place to -house-and poop-deck cabins, then to the topgallant, forecastle, and -house from the foremast to the main hatch. The fashion of painting also -changed, and most if not all the packets carried painted ports, while -the inside green was replaced by white or light shades of other colors.</p> - -<p>After the Black Ball Line passed into the hands of Captain Charles H. -Marshall in 1836, the <i>Columbus</i>, <i>Oxford</i>, <i>Cambridge</i>, <i>New York</i>, -<i>England</i>, <i>Yorkshire</i>, <i>Fidelia</i>, <i>Isaac Wright</i>, <i>Isaac Webb</i>, the -third <i>Manhattan</i>, <i>Montezuma</i>, <i>Alexander Marshall</i>, <i>Great Western</i>, -and <i>Harvest Queen</i> were gradually added to the fleet. To meet the -competition of the Black Ball Line, the Swallow Tail Line built the -<i>Washington</i>, <i>Independence</i>, <i>Pennsylvania</i>, <i>Roscoe</i>, <i>Patrick Henry</i>, -<i>Ashburton</i>, <i>Hottinger</i>, <i>Queen of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_42">{42}</a></span> West</i>, <i>Liverpool</i>, <i>New -World</i>, and <i>Cornelius Grinnell</i>.</p> - -<p>The packet ships slowly increased in tonnage, but did not much exceed -1000 tons until 1846 when the <i>New World</i>, of 1404 tons, was built by -Donald McKay, followed by the <i>Guy Mannering</i>, of 1419 tons, and the -<i>Albert Gallatin</i>, of 1435 tons, built by William H. Webb in 1849, these -three vessels being the largest merchant ships afloat at that period.</p> - -<p>The Black Ball ships carried a large painted black ball below the -close-reef band in their foretopsails, while the Dramatic Line, not to -be outdone, carried a black X which extended diagonally, almost from -clew to earring, across their foretopsails. All packet ships carried a -white light at the bowsprit cap from sunset to sunrise, but side-lights -did not come into use until some years later. These ships also carried a -flare-up which was kept in the companion ready for immediate use.</p> - -<p>Throughout the various changes of management the Black Ball liners -carried a crimson swallowtail flag with a black ball in the centre; the -Dramatic liners, blue above white with a white L in blue and a black L -in white for the Liverpool ships, and a red swallowtail with white ball -and black L in the centre for the New Orleans ships; the Union Line to -Havre, a white field with black U in the centre; John Griswold’s London -Line, red swallowtail with black X in centre; the Swallowtail Line, red -before white, swallowtail for the London ships, and blue before white, -swallowtail for the Liverpool ships; Robert Kermit’s Liverpool Line, -blue swallowtail with red star in the centre; Spof<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_43">{43}</a></span>ford & Tillotson’s -Liverpool Line, yellow field, blue cross with white S. T. in the centre. -These flags disappeared from the sea many years ago.</p> - -<p>The packet captain, no matter what his age might be, was usually spoken -of as “the old man,” a title frequently embellished by the crew with -vigorous epithets, which seemed to them appropriate, but which must now, -I fear, be left to the imagination of the reader. Few if any Americans -sailed regularly before the mast on board of these vessels, the crews -being largely composed of the most abandoned scoundrels out of British -and continental jails. I shall have something further to say concerning -these interesting beings in connection with their exploits on board of -the California clipper ships.</p> - -<p>Among the famous New York packet captains, and there were many of them, -were Charles H. Marshall, of the <i>South America</i>, <i>James Cropper</i>, and -<i>Britannia</i>; N. B. Palmer, of the <i>Siddons</i>, <i>Garrick</i>, <i>Huntsville</i>, -and <i>Hibernia</i>, and his brother, Alexander, later of the <i>Garrick</i>; F. -A. De Peyster, of the <i>Columbus</i> and <i>Ontario</i>; John Collins, an uncle -of E. K. Collins, of the <i>Shakespeare</i>; John Eldridge, of the -<i>Liverpool</i>, and his brother Asa, of the <i>Roscius</i>, and Oliver, another -brother, who was mate with Captain John; Ezra Nye, of the <i>Independence</i> -and <i>Henry Clay</i>; William Skiddy, an older brother of Francis Skiddy, of -the <i>New World</i>; Benjamin Trask, of the <i>Virginia</i>, <i>Jamestown</i>, and -<i>Saratoga</i>; Joseph Delano, of the <i>Columbia</i> and <i>Patrick Henry</i>; John -Britton, of the <i>Constitution</i>, later United States consul at -Southampton; Ira Bursley, of the <i>Hottinger</i>; Philip Woodhouse, of the -<i>Queen of the West</i>;<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_44">{44}</a></span> James A. Wooton, of the <i>Havre</i>; William H. Allen, -of the <i>Virginia</i>, <i>Waterloo</i>, <i>West Point</i>, and <i>Constellation</i>; E. E. -Morgan, of the <i>Hudson</i> and <i>Victoria</i>; John Johnston, of the <i>Rhone</i> -and <i>Isaac Bell</i>; and of a later period, Robert C. Cutting, of the -<i>Adelaide</i>; and Samuel Samuels, of the <i>Dreadnought</i>.</p> - -<p>It required an unusual combination of qualities to command these Western -Ocean packet ships successfully. Above all things it was necessary that -the captains should be thorough seamen and navigators; also that they -should be men of robust health and great physical endurance, as their -duties often kept them on deck for days and nights together in storm, -cold, and fog. Then there were frequently desperate characters among the -crew and steerage passengers, who required to be handled with moral -courage and physical force, while the cabin passengers were usually -gentlemen and gentlewomen of good breeding, accustomed to courtesy and -politeness, which they expected to find in the captains with whom they -sailed. These requirements evolved a remarkable type of men, hearty, -bluff, and jovial, without coarseness, who would never be mistaken for -anything but gentlemen.</p> - -<p>The packet mates, having no social duties on shipboard to distract their -attention, were able to devote their time and energies to improving the -morals and manners of the crew, and it was on board the Black Ball -liners that “belaying pin soup” and “handspike hash,” so stimulating to -honest toil, were first introduced for the benefit of mutinous or -slothful mariners.</p> - -<p>Plenty of sail was carried by the packet ships</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_006" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p044a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p044a.jpg" width="600" height="414" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Montezuma”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_45">{45}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">of this period—square lower, topmast and topgallant studding sails, -skysails set on sliding gunter masts which were struck in the winter -time, with three reefs in the topsails and single reefs in the -topgallantsails. The racing was fast and furious. In 1837 a match was -made between the Black Ball liner <i>Columbus</i>, 597 tons, Captain De -Peyster, and the <i>Sheridan</i>, Captain Russell, of the Dramatic Line, then -on her first voyage, for a stake of $10,000 a side, from New York to -Liverpool, play or pay. The <i>Sheridan</i>, though only 895 tons, carried a -crew of forty picked men before the mast, with regular pay of $25 a -month, and the promise of a bonus of $50 each, provided their ship won -the race. The ships sailed together from New York on Thursday, February -2, 1837, and the <i>Columbus</i> won the race in sixteen days, followed two -days later by the <i>Sheridan</i>. This is the first ocean match across the -Atlantic of which any record has been preserved, though, of course, -there had been many informal races long before.</p> - -<p>The <i>Isaac Bell</i>, commanded by Captain John Johnston, made three voyages -from Havre to New York in less than eighteen days each, one being in the -month of January, which is about the hardest month in the twelve for a -ship bound to the westward. The <i>Independence</i>, 734 tons, built by Smith -& Dimon in 1834, for a number of years when commanded by Captain Ezra -Nye, took the President’s message to England, her sailing day being -fixed for the 6th of March for that purpose. She more than once made the -passage from New York to Liverpool in fourteen days. In November, 1846, -the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_46">{46}</a></span> <i>Yorkshire</i>, Captain Bailey, made the passage from Liverpool to New -York in sixteen days. This is believed to be the fastest passage ever -made from Liverpool to the westward by a packet ship. The <i>Montezuma</i>, -1070 tons, and the <i>Patrick Henry</i>, 997 tons, the <i>Southampton</i>, 1273 -tons, built by Westervelt & Mackay, in 1849, also the <i>St. Andrew</i>, -Captain William C. Thompson, of Robert Kermit’s Line, all made the -passage from New York to Liverpool in fifteen days.</p> - -<p>It should, however, be remembered that these packet ships, running -regularly across the Atlantic for many years, necessarily at times -encountered favorable conditions of wind and weather; whereas, a single -ship making the passage occasionally, as did the clipper ships in later -years, might not find so favorable a slant in a lifetime. None of the -packet ships that made these remarkable passages could average more than -twelve knots for twenty-four hours, and the utmost limit of their speed -under the most favorable conditions was not more than fourteen knots, if -as much. Most of these ships, however, made the passage from New York to -Liverpool at one time or another in sixteen days, and there were few -that did not at least once make the run in seventeen days. The secret of -the speed of these ships was that they were commanded by men who kept -them moving night and day, in all sorts of weather, and never let up on -their ships or crews from the time they cast off from the wharf at New -York until they ran their lines ashore on the pier-head at Liverpool. -While it is true that the New York packet ships were by no means -clip<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_47">{47}</a></span>pers, still, their models and rig were admirably adapted to the -work which they had to perform. It was a splendid service and a fine -prelude to the clipper ship era.</p> - -<p>Of the earlier New York ship-builders, Henry Eckford, who came from -Scotland in 1796, when twenty years of age, died in New York in 1832; -Christian Bergh, who was born in Wettenburgh, Rhinebeck precinct, in -1763, died in New York in 1843; and Isaac Webb, born in Stamford, -Connecticut, in 1794, the son of Wilsey Webb, died in New York in 1840. -To the memories of these men, the founders of modern ship-building in -the United States, the highest praise is due for their integrity, -perseverance, and mechanical skill.</p> - -<p>Of the next generation of builders, Stephen Smith, who like Isaac Webb -was born in Stamford, formed with John Dimon the firm of Smith & Dimon, -and prior to 1843 they had built among other vessels the packet ships -<i>Roscoe</i> and <i>Independence</i>, the ship <i>Mary Howland</i>, the North River -steamboats <i>Rochester</i>, <i>James Kent</i>, and <i>Oregon</i>, and the Greek -frigate <i>Liberator</i>. Their building yard was at the foot of Fourth -Street, East River. David Brown and Jacob Bell formed the firm of Brown -& Bell, and had a yard at the foot of Stanton Street, a part of which -had formerly been the Henry Eckford yard. Prior to 1843, this firm had -built the ships <i>Orbit</i> and <i>William Tell</i> in 1821, the <i>Canada</i>, -<i>Calhoun</i>, <i>Savannah</i>, <i>Pacific</i>, <i>Washington</i>, <i>Great Britain</i>, <i>John -Jay</i>, <i>Britannia</i>, <i>George Canning</i>, <i>Caledonia</i>, <i>Hibernia</i>, and -<i>Congress</i> from 1821 to 1831; the <i>Victoria</i>, <i>Europe</i>, <i>Francis Depaw</i>, -<i>Silvia de Grasse</i>, <i>Vicksburg</i>, <i>Em<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_48">{48}</a></span>erald</i>, <i>Switzerland</i>, -<i>Shakespeare</i>, <i>Garrick</i>, <i>Sheridan</i>, <i>Siddons</i>, <i>Roscius</i>, and -<i>Cornelia</i> from 1831 to 1841; and the <i>Liverpool</i>, <i>Queen of the West</i>, -and <i>Henry Clay</i> in the period from 1841 to 1843, inclusive. Besides -these, they built fifteen other ships, seven steamers, eight barques and -brigs, thirty-nine steamboats, six ferry-and tow-boats, nineteen sloops -and schooners, seven pilot boats, and four yachts.</p> - -<p>Upon the death of Isaac Webb in 1840, his son William H. Webb, then only -twenty-four years of age, continued the firm of Webb & Allen which built -during the next ten years the packet ships <i>Montezuma</i>, <i>Yorkshire</i>, -<i>Havre</i>, <i>Fidelia</i>, second <i>Columbia</i>, <i>Sir Robert Peel</i>, <i>Splendid</i>, -<i>Bavaria</i>, <i>Isaac Wright</i>, <i>Ivanhoe</i>, <i>Yorktown</i>, <i>London</i>, <i>Guy -Mannering</i>, <i>Albert Gallatin</i>, <i>Isaac Webb</i>, and <i>Vanguard</i>. Their yard -extended from the foot of Fifth to Seventh Street, East River.</p> - -<p>Jacob A. Westervelt, born at Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1800, was the -son of a ship-builder. He went to sea before the mast and upon his -return served his apprenticeship with Christian Bergh, subsequently -becoming a partner in the firm and retiring with an ample fortune in -1837. Mr. Westervelt then made an extensive trip through Europe, and -after returning built two ships at Williamsburg. He formed the firm of -Westervelt & Mackay and built a number of London and Havre packet ships, -among which were the <i>Ocean Queen</i>, <i>West Point</i>, <i>Toronto</i>, -<i>Devonshire</i>, and <i>American Eagle</i>. The front door of Mr. Westervelt’s -house in East Broadway was ornamented with a beautiful carved stone cap -representing the stern of a packet ship. In later</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_007" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p048a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p048a.jpg" width="600" height="365" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Yorkshire”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_49">{49}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">years, he took his sons Daniel and Aaron into partnership, the firm -being known as Westervelt & Co. Jacob A. Westervelt was Mayor of New -York in 1854.</p> - -<p>George Steers, destined to become famous as the designer of the -<i>Adriatic</i>, the <i>Niagara</i>, and the yacht <i>America</i>, was born in -Washington, D. C., in the year 1819, and in 1843, after having built a -number of fast sail-and row-boats for racing, entered into partnership -with William Hathorne, the firm being known as Hathorne & Steers. Up to -this time Mr. Steers, though he had shown unusual ability as a mechanic, -cannot be said to have done anything predicting his future triumphs. -Other firms that were building good vessels at this time were Thomas and -William Collier; Perin, Patterson & Stack; Laurence & Folkes, and John -Englis, some of whom we shall hear of again.</p> - -<p>The merchants of Boston after the War of 1812, built or bought most of -their vessels at Medford, Newburyport, Salem, Scituate, and Duxbury, -within the State, and at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and other ports -where timber was more plentiful. It was not until 1834, when the East -Boston Timber Company was incorporated by James Paige, Francis Oliver, -and Gideon Barstow, that ship building began to flourish about Boston. -Stephen White was the moving spirit in this transaction, as in 1833 he -had bought on behalf of himself and associates, eighty thousand feet of -land in East Boston, between Border and Liverpool streets, at three -cents per foot, for the establishment of a timber yard and dock. Mr. -White also purchased Grand Island, in the Niagara River, which was -covered with valuable<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_50">{50}</a></span> timber. Sawmills were erected on the island, and -a supply of the finest quality of ship timber was created, and brought -by the Erie Canal to tide-water, thence by coasting vessels to East -Boston. This attracted ship-builders from other towns, and eventually -made Boston a famous ship-building centre. Stephen White owned the first -ship built in East Boston, the <i>Niagara</i>, of 460 tons, appropriately -named after the river from which the timber used in her construction had -come. She was built in 1834, by Brown, Bates & Delano in their yard at -the foot of Central Square, and was launched amid an uproar of guns, -fire crackers, shouts, and music, with a bottle of good Medford rum -trickling down her port bow.</p> - -<p>The first Boston ferry-boats, the <i>East Boston</i>, <i>Essex</i>, and -<i>Maverick</i>, were built at East Boston in 1834-35, but nothing further -was done in ship-building there until 1839, when Samuel Hall a -well-known builder, of Marshfield and Duxbury, removed to East Boston -and established a yard at the west end of Maverick Street. Mr. Hall not -only contributed to the reputation and welfare of East Boston by -building a large number of splendid vessels and providing employment for -a great number of men, but he was also active in all municipal affairs. -In appreciation of his successful efforts for the introduction of -Cochituate water into East Boston in 1851, his fellow-citizens presented -him with a thousand-dollar service of plate, consisting of eleven -pieces, with the usual inscription, with which most of us are more or -less familiar.</p> - -<p>The Briggs Brothers, of South Boston, came from<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_51">{51}</a></span> an old and celebrated -ship-building family of Scituate, their great-grandfather having been a -ship-builder of note in colonial times, while their grandfather, James -Briggs, was the builder of the famous <i>Columbia</i>, in 1773. After his -death the yard was continued by his sons, Henry and Cushing, who built -some of the finest ships sailing out of Boston, besides many of the New -Bedford and Nantucket whalers, during the first half of the last -century. The brothers E. & H. O. Briggs, who established their yard at -South Boston in 1848, were the sons of Cushing Briggs, and they -possessed the skill in design and thorough knowledge of construction for -which the family had long been famous among the merchants and -underwriters of Boston.</p> - -<p>At Medford, on the Mystic, Thatcher Magoun established his shipyard in -1802, and there built the brig <i>Mt. Etna</i>, of 187 tons, in 1803, -followed by other merchant vessels as well as privateers for the War of -1812. The <i>Avon</i>, the most famous of these privateers, was launched in -twenty-six days after her keel was laid. In 1822, Mr. Magoun built the -<i>Amethyst</i>, <i>Emerald</i>, <i>Sapphire</i>, and <i>Topaz</i>, ships of about 350 tons, -for the Boston and Liverpool Packet Company, which ran for a few years -between Boston, Charleston, S. C., and Liverpool, and home direct to -Boston. One of the novel features of this line was the arrangement as to -agents, their office being at the end of India Wharf, but in Liverpool -each ship had a separate agent, as it was imagined that four agents -would attract so many times the more business. It is evident that the -promoters of this line had something to learn<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_52">{52}</a></span> concerning Liverpool -ship-brokers and their system of working freights, for the enterprise -was not successful.</p> - -<p>Another Liverpool Line was started in Boston in 1828, and the ships -<i>Boston</i>, <i>Lowell</i>, <i>Liverpool</i>, <i>Plymouth</i>, and <i>Trenton</i> of this line -were built by Mr. Magoun. He also built between 1822 and 1829, the ships -<i>Lucilla</i>, 369 tons, owned by Daniel P. Parker; <i>Brookline</i>, 376 tons, -and <i>Courser</i>, 300 tons, owned by Henry Oxnard; and the <i>Margaret -Forbes</i>, 398 tons, owned by Bryant & Sturgis, all sailing out of Boston. -Other Medford ship-builders were Sprague & James, Isaac Taylor, Hayden & -Cudworth, J. O. Curtis, Waterman & Elwell, Samuel Lapham, and Paul -Curtis. Their ships were known all over the world as fine, well-built -vessels. In 1845 one quarter of all the shipwrights in Massachusetts -were employed in Medford, and 9660 tons of shipping were launched from -its building yards.</p> - -<p>The leading ship-builder at Newburyport was John Currier, Jr., who from -1831 to 1843 built the ships <i>Brenda</i>, <i>Republic</i>, <i>Oberlin</i>, <i>St. -Clair</i>, <i>Leonore</i>, and <i>Columbus</i> for the Black Ball Line, and in 1836 -the <i>Talbot</i>, <i>Flavio</i>, <i>Navigator</i>, <i>Huntress</i>, <i>Strabo</i>, and -<i>Virginia</i>, ranging from 339 to 365 tons, as well as several barques, -brigs, and schooners. The firms of George W. Jackman and Currier & -Townsend had not been formed at this date.</p> - -<p>Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was also noted for her ships and seamen, the -principal builders in 1840 being George Raynes, Fernald & Pettigrew, and -Toby & Littlefield, while the Shackfords and Salters had been -sea-captains for generations. Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_53">{53}</a></span> Raynes was born at York, Maine, in -1799 and in 1835 removed to Portsmouth where he established a shipyard -upon the famous Boyd estate, with its fine old trees, lawns, and gardens -of vegetables, fruits, and flowers sloping to the clear blue water’s -edge. The family residence, erected by Colonel George Boyd in 1767, was -an excellent example of colonial architecture. In later days it became -known as the Raynes mansion, and for many years was one of the show -places of Portsmouth. The original beauty of the grounds was preserved -so far as possible, and this was perhaps the most beautiful and -picturesque shipyard of modern times.</p> - -<p>The most famous clipper-ship builder of his time, Donald McKay, was born -at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, in 1810, and was a descendant of that sturdy -Highland chieftain, Donald McKay, who died at Tain, County Ross, -Scotland, in 1395. At about the age of sixteen, Donald went to New York, -where he worked and learnt his trade in the shipyards of Isaac Webb, -Brown & Bell, and perhaps others. By his energy and mechanical talents, -he soon became a master shipwright, and turned his face toward the -Eastern country again. In 1840 he finished the ship <i>Delia Walker</i>, of -427 tons, for John Currier at Newburyport. This vessel was owned by -Dennis Condry, who, when visiting his ship from time to time, was -impressed by Mr. McKay’s superior mechanical ability and energetic -manner of handling his men. In 1841, Mr. McKay became a partner in the -firm of Currier & McKay, and the barque <i>Mary Broughton</i>, 323 tons, was -built by them during this year, followed in 1842 by the ships<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_54">{54}</a></span> -<i>Courier</i>, 380 tons, and <i>Ashburton</i>, 449 tons. The firm then dissolved, -the models and moulds being equally divided—with a saw.</p> - -<p>The little ship <i>Courier</i> was the first vessel designed by Mr. McKay. -She was owned by W. Wolfe & A. Foster, Jr., of New York, who employed -her in the Rio coffee trade. She proved a wonder for speed, and -outsailed everything, big and little, that she fell in with at sea. No -one at that time believed that such a vessel could be built outside of -New York or Baltimore. She not only made a great deal of money for her -owners, but at once brought her designer prominently before the maritime -public.</p> - -<p>In 1843 the firm of McKay & Pickett was formed, and the New York packet -ships <i>St. George</i>, 845 tons, in 1843, and <i>John R. Skiddy</i>, 930 tons, -in 1844, were built by them at Newburyport. In this year Enoch Train, a -well-known ship-owner and merchant of Boston, engaged in the South -American trade and who had already sent the ships <i>Cairo</i>, <i>St. -Patrick</i>, and <i>Dorchester</i> to England, decided to put on a regular line -of packets between Liverpool and Boston. While crossing the Atlantic on -board one of the early Cunarders, for the purpose of establishing his -European agencies, it happened that he found himself a fellow-passenger -with Dennis Condry, owner of the <i>Delia Walker</i>, the gentleman who had -been so much impressed during his visits to Newburyport, by the energy -and skill of Donald McKay. Mr. Train and Mr. Condry soon became -acquainted and naturally talked a good deal about shipping. Mr. Train -was in doubt as to whom he should entrust the building of his ships; he -did not like to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_55">{55}</a></span> construct them in New York, yet he felt unwilling to -risk failure through employing local talent, however able, for Boston -builders were inexperienced in building this class of vessel, while the -construction of packet ships had been developed to a high degree of -perfection in New York. His doubts were freely expressed, but Mr. Condry -had a strong conviction on this subject, and so convincing were his -arguments in favor of his young ship-builder friend, that Mr. Train, -before landing at Liverpool, had promised that he would see Mr. McKay -upon his return to the United States.</p> - -<p>The meeting at Newburyport of these two really great men, Enoch Train -and Donald McKay, should be memorable in the maritime annals of the -United States. It was the swift contact of flint and steel, for within -an hour a contract had been signed for building the <i>Joshua Bates</i>, the -pioneer ship of Train’s famous Liverpool Line, and Mr. Train was -returning to his home in Boston. He visited Newburyport frequently while -his ship was building, and whether Mr. McKay, during the four years that -had elapsed, had further developed the qualities which Dennis Condry had -so admired, as seems probable, or whether Mr. Train’s perceptive -faculties were keener than those of his fellow-passenger, it is a fact -that on the day when the <i>Joshua Bates</i> was launched and floated safely -on the Merrimac River, Mr. Train grasped Donald McKay by the hand and -said to him: “You must come to Boston; we need you; if you wish -financial assistance to establish a shipyard, let me know the amount and -you shall have it.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_56">{56}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>So the young ship-builder had on that day launched his last ship at -Newburyport. He soon closed the pleasant relations which had existed -with his partner, and at the age of thirty-four opened his great -shipyard at the foot of Border Street, East Boston. There he built in -rapid succession, between 1845 and 1850, the packet ships <i>Washington -Irving</i>, <i>Anglo-Saxon</i>, <i>Ocean Monarch</i>, <i>Anglo-American</i>, and <i>Daniel -Webster</i> for Train’s Liverpool Line. These ships carried a black T in -their foretopsail below the close reef band, and flew the Enoch Train -signal, a red field with white diamond. The ships <i>New World</i> and -<i>Cornelius Grinnell</i> were built here for Grinnell, Minturn & Co.’s -Swallowtail Line; the <i>A. Z.</i>, <i>L. Z.</i>, and <i>Antarctic</i> for Zerega & -Co., New York; the <i>Jenny Lind</i> for Fairbank & Wheeler, Boston; the -<i>Parliament</i>, <i>Plymouth Rock</i>, <i>Reindeer</i>, and barque <i>Helicon</i> for -George B. Upton, Boston; the <i>Moses Wheeler</i> for Wheeler & King, Boston; -and the barque <i>Sultana</i> for Edward Lamb & Co., Boston. These vessels -were much admired in New York, London, Liverpool, and other seaports, -and established the reputation of Donald McKay as a ship-builder equal -to the best.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_57">{57}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV<br><br> -<small>OPIUM CLIPPERS AND EARLY CLIPPER SHIPS, 1832-1848</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE origin of the word clipper is not quite clear, though it seems to be -derived from the verb clip, which in former times meant, among other -things, to run or fly swiftly. Dryden uses it to describe the flight of -a falcon<a id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a>:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Some falcon stoops at what her eye designed,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And, with her eagerness the quarry missed,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Straight flies at check, and clips it down the wind.”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The word survived in the New England slang expression “to clip it,” and -“going at a good clip,” or “a fast clip,” are familiar expressions there -to this day. It therefore seems reasonable to suppose that when vessels -of a new model were built, which were intended, in the language of the -times, to clip over the waves rather than plough through them, the -improved type of craft became known as clippers because of their speed. -It is probable that the swift privateers built at Baltimore during the -War of 1812 became known as “Baltimore clippers,” and while the first -application of the term in a<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_58">{58}</a></span> nautical sense is by no means certain, it -seems to have had an American origin.</p> - -<p>The first clipper constructed in Great Britain was the schooner -<i>Scottish Maid</i>, one hundred and fifty tons, built in 1839 by Alexander -Hall & Co., of Aberdeen, to compete with the paddle steamers between -Aberdeen and London. She proved a very fast vessel, and saw half a -century of service before she was wrecked on the coast of England. Three -schooners of the same model and tonnage, the <i>Fairy</i>, <i>Rapid</i>, and -<i>Monarch</i>, were built by this firm in 1842. These four were the first -Aberdeen clippers. The earliest competition between American and British -clippers was in the China seas. As early as 1831 three small English -schooners, the <i>Jamesina</i>, <i>Lord Amherst</i>, and <i>Sylph</i>, were engaged in -the opium trade, which proved exceedingly lucrative. In 1833 the -<i>Jamesina</i> sold opium from India to the value of £330,000 at Foo Chow, -Amoy, Ningpo, and other ports in China. This business increased and -attracted the attention of the American merchants in China. In 1841, the -<i>Angola</i>, a schooner of 90 tons, built by Brown & Bell, of New York, for -Russell & Co., China, was despatched to Hong-kong. She was followed in -1842 by the schooners <i>Zephyr</i>, 150 tons, built by Samuel Hall at East -Boston; <i>Mazeppa</i>, 175 tons, built by Brown & Bell, and <i>Ariel</i>, 100 -tons, built by Sprague & James, Medford, and in 1843 by the brig -<i>Antelope</i>, 370 tons, built by Samuel Hall at East Boston. These -vessels, owned by John M. Forbes and Russell & Co., soon controlled the -opium-trade and became known as opium clippers. It was necessary that -they should<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_59">{59}</a></span> be swift in order to contend with the strong tides and -currents on the China coast, and to beat against the monsoons in the -China Sea. The <i>Antelope</i>, under the command of Captain Philip Dumaresq, -still has the reputation of having been the only square-rigged vessel -which could beat through the Formosa Channel against the northeast -monsoon. Moreover, these vessels required speed to escape from the -heavily manned piratical craft which infested the China seas, and which -were formidable vessels, especially in light winds and calms, when they -were propelled by long sweeps.</p> - -<p>In 1846, Alexander Hall & Co. built the clipper schooner <i>Torrington</i> -for Jardine, Matheson & Co., to compete with the American opium clippers -in China. This schooner, the first British clipper in the China seas, -was followed by the <i>Wanderer</i>, <i>Gazelle</i>, <i>Rose</i>, the brig <i>Lanark</i>, -and others, until almost every British and American firm in China owned -one or more of these smart vessels. The competition among them was keen, -and the American clippers had decidedly the best of it. The last of -these famous little vessels were the sister schooners <i>Minna</i> and -<i>Brenda</i>, of 300 tons each, built in 1851 by George Raynes at -Portsmouth, for John M. Forbes, of Boston, and others, and the schooner -<i>Wild Dayrell</i>, 253 tons, built in 1855 by the well-known yacht builders -J. White, of Cowes, Isle of Wight, for Dent & Co., China. These opium -clippers, all beautifully modelled and equipped with long raking masts -and plenty of canvas, like yachts rather than merchant vessels, were -heavily armed and carried large crews. They all made a great<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_60">{60}</a></span> deal of -money for their owners until they were superseded by steamers.</p> - -<p>From the earliest times in maritime history it had been the custom to -build large vessels of a model suitable for carrying heavy -cargoes—“ships of burden” they were called,—while the vessels designed -for speed,—the galley of the Mediterranean, caravel of Portugal and -Spain, lugger of France, cutter of England, yacht of Holland, schooner -and sloop of America, had been comparatively small. To the latter class -belonged the earlier British and American clippers of the nineteenth -century. The Baltimore clippers, as we have said, were modelled after -the French luggers which visited American ports during the Revolutionary -War. They gained a world-wide reputation for speed as privateers during -the War of 1812, and later also as African slavers, many of them sailing -under the flags of Portugal and Spain. These vessels were brigs, -brigantines, fore-and-aft or topsail schooners, and rarely exceeded two -hundred tons register.</p> - -<p>So far as history records, no one had ever attempted to reproduce the -lines of a small, swift vessel in a large one, until in 1832 Isaac -McKim, a wealthy merchant of Baltimore, commissioned Kennard and -Williamson, of Fell’s Point, Baltimore, to build a ship embodying as far -as possible the lines of the famous Baltimore clipper brigs and -schooners. This ship was the <i>Ann McKim</i>, named in honor of the owner’s -wife, of 493 tons register, a large vessel for those days. She measured: -Length 143 feet, breadth 31 feet, depth 14 feet, and drew 17 feet aft -and 11 feet forward. She possessed many<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_61">{61}</a></span> of the striking features of the -Baltimore clippers of that period; namely, great dead-rise at her -midship section, long, easy convex water-lines, low freeboard, and -raking stem, stern-post and masts, and was really an enlarged clipper -schooner rigged as a ship.</p> - -<p>The <i>Ann McKim</i> was a remarkably handsome vessel, built as the pet ship -of her owner without much regard to cost. Her frames were of live oak, -she was copper-fastened throughout and her bottom was sheathed with red -copper imported for this purpose. The flush deck was fitted with Spanish -mahogany hatch combings, rails, companions, and skylights. She mounted -twelve brass guns, and was equipped with brass capstan heads, bells, -etc., and carried three skysail yards and royal studding-sails. She -proved to be very fast, though of small carrying capacity, and the -latter quality together with her elaborate and expensive fittings caused -the older merchants to regard her unfavorably; so that for some years -they still adhered to their full-bodied ships. The <i>Ann McKim</i> sailed in -the China trade for a number of years, and upon the death of Mr. McKim -in 1837, she was purchased by Howland & Aspinwall, of New York, and was -commanded by Captain Perry. Eventually she was sold at Valparaiso in -1847, and ended her days under the Chilian flag.</p> - -<p>Although the <i>Ann McKim</i> was the first clipper ship ever constructed, it -cannot be said that she founded the clipper ship era, or even that she -directly influenced ship builders, since no other ship was built like -her; but she may have suggested the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_62">{62}</a></span> clipper design in vessels of ship -rig, and owing to the fact that she fell into the hands of Howland & -Aspinwall, she without doubt hastened the opening of that era, as the -first really extreme clipper ship, the <i>Rainbow</i>, was owned by that -firm.</p> - -<p>It is difficult at this distance of time to determine exactly what -influence the <i>Ann McKim</i> exercised upon the science of ship-building, -though from the fact that no ship had ever been built like her, it is -probable that she was an object of considerable interest in the maritime -world, and it is certain that during the years following her appearance -a more determined effort was made in the United States to improve the -model and sailing qualities of ships. Among the most notable of these -attempts were the <i>Courier</i>, already mentioned, built by Donald McKay in -1842, and the <i>Akbar</i>, a ship of six hundred and fifty tons, built by -Samuel Hall at East Boston in 1839, for John M. Forbes, and others, who -employed her in the China trade. On her first voyage the <i>Akbar</i> made -the passage from New York to Canton in one hundred and nine days, -beating up the China Sea against the northeast monsoon. On this voyage -she was commanded by Captain James Watkins, in after years commodore of -the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Later she was commanded by Captain Philip -Dumaresq, who made a number of rapid passages in her to and from China. -Then came the <i>Helena</i>, of 650 tons, built by William H. Webb in 1841. -This ship was owned by N. L. and G. Griswold, and also sailed in the -China trade under the command of Captain Benjamin, who made some fine -passages. The <i>Paul<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_63">{63}</a></span> Jones</i>, of 620 tons, built by Waterman & Elwell at -Medford in 1842, was owned by John M. Forbes and Russell & Co., of -China. She was commanded by Captain N. B. Palmer and on her first voyage -in 1843 she sailed from Boston for Hong-kong, January 15th, crossed the -equator 26 days out, was 54 days to the Cape of Good Hope, 88 days to -Java Head, and arrived at Hong-kong 111 days from Boston. In 1848, this -ship made the run from Java Head to New York in 76 days.</p> - -<p>In 1844, A. A. Low & Brother, of New York, contracted with Brown & Bell -to build the <i>Houqua</i>, of 706 tons, constructed for Captain N. B. -Palmer. She made a number of very fast passages. On her first voyage she -made the passage from New York to Java Head in 72 days, thence to -Hong-kong in 12 days, total 84 days. Her best records from China were as -follows: From Hong-kong, December 9, 1844, passed Java Head 15 days out, -was 70 days to the Equator in the Atlantic, thence 20 days to New York, -total 90 days—distance by log, 14,272 miles. December 9, 1845, sailed -from Hong-kong, passed Java Head 16 days out, arrived at New York, March -10, 1846, 91 days’ passage. Under the command of Captain McKanzie, in -1850, she made the passage from Shanghai to New York in 88 days, the -shortest passage up to that time. This ship was named in honor of -Houqua, the well-known Canton merchant who was beloved and respected by -American and English residents in China, no less for his integrity than -for his great kindness and his business ability.</p> - -<p>In 1844 also William H. Webb built the <i>Montauk</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_64">{64}</a></span> 540 tons, for A. A. -Low & Brother, and the <i>Panama</i>, 670 tons, for N. L. & G. Griswold, both -vessels for the China trade, and Samuel Hall, of East Boston, built the -barque <i>Coquette</i>, 420 tons, commanded by Captain Oliver Eldridge. The -<i>Coquette</i> sailed from Boston, June 29, 1844, was 76 days to Java Head, -and 99 days to Canton. She was owned by Russell & Co., of China, and -made several fast passages between Calcutta and ports in China. Young -James H. Perkins made a voyage to China as a passenger on board this -vessel, and his famous schooner yacht <i>Coquette</i>, which defeated the -sloop <i>Maria</i> in a match off Sandy Hook in 1846, was named for the -clipper barque.</p> - -<p>These were among the first clipper ships built in the United States, and -while by no means extreme clippers, they were sharper and finer models -than any vessels which had been constructed up to that time, and clearly -indicated the dawn of a new epoch in naval architecture.</p> - -<p>I have now brought this narrative to the opening of the clipper ship -era, and have endeavored to sketch the development of the merchant -marine of Great Britain and the United States from the common starting -point—where the ship-builders of both countries derived their best -knowledge of ship models and construction from the French—as they -advanced along diverging lines under different climatic, social, and -political conditions, until we now find them at points widely distant -from each other—Great Britain with her stately, frigate-built Indiaman, -embodying the glories of the past; the United States with her wild -packet ship scending<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_65">{65}</a></span> into a long, sweeping head sea, and flinging a -rainbow of flying spray across her weather-bow, in which was imaged the -promise of a glorious future.</p> - -<p>In 1841, John W. Griffeths, of New York, proposed several improvements -in marine architecture, which were embodied in the model of a clipper -ship exhibited at the American Institute, in February of that year. -Later he delivered a series of lectures on the science of ship-building, -which were the first discourses upon this subject in the United States. -Mr. Griffeths advocated carrying the stem forward in a curved line, -thereby lengthening the bow above water; he also introduced long, hollow -water-lines and a general drawing out and sharpening of the forward -body, bringing the greatest breadth further aft. Another improvement -which he proposed was to fine out the after body by rounding up the ends -of the main transom, thus relieving the quarters and making the stern -much lighter and handsomer above the water-line.</p> - -<p>This proposed departure from old methods naturally met with much -opposition, but in 1843 the firm of Howland & Aspinwall commissioned -Smith & Dimon, of New York, in whose employ Mr. Griffeths had spent -several years as draughtsman, to embody these experimental ideas in a -ship of 750 tons named the <i>Rainbow</i>. This vessel, the first extreme -clipper ship ever built, was therefore, the direct result of Mr. -Griffeths’s efforts for improvement. Her bow with its concave -water-lines and the greatest breadth at a point considerably further aft -than had hitherto been regarded as practicable, was a radical departure, -differing not<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_66">{66}</a></span> merely in degree but in kind from any ship that preceded -her. One critical observer declared that her bow had been turned -“outside in,” and that her whole form was contrary to the laws of -nature. The <i>Rainbow</i> was designed and built with great care and was not -launched until January, 1845.</p> - -<p>Mr. Griffeths relates a good story about the masting of this vessel. It -appears that Mr. Aspinwall, who had an excellent idea of what a ship -ought to be, had come to the conclusion that the masting of vessels was -a question of no small moment in ship-building, and determined that his -new ship should have the benefit of foreign aid in placing the masts. -Accordingly, he informed the builders that he would obtain assistance -from abroad, for their benefit as well as his own. The builders -naturally paid little attention to this information. The port-captain, -who was appointed to superintend the construction, was directed by Mr. -Aspinwall to select the best authorities in Europe on masting ships. The -European experts were written to in reference to this important matter, -and after they had duly considered the principal dimensions of the -vessel, the trade in which she was to be employed, etc., a spar draft -and elaborate calculations were prepared and forwarded to New York.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, the construction of the <i>Rainbow</i> had progressed -steadily. The clamps being ready, the deck beams were placed according -to the original drawings, the framing of the decks completed, hatches -and mast partners framed, channels and mast-steps secured; the masts and -yards were also made and the ship planked and caulked by the time<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_67">{67}</a></span> the -important despatches arrived. They were examined by the port-captain, -Mr. Aspinwall was informed that they were all right, and the -port-captain was requested to give the information to the builders, -which, of course, was done. The ship, however, was finished without the -slightest alteration from the original plans. Mr. Aspinwall, who never -doubted that his pet project had been carefully carried out, attributed -much of the success of this vessel to the placing of her masts by -foreign rules.</p> - -<p>The sharp model of the <i>Rainbow</i> gave rise to a great deal of discussion -while she was on the stocks in course of construction. It was generally -admitted by the recognized shipping authorities of South Street, that -she was a handsome vessel, but whether she could be made to sail was a -question on which there were varieties of opinion. She proved an -excellent ship in every way and exceedingly fast. Her second voyage to -China out and home, was made in six months and fourteen days, including -two weeks in port discharging and loading cargo. She went out to China -against the northeast monsoon in ninety-two and home in eighty-eight -days, bringing the news of her own arrival at Canton. Captain John Land, -her able and enthusiastic commander, declared that she was the fastest -ship in the world, and this was undeniably true; finding no one to -differ from him, he further gave it as his opinion that no ship could be -built to outsail the <i>Rainbow</i>, and it is also true that very few -vessels have ever broken her record. She was lost on her fifth voyage -while bound from New York for Valparaiso in 1848 under<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_68">{68}</a></span> command of -Captain Hayes, and it was supposed that she foundered off Cape Horn.</p> - -<p>The <i>Ariel</i>, 572 tons, was built by John Currier at Newburyport in 1846, -for Minot & Hooper, of Boston. This ship became celebrated in the China -trade and was bought by N. L. & G. Griswold, and has a record of 90 days -from Canton to New York.</p> - -<p>In 1846, Howland & Aspinwall, for whom Captain Robert H. Waterman had -been making some remarkably fast voyages in the old packet ship -<i>Natchez</i>, had a clipper ship built especially for him, entrusting the -design and construction to Smith & Dimon, the builders of the <i>Rainbow</i>, -though all the details of spars, sails, and rigging were carried out -under the supervision of Captain Waterman. This ship was the famous <i>Sea -Witch</i>, of 890 tons, length 170 feet, breadth 33 feet 11 inches, and -depth 19 feet. She carried a cloud of canvas; three standing skysail -yards, royal studding sails, large square lower studding sails with -swinging booms, ringtail, and water sails.</p> - -<p>When loaded the <i>Sea Witch</i> lay low on the water; her hull was painted -black and her masts had a considerable rake; her figurehead was an -aggressive-looking dragon, beautifully carved and gilded. She had the -reputation at that time of being the handsomest ship sailing out of New -York, and her officers and crew were picked men, several of whom had -sailed with Captain Waterman on his voyages in the <i>Natchez</i>. She sailed -on her first voyage, bound for China, December 23, 1846, went to sea in -a strong northwest gale, and made a remarkable fine run southward, -arriving off the harbor of Rio<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_69">{69}</a></span> Janeiro in twenty-five days, where she -exchanged signals with the shore and sent letters and New York -newspapers by a vessel inward bound. She made the passage from New York -to Hong-kong in 104 days, and arrived at New York from Canton July 25, -1847, in 81 days, making the run from Anjer Point to Sandy Hook in 62 -days. On her second voyage she arrived at New York from Hong-kong, -November 7, 1847, in 105 days, and arrived from Canton at New York, -March 16, 1848, in 77 days. On this passage she made the run from St. -Helena to Sandy Hook in 32 days. Her next voyage was from New York to -Valparaiso, where she arrived July 5, 1848, in 69 days, thence to -Hong-kong, where she arrived December 7, 1848, in 52 days. She arrived -at New York March 25, 1849, 79 days from Canton. She next sailed from -New York for Canton via Valparaiso and arrived at Canton July 23, 1849, -118 sailing days from New York. She arrived at New York March 7, 1850, -from Canton in 85 days, making the run from Java Head in 73 days.</p> - -<p>This is a most remarkable series of passages, especially considering the -seasons of the year during which most of her China voyages were made. -Her best twenty-four hours’ run was 358 miles, a speed far in excess of -any ocean steamship of that period. The <i>Sea Witch</i> during the first -three years of her career, was without doubt the swiftest ship that -sailed the seas, and she continued to distinguish herself later on, in -her passages from New York to San Francisco under the command of Captain -George Fraser.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_70">{70}</a></span></p> - -<p>In 1847, A. A. Low & Bro. brought out the <i>Samuel Russell</i>, of 940 tons, -built by Brown & Bell and commanded by Captain N. B. Palmer, formerly of -the <i>Houqua</i>. Her first voyage from New York to Hong-kong was made by -the eastern passages in 114 days. On a voyage from Canton in 1851 she -sailed 6780 miles in 30 days, an average of 226 miles per day, her -greatest twenty-four hours’ run being 328 miles. This ship was named for -the eminent New York merchant, founder of the house of Russell & Co., of -China, with whom the brothers Low began their career as merchants and -ship-owners. She was a beautiful vessel, heavily sparred, with plenty of -light canvas for moderate weather, and every inch a clipper.</p> - -<p>The <i>Architect</i>, 520 tons, was also built in 1847, at Baltimore, for -Nye, Parkin & Co., American merchants in China, and was commanded by -Captain George Potter.</p> - -<p>The <i>Memnon</i>, 1068 tons, owned by Warren Delano, was built by Smith & -Dimon in 1848, and on her first voyage to China was commanded by Captain -Oliver Eldridge.</p> - -<p>These were the most celebrated of the clipper ships built in the United -States prior to the discovery of gold in California in 1848, though -there were, of course, many other fine vessels engaged in the China -trade, which had for years brought home cargoes of tea, silk, and -spices. During the twelve months from June 30, 1845 to July 1, 1846, -forty-one vessels arrived at New York from China, and probably as many -more at other Atlantic ports, chiefly Boston and Salem. Besides these -vessels there were the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_71">{71}</a></span> South American, African, and East India fleets, -as well as the lines of splendid packet ships sailing from New York, -Boston, and Philadelphia to European ports. In 1847, the ships owned in -the United States and engaged in foreign commerce registered 1,241,313 -tons.</p> - -<p>The American clippers were decidedly the fastest ships built up to that -time, yet much of their speed was due to the skill and energy of their -commanders. The manner in which American vessels were handled at this -period will be seen by extracts from the log-book of the ship <i>Great -Britain</i>, 524 tons, Captain Philip Dumaresq, on her homeward voyage from -China in 1849-50. She left Java Head December 22, 1849, and by January -14, 1850, had passed seven vessels bound the same way. The log from this -date reads in part as follows:</p> - -<p>“Squally, under double reefed topsails, passed a ship laying-to under a -close reefed main topsail.... January 24th, a southwest gale, close -reefed topsails, split courses; before doing this we were going seven -and one half knots close-hauled, within six points of the wind under -double-reefed topsails and courses; January 25th, split all three -topsails and had to heave-to; five vessels in sight, one a Dutch -frigate, all hove-to; January 27th, seven vessels in sight and we -outsail all of them; January 29th passed the Cape of Good Hope and -anchored in Table Bay, parted both chains and split nearly all the -sails; hove-to outside, blowing a gale offshore; January 30th, at 6 <small>A.M.</small> -bore up for St. Helena; February 1st, fresh trades, passed a ship under -double reefs, we with our royals and studdingsails<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_72">{72}</a></span> set; February 8th, -anchored at St. Helena with a stream anchor backed by remainder of one -of the chains; February 10th, having procured anchors and water, left -St. Helena; February 21st, crossed the line in longitude 31; March 12th, -under double-reefed topsails, passed several vessels laying-to; March -17th, took pilot off Sandy Hook, 84 days from Java Head, including -detentions.”</p> - -<p>Probably few if any of the vessels which Captain Dumaresq passed hove-to -or under short canvas were sailing under the American flag. It is worthy -of note that the <i>Great Britain</i> was at that time twenty-six years old, -having been built by Brown & Bell for the New York and Liverpool packet -service in 1824, and of course, was by no means a clipper.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_73">{73}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V<br><br> -<small>TWO EARLY CLIPPER SHIP COMMANDERS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">C</span>APTAIN ROBERT H. WATERMAN, the first commander of the <i>Sea Witch</i>, had -been known for some years among the shipping community of New York as an -exceptionally skilful seaman and navigator, but he first began to -attract public attention about 1844 by some remarkably fast voyages in -the ship <i>Natchez</i>. Captain Waterman was born in the city of New York, -March 4, 1808, and at the age of twelve shipped on board of a vessel -bound for China. After working through the grades of ordinary and able -seaman, and third, second, and chief mate on board of various vessels, -he sailed for a number of voyages as mate with Captain Charles H. -Marshall in the Black Ball packet ship <i>Britannia</i> between New York and -Liverpool. At that time he was counted one of the smartest mates sailing -out of New York, and was noted for keeping the <i>Britannia</i> in fine -shape, as well as for his ability in maintaining proper order and -discipline among the steerage passengers and crew, who were always a -source of anxiety and trouble to packet-ship captains. When his vessel -was bound to the westward in 1831, one of the sailors fell overboard -from aloft during a heavy gale, and Mr. Waterman<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_74">{74}</a></span> saved the man’s life -at the risk of his own. The cabin passengers of the <i>Britannia</i> -presented him with a substantial testimonial in appreciation of his -humane and gallant conduct. At this time he was twenty-three years old. -Two years later he was promoted to captain, and in this capacity he made -five voyages round the globe.</p> - -<p>In 1843 he took command of the <i>Natchez</i>. This ship, as we have seen in -Chapter III., was one of the full-pooped New Orleans packets, and was -built by Isaac Webb in 1831. Captain Waterman took her around Cape Horn -to the west coast of South America, thence across the Pacific to Canton, -where he loaded a cargo of tea for New York, and made the passage home -in 94 days and the voyage round the globe in 9 months and 26 days. In -1844 Captain Waterman sailed again in the <i>Natchez</i> from New York for -Valparaiso and made the passage in 71 days, thence to Callao in 8 days, -and to Hong-kong in 54 days. She again loaded tea for New York and -sailed from Canton January 15, 1845, passed Java Head on the 26th, and -39 days out was off the Cape of Good Hope, crossed the equator 61 days -out, arriving in New York April 3d, 78 days from Canton, a total -distance of 13,955 miles. Her run from the equator to New York in 17 -days, and indeed, this whole passage, was most remarkable, as the -<i>Natchez</i> during her packet days had established the reputation of being -an uncommonly slow ship. Captain Waterman received a grand ovation in -New York upon this record passage from China, and it was suggested that -he had brought the old hooker home by some route unknown to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_75">{75}</a></span> other -navigators. In 1845-46 Captain Waterman made one more voyage to China in -the <i>Natchez</i>, from New York direct to Hong-kong in 104 days, and -returned to New York in 83 days.</p> - -<p>A series of voyages such as these, by a ship of the type and character -of the <i>Natchez</i>, would probably have established the reputation of any -one commanding her, and when we consider that “Bob” Waterman, for so he -was known, was at this time a young captain of an unusually attractive -personality, it is not difficult to understand the pride and admiration -with which he was regarded by his friends, of whom he had many, both in -New York and in the various foreign ports to which he had sailed. The -owners of the <i>Natchez</i>, Howland & Aspinwall, were so favorably -impressed not only by his ability as a seaman and navigator, but by his -loyalty to their interests, that, as we have seen, they built the -clipper ship <i>Sea Witch</i> for him in 1846. While she was building, -Captain Waterman married Cordelia, a daughter of David Sterling, of -Bridgeport, and Mrs. Waterman was present as a bride when the ship was -launched.</p> - -<p>In 1849, Captain Waterman resigned from the <i>Sea Witch</i> to take the -Pacific Mail steamship <i>Northerner</i> from New York to San Francisco. -During the three years that he had commanded the <i>Sea Witch</i>, she had -made a large amount of money for her owners, and Captain Waterman had -added to his reputation,—so much so, indeed, that certain good people -began to say unpleasant things of him. It was alleged that Captain -Waterman carried sail<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_76">{76}</a></span> too hard, that he exceeded the bounds of prudence -in this respect, and kept padlocks on the topsail sheets and rackings on -the topsail halliards fore and aft; also that he maintained a standard -of discipline far more severe than was necessary.</p> - -<p>It is probable that Captain Waterman did carry sail rather hard—most -American captains who wanted to get anywhere in those days usually -did—and as to the padlocks and rackings, more than one captain used -these precautions to prevent villainous or cowardly sailors from letting -go sheets and halliards by the run, when according to their ideas the -ship had too much canvas on her. The fact, however, remains that in the -eighteen years during which Captain Waterman commanded various ships, he -never lost a spar or carried away rigging of any importance, and never -called on underwriters for one dollar of loss or damage. The record -shows that six of the men before the mast sailed with him upon all his -voyages in the <i>Natchez</i> and the <i>Sea Witch</i>, a rare occurrence at that -period, or at any other time of which we have knowledge, and creditable -alike to the sailors, the ships, and their commander.</p> - -<p>The truth is that Captain Waterman was a humane, conscientious, -high-minded man, who never spared himself nor any one else when a duty -was to be performed. There are, and always have been, lazy, incompetent, -mutinous sailors, a type of men that Captain Waterman detested. They -found no comfort in sailing with him, and were glad when the voyage was -ended, so that they might scramble ashore and relate their woes to the -sympathetic<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_77">{77}</a></span> legal “gents” who were usually to be found hanging about -Pier 9, East River, when the <i>Sea Witch</i> was reported coming up the bay. -We shall hear more of Captain Waterman and his crew on board of the -<i>Challenge</i> in a later chapter.</p> - -<p>The celebrated clipper-ship captain, Nathaniel Brown Palmer, the first -commander of the <i>Paul Jones</i>, <i>Houqua</i>, <i>Samuel Russell</i>, and -<i>Oriental</i>, was born in the pretty town of Stonington, on Long Island -Sound in 1799, and came from distinguished colonial ancestry. His -grandfather’s only brother fell mortally wounded at the battle of Groton -Heights in 1771, while his father was an eminent lawyer and a man of -marked ability.</p> - -<p>At the age of fourteen or just as the War of 1812 was fairly under way, -Nathaniel shipped on board of a coasting vessel which ran to ports -between Maine and New York, and continued in this service until he was -eighteen, when he was appointed second mate of the brig <i>Hersilia</i>, -bound down somewhere about Cape Horn on a sealing voyage.</p> - -<p>These sealing expeditions were also at that period more or less voyages -of discovery. For years there had been rumors of a mythical island -called Auroras, embellished with romance and mystery by the whalers of -Nantucket, New Bedford, and New London, and described as lying away to -the eastward of the Horn, concerning which no forecastle yarn was too -extravagant for belief. Whaling captains by the score had spent days and -weeks in unprofitable search for it. On this voyage Captain J. P. -Sheffield, of the <i>Hersilia</i>, landed at one of the Falkland Islands, -where he left his second mate<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_78">{78}</a></span> and one sailor to kill bullocks for -provisions, and then sailed away in search of the fabled island.</p> - -<p>Young Nat Palmer proceeded to capture and slay bullocks, and when, after -a few days, a ship hove in sight, he piloted her into a safe anchorage, -and supplied her with fresh meat. This vessel proved to be the <i>Espirito -Santo</i>, from Buenos Ayres, and the captain informed Nat that he was -bound to a place where there were thousands of seals, and where a cargo -could be secured with little effort, but he declined to disclose its -position. The mind of the young sailor naturally turned to the magic -isle of Auroras, where, according to the saga preserved beside the -camp-fires of corner grocery stores in New England whaling towns, -silver, gold, and precious gems lay scattered along the beach in -glittering profusion, the treasure of some huge galleon, wrecked and -broken up centuries ago, when Spain was powerful upon the sea.</p> - -<p>There must have been something about the whale fishery highly inspiring -to the imagination, though to see one of the greasy old Nantucket or New -Bedford blubber hunters wallowing about in the South Pacific, one would -hardly have suspected it, yet among the spinners of good, tough tarry -sea yarns, some of the authors of narratives relating to the pursuit and -capture of the whale are easily entitled to wear champion belts as -masters of pure fiction. Whaling is one of the least hazardous, the most -commonplace, and, taken altogether about the laziest occupation that -human beings have ever been engaged in upon the sea. Sailors aboard the -clippers fifty years ago used to refer to whale ships as<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_79">{79}</a></span> “butcher shops -adrift,” and on account of the slovenly condition of their hulls, spars, -sails, and rigging, a “spouter” was generally regarded among seamen as -one of the biggest jokes afloat. As a matter of fact the whale is about -as stupid and inoffensive a creature as exists, and when occasionally he -does some harm—smashing up a boat, for instance—it is usually in a -flurry of fright, with no malice or intent to kill. If a whale possessed -the instinct of self-defence he could never be captured with a harpoon, -but he has evidently been created as he is for the benefit of mankind, -and incidentally as a temptation to scribes, from the days of the -indigestible Jonah even to the piscatory romancers of our own times.</p> - -<p>Well, the captain of the <i>Espirito Santo</i>, after filling his -water-casks, laying in a stock of provisions, and giving his crew a run -ashore sheeted home his topsails, hove up anchor, and departed. Young -Nat took such a lively interest in the welfare of this craft that he -carefully watched her progress until the last shred of her canvas faded -upon the horizon. He judged by the sun, for he had no compass, that her -course was about south.</p> - -<p>Three days after the departure of the <i>Espirito Santo</i>, the <i>Hersilia</i> -appeared. Captain Sheffield had found nothing and seen nothing, except -the cold, gray sky, and the long, ceaseless heaving of the Southern -Ocean’s mighty breast, a few stray, hungry, screeching albatross, and -once in a while, for a moment, a whale, with smooth, glistening back, -spouting jets of feathery spray high in the keen, misty air, then -sounding among the caverns of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_80">{80}</a></span> deep. He had returned, like so many -other credulous mariners, empty-handed, but he found his young second -mate in a white heat of enthusiasm as he reported to his commander what -he had learned, and finally, with the hopefulness of youth, declared his -belief that “we can follow that <i>Espirito Santo</i>, and find her, too.” -And they did, for in a few days she was discovered lying at anchor in a -bay off the South Shetlands, islands at that time unknown in North -America, though soon to become famous as the home of seals. The officers -and crew of the <i>Espirito Santo</i> greeted them with surprise, while their -admiration took the substantial form of assisting to load the <i>Hersilia</i> -with ten thousand of the finest sealskins, with which she returned to -Stonington.</p> - -<p>This exploit spread like wildfire through New England whaling ports, and -secured Captain Palmer at the age of twenty, command of the Stonington -sloop <i>Hero</i>, “but little rising forty tons,” on board of which he -sailed again for the Antarctic seas, as tender to the <i>Hersilia</i>, in -1819. Upon this voyage, after calling at the Falkland Islands for water -and provisions, they again steered for the South Shetlands, and the -<i>Hersilia</i> and <i>Hero</i> returned to Stonington with full cargoes of -sealskins.</p> - -<p>In 1821, Captain Palmer again sailed in the <i>Hero</i> upon an expedition to -the South Shetlands, composed of six vessels commanded by Captain -William Fenning of the brig <i>Alabama Packet</i>. By this time, however, the -seals had been nearly exterminated, and Captain Palmer sailed farther -south in search of new sealing-grounds, until he sighted<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_81">{81}</a></span> land not laid -down on any chart. He cruised along the coast for some days and -satisfied himself that it was not an island, and after anchoring in -several bays without finding any seals, although the high cliffs and -rocks were covered by multitudes of penguin, he steered away to the -northward with light winds and fog.</p> - -<p>One night the <i>Hero</i> lay becalmed in a dense fog, the cold, penetrating -mist drenching her sails and dripping from the main boom along her -narrow deck. At midnight Captain Palmer relieved his mate and took the -deck for the middle watch. When the man at the helm struck one bell, the -captain was somewhat startled to hear the sound repeated twice at short -intervals, for he knew, or thought he knew, that the only living things -within many leagues were whales, albatross, penguin, and the like, nor -did he recall ever hearing that these harmless creatures carried bells -with them. The men of the watch on deck were really alarmed, for in -those days superstition had not by any means departed from the ocean. -The crew had heard of the fierce Kraken of northern seas, and suddenly -remembered all about the doomed and unforgiven Vanderdecken, to say -nothing of mythical local celebrities, renowned in all the barrooms of -coast towns between Cornfield Point and Siasconset Head, nor were their -fears assuaged when at two bells the same thing happened again, and so -on through the watch.</p> - -<p>Captain Palmer, however, concluded that, strange as it seemed, he must -be in company with other vessels, and so at four o’clock he left the -mate in<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_82">{82}</a></span> charge of the deck with orders to call him if the fog lifted, -and turned in for his morning watch below. At seven bells the mate -reported that the fog had cleared a little and a light breeze was -springing up, and by the time Captain Palmer got on deck two large -men-of-war were in sight not more than a mile distant—a frigate on the -port bow and a sloop of war on the starboard quarter, both showing -Russian colors. Soon the United States ensign was run up at the main -peak of the <i>Hero</i> and floated gaily in the morning breeze. The three -vessels were now hove to, and a twelve-oared launch was seen approaching -from the frigate, her crew and officer in the stern sheets in uniform. -As she swept round the stern of the <i>Hero</i> the crew tossed oars and the -coxswain shot her alongside. She really looked almost as large as the -little sloop; at all events the Russian officer stepped from her gunwale -to the deck of the <i>Hero</i>. The officer spoke English fluently, and -presented the compliments of Commander Bellingshausen, who invited the -captain of the American sloop to come on board his ship.</p> - -<p>Captain Palmer was all his life a man of purpose rather than of -ceremony, though by no means deficient in dignity and self-respect. He -accepted the invitation, and giving an order or two to his mate, stepped -into the launch just as he stood, in sea boots, sealskin-coat, and -sou’wester. They were soon alongside the frigate, and Captain Palmer was -ushered into the commander’s spacious and luxurious cabin. The scene was -impressive; the venerable, white-haired commander surrounded by<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_83">{83}</a></span> his -officers in uniform, and the stalwart young American captain standing -with respectful dignity, his rough weather-worn sea-dress contrasting -with his fresh, intelligent, handsome face. Commander Bellingshausen -smiled pleasantly, and taking his guest by the hand, said kindly, “You -are welcome, young man; be seated.”</p> - -<p>After questioning Captain Palmer about himself, his vessel, and the land -he had discovered, and incidentally remarking that he himself had been -two years upon a voyage of discovery, the commander asked to see Captain -Palmer’s chart and log-book. These were sent for on board the <i>Hero</i> -while an elaborate luncheon was being served, and were afterwards -carefully examined. The commander then rose from his seat and placing -his hand in a parental manner upon the young captain’s head, delivered -quite an oration: “I name the land you have discovered ‘Palmer Land’ in -your honor; but what will my august master say, and what will he think -of my cruising for two years in search of land that has been discovered -by a boy, in a sloop but little larger than the launch of my frigate?” -Captain Palmer was unable to offer any information on this point, but he -thanked his host for the honor conferred upon him, and for his kindness -and hospitality, remaining somewhat non-committal in his opinion as to -the old gentleman’s qualifications as an explorer.</p> - -<p>It may be mentioned that upon all charts this portion of the Antarctic -Continent is laid down as “Palmer Land,” also that some twenty years -elapsed before it was rediscovered by the British<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_84">{84}</a></span> explorer, Sir James -Ross, in command of the famous <i>Erebus</i> and <i>Terror</i> expedition.</p> - -<p>Captain Palmer next took command of the schooner <i>Cadet</i>, owned by -Borrows & Spooner, of New York, on board of which he made a number of -voyages to the Spanish Main. In 1826 he took the brig <i>Tampico</i> to -Carthagena, and upon his return he married a daughter of Major Paul -Babcock and sister of Captain David S. Babcock, afterwards famous as -commander of the clipper ships <i>Sword-Fish</i> and <i>Young America</i>, and -subsequently President of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Captain Palmer -then took the brig <i>Francis</i> on several voyages to Europe, and in 1829 -was in command of the brig <i>Anawan</i>, exploring new sealing-grounds among -the islands about Cape Horn. In 1833 he took command of the New Orleans -packet ship <i>Huntsville</i>, and then of the <i>Hibernia</i>, <i>Garrick</i>, and -<i>Siddons</i>. In 1842 and the years following, as we have seen, he -commanded the clippers <i>Paul Jones</i>, <i>Houqua</i>, <i>Samuel Russell</i>, and -<i>Oriental</i>, and in 1850 retired from the sea.</p> - -<p>At this time he was well known, not only among his neighbors and friends -at Stonington, but in the great seaports of Europe and China as “Captain -Nat,” and many of those who talked about what he had said and what he -had done were apparently unaware that he possessed any other name. It is -pleasant to reflect that the neighboring seaport of Bristol has -perpetuated the title in one who is respected and beloved, not more for -his genius than for his modesty and reserve.</p> - -<p>It was, of course, impossible for a man of Cap<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_85">{85}</a></span>tain Palmer’s earnest -temperament and varied activities to lead a life of pleasure and -idleness, so one of the first things that he did upon his retirement was -to take the auxiliary steamship <i>United States</i> from New York to Bremen -where she was sold. When some of his friends rallied him, asking whether -he considered this giving up the sea, Captain Palmer replied, “Well, I -really don’t know how you can call a trip like this going to sea.”</p> - -<p>For many years Captain Palmer was the confidential adviser of A. A. Low -& Brother in all matters relating to their ships, which occupied a -considerable portion of his time, and while he was a seaman <i>par -excellence</i>, he also possessed other accomplishments. He had much -knowledge of the design and construction of ships, and many of his -suggestions were embodied in the <i>Houqua</i>, <i>Samuel Russell</i>, <i>Oriental</i>, -and other ships subsequently owned by the Lows. He was also a fine -all-round sportsman, being a skilful yachtsman, excellent shot, and -truthful fisherman. Altogether, he owned some fifteen yachts, and he was -one of the earliest members of the New York Yacht Club, joining on June -7, 1845. The beautiful schooner <i>Juliet</i>, of seventy tons, designed by -himself, was the last yacht owned by him. On board of her he sailed, -summer after summer, upon the pleasant waters of the New England coast -that he had known from boyhood and loved so well.</p> - -<p>Captain Palmer stood fully six feet, and was a man of great physical -strength and endurance. He was an active member of the Currituck Club, -and at<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_86">{86}</a></span> the age of seventy-six, on his annual cruise to the Thimble -Islands for duck shooting, few of the party of much younger men held so -steady a gun, or could endure the fatigue and exposure for which he -seemed to care nothing. Though rugged in appearance, his roughness was -all on the outside; his heart was filled with kindness and sympathy for -the joys and sorrows of others. His brother, Captain Alexander Palmer, a -seaman only less famous than himself, once said: “My home is here in -Stonington, but Nat’s home is the world.” Captain Palmer was deeply -though not vainly religious, and was long a warden of Calvary Episcopal -Church at Stonington.</p> - -<p>In 1876 he accompanied his nephew, Nathaniel B. Palmer, his brother -Alexander’s eldest son, who was in feeble health, to Santa Barbara, but -as the invalid derived no benefit there, they went for the sea voyage to -China on board the clipper ship <i>Mary Whitridge</i>. At Hong-kong, Captain -Palmer received an ovation, for, while few of his old friends there were -still alive, those who were left had good memories. On the return voyage -to San Francisco on the steamship <i>City of Pekin</i>, Captain Palmer’s -nephew died when the vessel was but one day out. This was a terrible -blow to Captain Palmer, from which he never recovered. On arriving at -San Francisco he was confined to his bed, and although he received every -care, he died there on June 21, 1877, in his seventy-eighth year. At the -close of a glorious summer day, the remains of the devoted uncle and -nephew were laid at rest in the churchyard at Stonington, by the hands -of those who had known and loved them well.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_87">{87}</a></span></p> - -<p>Captain Palmer was a fine type of the American merchant seaman of that -period, and I have thought it worth while to trace the leading events of -his life, because he always seemed to me to be the father of American -clipper-ship captains. Probably no one ever brought up so many young men -who afterward became successful shipmasters, while his character and -example were an inspiration to many who never sailed with him. It is -indicative of the broad and far-reaching sympathies of Captain Palmer’s -life, that not only a part of the Antarctic Continent bears his name—an -enduring monument to his memory—but that A. A. Low & Brother named one -of their finest clipper ships, the <i>N. B. Palmer</i>, and the famous -schooner-yacht <i>Palmer</i>, owned for many years by Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, -was also named for him. Few men in private life have had part of a -continent, a clipper ship, and yacht named for them.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_88">{88}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI<br><br> -<small>THE REPEAL OF THE BRITISH NAVIGATION LAWS—THE “ORIENTAL”</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE repeal of the British Navigation Laws in 1849, after violent -opposition in Parliament and the House of Lords, and from almost every -British ship builder and ship-owner, gave a new impetus to the building -of clipper ships, as the British merchant marine was then for the first -time brought into direct competition with the vessels of other -nationalities, especially those of the United States.</p> - -<p>During the years that had elapsed since the closing up of the East India -Company in 1832, some effort had been made to improve the model and -construction of British merchant ships, and as we have seen, clipper -schooners had been built for the Aberdeen service and for the opium -trade in China, but no attempt had been made in Great Britain to build -clipper ships. British ship-owners still felt secure under the -Navigation Laws, in the possession of their carrying trade with the Far -East, and paid little attention to the improvements in naval -architecture which had been effected in the United States.</p> - -<p>This was not from ignorance of what had been accomplished there, for the -fast American packet<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_89">{89}</a></span> ships had long been seen lying in the London and -Liverpool docks. In 1848, Lord William Lennox, in an article entitled <i>A -Fortnight in Cheshire</i>, mentions seeing them. He says: “Here (Liverpool) -are some splendid American liners. I went on board the <i>Henry Clay</i> of -New York, and received the greatest attention from her commander, -Captain Ezra Nye. Nothing can exceed the beauty of this ship; she is -quite a model for a frigate. Her accommodations are superior to any -sailing vessel I ever saw.” There were also the <i>Independence</i>, -<i>Yorkshire</i>, <i>Montezuma</i>, <i>Margaret Evans</i>, <i>New World</i>, and scores of -other fast American packet ships which had been sailing in and out of -Liverpool and London for years. The arrivals and departures of these -vessels created no deep impression upon the minds of British -ship-owners, because they were not at that time competing with sailing -vessels for the North Atlantic trade to the United States.</p> - -<p>The same lack of enterprise was apparent in the men who handled their -vessels, as we may see from the following amusing description in De -Tocqueville’s <i>Democracy in America</i>, published in 1835<a id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a>:</p> - -<p>“The European sailor navigates with prudence; he only sets sail when the -weather is favorable; if an unfortunate accident befalls him, he puts -into port; at night he furls a portion of his canvas; and when the -whitening billows intimate the vicinity of land, he checks his way and -takes an observation of the sun. But the American neglects these -precautions<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_90">{90}</a></span> and braves these dangers. He weighs anchor in the midst of -tempestuous gales; by night and day he spreads his sheets to the winds; -he repairs as he goes along such damage as his vessel may have sustained -from the storm; and when he at last approaches the term of his voyage, -he darts onward to the shore as if he already descried a port. The -Americans are often shipwrecked, but no trader crosses the seas so -rapidly. And as they perform the same distance in shorter time, they can -perform it at a cheaper rate.</p> - -<p>“The European touches several times at different ports in the course of -a long voyage; he loses a good deal of precious time in making harbor, -or in waiting for a favorable wind to leave it; and pays daily dues to -be allowed to remain there. The American starts from Boston to purchase -tea in China; he arrives at Canton, stays there a few days, and then -returns. In less than two years he has sailed as far as the entire -circumference of the globe, and he has seen land but once. It is true -that during a voyage of eight or ten months he has drunk brackish water, -and lived upon salt meat; that he has been in a continual contest with -the sea, with disease, and with a tedious existence; but, upon his -return, he can sell a pound of tea for a half-penny less than the -English merchant, and his purpose is accomplished.</p> - -<p>“I cannot better explain my meaning than by saying that the Americans -affect a sort of heroism in their manner of trading. But the European -merchant will always find it very difficult to imitate his American -competitor, who, in adopting the sys<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_91">{91}</a></span>tem I have just described, follows -not only a calculation of his gain, but an impulse of his nature.”</p> - -<p>At that time there were several American ships that could have -transported De Tocqueville from Boston to Canton and back in -considerably less than two years, and doubtless their captains would -have supplied him with something much better than brackish water to -drink, besides convincing him that what he regarded as recklessness was -in reality fine seamanship, and that he had been in no greater danger of -shipwreck than on board a vessel of any other nationality, besides being -a great deal more comfortable.</p> - -<p>Some time before 1849, British sea-captains must have seen the American -clipper ships in the ports of China; or perhaps an Indiaman in the lone -southern ocean may have been lying almost becalmed on the long heaving -swell, lurching and slatting the wind out of her baggy hemp sails, while -her officers and crew watched an American clipper as she swept past, -under a cloud of canvas, curling the foam along her keen, slender bow. -But when these mariners returned home and related what they had seen, -their yarns were doubtless greeted with a jolly, good-humored smile of -British incredulity. With the Navigation Laws to protect them, British -ship-owners cared little about American ships and their exploits.</p> - -<p>These Navigation Laws, first enacted in 1651 by the Parliament of -Cromwell, and affirmed by Charles II. soon after his restoration to the -throne, were intended to check the increasing power of<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_92">{92}</a></span> Holland upon the -sea, but they had quite the contrary effect. With a few slight changes, -however, they were passed along from generation to generation, until -Adam Smith exposed the fallacy of Protection in his <i>Wealth of Nations</i>, -which appeared in 1776. From that time on, British statesmen, few in -number at first, adopted his teachings, and under the pressure of -popular clamor some concessions were made, especially in the way of -reciprocity treaties, but it was nearly three quarters of a century -before these barbaric old laws, a legacy from the thieving barons, were -finally swept away.</p> - -<p>It may be well briefly to enumerate these laws as they stood previous to -their repeal, for it is seldom that one comes across so much ingenious -stupidity in so compact a form; also mainly because through their repeal -the ships of Great Britain eventually became the greatest ocean carriers -of the world.</p> - -<p>(I.) Certain enumerated articles of European produce could only be -imported to the United Kingdom for consumption, in British ships or in -ships of the country of which the goods were the produce, or in ships of -that country from which they were usually imported.</p> - -<p>(II.) No produce of Asia, Africa, or America could be imported for -consumption in the United Kingdom from Europe in any ships; and such -produce could only be imported from any other place in British ships or -in ships of the country of which they were the produce.</p> - -<p>(III.) No goods could be carried coastwise from<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_93">{93}</a></span> one part of the United -Kingdom to another in any but British ships.</p> - -<p>(IV.) No goods could be exported from the United Kingdom to any of the -British possessions in Asia, Africa, or America (with some exceptions in -regard to India) in any but British ships.</p> - -<p>(V.) No goods could be carried from one British possession in Asia, -Africa, or America to another, nor from one part of such possession to -another part of the same, in any but British ships.</p> - -<p>(VI.) No goods could be imported into any British possessions in Asia, -Africa, or America, in any but British ships, or ships of the country of -which the goods were the produce; provided also, in such case, that such -ships brought the goods from that country.</p> - -<p>(VII.) No foreign ships were allowed to trade with any of the British -possessions unless they had been specially authorized to do so by orders -in Council.</p> - -<p>(VIII.) Powers were given to the sovereign in Council to impose -differential duties on the ships of any country which did the same with -reference to British ships; and also to place restrictions on -importations from any foreign countries which placed restrictions on -British importations into such countries.</p> - -<p>Furthermore, by an act passed in 1786, British subjects were prohibited -from owning foreign-built vessels. This act was regarded as one of the -Navigation Laws, and was repealed with them.</p> - -<p>One of the objects of the repeal of the Navigation Laws was to enable -British ship-owners to become<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_94">{94}</a></span> the ocean carriers of the world, and to -remove every restraint as to where they should build or buy their ships. -This step was a natural sequence to the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, -and the glorious dawn of Free Trade, by which every British subject was -permitted to purchase whatever he required in the best and cheapest -market, and so was able to work at a moderate wage, and to have -continuous employment. Thus Great Britain, with few natural advantages, -became the great workshop of the world and controlled every market upon -the globe in which her manufactures were not excluded by the barrier of -Protection. Even from these countries she reaped a decided benefit, for -they were so hampered by Protection, which increased the expense of -living, created high rates of wages for labor but with uncertain -employment, and brought about increased cost of production, whether of -ships or merchandise, that it became impossible for them to compete in -the open markets of the world, and these avenues of trade were left open -for Great Britain to exploit at her pleasure.</p> - -<p>Such was the belief of the great leader, Richard Cobden, and his -brilliant colleagues. They were convinced that if British merchants were -to carry on the commerce of Great Britain they must do so untrammelled -as to where they bought or built their ships; they realized the fact -that cheaper and better wooden sailing vessels—then the ocean cargo -carriers of the world—were being built in the United States than could -be constructed in Great Britain. (Indeed, as we shall presently see, the -finest, largest, and fastest ships owned or chartered in Great<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_95">{95}</a></span> Britain -between the years 1850 and 1857, came from the shipyards of the United -States.) They fully recognized the importance of the home ship-building -industry, and did everything possible to encourage it, but they also -perceived that ship-owning is of vastly more importance to a nation than -ship-building, and that fleets of ships are not commerce but only the -instruments with which commerce performs its work; likewise, that the -nation owning the best and cheapest ships, no matter where or by whom -built, must and will, other things being equal, do not only most of its -own carrying trade, but also a considerable portion of that of other -nations. These men were not willing any longer to sacrifice the carrying -trade of their country in order that a few comparatively unimportant -ship-builders, grown incompetent through long years of monopoly, might -continue to thrive at the expense of the nation.</p> - -<p>No people excel the English in courage and resource in times of national -trouble, and they had long before this fought battles for -freedom—freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, -freedom of the slave, freedom to worship God,—and now the final contest -for freedom, the freedom of trade, had been bravely fought and won. The -result, of course, was not immediate, as it required several years to -recover from the evil effects of two centuries of Protection. The fruits -of victories for freedom rarely ripen quickly, and in this instance the -records show that the increase of British shipping for the year before -the repeal of the Navigation Laws had been 393,955 tons, while dur<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_96">{96}</a></span>ing -the year following there had been a decrease of 180,576 tons; also that -foreign vessels arriving from foreign ports increased from 75,278 tons -to 364,587 tons in these years. It was therefore natural that there -should be a feeling of despondency throughout Great Britain among those -who had opposed the repeal, for they thought that their fears were being -realized, and that the over-sea carrying trade, which they had regarded -as their own, was being taken from them. In this hour of gloom the -stout-hearted ship-owners of London and Liverpool resolved that England -should again become Mistress of the Sea, and so competition, the -stimulus needed to rouse their latent abilities, was the instrument of -their salvation.</p> - -<p>The first American ship to carry a cargo of tea from China to England -after the repeal of the Navigation Laws was the clipper <i>Oriental</i>, of -1003 tons, built for A. A. Low & Brother in 1849, by Jacob Bell, who -continued in the ship-building business after the firm of Brown & Bell -was dissolved in 1848. This ship’s length was 185 feet, breadth 36 feet, -depth 21 feet. She sailed from New York on her first voyage, commanded -by Captain N. B. Palmer, September 14, 1849, and arrived at Hong-kong by -the Eastern passages in 109 days. She discharged, took on board a full -cargo of tea for New York, sailed January 30, 1850, and arrived April -21st, 81 days’ passage. This was Captain Palmer’s last command, though -he lived many years, as we have seen, to enjoy the fruits of his toil -upon the sea.</p> - -<p>The <i>Oriental</i> sailed on her second voyage from New York for China, May -19, 1850, under the com<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_97">{97}</a></span>mand of Captain Theodore Palmer, a younger -brother of Captain Nat, and was 25 days to the equator; she passed the -meridian of the Cape of Good Hope 45 days out, Java Head 71 days out, -and arrived at Hong-kong, August 8th, 81 days from New York. She was at -once chartered through Russell & Co. to load a cargo of tea for London -at £6 per ton of 40 cubic feet, while British ships were waiting for -cargoes for London at £3:10 per ton of 50 cubic feet. She sailed August -28th, and beat down the China Sea against a strong southwest monsoon in -21 days to Anjer, arrived off the Lizard in 91 days, and was moored in -the West India Docks, London, 97 days from Hong-kong—a passage from -China never before equalled in point of speed, especially against the -southwest monsoon, and rarely surpassed since. She delivered 1600 tons -of tea, and her freight from Hong-kong amounted to £9600, or some -$48,000. Her first cost ready for sea was $70,000. From the date of her -first sailing from New York, September 14, 1849, to arrival at London, -December 3, 1850, the <i>Oriental</i> had sailed a distance of 67,000 miles, -and had during that time been at sea 367 days, an average in all -weathers of 183 miles per day.</p> - -<p>Throngs of people visited the West India Docks to look at the -<i>Oriental</i>. They certainly saw a beautiful ship; every line of her long, -black hull indicated power and speed; her tall raking masts and -skysail-yards towered above the spars of the shipping in the docks; her -white cotton sails were neatly furled under bunt, quarter, and yardarm -gaskets; while her topmast, topgallant, and royal stud<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_98">{98}</a></span>dingsail booms -and long, heavy, lower studdingsail booms swung in along her rails, gave -an idea of the enormous spread of canvas held in reserve for light and -moderate leading winds; her blocks, standing and running rigging were -neatly fitted to stand great stress and strain, but with no unnecessary -top-hamper, or weight aloft. On deck everything was for use; the spare -spars, scraped bright and varnished, were neatly lashed along the -waterways; the inner side of the bulwarks, the rails and the deck-houses -were painted pure white; the hatch combings, skylights, pin-rails, and -companions were of Spanish mahogany; the narrow planks of her clear pine -deck, with the gratings and ladders, were scrubbed and holystoned to the -whiteness of cream; the brass capstan heads, bells, belaying pins, -gangway stanchions, and brasswork about the wheel, binnacle, and -skylights were of glittering brightness. Throughout she was a triumph of -the shipwright’s and seaman’s toil and skill.</p> - -<p>No ship like the <i>Oriental</i> had even been seen in England, and the -ship-owners of London were constrained to admit that they had nothing to -compare with her in speed, beauty of model, rig, or construction. It is -not too much to say that the arrival of this vessel in London with her -cargo of tea in this crisis in 1850, aroused almost as much apprehension -and excitement in Great Britain as was created by the memorable Tea -Party held in Boston harbor in 1773. The Admiralty obtained permission -to take off her lines in dry dock; the <i>Illustrated London News</i> -published her portrait, not a very good one by the way; and the <i>Times</i> -honored<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_99">{99}</a></span> her arrival by a leader, which ended with these brave, wise -words:</p> - -<p>“The rapid increase of population in the United States, augmented by an -annual immigration of nearly three hundred thousand from these isles, is -a fact that forces itself on the notice and interest of the most -unobservant and uncurious. All these promise to develop the resources of -the United States to such an extent as to compel us to a competition as -difficult as it is unavoidable. We must run a race with our gigantic and -unshackled rival. We must set our long-practised skill, our steady -industry, and our dogged determination, against his youth, ingenuity, -and ardor. It is a father who runs a race with his son. A fell necessity -constrains us and we must not be beat. Let our ship-builders and -employers take warning in time. There will always be an abundant supply -of vessels, good enough and fast enough for short voyages. The -coal-trade can take care of itself, for it will always be a refuge for -the destitute. But we want fast vessels for the long voyages, which -otherwise will fall into American hands. It is fortunate that the -Navigation Laws have been repealed in time to destroy these false and -unreasonable expectations, which might have lulled the ardor of British -competition. We now all start together with a fair field and no favor. -The American captain can call at London, and the British captain can -pursue his voyage to New York. Who can complain? Not we. We trust that -our countrymen will not be beaten; but if they should be, we shall know -that they deserve it.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_100">{100}</a></span>”</p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII<br><br> -<small>THE RUSH FOR CALIFORNIA—A SAILING DAY</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE world has seldom witnessed so gigantic a migration of human beings, -by land and sea, from every quarter of the globe, as that which poured -into California in 1848 and the years following. San Francisco, from a -drowsy, Mexican trading station, composed of a cluster of some fifty mud -huts, adobe dwellings, and hide houses, situated upon a magnificent bay -with lofty mountains in the distance, occasionally enlivened by the -visit of a New Bedford or Nantucket whale ship in need of wood and -water, or a Boston hide droger which took away tallow, hides, and horns, -suddenly became one of the great seaports of the world.</p> - -<p>From April 1, 1847, to the same date in 1848, two ships, one barque and -one brig arrived at San Francisco from Atlantic ports, and in the course -of this year nine American whalers called in there. In 1849, 775 vessels -cleared from Atlantic ports for San Francisco; 242 ships, 218 barques, -170 brigs, 132 schooners, and 12 steamers. New York sent 214 vessels, -Boston 151, New Bedford 42, Baltimore 38, New Orleans 32, Philadelphia -31, Salem 23, Bath 19, Bangor 13, New London 17, Providence 11, Eastport -10, and Nantucket 8. Almost every<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_101">{101}</a></span> seaport along the Atlantic coast, -sent one or more vessels, and they all carried passengers. The schooner -<i>Eureka</i> sailed from Cleveland, Ohio, for San Francisco via the River -St. Lawrence, September 28, 1849, and carried fifty-three passengers, -among whom were two families from Cleveland. Many of these vessels never -reached California; some of them put into ports of refuge disabled and -in distress; while others were never heard from. Most of the ships that -did arrive at San Francisco made long, weary voyages, their passengers -and crews suffering sore hardships and privations.</p> - -<p>In the year 1849, 91,405 passengers landed at San Francisco from various -ports of the world, of almost every nationality under the sun and -representing some of the best and some of the worst types of men and -women. The officers and crews, with hardly an exception, hurried to the -mines, leaving their ships to take care of themselves; in some instances -the crews did not even wait long enough to stow the sails and be paid -off, so keen were they to join the wild race for gold. Many of these -vessels never left the harbor; over one hundred were turned into store -ships, while others were converted into hotels, hospitals, and prisons, -or gradually perished by decay.</p> - -<p>The first vessel, and one of the few of the California fleet of 1849, -which escaped from San Francisco, was the ship <i>South Carolina</i>. This -vessel sailed from New York, January 24, 1849, and returned via -Valparaiso with a cargo of copper to Boston, where she arrived February -20, 1850, after a voyage out and home of some thirteen months.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_102">{102}</a></span></p> - -<p>A letter from San Francisco to the New York <i>Herald</i>, dated February 28, -1850, states that wages for seamen were then from $125 to $200 per -month. There used to be a humorous yarn spun among seamen to the effect -that during the “flush times,” as those glorious days of the gold fever -were called, sailors required a captain to produce a recommendation from -his last crew before they would ship with him or sign articles. However -this may be, it is a fact that as late as 1854, it was so difficult to -induce crews to leave San Francisco that captains were frequently -obliged to ship men out of jail, whether they were sailors or not, in -order to get their ships to sea.</p> - -<p>The gold mines exerted an irresistible attraction, and for a time the -town was almost deserted, except for those passing through on their way -to and from the mines. By degrees, however, it became apparent to some -that more gold-dust was to be collected at San Francisco in business -than by digging among the mountains, and with admirable energy they set -about transforming this lawless camp into a prosperous trading city.</p> - -<p>Prior to 1848, California had been for all practical purposes almost -uninhabited, and now was utterly unable to provide for the needs of her -vastly increased population. The newcomers produced plenty of gold, but -nothing else, and they frequently found themselves on the brink of -starvation. They were too busy with pick and shovel to contribute -anything in the form of manufactures or supplies, so that the most -ordinary articles of every-day use, to say nothing of comforts and -luxuries, had to be<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_103">{103}</a></span> brought from places thousands of miles distant. -This precarious means of supply, together with the enormous and reckless -purchasing power developed by the rapid production of gold from the -mines, naturally created a speculative and artificial standard of -values, and goods of every description sold for fabulous amounts: Beef, -pork, and flour brought from $40 to $60 per barrel; tea, coffee, and -sugar, $4 a pound; spirits, $10 to $40 a quart; playing-cards, $5 a -pack; cowhide boots, $45 a pair; picks and shovels from $5 to $15 each; -wooden and tin bowls from $2.50 to $7.50 each; laudanum, $1 a drop, and -so on. These were by no means high prices for stevedores and laborers -receiving from $20 to $30 a day, and miners who were making anywhere -from $100 to $1000 a day washing dirt at the mines.</p> - -<p>An idea of the amount of gold produced may be gained from the fact that -the Pacific Mail Company, whose first steamship, the <i>California</i>, -arrived at San Francisco via the Straits of Magellan, February 28, 1849, -had by the end of 1852 shipped gold from that city to the value of -$121,766,425.</p> - -<p>The speculators and shippers of merchandise in the Eastern States were -as deeply interested in the output of the mines of California as the -gold diggers themselves. No one could predict how long this state of -affairs would continue; with them speed meant everything; a week or even -a day’s delay might result in heavy losses, or what was to them the same -thing, failure to reap large profits. They could not send their goods -across the continent, and the Pacific Mail Company had all that it -could<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_104">{104}</a></span> attend to in conveying passengers and the mails across the -Isthmus; so that the only means of transportation from the Atlantic -States to San Francisco was round Cape Horn. Under these circumstances -one can easily understand how the rates of freight advanced to -extravagant figures, and created a demand under which the California -clippers came into existence.</p> - -<p>In these days of thrifty transportation by sea, when coal shovels have -superseded watch-tackles, and ship-owners are expected to look cheerful -with steamship rates at $14.00 a ton from New York to San Francisco, and -$12.00 a ton from New York to Melbourne or Hong-kong, the rates of -freight that the clipper ships earned from New York to San Francisco -seem almost incredible. In 1850 the <i>Samuel Russell</i> received $1.50 per -cubic foot, or $60 per ton of 40 cubic feet. She registered 940 tons, -and being a very sharp ship would probably carry not more than 1200 tons -of California cargo. But even so, her freight would amount to $72,000, -or a little more than her first cost ready for sea. The other clippers -at first received the same rate, but by degrees, as they increased in -tonnage and in number, the rates of freight declined to $50 per ton, and -then to $40 where they remained for a considerable time.</p> - -<p>The California clipper period covers the years 1850-1860, during the -first four of which nearly all of these famous ships, numbering one -hundred and sixty, were built. (See Appendix I.) Most of them were -launched at or near New York and Boston, though some were built -elsewhere, Richmond,</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_008" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p104a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p104a.jpg" width="600" height="414" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"> - -<p> -Jacob A. Westervelt <span class="capspc">Jacob Bell</span><br> -</p> - -<p>Clipper-Ship Builders</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_105">{105}</a></span></p> - -<p>Baltimore, Mystic, Medford, Newburyport, Portsmouth, Portland, Rockland, -Bath, and other ports contributing to the fleet. These splendid -ships—the swiftest sailing vessels that the world has even seen or is -likely ever to see—sailed their great ocean matches for the stake of -commercial supremacy and the championship of the seas, over courses -encircling the globe, and their records, made more than half a century -ago, still stand unsurpassed.</p> - -<p>After carrying their cargoes to California at the enormous rates we have -given, these ships would return round Cape Horn in ballast for another -cargo at the same rate, as they could well afford to do, or would cross -the Pacific in ballast and load tea for London or New York. Many of them -more than cleared their original cost in less than one year, during a -voyage round the globe, after deducting all expenses.</p> - -<p>The central points about which the great ship-owning interests collected -were New York and Boston. Here, too, were the most famous shipyards. All -along the harbor front at East Boston and the water-front of the East -River from Pike Street to the foot of Tenth Street, New York, were to be -seen splendid clipper ships in every stage of construction; and beside -the ship-building yards, there were rigging-lofts, sail-lofts, the shops -of boat-builders, block-and pump-makers, painters, carvers, and gilders, -iron, brass, and copper workers, mast-and spar-makers, and ship stores -of all kinds, where everything required on shipboard, from a palm and -needle, a marlinspike or a ball of spun yarn, to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_106">{106}</a></span> anchors and chains, -was to be found. The ship-yards were great thriving hives of industry, -where hundreds of sledge-hammers, top mauls, and caulking mallets, swung -by the arms of skilful American mechanics, rung out a mighty chorus, and -the fresh odor of rough-hewn timber, seething Carolina pitch, and -Stockholm tar filled the air with healthful fragrance. They were unique -and interesting localities, the like of which have never existed -elsewhere—now long passed away and all but forgotten.</p> - -<p>The principal shipping merchants in New York were William T. Coleman & -Co., Wells & Emanuel, Sutton & Co., John I. Earl, and James Smith & Son, -all of whom managed San Francisco lines and usually had one or more -clippers on the berth, loading night and day for California. The old -Piers 8, 9, and 10, along the East River, were scenes of great activity, -and throngs of people visited them to see: these ships. At all the -seaports along the Atlantic coast, almost every one knew something and -most persons knew a good deal about ships. They were: a matter of great -importance to the community, for as late as 1860, nearly all the large -fortunes in the United States had been made in shipping.</p> - -<p>The captains and officers of the California clippers were as a class men -of integrity, energy, and skill, nearly all of them being of the best -Pilgrim and Puritan stock of New England, and trained to the sea from -boyhood. Many of them were the sons of merchants and professional men, -well known and respected in the communities in which they lived. Their -ships carried large crews, besides being fitted with every appliance for -saving labor: fly-wheel</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_009" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p106a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p106a.jpg" width="600" height="413" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>William -H. Webb <span class="capspc">Samuel Hall</span><br> -</p> - -<p>Clipper-Ship Builders</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_107">{107}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">pumps, gypsy winches, gun-metal roller bushes in the sheaves of the -brace, reef tackle and halliard blocks, geared capstans, and plenty of -the best stores and provisions, with spare spars, sails, blocks, and -rigging in abundance. The owners fitted out their vessels with rational -economy and looked to their captains, whom they rewarded liberally, to -see that nothing was wasted and that the ships performed their voyages -quickly and well.</p> - -<p>There was no allowance of food, as on British ships, on board the -American clippers; a barrel of beef, pork, bread, or flour was supposed -to last about so many days, according to the ship’s company; a little -more or less did not matter. The water was in charge of the carpenter, -and was usually carried in an iron tank which rested on the keelson -abaft the mainmast and came up to the main deck. This tank was in the -form of a cylinder, and held from three to four thousand gallons; some -of the larger ships carried their water in two of these tanks. Each -morning at sea, water equal to one gallon for every person on board was -pumped out of the tank and placed in a scuttlebutt on deck; the -carpenter then made a report of the number of gallons remaining in the -tank to the chief officer, who entered it in the log-book. During the -day the crew took the water they needed from the scuttle-butt, the cook -and steward what they required for the galley and aft; and while there -was no stint, woe to the man who wasted fresh water at sea in those -days, for if he managed to escape the just wrath of the officers, his -shipmates were pretty sure to take care of him. The salt<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_108">{108}</a></span> beef and pork -were kept in a harness cask abaft the mainmast, and when a fresh barrel -of provisions was to be opened, the harness cask was scrubbed and -scalded out with boiling water, and so was always sweet and clean. The -cooks and stewards were almost invariably negroes, and it is to be -regretted that there are not more like them at the present -time—especially the cooks. “Plenty of work, plenty to eat, and good -pay,” is what sailormen used to say of American clippers, the sort of -ships on board of which good seamen liked to sail.</p> - -<p>The forecastle on board the old type of vessels was in the forepeak, -below the main deck, a damp, ill-ventilated hole, but in the California -clippers it was in a large house on deck between the fore-and -main-masts, divided fore and aft amidships by a bulkhead, so that each -watch had a separate forecastle, well ventilated and with plenty of -light. There was nothing to prevent a crew from being comfortable -enough; it depended entirely upon themselves. Indeed, there were no -ships afloat at that period where the crews were so well paid and cared -for as on board the American clippers. Seamen who knew their duties and -were willing to perform them fared far better than on board the ships of -any other nationality.</p> - -<p>Perhaps, the most marked difference between American merchant ships and -those of other nations was in regard to the use of wine and spirits. On -board British ships grog was served out regularly to the men before the -mast, and the captain and officers were allowed wine money. Nothing of -this sort was permitted on American vessels. Robert<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_109">{109}</a></span> Minturn, of the -firm of Grinnell, Minturn & Co., in his evidence before a parliamentary -committee in 1848, stated that teetotalism not only was encouraged by -American ship-owners, but actually earned a bonus from underwriters, who -offered a return of ten per cent of the insurance premium upon voyages -performed without the consumption of spirits. On board the packet ships -and other vessels which carried passengers, there was always wine on the -captain’s table, but the captain and officers rarely made use of it. The -sailors were allowed plenty of hot coffee, night or day, in heavy -weather, but grog was unknown on board American merchant ships.</p> - -<p>In those days, after a New York clipper had finished loading, it was the -custom for her to drop down the East River and anchor off Battery Park, -then a fashionable resort, where she would remain for a few hours to -take her crew on board and usually to ship from five to ten tons of -gunpowder, a part of her cargo that was stowed in the main hatch, to be -easily handled in case of fire. Tow-boats were not as plentiful in New -York harbor as at present, and unless the wind was ahead or calm, the -clippers seldom made use of them, for with a leading breeze these ships -would sail to and from Sandy Hook much faster than they could be towed. -One of the clippers getting under way off Battery Park was a beautiful -sight, and an event in which a large part of the community was -interested.</p> - -<p>The people who gathered at Battery Park to see a clipper ship get under -way, came partly to hear the sailors sing their sea songs, or chanties, -which<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_110">{110}</a></span> were an important part of sea life in those days, giving a zest -and cheeriness on shipboard, which nothing else could supply. It used to -be said that a good chanty man was worth four men in a watch, and this -was true, for when a crew knocked off chantying, there was something -wrong—the ship seemed lifeless. These songs originated early in the -nineteenth century, with the negro stevedores at Mobile and New Orleans, -who sung them while screwing cotton bales into the holds of the American -packet ships; this was where the packet sailors learned them. The words -had a certain uncouth, fantastic meaning, evidently the product of -undeveloped intelligence, but there was a wild, inspiring ring in the -melodies, and, after a number of years, they became unconsciously -influenced by the pungent, briny odor and surging roar and rhythm of the -ocean, and howling gales at sea. Landsmen have tried in vain to imitate -them; the result being no more like genuine sea songs than skimmed milk -is like Jamaica rum.</p> - -<p>There were a great many Whitehall boats kept at the lower end of the -Park, and the Battery boatmen were fine oarsmen, Bill Decker, Tom Daw, -Steve Roberts, and Andy Fay being famous scullers. There were some smart -four-and six-oared crews among them which used to swoop down and pick up -the valuable prizes offered by the Boston city fathers for competition -each Fourth of July on the Charles River, but the convivial life which -the gay Battery boatmen led did not improve their rowing, and in 1856 -they were defeated by the famous <i>Neptune</i> crew, of St. John, N. B., in -a match rowed<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_111">{111}</a></span> on the Charles River for the stake of $5000, and later -were quite eclipsed by the even more famous Ward crew of Newburgh.</p> - -<p>The time when these men really had to work, was on the sailing day of a -California clipper. A busy scene it was, as they put the crew and their -dunnage on board, one or two lots at a time, accompanied by a -boarding-house runner, the sailormen being in various stages of exalted -inebriation. The helpless in body and mind are hauled over the side in -bowlines and stowed away in their berths to regain the use of their -limbs and senses. These men have been drugged and robbed of their three -months’ advance wages and most of their clothing. In a few hours they -will come to, and find themselves at sea on board of a ship whose name -they never heard, with no idea to what part of the globe they are bound. -A receipt is given for each man by the mate, who considers himself -fortunate if he can muster two thirds of his crew able to stand up and -heave on a capstan bar or pull on a rope. The probable condition of the -crew is so well known and expected that a gang of longshoremen is on -board to lend a hand in getting the ship under way. The more provident -of the seamen bring well-stocked sea chests; the less thoughtful find -moderate-sized canvas bags quite large enough to hold their possessions; -one mariner carries his outfit for the Cape Horn voyage tied up in a -nice bandanna handkerchief, the parting gift of a Cherry Street -damsel—who keeps the change. Jack is in a jovial, tipsy humor, and -appears to be well satisfied with his investment.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_112">{112}</a></span></p> - -<p>This is an anxious day for the mate, for, while he receives his -instructions from the captain in a general way, yet every detail of -getting the ship to sea is in his hands; and though he seems careless -and unconcerned, his nerves are on edge and every sense alert; his eyes -are all over the ship. He is sizing up each man in his crew and getting -his gauge; when he strikes a chord of sympathy, he strikes hard, and -when his keen instinct detects a note of discord, he strikes still -harder, lifting his men along with a curse here, a joke there, and ever -tightening his firm but not unkindly grasp of authority. The mate is not -hunting for trouble—all that he wants is for his men to do their work -and show him enough respect so that it will not become his unpleasant -duty to hammer them into shape. He knows that this is his day, and that -it is the decisive day of the voyage, for before the ship passes out by -Sandy Hook his moral victory will be lost or won, with no appeal to -Admiralty Boards or Courts of Justice. He knows, too, that a score of -other mates and their captains are looking on with keen interest to see -how he handles his crew, and their opinion is of far greater value to -him than the decrees of Senates; so he intends to lay himself out and -give them something worth looking at.</p> - -<p>There is a crisp northeasterly breeze, and the blue waters of the bay -dance and frolic in the sweet June sunshine. The crew are all on board, -with the captain and pilot in consultation on the quarter-deck; it is -nearly high water, and the tide will soon run ebb. The mate takes charge -of the topgallant forecastle, with the third mate and the boatswain</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_010" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p112a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p112a.jpg" width="600" height="440" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Clipper-Ship Captains</p> - -<p> -Robert H. Waterman <span class="capspc">N. B. Palmer</span><br> -</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_113">{113}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">to assist him, while the second mate, with the fourth mate and -boatswain’s mate work the main deck and stand by to look after the chain -as it comes in over the windlass.</p> - -<p>As the crew muster on the forecastle they appear to be a motley gang, -mostly British and Scandinavian, with a sprinkling of Spaniards, -Portuguese, and Italians, and one or two Americans. Some wear thick, -coarse, red, blue, or gray flannel shirts, others blue dungaree jumpers, -or cotton shirts of various colors; their trousers are in a variety of -drabs, blues, grays, and browns, supported by leather belts or braces; -they wear stiff or soft felt hats or woollen caps of many colors. But no -clothes that were ever invented could disguise these men; their bronzed, -weather-beaten faces and sun-baked, tattooed arms, with every swing of -their bodies, betray them as sailormen, and good ones too, above the -average even in those days. They would no more submit to being put into -uniforms or to the cut-and-dried discipline of a man-of-war, than they -would think of eating their food at a table with knives and forks.</p> - -<p>They are all pretty full of alcohol, but the sailor instinct is so -strong in them that they do their work as well, some of them perhaps -better, than if they were sober. There is no romance about them or about -any part of their lives; they are simply common, every-day sailors, and -will never be anything else, unless they happen to encounter some -inspired writer of fiction; then it is difficult to say what may become -of them. Some of them have much good in their natures, others are -saturated with evil, and all need to be handled with tact and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_114">{114}</a></span> judgment, -for too much severity, or on the other hand any want of firmness, may -lead to trouble, which means the free use of knives, belaying pins, and -knuckle-dusters.</p> - -<p>Now the flood-tide begins to slacken, and as the ship swings to the -wind, the order is passed along from aft to man the windlass and heave -short. We hear the mate sing out in a pleasant, cheery voice: “Now, -then, boys, heave away on the windlass breaks; strike a light, it’s -duller than an old graveyard.” And the chantyman, in an advanced stage -of hilarious intoxication, gay as a skylark, sails into song:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“In eighteen hundred and forty-six,<br></span> -<span class="i1">I found myself in the hell of a fix,<br></span> -<span class="i1">A-working on the railway, the railway, the railway.<br></span> -<span class="i1">Oh, poor Paddy works on the railway.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“In eighteen hundred and forty-seven,<br></span> -<span class="i1">When Dan O’Connolly went to heaven,<br></span> -<span class="i1">He worked upon the railway, the railway, the railway.<br></span> -<span class="i1">Poor Paddy works on the railway, the railway.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“In eighteen hundred and forty-eight,<br></span> -<span class="i1">I found myself bound for the Golden Gate,<br></span> -<span class="i1">A-working on the railway, the railway.<br></span> -<span class="i1">Oh, poor Paddy works on the railway, the railway.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“In eighteen hundred and forty-nine,<br></span> -<span class="i1">I passed my time in the Black Ball Line,<br></span> -<span class="i1">A-working on the railway, the railway,<br></span> -<span class="i1">I weary on the railway,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Poor Paddy works on the railway, the railway.”<br></span> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_115">{115}</a></span></div></div> -</div> - -<p>And so on to the end of the century, or till the mate sings out, “Vast -heaving,” lifts his hand, and reports to the captain: “The anchor’s -apeak, sir.” “Very good, sir, loose sails fore and aft.” “Aye, aye, -sir.” “Aloft there some of you and loose sails. One hand stop in the -tops and crosstrees to overhaul the gear.” “Aye, aye, sir. Royals and -sky-sails?” “Yes, royals and skysails; leave the staysails fast.” “Lay -out there, four or five of you, and loose the head sails.” “Here, you -fellow in the green-spotted shirt, lay down out of that; there’s men -enough up there now to eat those sails.” “Mr. Sampson, take some of your -men aft and look after the main and mizzen; put a hand at the wheel; as -he goes along let him clear the ensign halliards; while you’re waiting -lay that accommodation ladder in on deck; leave the spanker fast.” “On -the foretopsail yard, there, if you cut that gasket, I’ll split your -damned skull; cast it adrift, you lubber.” “Boatswain, get your watch -tackles along to the topsail sheets.” “Aye, aye, sir.” “Here, some of -you gentlemen’s sons in disguise, get that fish-davit out; hook on the -pendant; overhaul the tackle down ready for hooking on.” “Mainskysail -yard there, don’t make those gaskets up, my boy; fetch them in along the -yard, and make fast to the tye.”</p> - -<p>By this time the sails are loose and the gaskets made up; courses, -topsails, topgallantsails, royals, and skysails flutter in their gear, -and the clipper feels the breath of life. “Sheet home the topsails.” -“Aye, aye, sir.” “Boatswain, look out for those clew-lines at the main; -ease down handsomely as the sheets come home.” “Foretop there, overhaul<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_116">{116}</a></span> -your buntlines, look alive!” “Belay your port maintopsail sheet; clap a -watch tackle on the starboard sheet and rouse her home.” “Maintop there, -lay down on the main-yard and light the foot of that sail over the -stay.” “That’s well, belay starboard.” “Well the mizzentopsail sheets, -belay.” “Now then, my bullies, lead out your topsail halliards fore and -aft and masthead her.” “Aye, aye, sir.” By this time the mate has put -some ginger into the crew and longshoremen, and they walk away with the -three topsail halliards:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Away, way, way, yar,<br></span> -<span class="i1">We’ll kill Paddy Doyle for his boots.”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>“Now then, long pulls, my sons.” “Here, you chantyman, haul off your -boots, jump on that main-deck capstan and strike a light; the best in -your locker.” “Aye, aye, sir.” And the three topsail-yards go aloft with -a ringing chanty that can be heard up in Beaver Street:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Then up aloft that yard must go,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey for my Johnny.<br></span> -<span class="i1">Oh, whiskey is the life of man,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey, Johnny.<br></span> -<span class="i1">I thought I heard the old man say,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey for my Johnny.<br></span> -<span class="i1">We are bound away this very day,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey, Johnny.<br></span> -<span class="i1">A dollar a day is a white man’s pay,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey for my Johnny.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_117">{117}</a></span><br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i1">Oh, whiskey killed my sister Sue,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey, Johnny,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And whiskey killed the old man, too,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey for my Johnny.<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey’s gone, what shall I do?<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey, Johnny,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Oh, whiskey’s gone, and I’ll go too,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Whiskey for my Johnny.”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>“Belay your maintopsail halliards.” “Aye, aye, sir.” And so the canvas -is set fore and aft, topsails, topgallantsails, royals, and skysails, -flat as boards, the inner and outer jibs are run up and the sheets -hauled to windward; the main-and after-yards are braced sharp to the -wind, the foretopsail is laid to the mast, and the clipper looks like -some great seabird ready for flight. The anchor is hove up to:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I wish I was in Slewer’s Hall,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Lowlands, lowlands, hurra, my boys,<br></span> -<span class="i1">A-drinking luck to the old Black Ball,<br></span> -<span class="i1">My dollar and a half a day.”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>And while some of the hands bring the anchor to the rail with cat and -fish tackle, and:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“A Yankee sloop came down the river,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Hah, hah, rolling John,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Oh, what do you think that sloop had in her?<br></span> -<span class="i1">Hah, hah, rolling John,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Monkey’s hide and bullock’s liver,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Hah, hah, rolling John.”<br></span> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_118">{118}</a></span></div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">the rest of the crew fill away the foreyard, draw away the head sheets, -and check in the after yards. As the ship pays off, and gathers way in -the slack water, the longshoremen and runners tumble over the side into -the Whitehall boats, the crowd at Battery Park gives three parting -cheers, the ensign is dipped, and the clipper is on her way to Cape -Horn.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_119">{119}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br><br> -<small>THE CLIPPER SHIP CREWS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE history of men before the mast on board American merchant ships is -not a history of American sailors, for strictly speaking there have -never been any American merchant sailors as a class; that is, no -American merchant ship of considerable tonnage was ever manned by -native-born Americans in the sense that French, British, Dutch, -Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, or Danish ships are manned by men born in -the country under whose flag they sail. Neither have Americans ever -followed the sea all their lives before the mast, as do men of the -nations named. Some of the small Salem ships and perhaps a few of the -Nantucket whalers of a century ago may possibly have carried entirely -American crews, but if so, the men did not remain long in the -forecastle.</p> - -<p>The ship <i>George</i>, 328 tons, built at Salem in 1812 and owned by Joseph -Peabody, is a case in point. She was known as the “Salem frigate,” and -made many successful voyages to Calcutta. Of this ship’s sailors, during -her long and prosperous career, forty-five became captains, twenty chief -mates, and six second mates. One of her Salem crew, Thomas M. Saunders, -served as boy,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_120">{120}</a></span> ordinary seaman, able seaman, third, second, and chief -mate on board of her, and finally, after twelve East India voyages, -became her captain. This ship was a fair sample of many American vessels -of that period, but probably no ship of similar or greater tonnage in -the merchant service of any other nation can show such a brilliant -record for her men before the mast.</p> - -<p>The demand for crews for the California clippers brought together a -miscellaneous lot of men, some good and some bad, some accustomed to -deep-water voyages to India and China, and some only to European ports, -while others were not sailors at all, and only shipped as such for the -sake of getting to California. The majority were of course from the -general merchant service of the time.</p> - -<p>During the first half of the nineteenth century, American ships trading -upon long voyages to China and India carried crews composed chiefly of -Scandinavians—splendid sailormen who could do any kind of rigging work -or sail-making required on board of a ship at sea and took pride in -doing it well, and who also had sufficient sense to know that discipline -is necessary on shipboard. These Scandinavians, who were as a rule fine -seamen, clean, willing, and obedient, were the first and best class -among the men of whom the clipper ship crews were composed. A vessel -with a whole crew of these strong, honest sailors was a little heaven -afloat.</p> - -<p>Then there were the packet sailors, a different class altogether, mostly -“Liverpool Irishmen,” a species of wild men, strong, coarse-built, -thick-set; their hairy bodies and limbs tattooed with gro<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_121">{121}</a></span>tesque and -often obscene devices in red and blue India ink; men wallowing in the -slush of depravity, who could be ruled only with a hand of iron. Among -themselves they had a rough-and-ready code of ethics, which deprived -them of the pleasure of stealing from each other, though it permitted -them to rob and plunder shipmates of other nationalities, or the ship -and passengers. So, too, they might not draw knives on each other, being -obliged to settle disputes with their fists, but to cut and stab an -officer or shipmate not of their own gang was regarded as an heroic -exploit.</p> - -<p>With all their moral rottenness, these rascals were splendid fellows to -make or shorten sail in heavy weather on the Western Ocean, and to go -aloft in a coat or monkey jacket in any kind of weather was regarded by -them with derision and contempt. But making and taking in sail was about -all that they could do, being useless for the hundred and one things on -shipboard which a deep-water sailor was supposed to know, such as -rigging work, sail-making, scraping, painting, and keeping a vessel -clean and shipshape. The packets had all this work done in port, and -never looked so well as when hauling out of dock outward bound; whereas, -the China and California clippers looked their best after a long voyage, -coming in from sea with every ratline and seizing square, the sheer -poles coach-whipped, brass caps on the rigging ends and lanyard knots, -and the man-ropes marvels of cross pointing, Turks’ heads, and double -rose knots.</p> - -<p>The packet sailors showed up at their best when laying out on a topsail -yardarm, passing a weather<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_122">{122}</a></span> reef-earing, with their Black Ball caps, red -shirts, and trousers stowed in the legs of their sea boots along with -their cotton hooks and sheath knives, a snow squall whistling about -their ears, the rigging a mass of ice, and the old packet jumping into -the big Atlantic seas up to her knightheads. These ruffians did not much -care for India and China voyages, but preferred to navigate between the -dance-halls of Cherry Street and the grog-shops of Waterloo Road and -Ratcliffe Highway. As has often been said, they worked like horses at -sea and spent their money like asses ashore.</p> - -<p>When the California clippers came out, these packet rats, as they came -to be called aboard the deep-water ships—men who had never before had -the slightest idea of crossing the equator if they could help it,—were -suddenly possessed with the desire to get to the California gold mines. -They, with other adventurers and blacklegs of the vilest sort, who were -not sailors but who shipped as able seamen for the same reason, partly -composed the crews of the clipper ships. The packet rats were tough, -roustabout sailormen and difficult to handle, so that it was sometimes a -toss-up whether they or the captain and officers would have charge of -the ship; yet to see these fellows laying out on an eighty-foot -main-yard in a whistling gale off Cape Horn, fisting hold of a big No. 1 -Colt’s cotton canvas main-sail, heavy and stiff with sleet and snow, -bellying, slatting, and thundering in the gear, and then to hear the -wild, cheery shouts of these rugged, brawny sailormen, amid the fury of -the storm, as inch by inch they fought on till the last double gasket -was</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_011" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p122a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p122a.jpg" width="600" height="437" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Clipper-Ship Captains</p> - -<p> -Josiah P. Creesy <span class="capspc">H. W. Johnson</span><br> -</p> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_123">{123}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">fast, made it easy to forget their sins in admiration of their splendid -courage.</p> - -<p>Then there were Spaniards, Portuguese, Chinamen, Frenchmen, Africans, -Russians, and Italians from the general merchant service, many of whom -were excellent seamen and some of whom were not; and lastly came the men -of various nationalities who were not sailors at all nor the stuff out -of which sailors could be made, and who had no business to be before the -mast on board of a ship. Many of these men had served their time in the -penitentiary and some should have remained there. These impostors -increased the labor of able seamen who were compelled to do their work, -and endangered the safety of the ship so unfortunate as to have them -among her crew.</p> - -<p>With such barbarians the New England captains from the yellow sands of -Cape Cod and the little seaports along the Sound, and from the rocky -headlands of Cape Ann and the coast of Maine, were often called upon to -handle the clipper ships. There were, as has been said, a large number -of respectable, hard-working, Scandinavian sailors, some of whom became -captains and mates, as well as from four to eight smart American boys -aboard each ship who looked forward to becoming officers and captains.</p> - -<p>The clipper ship captains had the reputation of being severe men with -their crews, but considering the kind of human beings with whom they had -to deal, it is difficult to see how they could have been anything else, -and still retain command of their ships. Taken as a class, American -sea-<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_124">{124}</a></span>captains and mates half a century ago were perhaps the finest body -of real sailors that the world has ever seen, and by this is meant -captains and officers who had themselves sailed before the mast. They -enforced their authority by sheer power of character and will against -overwhelming odds of brute force, often among cut-throats and -desperadoes. They were the first to establish discipline in the merchant -service, and their ships were the envy and despair of merchants and -captains of other nations. Intrepid and self-reliant sailors, they are -justly entitled to the gratitude of mankind. No doubt there were -instances of unnecessary severity on board the American clipper ships; -they were exceptional, and the provocation was great; but it would be -difficult to cite a case of a sailor being ill-used who knew and -performed the duties for which he had shipped, for captains and officers -appreciated the value of good seamen, and took the best care of them.</p> - -<p>The abuses from which sailors in those days suffered, were not when at -sea or on board ship. It was the harpies of the land who lay in wait -like vultures, to pollute and destroy their bodies and souls—male and -female land-sharks, who would plunder and rob a sailor of his pay and -his three months’ advance, and then turn him adrift without money or -clothes. It made no difference to these brazen-hearted thieves—and the -women, if possible, were worse than the men—whether a sailor was bound -round the Horn in midwinter or to the East Indies in midsummer; they saw -to it that he took nothing away with him but the ragged<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_125">{125}</a></span> clothes he -stood in, and perhaps a ramshackle old sea chest with a shabby suit of -oilskins, a pair of leaky sea boots, a bottle or two of Jersey -lightning, and two or three plugs of tobacco chucked into it. These -vice-hardened men and women of various nationalities were permitted to -work their abominable trade unmolested, almost within the shadow of -church spires and Courts of Justice in the chief seaports of the United -States. The destitute condition in which men were put on board of -American ships became so common that clothing and other necessaries were -provided for them in what was known as the slop chest, in charge of the -steward, with which all ships bound upon distant voyages were supplied, -and from which the crew received whatever they required at about one -half the cost extorted by the slop shops on shore. This arrangement was -necessary, as otherwise, in many instances, the men would not have had -sufficient clothing to stand a watch in cold or stormy weather.</p> - -<p>American sea-captains were often compelled to take these outcasts as -they found them, because they could get no other men. They provided them -with better food than they had ever seen or heard of on board vessels of -their own countries, supplied them with clothes, sea boots, sou’westers, -oilskins, and tobacco, restored them to health, paid them money which -many of them never earned, and for the time being, at least, did their -utmost to make men of them. If any one imagines that this class of -sailors ever felt or expressed the least gratitude toward their -benefactors, he is much mistaken. Let him picture to himself these -creatures in<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_126">{126}</a></span> their watch below, laying off in their frowzy berths or -sitting around their dirty, unkempt forecastle on their chests—those -who happen to own them—smoking their filthy clay pipes, amid clouds of -foul tobacco smoke, reeking in the stench of musty underclothing, mouldy -sea boots, and rancid oilskins, rank enough to turn the stomach of a -camel, or any other animal than man. The noxious air is too much for the -sooty slush lamp that swings uneasily against the grimy bulkhead; it -burns a sickly blue flame with a halo of fetid vapor; while the big -fat-witted samples of humanity in the bunks and on the sea chests -cheerfully curse their captain up-hill and down dale as their natural -enemy, but are never tired of yarning about their “shore friends.” They -recall the attractive qualities of such characters as Dutch Pete, -One-thumbed Jerry, and Limerick Mike—sleek, smooth-tongued -boarding-house runners who have practised upon the vices of these same -men, robbed them of their advance wages, drugged and shanghaied them -without clothing or tobacco. Then these stupid fellows will yarn about -the enticing charms of such “real ladies” as Big Moll, Swivel-eyed Sue, -or French Kate, and the comfort and hospitality of the establishments -over which these hussies preside. But let the boatswain come along and -knock three times on the forecastle door with his brawny fist, and sing -out, “Now then, get out here and put the stun’sails on her,” and these -hulky brutes will tumble over each other to get on deck, for they know -that they will be beaten and booted if there is any hanging back.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_127">{127}</a></span></p> - -<p>Unfortunately, this was the only way to deal with this type of men on -shipboard. They were amenable to discipline only in the form of force in -heavy and frequent doses, the theories of those who have never commanded -ships or had experience in handling degenerates at sea to the contrary -notwithstanding. To talk about the exercise of kindness or moral suasion -with such men, would be the limit of foolishness; one might as well -propose a kindergarten for baby coyotes or young rattlesnakes.</p> - -<p>One does not like to dwell upon these depressing phases of human nature -in connection with the graceful, yacht-like clipper, perhaps the most -beautiful and life-like thing ever fashioned by the hand of man. It is -therefore pleasant to record that there were many American clipper ships -with crews that were for the most part decent, self-respecting men, who -kept themselves, their clothes, and their forecastles clean and sweet. -Of course, these men would have their grog and sweethearts on shore, and -their quiet growl at sea—the birthright of all good sailormen; but they -required no urging beyond a word of encouragement to do their work on -deck and aloft quickly and well. Such a crew would not live with men who -were unclean in their speech and habits, and would compel such human -nuisances to pick up their traps and take themselves out under the -topgallant forecastle to get along as best they might; but it was a -great hardship when good seamen found themselves among a crew composed -chiefly of these poor enough sailors but proficient blackguards and -bullies.</p> - -<p>In those days there was a class of persons who<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_128">{128}</a></span> did their utmost to -degrade an honorable profession by calling themselves lawyers. The ports -of New York and San Francisco were the scenes of their most lucrative -exploits. When a ship arrived, these fellows would waylay the sailors -and follow them to dance-halls, gin-mills, and other low resorts, -worming their way into the confidence of the too easy mariners by fairy -tales and glittering prospects of large sums of money to be recovered as -damages from their late captains, until they succeeded in extracting a -narrative of the last voyage, including alleged grievances. They would -then libel the ship and commence legal proceedings against the captain -and officers. These cases would be tried before juries of landsmen who, -having no practical knowledge of sailors or of the usages of the sea, -frequently awarded damages, though in many cases the captain and -officers were able to disprove false complaints or to justify their -actions upon the ground of necessity in maintaining proper discipline. -It is perhaps needless to say that of the damages recovered not one -penny was ever handled by the aggrieved sailor, for the guiding -principle of the sea lawyer’s career being the resolve never to part -with his client’s money, these fellows literally made their clients’ -interests their own. Sailors themselves used to laugh and joke about the -bare-faced yarns which they had spun under oath in court and got -greenhorn juries to listen to and believe; but they did not laugh and -joke about their lawyers, whom they regarded with contempt. One of the -most insulting epithets which a sailor could apply to another was to -call him a “sea lawyer,” and there</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_012" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p128a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p128a.jpg" width="600" height="412" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>David S. Babcock <span class="capspc">George Lane</span><br> -</p> - -<p>Clipper-Ship Captains</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_129">{129}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">was a particularly ravenous species of shark which used also to be known -as the “sea lawyer.”</p> - -<p>At one time this abuse of the law became such a powerful instrument of -extortion that captains and officers, innocent of any wrong, unless the -protection of life and property be regarded as wrong, were compelled to -leave their ships in the harbor of New York before they hauled alongside -the wharf, in order to escape prosecution, and were made to appear like -criminals fleeing from justice. This cannot be considered a very -cheerful welcome home after a voyage round the globe. Yet it compares -not unfavorably with the reception sometimes accorded the returning -traveller nowadays—at the hands of officers of the law empowered to -collect “protective” duties on personal effects.</p> - -<p>After a while this nefarious trade, by which ship-owners, captains, -officers, and crews were alike defrauded, perished by its own rapacity; -but the attitude of the United States Government of half a century ago -in permitting her splendid American merchant captains and officers to be -subjected to gross indignities, and the foreign seamen sailing under her -flag to be robbed and shipped away without their knowledge or consent, -must ever remain a blot upon the page of American maritime history.</p> - -<p>Those well-intentioned philanthropists who had an idea that sailors were -being ill-treated on board American ships, and who wasted sympathy upon -a class of men most of whom required severe discipline, might have been -better employed had they exerted their energies toward purging the -seaports of the country of the dens of vice and gangs of robbers<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_130">{130}</a></span> that -infested them, though this might not have been so romantic as a -sentimental interest in the welfare of the sailor when encountering the -supposed terrors of the deep. As a matter of fact, the lives, limbs, and -morals of sailors at that period were very much safer at sea than they -were on land.</p> - -<p>It is refreshing to turn to one man, at least, who knew and understood -sailors, and who in early life had himself been a sailor. This was the -Rev. Edward Thompson Taylor, known upon every sea with respect and -affection as “Father Taylor.” In 1833 the Seaman’s Bethel was erected in -North Square, Boston, and there Father Taylor presided for some forty -years. During that time he did an enormous amount of good, both among -sailors themselves, to whom he spoke in language which they could -understand and feel, and by drawing the attention of influential men and -women to the lamentable condition of the life of sailors when on shore, -not only in Boston, but in all the great seaports of the United States. -For many years the Seaman’s Bethel was one of the most interesting -sights of Boston, and all classes were attracted there by the novel and -picturesque earnestness and eloquence of Father Taylor. Distinguished -visitors were usually taken there or went of their own accord, to listen -to the words of this inspired seaman, and many of them have recorded -their impressions. Harriet Martineau, J. S. Buckingham, M. P., Charles -Dickens, Frederika Bremer, John Ross Dix, Mrs. Jameson, Catherine -Sedgwick, and Walt Whitman all testified to the wonderful power of this -homely, self-educated Baptist preacher.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_013" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p130a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p130a.jpg" width="600" height="412" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Lauchlan McKay <span class="capspc">Philip Dumaresq</span><br> -</p> - -<p>Clipper-Ship Captains</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_131">{131}</a></span></p> - -<p>Father Taylor had little to say about the treatment of sailors on -shipboard, for he knew that they were treated with humanity and -according to their deserts, but he did have a great deal to say about -their life and vile associations on shore; he once prayed with -unconscious humor, “that Bacchus and Venus might be driven to the ends -of the earth and off it.” He possessed a marvellous power of -description, and perhaps no poet or painter has more vividly portrayed -the ever-changing moods of the ocean. He used these superb sea pictures -as metaphors and illustrations. I have a clear remembrance of some of -them and recall them with gratitude, but no words of mine can convey an -adequate impression of their beauty and grandeur; his was a genius that -eludes description.</p> - -<p>It was once said of Father Taylor that he hated the devil more than he -loved God, but I think whoever said this could not have understood him, -for the affection, tenderness, and substantial help which Father Taylor -lavished upon God’s children, afflicted in body and mind, knew no -bounds. At the same time he knew the men whom it was his mission to -rescue, and often when denouncing their follies and vices his words fell -hot as burning coals. He detested shams in any form, and was swift to -detect them in sailors as well as in others.</p> - -<p>In those days there was far too much ignorant sentimentality bestowed -upon seamen and their affairs, too much</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Poor child of danger, nursling of the storm,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Sad are the woes that wreck thy manly form.”<br></span> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_132">{132}</a></span></div></div> -</div> - -<p>Sad enough, no doubt, to the captain of a clipper ship bound round Cape -Horn, compelled to stand by and see his canvas slatting to pieces in the -first bit of a blow outside Sandy Hook, because he was cursed with a -crew unable or unwilling to handle it. But this seldom happened more -than once aboard of an American clipper in the fifties, for such a crew -was taken in hand and soon knocked into shape by the mates, carpenter, -sailmaker, cook, steward, and boatswain. Belaying pins, capstan-bars, -and heavers began to fly about the deck, and when the next gale came -along the crew found that they could get aloft and make some kind of -show at stowing sails, and by the time the ship got down to the line, -they were usually pretty smart at handling canvas. As the clipper winged -her way southward, and the days grew shorter, and the nights colder, -belaying pins, capstan bars, and heavers were all back in their places, -for system, order, and discipline had been established. When the -snow-squalls began to gather on the horizon, and the old-time clipper -lifted her forefoot to the first long, gray Cape Horn roller, with -albatross and Cape pigeons wheeling and screaming in her wake, the mate, -as he stood at the break of the quarter-deck in his long pilot-cloth -watch-coat, woollen mittens, sea boots, and sou’wester, and sung out to -the boatswain to get his men along for a pull on the weather braces, -felt with pride that he had something under him that the “old man” could -handle in almost any kind of weather—a well-manned ship.</p> - -<p>In those days of carrying canvas as long and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_133">{133}</a></span> sometimes longer than -spars and rigging would stand, with only brawn, capstans and watch -tackles to handle it, the crew was a far more important factor on board -a sailing ship than in the present era of steel spars, wire rigging, -double topsail, and topgallant yards, donkey engines and steam winches. -Indeed, all the conditions were quite different from anything known at -the present time and required a type of men, both forward and aft, that -do not sail upon the ocean to-day.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_134">{134}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX<br><br> -<small>CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1850 AND THEIR COMMANDERS—MAURY’S WIND AND -CURRENT CHARTS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">A</span>T the time of the discovery of gold in California, American -ship-builders were well prepared for the work that lay before them. The -clippers already built furnished valuable experience, for they had -attracted much attention, and their models and construction were almost -as well known to ship-builders throughout the country as to those from -whose yards they had been launched. It was found that the clippers were -much easier in a sea-way than the old type of vessel; they labored and -strained less, and in consequence delivered their cargoes in better -condition. When driven into a heavy head sea, they would bury their -long, sharp bows in a smother of foam and drench the decks fore and aft -with flying spray; but at a speed that would have swamped the -full-bodied, wall-sided ships and made them groan in every knee, timber, -and beam.</p> - -<p>The superiority of the clippers in speed was even more marked in the -average length and regularity of their voyages than in their record -passages; they could be depended on not to make long passages; with -their sharp lines and lofty canvas they were<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_135">{135}</a></span> able to cross belts of -calm and light winds much more quickly than the low rigged, full-bodied -ships, while in strong head winds there was no comparison, as the -sharper ships would work out to windward in weather that held the old -type of vessels like a barrier, until the wind hauled fair or moderated. -In a word, the clippers could go and find strong or favorable winds -while the full-bodied ships were compelled to wait for them.</p> - -<p>It must be admitted that some remarkably fast passages were made by the -old full-built American vessels. We have seen Captain Waterman’s record -with the <i>Natchez</i>, and other cases of this kind might be cited; but -they prove nothing beyond the fact that with a fair wind and enough of -it, other things being equal, a well-handled, full-modelled ship is -about as fast as a clipper; also that single passages except as between -vessels sailing together, are not the most reliable tests of speed. A -number of passages by the same vessel, or a record of best days’ runs, -afford a more accurate means of arriving at a just estimate of speed.</p> - -<p>The first California clippers, thirteen in number, were launched during -the year 1850, the <i>Celestial</i>, 860 tons, built by William H. Webb and -owned by Bucklin & Crane, of New York, being the first to leave the -ways. She was soon followed by the <i>Mandarin</i>, 776 tons, built by Smith -& Dimon for Goodhue & Co., of New York, and the <i>Surprise</i>, 1361 tons, -owned by A. A. Low & Brother; <i>Game-Cock</i>, 1392 tons, owned by Daniel C. -Bacon, Boston, and the barque <i>Race Horse</i>, 512 tons, owned by Goddard & -Co., Boston, all built by Samuel Hall at<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_136">{136}</a></span> East Boston. The <i>Witchcraft</i>, -1310 tons, was built at Chelsea by Paul Curtis, for S. Rogers & W. D. -Pickman, of Salem; the <i>John Bertram</i>, 1080 tons, by R. E. Jackson at -East Boston, for Glidden & Williams, of Boston; the <i>Governor Morton</i>, -1318 tons, by James M. Hood at Somerset, for Handy & Everett, of New -York; the <i>Sea Serpent</i>, 1337 tons, by George Raynes at Portsmouth, New -Hampshire, for Grinnell, Minturn & Co., of New York; the <i>Eclipse</i>, 1223 -tons, by J. Williams & Son at Williamsburg, for T. Wardle & Co., of New -York; the <i>Seaman</i>, 546 tons, by Bell & Co., at Baltimore, for Funck & -Meincke, of New York; the <i>White Squall</i>, 1118 tons, by Jacob Bell, for -W. Platt & Son, of Philadelphia, and the <i>Stag-Hound</i>, 1535 tons, by -Donald McKay at East Boston, for Sampson & Tappan and George B. Upton, -of Boston.</p> - -<p>The <i>Celestial</i> was a remarkably good-looking ship and much sharper than -any vessel built by Mr. Webb up to that time. She carried long, slender -spars, with plenty of canvas, and proved a very fast and able ship.</p> - -<p>The <i>Mandarin</i>, also a fine-looking ship, was intended by her builders -to be an improved <i>Sea Witch</i>, and although she made some excellent -passages, she never came up to the older vessel in point of speed; the -<i>Sea Witch</i> was her builders’ masterpiece, and they, like many others, -found her a difficult ship to improve upon.</p> - -<p>The <i>Surprise</i> was one of the most successful clipper ships ever -constructed, and proved a mine of wealth for her owners. She was fully -rigged on the stocks, with all her gear rove off, and was</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_014" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p136a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p136a.jpg" width="600" height="414" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Surprise”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_137">{137}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">launched with her three skysail yards across and colors flying, which -attracted a multitude of people. They rather expected to see her -capsize, and were no doubt highly delighted to find that nothing unusual -happened as she glided swiftly down the ways, or at that critical -instant when her hull was still partly supported on the land and partly -on the waves, or when she swung to her anchors on even keel, with the -beautiful skyline of Boston of half a century ago outlined in the -distance.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hall was a master ship-builder and had figured the weights, -displacement, and stability of his ship with the same exactness with -which an astronomer foretells the transit of a planet; yet with all the -anxiety incident to experiments of this kind, he had found time for -plans of a less serious nature. He had a pavilion erected in order that -the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters of the men who had built this -beautiful ship might look with comfort upon the crowning scene of their -kinsmen’s labors, and after the ship was safely afloat, all were invited -to a luxurious lunch served upon long tables in the mould loft, which -was gaily decorated with flags. There the master foreman of the yard -presided, while Mr. Hall entertained personal friends, whom he had asked -to see the launch, at his own hospitable home.</p> - -<p>The <i>Surprise</i> measured: length 190 feet, breadth 39 feet, depth 22 feet -with 30 inches dead-rise at half floor. Her main-yard was 78 feet long -from boom-iron to boom-iron, and her mainmast was 84 feet from heel to -cap, with other spars in proportion. She was beautifully fitted -throughout, was<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_138">{138}</a></span> painted black from the water-line up, and carried a -finely carved and gilded flying eagle for a figurehead, while her stern -was ornamented with the arms of New York. She was manned by a crew of 30 -able seamen, 6 ordinary seamen, 4 boys, 2 boatswains, a carpenter, a -sailmaker, 2 cooks, a steward, and 4 mates, and was commanded by Captain -Philip Dumaresq, who had gained a high reputation while in command of -the <i>Antelope</i>, <i>Akbar</i>, and <i>Great Britain</i>.</p> - -<p>Captain Dumaresq was born at Swan Island, near Richmond, on the Kennebec -River. His father had settled there on an estate which came to him -through his mother, who before her marriage was the beautiful Rebecca -Gardiner, of Gardiner, Maine, and a daughter of the Rev. John Sylvester -Gardiner, the first rector of Trinity Church, Boston. Unlike most -American boys, who used to go to sea, young Dumaresq had no special -desire for a life upon the ocean, but was sent on a voyage to China by -his parents, under the advice of a physician, on account of his delicate -health. He soon grew robust, and at the age of twenty-two took command -of a vessel, afterwards becoming one of the most celebrated and widely -known of all the American clipper ship captains.</p> - -<p>When the <i>Surprise</i> arrived at New York to load for San Francisco, the -New York <i>Herald</i> declared that she was the handsomest ship ever seen in -the port, and a large number of persons gathered to see her placed at -her loading berth by the steamer <i>R. B. Forbes</i>, which had towed her -round from Boston.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_139">{139}</a></span></p> - -<p>The <i>R. B. Forbes</i> at that time, so to speak, was a well-known character -about Massachusetts Bay, and no marine function seemed quite complete -without her presence. She was generally on hand at launches, regattas, -and Fourth of July celebrations, with a jolly party of Boston -underwriters and their friends on board, accompanied by a band of music -and well-filled hampers of refreshments. Her hull was painted a -brilliant red up to the bulwarks, which were black, while the deck -fittings, houses, and the inside of the bulwarks were a bright green. -Altogether, with a rainbow of bunting over her mastheads, the brass band -in full blast, and champagne corks flying about her deck, she -contributed liberally to the gayety of many festive occasions. She was -also usually the first to introduce a new-born ship to the end of a -manila hawser, and for several years she towed most of the eastern-built -clippers to their loading berths at Boston or New York.</p> - -<p>But these were only the odd jobs at which she put in her time when not -engaged in her more serious work of salvage operations, for she was the -best equipped and most powerful wrecking steamer on the Atlantic coast, -and saved much valuable property abandoned to the Boston Underwriters, -for whom she was built by Otis Tafts at East Boston in 1845. She was 300 -tons register, and was one of the few vessels at that date constructed -of iron and fitted with a screw propeller, her engines and boilers being -designed by the renowned Ericsson. Her commander, Captain Morris, not -only was a very able wreck master, but<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_140">{140}</a></span> did a great deal by experiment -and observation to solve the intricate problems relating to the -deviation of the magnetic needle on board of iron vessels, and was one -of the few reliable authorities of his day upon this important subject. -At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the <i>R. B. Forbes</i> was -purchased by the United States Government, but before the end of the war -she was wrecked and became a total loss near Hatteras Inlet. It is -hardly necessary to mention that this vessel was named in honor of that -noble seaman, Captain Robert Bennett Forbes, whose acts of kindness and -humanity were so many that a book might well be devoted to a record of -them.</p> - -<p>The <i>Witchcraft</i> was a very beautiful ship, and was commanded by Captain -William C. Rogers, a son of one of the owners, for whom she was built. -Captain Rogers was born at Salem in 1823 and had made several voyages as -supercargo on board of different ships to Calcutta and Canton. He was a -man of unusual ability, and although he never sailed before the mast, or -as officer of a ship, he had acquired a knowledge of seamanship and -navigation which enabled him to become one of the most famous among the -younger clipper ship captains. He was a rare example of a gentleman who -went to sea for the pure love of it, who enjoyed dealing with the useful -realities of life, and liked a real ship with real sailors on board of -her, and a real voyage of commerce profitable to mankind, in preference -to an aimless life of luxury and pleasure.</p> - -<p>During the Civil War Captain Rogers was one<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_141">{141}</a></span> of the twelve naval -commanders appointed by Act of Congress, and he commanded the U. S. -clipper barque <i>William G. Anderson</i>, which mounted six thirty-two -pounders and a long rifled gun amidships, and carried a crew of one -hundred and ten men. While in command of this vessel, Captain Rogers -captured the Confederate privateer <i>Beauregard</i>, Captain Gilbert Hays, -one hundred miles east-northeast of Abaco in the Bahamas, November 12, -1861. He also commanded the U. S. gunboat <i>Iuka</i>, and in her rendered -valuable service to his country during the remainder of the war. He -subsequently married a granddaughter of Nathaniel Bowditch, the -illustrious navigator.</p> - -<p>The <i>John Bertram</i> was an extremely sharp ship, and was the pioneer of -Glidden & Williams’s line of San Francisco clippers. She was named for -Captain Bertram, one of Salem’s most famous seamen and merchants, and -was for several years commanded by Captain Landholm.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sea Serpent</i> was the first clipper ship built by Mr. Raynes, and -was a slender, rakish, handsome-looking craft, comparing favorably with -the New York and Boston clippers of that year. She was commanded by -Captain Williams Howland, a seaman of experience and ability, who was -born at New Bedford in 1804. In 1833 he took command of the <i>Horatio</i>, -then a new ship and afterwards famous, on her first voyage from New York -to China, and remained in her for about ten years. He subsequently -commanded the packet ships <i>Ashburton</i>, <i>Henry Clay</i>, <i>Cornelius -Grinnell</i>, and the <i>Constantine</i>. Captain Howland was a gentleman of -much<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_142">{142}</a></span> dignity, who usually wore kid gloves when he came on deck and -seldom gave his orders to any one but the officer of the watch. He had -the reputation of being an A 1 seaman and navigator.</p> - -<p>The <i>White Squall</i> was another handsome clipper, very similar in -construction and design to the <i>Samuel Russell</i> and <i>Oriental</i> from the -same yard. Although but little more than eleven hundred tons register, -this ship cost when ready for sea with one year’s stores and provisions -on board the sum of $90,000, and her freight from New York to San -Francisco on her first voyage amounted to $70,000. She was commanded by -Captain Lockwood, and her measurements were: length 190 feet, breadth 35 -feet 6 inches, and depth 21 feet.</p> - -<p>The <i>Stag-Hound</i>, at the time of her launch was the largest merchant -ship ever built, though during the nine years that the Cunard Company -had been running mail steamers across the Atlantic, the tonnage of -American packet ships had steadily increased. In 1846, as we have seen, -Donald McKay had built the <i>New World</i> of 1404 tons, and in 1849 William -H. Webb launched the <i>Albert Gallatin</i> of 1435 tons, so that the -<i>Stag-Hound</i>, 1535 tons, was not a very much larger vessel; but she was -of a decidedly different design, having less beam and seventeen feet -more length than either of these packets. She attracted much attention -and many persons came to see her while she was building. A throng -estimated at from twelve to fifteen thousand gathered about the shipyard -at noon on December 7, 1850, to witness her launch. The weather was -bitterly cold, with drift ice in the harbor and snow</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_015" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p142a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p142a.jpg" width="600" height="423" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Stag-Hound”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_143">{143}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">lying deep on the ground. It was feared that the launch might have to be -postponed on account of the tallow freezing on the ways, but when she -had settled in her cradle and everything was ready, a gang of men came -from the forge bearing cans filled with boiling whale oil, which they -poured upon the ways. When the word was given to knock away the dog -shores, the vessel moved rapidly down the smoking ways and plunged into -the gray, icy waters of the harbor, amid shouts and cheers from a -shivering crowd, while the bells of Boston rang out mellow and clear, on -the calm, frosty air, in welcome to the largest merchant ship afloat.</p> - -<p>Launches were not then regarded as social functions, although some of -the most prominent families in New York and Boston, who were interested -in shipping, attended them, and a pavilion was usually erected where -they might picnic comfortably and enjoy themselves. It was also not -customary in those days for women to name ships, but the ceremony, which -was simple and effective, was usually performed by the foreman of the -yard from which the ship was launched. On this occasion, when the -<i>Stag-Hound</i> began to move along the ways, the foreman had a black -bottle of Medford rum somewhere about, which he seized by the neck and -smashed across her forefoot, at the same time, in the excitement of the -moment, shouting out, “<i>Stag-Hound</i>, your name’s <i>Stag-Hound</i>!” and thus -brought the ceremony to a close. This vessel measured: length 215 feet, -breadth 40 feet, depth 21 feet, with 40 inches dead-rise at half floor. -Her mainyard was 86 feet and her mainmast 88 feet in<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_144">{144}</a></span> length. She was -commanded on her first voyage by Captain Josiah Richardson, and carried -a crew of 36 able seamen, 6 ordinary seamen, and 4 boys. When she -arrived at New York in tow of the <i>R. B. Forbes</i>, to load for San -Francisco, the ship fanciers of South Street were for once in their -lives of one mind, and their opinion seems to have been that the -<i>Stag-Hound</i> came pretty near being the perfection of the clipper ship -type.</p> - -<p>Each one of the clippers of 1850 proved a credit to the yard from which -she was launched, and nearly all of them made the passage from New York -or Boston to San Francisco in less than one hundred and ten days. This -is an exceedingly good record, although the passage from New York has -been made by two vessels, the <i>Flying Cloud</i> and the <i>Andrew Jackson</i>, -in a few hours less than ninety days. In Appendix II. will be found the -names of ships that made this passage in one hundred and ten days or -less, with the dates of their arrivals at San Francisco, for the years -1850-1860. While this list includes almost all of the extreme clippers, -still there were a number of ships that gave proof by their other -records of being fast and ably commanded, and yet failed to come within -the limit of one hundred and ten days.</p> - -<p>As most persons are aware, foreign vessels have never been allowed to -engage in the United States coasting trade, also that the voyage between -Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States has always been regarded -as a coasting voyage. The California clippers therefore had no foreign -competitors to sail against, but the racing among them<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_145">{145}</a></span>selves was -sufficiently keen to satisfy the most enthusiastic lover of sport, while -China and Australia voyages afforded opportunities for international -rivalry.</p> - -<p>The only clipper ship to make the voyage to San Francisco prior to 1850 -was the <i>Memnon</i>, under Captain George Gordon, which arrived there July -28, 1849, after a record passage of one hundred and twenty days from New -York. The first contest of clippers round Cape Horn took place in 1850, -between the <i>Houqua</i>, <i>Sea Witch</i>, <i>Samuel Russell</i>, and <i>Memnon</i>, old -rivals on China voyages, and the new clippers <i>Celestial</i>, <i>Mandarin</i>, -and <i>Race Horse</i>. All of these vessels had their friends, and large sums -of money were wagered on the result, the four older ships, especially -the <i>Sea Witch</i>, having established high reputations for speed. The -<i>Samuel Russell</i> was commanded by Captain Charles Low, previously of the -<i>Houqua</i>, while the <i>Houqua</i> was now commanded by Captain McKenzie; -Captain Gordon was again in the <i>Memnon</i>, and Captain George Fraser, who -had sailed with Captain Waterman as chief mate, commanded the <i>Sea -Witch</i>.</p> - -<p>The <i>Samuel Russell</i> arrived at San Francisco May 6, 1850, after a -passage of 109 days from New York, thus knocking 11 days off the record, -and her friends and backers felt confident that this passage could not -be surpassed, at all events not by any of the clippers of that year. -This opinion was in a measure confirmed when the <i>Houqua</i> arrived on -July 23d, 120 days from New York, but on the following day the <i>Sea -Witch</i> came romping up the bay, 97 days from Sandy Hook, reducing the -record<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_146">{146}</a></span> by another 12 days. This passage astonished every one, even her -warmest admirers, and well it might, for it has never been equalled by a -ship of her tonnage and not often excelled even by larger vessels. This -performance of the <i>Sea Witch</i> was the more remarkable as she had -rounded Cape Horn during the Antarctic midwinter.</p> - -<p>The remainder of the fleet arrived in the following order: <i>Memnon</i>, -September 27th, 123 days; <i>Celestial</i>, November 1st, 104 days; <i>Race -Horse</i>, from Boston, November 24th, 109 days; and the <i>Mandarin</i>, -November 29th, 126 days from New York. These were all fine passages, -especially when we consider that none of the vessels was over 1100 tons -register. The records show that from June 26 to July 28, 1850, seventeen -vessels from New York and sixteen from Boston arrived at San Francisco, -whose average passages were 159 days, so that even the <i>Mandarin’s</i> -passage of 126 days was very fast by comparison. We must remember also -that none of these vessels had the advantage of using Maury’s Wind and -Current Charts, as at that time sufficient material had not been -collected to perfect them.</p> - -<p>Navigators of all nationalities are deeply indebted to Lieutenant -Matthew Fontaine Maury, U. S. N., for it was his mind that first -conceived the idea of exploring the winds and currents of the ocean. -Lieutenant Maury was a Virginian by birth, and in 1825 at the age of -nineteen, entered the United State Navy as a midshipman on board the -frigate <i>Brandywine</i>. In 1830 he was appointed sailing master of the -sloop of war <i>Falmouth</i>, and ordered to the Pacific station. At this -time, being<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_147">{147}</a></span> anxious to make a rapid passage round Cape Horn, he -searched in vain for information relating to the winds and currents. His -attention was thus directed to this subject, and it was upon this voyage -that he conceived the design of his celebrated Wind and Current Charts. -He also began at this time to write papers for the <i>American Journal of -Science</i> which attracted much attention, and on his return he published -a <i>Treatise on Navigation</i> which was made a text-book for the pupils of -the Naval Academy at Annapolis.</p> - -<p>In 1842 Lieutenant Maury was placed in charge of the Depot of Charts and -Instruments at Washington, which afterwards became the National -Observatory and Hydrographic Office. Here he devoted his attention to -collecting and converting into systematic tables the valuable data -contained in the old log-books of the United States warships, which he -found stowed away as so much rubbish, and which had narrowly escaped -being sold for junk. At the same time he presented a paper to the -National Institute, recommending that all merchant ships be provided -with charts of sailing directions, “on which should be daily registered -all observable facts relating to the winds, currents, and other -phenomena of importance and interest, for the foundation of a true -theory of the winds.”</p> - -<p>A general use of these charts would have constituted one of the greatest -exploring expeditions ever devised, but for a time it met with much -opposition. Lieutenant Maury’s first convert was Captain Jackson of the -Baltimore ship <i>D. C. Wright</i>, trading to Rio Janeiro, who made rapid -voyages<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_148">{148}</a></span> with the aid of the Wind and Current Charts furnished by -Lieutenant Maury. Soon there were many followers among American -sea-captains, who gave their earnest co-operation and received great -benefits in return, since all who kept Maury’s Log, as it was called, -were entitled to a copy of the Sailing Directions.</p> - -<p>In 1856 the captains and officers of a fleet of no less than a thousand -merchant ships, sailing under the United States flag upon every sea and -ocean, were recording daily and almost hourly observations of the winds -and currents. Under the British flag were to be counted the whole Navy -of Great Britain and over one hundred merchantmen; under the flag of -Holland, two hundred and twenty-five merchant ships and those of the -Royal Navy. Besides these there were the ships of France, Spain, -Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, -Chili, Bremen, and Hamburg, all co-operating and assisting this great -scientist in his noble work.</p> - -<p>Maury’s <i>Physical Geography of the Sea</i> (1853), the first work of the -kind which appeared, ran through twenty editions and was translated into -French, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, and Italian. This book treats of the -clouds, winds, and currents of the ocean in a scientific yet attractive -manner, dispelling the last of the sea myths which for ages had been the -delight of poets and the terror of sailors, and in their stead relating -a story of scientific discovery of greater wonder and beauty than any -fable.</p> - -<p>Maury’s researches had, however, a very practical side to them. Hunt’s -<i>Merchants’ Magazine</i> for</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_016" style="width: 507px;"> -<a href="images/i_p148a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p148a.jpg" width="507" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Matthew Fontaine Maury</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_149">{149}</a></span></p> - -<p>May, 1854, states that on the outward passages alone from New York to -California, Australia, and Rio Janeiro, American ships, through the use -of Maury’s Sailing Directions, were saving in time the sum of $2,250,000 -per annum, and it is probable that could an estimate have been made of -the saving in time to all of the ships using the Sailing Directions, the -total amount must have considerably exceeded $10,000,000 per annum.</p> - -<p>It should be remembered that this result had been accomplished without -expenditure of money, beyond the moderate salaries of Maury and his -staff of assistants, and the insignificant cost of printing the blank -log-books, charts, and sailing directions.</p> - -<p>Sea-captains of all nations regarded Lieutenant Maury as a wise -counsellor and faithful friend, while France, Holland, Sweden, Spain, -Italy, Russia, Prussia, Austria, Portugal, and Sardinia, all either -conferred upon him orders of knighthood or struck medals in his honor.</p> - -<p>In 1861, Lieutenant Maury resigned the office of Chief Superintendent of -the National Observatory and Hydrographic Office, deeming it his duty as -a Virginian to take the side of his State at the outbreak of the Civil -War. Upon this occasion he received letters of invitation from the Grand -Duke Constantine offering him residence in Russia and every facility for -continuing his scientific researches. A similar offer was made by Prince -Napoleon on behalf of France, and also by the Archduke Maximilian of -Austria. In 1866 a pecuniary testimonial was presented to Lieutenant -Maury at Willis’s Rooms, London, where he was<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_150">{150}</a></span> entertained by English -naval officers and scientific men of the highest distinction, Sir John -Parkington being chairman. England, France, Russia, and Holland -contributed 3000 guineas, a substantial token of their esteem and -gratitude for his labors in the service of mankind.</p> - -<p>On one occasion Secretary of the Navy, Graham, wrote to Lieutenant Maury -as follows:</p> - -<p>“Indeed, I doubt whether the triumphs of navigation and the knowledge of -the sea, achieved under your superintendence of the Observatory, will -not contribute as much to an effective Naval Service and to the national -fame as the brilliant trophies of our arms.”</p> - -<p>Maury died in 1873, in his sixty-seventh year, an American scientist -whose life was devoted to discovering the secrets of the sea, and to the -welfare of seamen, irrespective of rank or nationality. In lamenting his -death, the Senate of Virginia closed its resolutions with this eulogy:</p> - -<p>“An honor to Virginia, an honor to America, and an honor to -civilization, and in gratefully recognizing this we do but honor -ourselves.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_151">{151}</a></span>”</p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X<br><br> -<small>CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1851 AND THEIR COMMANDERS—A DAY ON BOARD THE -“WITCH OF THE WAVE”</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">A</span> LITTLE more than sixty thousand tons of shipping had been launched -from the shipyards in and near New York during the year 1850, and over -thirty thousand tons were still under construction there when the year -closed, while the total tonnage of vessels built in the United States -that year was 306,034 tons.</p> - -<p>At this period the California clippers increased rapidly in size. Ships -of a new type from 1500 to 2000 tons register, of which the <i>Stag-Hound</i> -was the pioneer, were now being built, and ship-builders were called -upon to deal with the problem of fitting wooden spars and hemp rigging -that would stand the stress and strain of the enormous amount of canvas -that these powerful vessels were expected to carry. The rigging and -handling of this new type of long-limbed clipper, with her unexplored -peculiarities, gave ship-builders and sea-captains some serious thinking -and the ship lovers of South Street something to talk about and argue -over.</p> - -<p>Thirty-one California clippers were launched during the year 1851, and -almost all the large ship-<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_152">{152}</a></span>yards along the Atlantic seaboard were -represented by one or more. Donald McKay built the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, -<i>Flying Fish</i>, and <i>Staffordshire</i>; William H. Webb, the <i>Challenge</i>, -<i>Invincible</i>, <i>Comet</i>, <i>Gazelle</i>, and <i>Sword-Fish</i>; Fernald and -Pettigrew, of Portsmouth, the <i>Typhoon</i>; Jacob A. Westervelt & Sons, the -<i>Hornet</i> and <i>N. B. Palmer</i>; George Raynes, the <i>Wild Pigeon</i> and <i>Witch -of the Wave</i>; Smith & Co., of Hoboken, the <i>Hurricane</i>; Perrin, -Patterson & Stack, of Williamsburg, the <i>Ino</i>; Briggs Bros., of South -Boston, the <i>Northern Light</i> and <i>Southern Cross</i>; Hood & Co., of -Somerset, the <i>Raven</i>; J. O. Curtis, of Medford, the <i>Shooting Star</i>; J. -Williams, the <i>Tornado</i>, Isaac Taylor, of Medford, the <i>Syren</i>; Trufant -& Drummond, of Bath, the <i>Monsoon</i>, and Jacob Bell, the <i>Trade-Wind</i>.</p> - -<p>It would be impossible to name the handsomest of these ships, for while -they were all of the same general design, each possessed her special -type of beauty; and beauty, as we all know, is elusive, depending -largely on fashion and individual taste. In order to attract the -favorable attention of shippers and to secure the highest rates of -freight, it was necessary that these ships should be handsome as well as -swift. Ship-owners were content to spend large sums of money, not only -upon refined decoration, which was but a small portion of the expense, -but also in carefully selected woods, such as India teak and Spanish -mahogany for deck fittings, and in the finest shipwright’s and joiner’s -work about the decks, which were marvels of neatness and finish.</p> - -<p>Ship-builders certainly had every incentive to ex<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_153">{153}</a></span>ercise their best -skill upon these vessels; they received pretty much their own prices for -building them, and each ship, as she sailed out upon the ocean, held in -her keeping the reputation of her builder, to whom a quick passage meant -fame and fortune. Six of the clipper ships launched in 1851, the <i>Flying -Cloud</i>, <i>Comet</i>, <i>Sword-Fish</i>, <i>Witch of the Wave</i>, <i>Ino</i>, and <i>Northern -Light</i>, established speed records that have not yet been broken, and as -time rolls on, the probability that they ever will be, becomes less and -less.</p> - -<p>The <i>Flying Cloud</i> was originally contracted for by Enoch Train, the -good friend of Donald McKay, but while on the stocks she was sold to -Grinnell, Minturn & Co., under whose flag she sailed for a number of -years. Mr. Train used to say that there were few things in his life that -he regretted more than parting with this ship. She was 1783 tons -register, and measured: length 225 feet, breadth 40 feet 8 inches, depth -21 feet 6 inches, with 20 inches dead-rise at half floor. Her main-yard -was 82 feet and her mainmast 88 feet in length, and like all the large -clippers of her day, she carried three standing skysail yards; royal, -topgallant and topmast studdingsails at the fore and main, square lower -studdingsails with swinging booms at the fore; single topsail yards, -with four reef bands in the topsails; single reefs in the topgallant -sails, and topsail and topgallant bowlines.</p> - -<p>She was commanded by Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy, who was born at -Marblehead in 1814. Like most boys who were brought up along the coast -of Massachusetts Bay, he began his career by being<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_154">{154}</a></span> skipper and all -hands of a borrowed thirteen-foot dory, with the usual leg-o’-mutton -sail, and steered by an oar over her lee gunwale. In these dories water -was carried in a strong earthen jug with a stout handle to which a tin -drinking-cup was usually attached, while a wooden dinner-pail, such as -the Gloucester fishermen used in those days, contained provisions. When -the rode line was coiled down clear with the killick stowed away -forward, and the dinner-pail, wooden bailer, and water jug had been made -fast with a lanyard to the becket in the stern sheets, the famous Cape -Ann dory was about ready for sea.</p> - -<p>Joe Creesy was a genuine boy, large and strong for his age, freckled, -good-tempered, and fond of rowing, sailing, and fishing. When he got to -be thirteen or fourteen years old, he used to get some one to lend him a -dory, and in this, during his summer vacation, he would make short -cruises to Beverly and sometimes to the neighboring port of Salem. Here -he would loiter about the wharves, watching an Indiaman discharge her -fragrant cargo, or perhaps some ship fitting out for another voyage to -India or China; and he would gaze up in wonder and admiration at the -long tapering masts, with their lofty yards and studdingsail booms, and -what appeared to him to be a labyrinth of blocks and slender threads. -The ships’ figureheads, especially those representing warriors and wild -animals, pleased Joe mightily, and the spare spars, gratings, capstans, -boats, guns, and shining brass work, all delighted his heart. -Occasionally he would behold a sea-captain who had really sailed to -Calcutta and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_155">{155}</a></span> Canton, and the bronzed mariner was to him a being quite -apart from other mortals.</p> - -<p>At that time Salem retained much of the spicy, maritime flavor of the -olden days, and these pleasant summer cruises to the old seaport -naturally captivated the boy’s imagination, until he yearned for the -time when he, too, might stand upon the quarter-deck in command of a -noble ship. It would, of course, have been sinful to keep a boy like -this on land, so he was permitted to follow his inclination and ship -before the mast on board of a vessel bound for the East Indies. He -advanced steadily through all the grades on shipboard, and became a -captain at twenty-three.</p> - -<p>When Captain Creesy was appointed to command the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, he was -well known in New York, as he had commanded the ship <i>Oneida</i>, for a -number of years in the China and East India trade, and bore a high -reputation among ship-owners and underwriters, many of whom were his -personal friends and associates.</p> - -<p>The <i>Flying Fish</i> was owned by Sampson & Tappan, who, with George B. -Upton, were the leading Boston ship-owners of their day, and between -them owned the largest and finest clipper ships belonging to that port. -These firms were composed of men in the prime of life, who enjoyed -owning fast and handsome vessels. They cared for nothing but the best in -design, construction, and equipment, and fitted out their ships with -spare gear, stores, and provisions upon a most generous scale. The -<i>Flying Fish</i> was 1505 tons register and measured: length 198 feet 6 -inches, breadth 38 feet 2 inches, depth<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_156">{156}</a></span> 22 feet, with 25 inches -dead-rise at half floor. Her commander, Captain Edward Nickels, had -sailed out of Boston for a number of years in command of the ship <i>John -Quincy Adams</i>, and was a fine seaman and navigator. He was fond of -entertaining his friends while in home and foreign ports, and his jolly -little lunches and dinners were regarded as models of refined -hospitality on shipboard. Commander John A. H. Nickels, U. S. N., is a -son of Captain Edward Nickels.</p> - -<p>Mr. Webb’s <i>Challenge</i>, a still larger merchantman than had yet been -constructed, was regarded with pride by the shipping men of New York. -The <i>Challenge</i> registered 2006 tons, and measured: length 230 feet 6 -inches, breadth 43 feet 6 inches, depth 27 feet 6 inches, with 42 inches -dead-rise at half floor. Her mainmast was 97 feet and mainyard 90 feet -in length, and the lower studdingsail booms were 60 feet long; with -square yards and lower studdingsails set, the distance from boom end to -boom end was 160 feet. She carried 12,780 running yards of cotton -canvas, which was woven especially for her by the Colt Manufacturing -Company. Her mainsail measured: 80 feet on the head, 100 feet on the -foot, with a drop of 47 feet 3 inches, and 49 feet 6 inches on the -leach. She had four reefs in her topsails, and single reefs in her -topgallant sails, and carried skysails, studdingsails, and ringtail. She -was owned by N. L. & G. Griswold, of New York, and was commanded by -Captain Robert H. Waterman, late of the <i>Sea Witch</i>.</p> - -<p>The <i>Invincible</i>, owned by J. W. Phillips and others, of New York, was -1767 tons register, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_157">{157}</a></span> measured: length 221 feet, breadth 41 feet 6 -inches, depth 24 feet 10 inches. She was commanded by Captain H. W. -Johnson, a gentleman who possessed a merry wit and a vivid imagination. -Some of his experiences by land and sea, as related by himself, were -certainly startling, and he told them with a minuteness of detail and an -earnestness of manner that carried conviction equal to the most -realistic illusions of the drama. There was one story about a mutiny on -board the British brig <i>Diadem</i>, of which vessel Johnson said he was -second mate. This craft carried a Lascar crew, and was in the Bay of -Bengal, bound from Calcutta to Hong-kong with a cargo of opium, when a -mutiny broke out in which all hands took part with such ferocious valor -that the second mate and the serang, both badly wounded, were the only -survivors.</p> - -<p>The listeners are shown the dead bodies of Europeans and Asiatics, lying -about the blood-stained deck under the fierce rays of the southern sun, -and we breathe the tainted air, while chattering cormorants and -screeching fishhawks tear the thin clothing of the corpses into shreds -and fight with claw and beak over the decaying flesh. Johnson and the -serang, so widely separated by blood, language, and religion, now united -by a bond of common suffering, help each other to crawl into the caboose -for shelter from the heat and from the birds of prey. Now we hear the -gentle chafing of the gear aloft, and the lazy slatting of the sails, as -the brig rolls upon the long, glassy swell; we see the sun sink beyond -the ocean’s rim in a glory of gold and purple that illumines the zenith -and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_158">{158}</a></span> turns the sea into a lake of fire; and we feel the benediction of -the cool twilight and whispering breeze.</p> - -<p>In the silence of the night, the two men, weak from loss of blood, drag -themselves aft to the deserted cabin; Johnson lowers himself down the -companion and gropes his way to the pantry, where he finds food to share -with his companion. In the captain’s cabin he finds a decanter of brandy -and a tumbler in the rack at the foot of the berth; he fills the glass -and pours the spirit down his parched throat to brace his shattered -nerves, then fills the glass again and takes it to the serang, but the -faithful follower of Mahomet refuses to lift it to his burning lips. We -live with them as they work their little vessel back to the muddy waters -of the Hooghly and sight a pilot brig lying at anchor on her station, -and their joy is ours when the pilot, with his leadsman, servant, and -boat’s crew, comes on board. Again these unfortunate men, haggard and -still suffering from their wounds, are being tried in an Anglo-Indian -Court of Justice under a charge of murder on the high seas, and we hear -the judge pronounce their solemn sentence of death.</p> - -<p>The scenes to which I have referred were so real that it seemed as if -Johnson, while describing them, must have believed this story himself, -and it was interesting to note the effect upon those who heard it for -the first time, when, after giving a circumstantial account of the -miraculous escape of the serang and himself from the Calcutta prison -during the night before they were to be hanged, he would<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_159">{159}</a></span> cheerfully -remark, “Well, now, I call that a pretty good yarn to spin out of -nothing.” Then some one, perhaps a lady, might say, “Why, Captain -Johnson, is it not true?” and he would smile pleasantly and reply, -“True? Why bless your soul, I never heard of a brig called the <i>Diadem</i>, -and never was in Calcutta in my life.” He had a number of these stories, -and in China we never tired of listening to them.</p> - -<p>Captain Johnson was an uncommonly able man and a most agreeable -companion. He remained in command of the <i>Invincible</i> for several years, -and in the early sixties he took in succession three frail wooden -side-wheel river steamboats, the <i>Fire Dart</i>, <i>Fire Cracker</i>, and <i>Fire -Queen</i>, from New York round the Cape of Good Hope to China, with no -accident or mishap—a remarkable achievement. In 1866, Captain Johnson -was the navigator, but not in command, of the yacht <i>Vesta</i> in her race -with the <i>Henrietta</i> and <i>Fleetwing</i> across the Atlantic.</p> - -<p>The <i>Comet</i> was 1836 tons register, and measured: length 229 feet, -breadth 42 feet, depth 22 feet 8 inches. She was owned by Bucklin & -Crane, of New York, and was commanded by Captain E. C. Gardner, late of -the <i>Celestial</i>, in whose hands she gained a high reputation for speed.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sword-Fish</i> was owned by Barclay & Livingston, of New York, and was -1036 tons register; length 169 feet 6 inches, breadth 36 feet 6 inches, -depth 20 feet. Although not so extremely sharp as the larger ships built -by Mr. Webb during that year, she was quite as handsome, and while -com<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_160">{160}</a></span>manded by Captain Babcock she eclipsed them all in speed.</p> - -<p>Captain David Sherman Babcock, brother-in-law of Captain N. B. Palmer, -was born at Stonington in 1822, and came of a distinguished family, his -father being Major Paul Babcock and his grandfather Colonel Harry -Babcock of Revolutionary fame. He received the usual New England school -education of those days, which appears to have been a sufficient -equipment for some of the most useful men that the United States has yet -produced.</p> - -<p>As a boy David developed a strong desire for a seafaring life, which -cannot be wondered at, as at that period Stonington and the neighboring -town of Mystic were flourishing seaports, whose ships sailed to every -quarter of the globe, and whose jovial mariners kept the social -atmosphere well charged with shadowy visions of strange lands, ancient -temples, pagodas, palms, and coral isles lying in distant tropical seas. -The departure of a ship with colors flying, the crisp, incisive orders -of her captain and mates, and the clomp, clomp, clomp, of the windlass -pawl, the songs of the sailors heaving up anchor, the hum of the running -gear as it rendered through the blocks, and the music of their straining -sheaves to the last long pulls on sheets and halliards, were a more -potent means of recruiting bright, young boys, soon to become mates and -captains of American ships, than all the press-gangs that were ever -heard of.</p> - -<p>So it came about that young Babcock, at the age of sixteen, was allowed -to ship as boy before the mast with Captain Nat Palmer on board the -<i>Hiber<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_161">{161}</a></span>nia</i>, and later he sailed again with Captain Palmer as an officer -on board the <i>Garrick</i>. After making voyages to India and China on board -of various ships, he was appointed at the age of twenty-five to command -the ship <i>Charlestown</i> on a voyage to Callao and Lima. In 1850, Captain -Babcock married Charlotte, the youngest daughter of Joseph Noyes, of -Stonington, and W. I. Babcock, the well-known naval architect and -engineer, who first introduced the scientific construction of steel -vessels on the Great Lakes, is their son.</p> - -<p>The <i>Typhoon</i> was owned by D. & A. Kingsland, of New York, and was -commanded by Captain Charles H. Salter, who was born at Portsmouth in -1824, and an ancestor of his, Captain John Salter, commanded a vessel in -the European trade during Colonial times, and for generations the -Salters had sailed out of Portsmouth in command of ships. Captain -Charles Salter went to sea at an early age, and at twenty-two commanded -the ship <i>Venice</i> and later the <i>Samuel Badger</i>.</p> - -<p>The <i>Typhoon</i> was 1610 tons register, and measured: length 225 feet, -breadth 41 feet 6 inches, depth 23 feet. She was fully rigged on the -stocks and was launched with skysail-yards aloft and colors flying. -Before loading for San Francisco she was sent by her owners to Liverpool -and made the passage from Portsmouth during the month of March in 13 -days, 10 hours from wharf to dock. She frequently ran 15½ knots by the -log on this passage, her best day’s run being 346 miles. At Liverpool -she attracted much attention, as she was not only the first American -clipper, but also the largest<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_162">{162}</a></span> merchant ship that had ever been seen at -that port.</p> - -<p>The <i>N. B. Palmer</i> was 1490 tons register, and measured: length 214 -feet, breadth 39 feet, depth 22 feet. She was owned by A. A. Low & -Brother, and was commanded by another brother, Captain Charles Porter -Low. He was born at Salem in 1824, and when a child removed with his -parents to Brooklyn. At any early age he manifested a decided liking for -ships and the society of sailors, and much against the wishes of his -parents, he determined to go to sea. In 1842 he shipped as boy before -the mast on board of the <i>Horatio</i>, with Captain Howland and made the -round voyage to China. He made a voyage to Liverpool with Captain -Griswold in the <i>Toronto</i> as ordinary seaman, and was an able seaman on -board the <i>Courier</i> to Rio Janeiro. He then sailed as third, second, and -chief mate of the <i>Houqua</i>, with the brothers, Captain Nat, Alexander, -and Theodore Palmer, and at the age of twenty-three took command of that -ship. As we have seen, he also commanded the <i>Samuel Russell</i> on her -first voyage to San Francisco.</p> - -<p>The <i>N. B. Palmer</i> was perhaps the most famous ship built in the -Westervelt yard. In China she was known as “the Yacht,” and with her -nettings in the tops, brass guns, gold stripe, and her lavish -entertainments on the Fourth of July and Washington’s Birthday, she well -deserved the title. Her captain was a princely host, as well as a -thorough seaman, and a fine navigator. A full-rigged model of the <i>N. B. -Palmer</i> was exhibited at the Crystal Palace, London, in 1851, and -attracted much at<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_163">{163}</a></span>tention as a fine example of the American clipper-ship -type.</p> - -<p>The <i>Hurricane</i> was owned by C. W. & H. Thomas, of New York, and -registered 1607 tons. She had the reputation of being the sharpest ship -ever built at or near New York, and she carried plenty of canvas, with -Cunningham’s rolling topsails, being one of the first American vessels -so fitted. Across the lower part of her foretopsail she carried her name -painted in large black letters that could be read much further than any -signals and looked very smart and shipshape. Her commander, Captain -Samuel Very, was born at Salem in 1815, and was a son of John -Crowninshield Very, a mariner who had sailed on many a brave Salem ship. -Among other experiences, he was one of the survivors of a shipwreck in -mid-ocean during the year 1810, when he was picked up by a passing -vessel after twenty-three days in an open boat. Admiral Samuel W. Very, -U. S. N., is a son of Captain Samuel Very, and was born at Liverpool -while the <i>Hurricane</i> lay in the Mersey.</p> - -<p>The <i>Northern Light</i>, of 1021 tons register, measured: length 180 feet, -breadth 36 feet, depth 21 feet 6 inches. She was a very sharp ship below -the water-line, with 40 inches dead-rise at half floor, and full, -powerful lines above water and on deck. She was built by the Briggs -Brothers at South Boston, and owned by James Huckins of Boston. Mr. -Huckins was a jolly, kind-hearted gentleman whom every one liked. His -house-flag was a white field, swallowtail, with a blue star in the -centre, and when he took his two sons into partnership,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_164">{164}</a></span> he placed two -exceedingly small blue stars in the upper and lower luff of the flag, as -he remarked, “to represent their interest in the business.” This, -however, was his joke, as he was most liberal in every way. After this -ship had made her celebrated record passage from San Francisco to -Boston, Mr. Huckins usually closed his discussions upon the speed of -clipper ships by saying, “Well, anyway, none of them can beat my -<i>Northern Light</i>.”</p> - -<p>The <i>Trade Wind</i> measured: length 248 feet, breadth 40 feet, depth 25 -feet, and was 2030 tons register, being 24 tons larger than the -<i>Challenge</i>. Those two ships were the largest clippers that were ever -built at or about New York, and with the exception of the <i>Ocean -Monarch</i>, a packet ship of 2145 tons register, built by William H. Webb -in 1856, were the largest sailing ships ever constructed at that port. -The <i>Trade Wind</i> was an exceedingly sharp and handsome ship, and -attracted a great deal of attention. It was estimated that more than -thirty thousand persons gathered about Jacob Bell’s shipyard at the foot -of Houston Street, East River, one bright morning in August of that year -to see her launched. She was owned by W. Platt & Son, of Philadelphia, -and was commanded by Captain W. H. Osgood, late of the ship -<i>Valparaiso</i>.</p> - -<p>The <i>Nightingale</i>, one of the most beautiful clippers launched in 1851, -was not built for the California trade, but was originally intended for -a yacht. This ship was constructed by Samuel Hanscom, at Portsmouth, -with the intention of carrying passengers to the World’s Fair, held in -London during that year, and was fitted with extensive and</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_017" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p164a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p164a.jpg" width="600" height="396" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Nightingale”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_165">{165}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">luxurious accommodations for that purpose, her between-decks being given -up to large saloons and staterooms. It was proposed, after her arrival -at London, to exhibit her in the Thames as a model American clipper -ship, and no expense or skill was spared to make her a worthy -representative. She was 1066 tons register, length 178 feet, breadth 36 -feet, depth 20 feet, with 36 inches dead-rise at half floor.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, when the <i>Nightingale</i> was nearly completed, and ready -for launching, her owners fell short of money. Mr. Hanscom, however, -carried out his contract, and the ship was finished and then put into -the hands of Governor Goodwin, of Portsmouth, to dispose of, each -sub-contractor agreeing to accept his <i>pro rata</i> share of the proceeds. -She was taken to Boston and there attracted the attention of Sampson & -Tappen, who were so well pleased with the ship that they gladly paid the -sum of $75,000 for her. This left the sub-contractors, such as -sparmakers, sailmakers, riggers, and blockmakers, an additional profit -beyond their contract, and Mr. Hanscom also realized a larger amount -than he would have received under the original contract. So great was -the excitement over the news from California, and so keen the demand for -clippers at this time, that almost any of them could have been sold for -a substantial advance upon their contract price. Those were the palmy -days of the ocean carrying trade, and at no period before, or since, -have ships yielded such golden harvests to their builders and owners.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_166">{166}</a></span></p> - -<p>The <i>Witch of the Wave</i> registered 1494 tons, and measured: length 202 -feet, breadth 40 feet, depth 21 feet, with 40 inches dead-rise at half -floor. Her mainmast was 90 feet and her mainyard 81 feet in length. -Though built at Portsmouth, she was owned by Captain John Bertram and -Alfred Peabody, of Salem, and was the pride of that ancient seaport. It -was usual in those days for owners to entertain on board their ships -when favorable opportunity offered, so the trip of the <i>Witch of the -Wave</i> from Portsmouth to Salem to obtain her register was made an -occasion of festivity.</p> - -<p>The first of May was the day selected, but lowering clouds and squalls -of wind and rain decided Captain Bertram to postpone the cruise until -more favorable weather, and those of his guests who had appeared upon -the scene were rewarded by an opportunity to examine the ship at their -leisure. They found her a very handsome vessel, with grace and beauty in -every line and curve of her hull. Her decks were remarkably clear, with -plenty of room for working ship, and the between-decks had more than -ample head room and were well ventilated. Her figurehead represented a -young woman partially clad in gossamer drapery of white and gold, with -one shapely arm extended and her small bare feet lightly stepping upon -the crest of a wave, while the stern was ornamented with a seashell in -which a child was being drawn by dolphins. These designs were executed -by John W. Mason, of Boston, and were of decided artistic merit. The -cabins and staterooms were finished in the most luxurious manner, the -wainscot of the main cabin being of rose<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_167">{167}</a></span>wood, birdseye maple, satin and -zebra wood, exquisitely polished, with cornices and mouldings of white -and gold.</p> - -<p>After an inspection of the ship lunch was served, and Ephraim F. Miller, -Collector of the Port of Salem, proposed the following toast: “Success -to the newest and youngest of the Salem Witches. She perhaps includes in -her composition an equal amount of craft with her unfortunate -predecessors. Had they possessed a proportional share of her beauty, we -are confident that the sternest tribunal before which any of them were -arraigned, would never have had the heart to subject a single one to the -trial to which their successor is designed—the Trial by Water.” This -sentiment was received with applause by the company, who then separated, -some returning to Salem by train, while others remained over night, to -be ready for the next day in case the weather improved. In the evening -the Raynes Mansion was the scene of generous hospitality.</p> - -<p>During the night the sky cleared, the sun came up warm and bright with a -pleasant northwesterly breeze, and the early morning found Portsmouth in -a state of bustle and excitement. Wagons laden with hampers, bags, and -boxes of good things, with plenty of ice to keep them cool, were -unloaded alongside the ship, and presently the <i>R. B. Forbes</i> appeared -steaming up the river with a big bone in her teeth, the embodiment of -energy and strength. The morning train came in, bringing a large number -of men and women, from Boston, Salem, and Newburyport, who, with the -Portsmouth guests, made<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_168">{168}</a></span> a distinguished company of more than two -hundred persons.</p> - -<p>At about eleven o’clock, everything being ready, the <i>Witch of the -Wave</i>, with colors flying and the Boston Cadet Band on board playing -“The Star-Spangled Banner,” was towed out into the stream amid the -shouts and cheers of a multitude of people, who thronged the wharves and -shipyards along the river. After passing through the Narrows and -rounding New Castle Point, the <i>R. B. Forbes</i>, which had been towing -alongside, took her hawser out ahead and shaped a course for Cape Ann, -which brought the wind well over the starboard quarter. The breeze had -freshened, though the sea was still quite smooth, and this, with the -clear, blue sky and bright sunshine, made a day altogether too fine to -be spent on shore.</p> - -<p>Many of those on board were interested to see what effect some canvas -would have on the new clipper, so Mr. Raynes said to Captain Bertram -that he thought it might perhaps be a good plan to set some sail, “just -to assist the tow-boat a little.” Captain Bertram, with a twinkle in his -eye, said he thought so, too, and gave orders to loose the topsails, -jib, and foretopmast staysail. The <i>Witch of the Wave</i> had a crew of -Portsmouth riggers, shipped by the run to Boston, and it did not take -them long to put the topsails on her. As soon as the yards were braced, -she began to dart through the water like a fish, and soon ranged up on -the weather beam of the <i>R. B. Forbes</i>, the hawser towing between them -with the bight skipping along among the blue waves in showers of -sparkling spray.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_169">{169}</a></span> On board the <i>R. B. Forbes</i> the safety valve was -lifting, with steam at thirty pounds pressure murmuring in protest to -the breeze. There was great joy on board the <i>Witch of the Wave</i>, with -clapping of hands and waving of handkerchiefs, while the band struck up -“A Life on the Ocean Wave.” The log was hove, and she took nine and one -half knots off the reel. The topsail yards were then lowered on the -caps, and the reef tackles hauled out, yet with only this small canvas, -the <i>R. B. Forbes</i> did not have much towing to do.</p> - -<p>After rounding Thacher’s Island, a banquet was served on tables in the -between-decks, which were decorated with the ensigns of all nations, and -at the close of the entertainment speeches were made by E. H. Derby, a -grandson of Salem’s great merchant of that name, Charles H. Parker, -Henry N. Hooper, and the Hon. Charles W. Upham; then the following -resolution was adopted with hearty cheers:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="r"> -“Ship <i>Witch of the Wave</i>,<br> -“Off Salem Light, May 2, 1851.<br> -</p> - -<p>“At a meeting of invited guests, held this afternoon, it was -unanimously</p> - -<p>“<i>Resolved</i>—That the ladies and gentlemen here assembled -gratefully acknowledge the courtesy, kindness, and generous -hospitality of Captain John Bertram and the other owners of the -<i>Witch of the Wave</i>, on this festive day, and tender their best -wishes for the success of this noble vessel.</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">E. H. Derby</span>, <i>Chairman</i>.<br> -</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Charles H. Parker</span>, <i>Secretary</i>.”</p></div><p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_170">{170}</a></span></p> - -<p>After this, Jonathan Nicholas, of Salem, recited the following impromptu -lines:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I wonder what’s the dreadful row<br></span> -<span class="i1">They’re kicking up in Portsmouth now!<br></span> -<span class="i1">The people running up and down<br></span> -<span class="i1">Crying ‘All Salem’s come to town!’<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i4">Clear the track, the ship is starting!<br></span> -<span class="i4">Clear the track, the ship is starting!<br></span> -<span class="i4">Clear the track, the ship is starting!<br></span> -<span class="i4">And Portsmouth hearts are sad at parting.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“They say a man came down to-day<br></span> -<span class="i1">To carry the <i>Witch of the Wave</i> away;<br></span> -<span class="i1">And the people think he oughtn’t oughter<br></span> -<span class="i1">Just because he’s been and brought her.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“They called it rainy yesterday,<br></span> -<span class="i1">But I know better, anyway;<br></span> -<span class="i1">’Twas only Portsmouth people crying<br></span> -<span class="i1">To see the good ship’s colors flying!<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“But Captain B. said, ‘Hang the sorrow!<br></span> -<span class="i1">The sun is bound to shine to-morrow.’<br></span> -<span class="i1">And when he speaks it’s no use talking—<br></span> -<span class="i1">So the clouds and the blues, they took to walking.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“And so to-day the sun shines bright,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And Salem sends her heart’s delight;<br></span> -<span class="i1">And the good ship flies, and the wind blows free,<br></span> -<span class="i1">As she leaps to her lover’s arms—the sea!<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_171">{171}</a></span><br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“They have crowded her deck with the witty and wise,<br></span> -<span class="i1">The saltest wisdom and merriest eyes;<br></span> -<span class="i1">And manned her yards with a gallant crew<br></span> -<span class="i1">That it tickles her staunch old ribs to view.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“They say she’s bound to sail so fast<br></span> -<span class="i1">That a man on deck can’t catch the mast!<br></span> -<span class="i1">And a porpoise trying to keep ahead,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Will get run over and killed stone dead.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Then here’s a health to the hands that wrought her,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And three times three to the mind that thought her<br></span> -<span class="i1">For thought’s the impulse, work’s the way<br></span> -<span class="i1">That brings all Salem here to-day.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i4">“Clear the track, the ship is starting!<br></span> -<span class="i5">Clear the track, the ship is starting!<br></span> -<span class="i5">Clear the track, the ship is starting!<br></span> -<span class="i5">And Portsmouth hearts are sad at parting.”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Repeated rounds of applause greeted this effusion, and the company went -on deck where music called the dancers to their feet. The wind had died -out, and as the sun began to set in the west, the <i>Witch of the Wave</i> -anchored in Salem harbor. The day’s pleasure was brought to a close by a -portion of the company singing these lines of Whittier’s that had been -set to music for the occasion:<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_172">{172}</a></span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“God bless her wheresoe’er the breeze<br></span> -<span class="i3">Her snowy wings shall fan,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Beside the frozen Hebrides<br></span> -<span class="i3">Or sultry Hindostan!<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Where’er, in mart or on the main,<br></span> -<span class="i3">With peaceful flag unfurled,<br></span> -<span class="i1">She helps to wind the silken chain<br></span> -<span class="i3">Of commerce round the world.<br></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Her pathway on the open main<br></span> -<span class="i3">May blessings follow free,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And glad hearts welcome back again<br></span> -<span class="i3">Her white sails from the sea!”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The guests were landed in boats at Phillips’s wharf, in time to reach -their homes by the early evening trains, and on the following day the -<i>R. B. Forbes</i> towed the <i>Witch of the Wave</i> to Boston, where she loaded -in Glidden & Williams’s Line for San Francisco, under the command of -Captain J. Hardy Millett.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_173">{173}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI<br><br> -<small>CALIFORNIA CLIPPER PASSAGES OF 1851</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">E</span>ACH of the clippers had her devoted admirers, who gave tangible proof -of loyalty by investing money liberally in support of their belief in -her speed. At that period the merchants and ship-owners of Boston used -to meet “on ‘change” in front of the old Merchants’ Exchange in State -Street, and before going home to their comfortable two o’clock dinners, -these old-time gentlemen would lay many a quiet wager upon the <i>Northern -Light</i>, <i>Flying Fish</i>, <i>Witch of the Wave</i>, <i>Raven</i>, <i>John Bertram</i>, -<i>Shooting Star</i>, or <i>Game Cock</i> as to their relative speed and the -length of their passages from Boston to San Francisco.</p> - -<p>In New York the Astor House was the meeting-place of merchants, -ship-builders, and sea-captains, who carried on endless arguments -concerning the merits of the clipper ships, their builders, owners, and -captains, and discussed the latest shipping news with untiring -earnestness. These men knew whereof they spoke, for almost any evening -there was sufficient capital represented by ship-owners to pay for half -a dozen clippers, and the men were there also who could build and -navigate them. Occasionally an argument would reach a point of -animation<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_174">{174}</a></span> where something had to be done, and one might hear a remark -very much like this: “No, no, Henry, I can’t do that, but I will lay -five dollars at one to three on the <i>Challenge</i> against the fleet, bar -one, or the same even on the <i>Flying Cloud</i> against the <i>N. B. Palmer</i>.” -These were pleasant evenings, gay with the clink of mugs and glasses and -the murmur of small talk and laughter rippling among wreaths of smoke -from fragrant Havanas, until, at a little before ten, Michael, the -venerable barkeeper would announce, “Gentlemen, I will take the last -orders of the evening; we close in ten minutes.”</p> - -<p>The interest in clippers was not confined to seamen and capitalists, for -when the mail steamer from Aspinwall was reported toiling up the bay, -there would be a large number of persons patiently waiting on the wharf, -who were not expecting friends among the passengers or crew, but who had -come to hear the latest news, then five or six weeks old, of arrivals of -clipper ships at San Francisco.</p> - -<p>The first clipper to arrive at San Francisco from New York in 1851 in -less than 110 days was the <i>Seaman</i>, a smart little Baltimore ship of -546 tons. She made a fine passage of 107 days, arriving on March 11th.</p> - -<p>The second to arrive was the <i>Surprise</i>. A merchant of San Francisco -wagered heavily on her beating the passage of the <i>Sea Witch</i>—97 -days—of the year before, and as the time limit grew near he began to -feel rather nervous. On the morning of her ninety-sixth day out, March -19th, he thought<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_175">{175}</a></span> if the <i>Surprise</i> was going to win his money for him -it was about time for her to do it, so he mounted his horse and rode -over to the North Beach to get a glimpse of her if she was in sight. He -found the weather thick outside and so returned, but he had not reached -his counting-room before the <i>Surprise</i> had passed the Golden Gate. And -by noon, Captain Dumaresq was with his friends on shore, 96 days from -New York. The <i>Surprise</i> had sailed 16,308 miles since leaving Sandy -Hook, and had reefed topsails but twice. It should not, however, be -supposed that she had not had plenty of wind, for it was usually blowing -hard when Captain Dumaresq began to think of taking in his -topgallantsails, to say nothing of reefing topsails. A list of her cargo -on this voyage filled a manifest twenty-five feet long, and her freight -amounted to the sum of $78,000.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sea Serpent</i> arrived on May 17th, after putting into Valparaiso for -repairs, as she had lost spars and sails off Cape Horn. She had made the -passage in 115 days, deducting her delay at Valparaiso. This was the -first of a series of disasters which befell the clippers that year, and -which proved pretty clearly that their power of carrying canvas had been -underestimated. It became quite evident that these ships could stand -stouter spars and rigging, and indeed required them.</p> - -<p>The <i>Eclipse</i>, Captain Hamilton, also went into Valparaiso with the loss -of some of her spars and sails, and allowing for her loss of time in -port, made the passage from New York to San Francisco in 112 days, -arriving May 20th, with the remarkable<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_176">{176}</a></span> run of 63 days from New York to -Valparaiso to her credit. Captain Hamilton was not only an accomplished -mariner, but a most delightful companion, and he had many friends in San -Francisco, some of whom gave a dinner at the Niantic Hotel in honor of -his arrival on this occasion. When the proper moment came, one of the -party proposed the health of Captain Hamilton, and this is the way he -did it:</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen! I give you the shipper-clips—the clippy—sh—the, -gentlemen, I give you the—the slipper.” Here he paused, steadied -himself by the table edge, bowed with great dignity, and began again -very slowly: “Gentlemen!—I—give—you—the—ship—<i>E</i>—<i>clipse</i>, and -her gallant cap’n Hamilton,” and then with an -at-peace-with-all-the-world grin, this disciple of Silenus subsided.</p> - -<p>The Niantic had a curious history, even for a San Francisco hotel. This -refuge for the traveller, or rather a portion of it, had originally been -the British ship <i>Niantic</i> which arrived at Valparaiso from Liverpool -just as the California gold fever was at its height. She was bought by a -Chilean merchant and started for Panama, where she loaded a cargo of -tropical fruits and two hundred and forty-eight passengers, and arrived -at San Francisco, July 5, 1849. Most of the fruit had either been -devoured by the passengers or become so decayed that it was thrown -overboard, and as soon as the anchor was down, the captain and all hands -cleared out for the mines, leaving the ship to take care of herself.</p> - -<p>After some months of neglect, she was bought<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_177">{177}</a></span> by a real estate -speculator, who hauled her broadside to on the beach, at what was then -the foot of Clay Street, and turned her into a warehouse. By degrees the -old craft found herself embedded in some ten or twelve feet of sand and -mud at a considerable distance from the water-front, but she made more -money for her owner here than at any other time in her career, until one -of the periodical fires swept away her top sides. The rest of her hull, -which being below ground had escaped destruction, became the cellar of -the Niantic Hotel, erected over her remains, and had the reputation of -being the only tight and dry cellar in the neighborhood.</p> - -<p>In the course of time the Niantic Hotel was torn down to make room for a -more substantial building, and upon clearing away the débris to secure a -more solid foundation, thirty-five baskets of champagne were discovered -hidden away among the floor timbers of the old hull, where they had -remained unmolested for some twenty-one years. So faithfully had the -wine been bottled and so dry had been its resting-place, that there was -not a speck of rust on the wires securing the corks, and the labels were -as fresh as the day they were put on, while the wine was found to have -retained much of its original sparkle and <i>bouquet</i>. It was the then -celebrated Jacquesson Fils brand, which at the time of its arrival might -easily have been sold for $25 a bottle. I am not sure that it did not -sell at nearly its former value, for almost every one in San Francisco -in 1870 needed at least one bottle with which to celebrate the -anniversary of his arrival “in the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_178">{178}</a></span> fall of Forty-nine or the spring of -Fifty,” and thirty-five baskets would seem a small allowance for that -vast and increasing multitude.</p> - -<p>The <i>Stag-Hound</i> arrived May 26th. She sailed from New York in January, -and when six days out in a heavy southeast gale, her maintopmast and -three topgallantmasts came down by the run. She was without a -maintopsail for nine days and without topgallantsails for twelve days; -nevertheless, she crossed the equator 21 days from Sandy Hook, arrived -at Valparaiso in 66 days under jury rig, and, allowing for her detention -there, reached San Francisco 107 days from New York. Captain Richardson -reported that she was a very fast ship in moderate breezes, while in -strong winds she frequently logged sixteen and seventeen knots, although -her best day’s run was only 358 miles.</p> - -<p>The <i>Witchcraft</i> arrived August 11th. She, too, had suffered aloft and -put into Valparaiso for spars and repairs, and, allowing for this delay, -she had made the passage from New York in 103 days. The <i>N. B. Palmer</i> -arrived August 21st in 108 days, and the <i>Flying Cloud</i> on August 31st -in 89 days—a passage never surpassed and only twice equalled—once -three years later by the <i>Flying Cloud</i> herself, and once in 1860 by the -<i>Andrew Jackson</i>.</p> - -<p>The <i>Flying Cloud’s</i> abstract log on this passage is as follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td>Sandy Hook to the equator</td><td class="rtb">21</td><td class="c">days.</td></tr> -<tr><td>Equator to 50° S.</td><td class="rtb">25</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in Pacific</td><td class="rtb"> 7</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>50° S. to the equator</td><td class="rtb">17</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>Equator to San Francisco</td><td class="rtb">19</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total</td><td class="rtbt">89</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_179">{179}</a></span></p> - -<p>It was during this passage that the <i>Flying Cloud</i> made her famous run -of 374 miles, while steering to the northward and westward under -topgallantsails, after rounding Cape Horn. This was the fastest day’s -run, under steam or sail, that had ever been made up to that time, and -exceeded by 42 miles the best day’s run that had ever been made by a -mail steamship on the Atlantic. A few extracts from her log will, I -think, be of interest:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>“June 6th (three days out from New York). Lost main and mizen -topgallantmasts, and maintopsail yard.—June 7th. Sent up main and -mizen topgallantmasts and yards.—June 8th. Sent up maintopsail -yard.—June 14th. Discovered mainmast badly sprung about a foot -from the hounds, and fished it.—July 11th. Very severe thunder and -lightning, double reefed topsails, split fore and maintopmast stay -sails. At 1 <small>P.M.</small> discovered mainmast had sprung, sent down royal -and topgallant yards and studding sail booms off lower and topsail -yards to relieve strain.—July 13th. Let men out of irons in -consequence of wanting their services, with the understanding that -they would be taken care of on arriving at San Francisco. At 6 -<small>P.M.</small>, carried away the maintopsail tye and band round -mainmast.—July 23d. Cape Horn north five miles. The whole coast -covered with snow.—July 31st. Fresh breezes, fine weather, all -sail set. At 2 <small>P.M.</small> wind southeast. At 6 squally; in lower and -topgallant studding sails; 7, in royals; at 2 <small>A.M.</small> in foretopmast -studding sail. Latter part, strong gales and high sea running. Ship -very wet fore and aft. Distance run this day by observation is<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_180">{180}</a></span> 374 -miles. During the squalls 18 knots of line was not sufficient to -measure the rate of speed. Topgallantsails set.—August 3d. At 3 -<small>P.M.</small> suspended first officer from duty, in consequence of his -arrogating to himself the privilege of cutting up rigging, contrary -to my orders, and long-continued neglect of duty.—August 25th. -Spoke barque <i>Amelia Packet</i>, 180 days from London for San -Francisco.—August 29th. Lost foretopgallant mast.—August 30th. -Sent up foretopgallant mast. Night strong and squally. Six <small>A.M.</small> -made South Farallones bearing northeast ½ east; took a pilot at 7; -anchored in San Francisco harbor at 11:30 <small>A.M.</small> after a passage of -89 days, 21 hours.”</p></div> - -<p>An analysis of this remarkable log shows that during twenty-six -consecutive days the <i>Flying Cloud</i> had sailed a distance of 5912 miles, -an average of 227 miles a day, or within a fraction of 9½ knots, and for -four consecutive days 284, 374, 334, 264—a total of 1256, or 314 miles -per day, an average speed of 13½ knots. This splendid passage of the -<i>Flying Cloud</i> reduced by one quarter the clipper-ship record of 120 -days made by the <i>Memnon</i> two years before, and established a new record -that stands to-day.</p> - -<p>This grand ocean exploit was celebrated in San Francisco with rejoicing, -as every American in the town felt, now that the voyage round Cape Horn -had been made in three months, that he was nearer to his old home in the -East; while in the Atlantic seaports the news was received with -enthusiasm, and was regarded by the press not only as a personal victory -for the owners, builder, and captain<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_181">{181}</a></span> of the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, but as a -triumph of the United States upon the sea. One of the New York papers<a id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> -in the course of an editorial remarked: “Such a passage as this is more -than a local triumph, and inures to the reputation not alone of the -builder of the ship and her enterprising owners, but of the United -States. It is truly a national triumph, and points clearly and -unmistakably to the pre-eminence upon the ocean which awaits the United -States of America. The log of the <i>Flying Cloud</i> is now before us. It is -the most wonderful record that pen ever indited, for rapid as was the -passage, it was performed under circumstances by no means the most -favorable.”</p> - -<p>The <i>Challenge</i> arrived October 29th, 108 days from New York—a fine -passage, certainly, but not what her friends had hoped or expected. She -had on this voyage a large but very poor crew—incompetent and -mutinous—indeed, some of them were among the most desperate characters -that ever sailed out of the port of New York. It was only after the ship -had passed Sandy Hook and the pilot had been discharged that Captain -Waterman began fully to realize what a gang of ruffians he had to deal -with. He seriously considered taking the ship back to New York for -another crew, and a less resolute man probably would have done so; but -he realized that it would mean a heavy expense to the owners, as each of -the crew had received three month’s advance wages, which would have to -be paid over again to another crew, besides other expenses and loss of -time and disappointment to the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_182">{182}</a></span> shippers of cargo, so he decided to -protect every one but himself and kept the ship on her course.</p> - -<p>The crew of the <i>Challenge</i> consisted of 56 men before the mast, -supposed to be able seamen, and 8 boys. Of the men in the forecastle -only two were Americans, the remainder representing most of the maritime -countries of Europe. So soon as Captain Waterman decided to continue the -voyage, he made his plans quickly. After giving some orders to Mr. -Douglas, his chief officer, he called all hands aft and manufactured a -speech in which, among other things he said that the men would find that -they were on board of a good comfortable ship, with plenty to eat and -very little work to do; but when the officers gave them orders they must -obey willingly and quickly; that he hoped none of them had brought -spirits or weapons on board, as such things were apt to make trouble at -sea. This camp-meeting discourse occupied perhaps fifteen or twenty -minutes, during which the mates, carpenter, sailmaker, and boatswain -were employed in the forecastle breaking open chests and boxes, emptying -bags, and gathering up bottles of rum, knuckle-dusters, slingshots, -bowie-knives, and pistols which they threw over the side. After the -watches were chosen, each man was made to lay his knife on the main -hatch, where the carpenter broke the point of the blade off square.</p> - -<p>It was found that only six men among the crew could steer the ship -properly; these were made quartermasters and did nothing else during the -passage except to lend a hand making and taking in sail, Fully one half -of the crew who had shipped<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_183">{183}</a></span> as able seamen were not sailormen at all, -but blacklegs of the vilest type, who had taken this means of getting to -the California gold mines. It also developed that many of the men had -contracted a loathsome disease, most difficult to cure at sea, and at -one time seventeen of the crew were laid up and off duty. Captain -Waterman had the sailroom turned into a sick bay, but although these men -received every care, five of them died, and eight were still in their -berths when the <i>Challenge</i> arrived at San Francisco.</p> - -<p>For some time after sailing from New York, Captain Waterman and his -officers were always armed when they came on deck, but after a while the -crew appeared to be in such good shape that this precaution gradually -became neglected, until, one morning off Rio Janeiro, while Captain -Waterman was taking his sights, he heard shouts for help from the main -deck. He at once laid down his sextant and hurried forward to find the -mate, Mr. Douglas, with his back to the port bulwark just abaft the main -rigging, defending himself with bare fists from four of the crew armed -with knives, who were attacking him. As Captain Waterman ran along the -main deck he pulled a heavy iron belaying pin out of the rail, and using -this with both hands as a club, he dealt a terrific blow on the skull of -each of the would-be assassins, which laid them out on deck—two of them -dead. Mr. Douglas had received no less than twelve wounds, some of them -of a serious nature; indeed, he barely escaped with his life. From that -time the officers always carried arms, and there was no further trouble -with the crew.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_184">{184}</a></span></p> - -<p>Off Cape Horn three men fell from aloft, one of whom was drowned while -two struck the deck and were killed. The bodies of the men who died were -sewn up in canvas with holystones at their feet, and were buried in the -sea. Captain Waterman read the funeral service over their remains, but -the ship was not hove to as the braces were never allowed to be started -except when absolutely necessary, owing to the difficulty and danger of -handling the yards with such an inferior crew. The bodies of the two men -who attempted to murder the chief officer were taken from where they -fell and lowered into the sea. Many years afterward Captain Waterman -told me that he could not bring himself to read the Christian burial -service over these corpses, but that he gave the crew permission to take -the bodies forward, and offered them canvas, holystones, and a -prayer-book with which to hold their own service, but none of the crew -would volunteer to bury these men.</p> - -<p>The <i>Challenge</i> had moderate winds the whole passage, excepting a -succession of westerly gales off Cape Horn, and with her wretched crew -besides, there was really no opportunity properly to test her speed. Her -best day’s run was only 336 miles, with the wind abeam and skysails set. -She was 55 days from Sandy Hook to Cape Horn, thence 34 days to the -equator in the Pacific, and 19 days from the equator to San Francisco. -The great wonder is, not that Captain Waterman made such a fine passage, -but that he succeeded in getting his ship to San Francisco at all.</p> - -<p>Soon after the <i>Challenge</i> rounded to and let go<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_185">{185}</a></span> anchor, in San -Francisco Bay, she was boarded by a throng of crimps and runners who at -once took the crew and their dunnage ashore. There was nothing unusual -in this, for it happened nearly every day, captains and mates being -powerless to prevent it. A gang of longshoremen would then be sent -aboard at wages of from $3 to $5 an hour each, to heave up anchor, put -the ship alongside the wharf, stow sails and clear up the decks. As -these prosperous sons of toil were never in much of a hurry, it usually -required from four to five hours to finish up these jobs, and meant a -heavy expense to the ship-owner for work that should have been done by -the crew.</p> - -<p>When the crew of the <i>Challenge</i> got on shore, some of them had terrible -tales to tell about their hardships and privations during the voyage; -how they had been nearly starved to death; how some of the crew had -starved to death or been murdered, and their bodies hove overboard like -dead rats, and how six men had been shot from the mizzentopsail yard in -a gale of wind off Cape Horn. According to these blatant imposters, no -such floating hell as the <i>Challenge</i> had ever before set sail upon the -ocean, and as for Captain Waterman, he was a blood-thirsty, inhuman -navigator, the like of whom had never been seen or heard of, since the -days when Noah put his ship ashore among the mountains of Ararat. All -this was, of course, profitable material for journalists, one impetuous -knight of the pen actually proposing that Captain Waterman should be -burned alive, until finally the publisher of this attack became -frightened for his own safety,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_186">{186}</a></span> as he had incited the most dangerous set -of men, perhaps, that ever existed in any seaport—ticket-of-leave from -Australia, cut-throats from New Mexico, and drainings from the social -gutters and cesspools of European ports.</p> - -<p>At this moment San Francisco happened to be in one of the numerous -stages of reform through which that amazing city has passed. It had -recently emerged from a reign of lawlessness and mob rule under the -guidance of a Vigilance Committee, and while this admirable body of -citizens was not yet disbanded, it had in a measure relaxed its grasp -upon public affairs. Now, a number of the newly-converted thugs, -murderers, and outlaws of the town, whose necks had narrowly escaped the -hangman’s noose, formed themselves into a new “Vigilance Committee,” to -deal with Captain Waterman and the officers of the <i>Challenge</i>. These -outcasts, crafty and unscrupulous as they were, possessed neither the -courage nor the mental capacity to carry out their own plans. They -accordingly called a public meeting, held somewhere among the sandhills, -at which it was decided to “execute” Captain Waterman and his officers -“on sight,” and then burn or scuttle the vessel at her wharf. Naturally, -the real Vigilance Committee were the first to learn of these -proceedings, and at once took the captain and officers under their -protection, holding themselves in readiness to scatter the mob should -this measure become necessary.</p> - -<p>The crowd that gathered at the sandhills consisted of two or three -hundred men who had lately been hunted from one end of San Francisco to -the</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_018" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p186a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p186a.jpg" width="600" height="359" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Challenge”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_187">{187}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">other, and had prudently kept themselves stowed away in order to escape -the righteous wrath of the Vigilance Committee. One can scarcely -conceive anything more grimly grotesque than the spectacle of these -inexperienced reformers, in their red flannel shirts and black slouched -hats with pistols and bowie-knives stuck in their leather belts, and -trousers tucked into the tops of their cowhide boots, the odor of the -gin palace and dance-hall clinging to their unwashed skins and clothing, -as they wended their way to Pacific Wharf, where the <i>Challenge</i> lay -moored, and demanded that Captain Waterman and his officers be delivered -over to them for purposes of justice.</p> - -<p>As might have been expected, these gentlemen had vanished and no one but -a few members of the Committee knew where they were. So finding that -Captain John Land had been placed in command of the ship, the mob seized -this venerable seaman, and for more than an hour wrangled among -themselves as to whether they should shoot, drown, or hang him in place -of Captain Waterman. They, however, concluded to hold him as a hostage, -and walked their white-haired prisoner up to the office of Alsop & Co., -the agents of the <i>Challenge</i>. By this time, the crowd had been -considerably augmented and numbered about two thousand men, who filled -the air of California Street with yells, curses, lewd jests, and ribald -songs. They again demanded from the agents that their intended victims -be given up, and six of the ringleaders forced their way with crowbars -and axes into the house of Alsop & Co. At this point the bell of the -Monumental Fire En<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_188">{188}</a></span>gine House began to toll—the well-known signal that -called the Vigilance Committee to arms—and long before the Marshal had -finished reading the Riot Act, the mob had dispersed with alacrity.</p> - -<p>Captain Waterman was not the man to submit quietly to such attacks upon -his character and conduct, and he at once offered to meet any charge -that might be brought against him before a proper legal tribunal. When -no one appeared, he demanded that a full investigation be made into the -facts of the voyage of the <i>Challenge</i>. It then appeared, from the -testimony of a portion of the crew, that a large number of the men who -had shipped in New York as able seamen were grossly incompetent and -desperately mutinous; that the food had been of the best, in fact, the -same quality of beef, pork, and flour that had been used in the cabin -had also been served to the crew without stint, and that no more -punishment had been inflicted by the officers than was necessary to -maintain proper discipline for the safety of the ship and her cargo.</p> - -<p>It also appeared that from the time the ship sailed from New York until -the time of her arrival at San Francisco, Captain Waterman had never -been out of his clothes except to change them, and had never slept in -his berth, but had taken such rest as he could find upon the transom in -his chart-room near the companionway. He was commended for his skill and -courage in bringing his vessel safely into San Francisco without the -loss of a spar, sail, or piece of rigging. It is therefore humiliating -to record that neither the owners of the <i>Challenge</i> nor their -underwriters, for both of whom<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_189">{189}</a></span> Captain Waterman had saved thousands of -dollars, ever had the courtesy to make the slightest acknowledgment of -his services, although they were well aware of their obligation in this -matter. It is, however, some consolation to know that he asked and -needed nothing at their hands.</p> - -<p>As we already have seen, Captain Waterman had taken the Pacific Mail -steamship <i>Northerner</i> from New York to San Francisco in 1850, and fully -intended at that time to retire from the sea. He was then forty-two -years old, and had passed thirty-two years upon the ocean; he possessed -ample means, with a portion of which he bought four leagues of land in -Solano County, California, and it was only at the earnest solicitation -of N. L. & G. Griswold, the owners of the <i>Challenge</i>, that he consented -to take her from New York to San Francisco in this year. He was now free -to attend to his own affairs. Together with Captain A. A. Richie, he -founded the town of Fairfield, California. In 1852, he was appointed -Port Warden and Inspector of Hulls at the port of San Francisco, a -position he held for twenty-eight years. He then retired to his farm, -where he died in 1884, at the age of seventy-six. Probably no man in -California was more widely known or more highly respected.</p> - -<p>One of the best ocean races of 1851 was that between the <i>Raven</i>, -Captain Henry; the <i>Typhoon</i>, Captain Salter, and the <i>Sea Witch</i>, -Captain Frazer. These clippers sailed for San Francisco nearly together: -the <i>Sea Witch</i> passed out by Sandy Hook on August 1st, followed by the -<i>Typhoon</i> on August 4th, while the <i>Raven</i> passed Boston Light on -Au<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_190">{190}</a></span>gust 6th. All had able commanders, who carried Maury’s wind and -current charts to assist them. In this month of light and baffling -breezes a quick run to the equator was hardly to be expected, but these -clippers threaded their way across the calm belt of Cancer, ran down the -northeast trades, and drifted through the doldrums, with surprising -speed. The <i>Sea Witch</i> still kept her lead at the equator, crossing on -August 30th, closely followed by the <i>Raven</i> and the <i>Typhoon</i>, which -crossed together on the 31st, so that the <i>Raven</i> had gained four and -the <i>Typhoon</i> two days on their swift competitor. They all weathered -Cape St. Roque and stood away to the southward for a splendid dash of -over three thousand miles through the southeast trades and the strong -westerly winds further south, all crossing the parallel of 50° S. in the -same longitude, 64° W. The <i>Raven</i> had gained another day on the <i>Sea -Witch</i> and these two clippers were now side by side, with the <i>Typhoon</i> -only two days astern.</p> - -<p>Here began one of the keenest races ever sailed upon the ocean. They all -stood to the southward with studdingsail booms and skysail yards sent -down from aloft, with extra lashings on the boats, spare spars, and -skylights, while all hands hardened their hearts for a thrash to -windward round Cape Horn. On this desolate ocean the clippers raced from -horizon to horizon in heavy westerly gales and a long, fierce, sweeping -head sea. For fourteen exciting days and nights, with single-reefed, -double-reefed, close-reefed topsails, reefs in and reefs out, their -keen, watchful captains made use of every lull and slant to drive their -ships to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_191">{191}</a></span> the westward of Cape Horn, across the great, broad-backed, -white-crested seas. The <i>Sea Witch</i> and <i>Raven</i> were having it out tack -for tack, sometimes one and then the other gaining an advantage, both -carrying sail to the utmost limit of prudence, lifting their long, sharp -bows to the wild, surging seas, the cold spray flying across their decks -and blue water swirling along their lee waists, each handled with -consummate skill, and not a spar carried away or rope parted. The -<i>Typhoon</i> in hot pursuit, was pressing the two leaders and slowly -closing upon them, for her greater length and power helped her here. -Finally the <i>Sea Witch</i> and <i>Raven</i> emerged from this desperate contest -side by side, as they had entered it, both crossing latitude 50° S. in -the Pacific in fourteen days from the same parallel in the Atlantic. The -<i>Typhoon</i> had now gained another day, and was within twenty-four hours’ -sail of each.</p> - -<p>Clear of Cape Horn they all went away fast to the northward, rushing -through the southeast trades with studdingsails, skysails, water-sails, -and ring-tails—every yard of canvass set that would draw. On this -stretch to the equator, the <i>Sea Witch</i> fairly flew through the water, -and crossed in 22 days from 50° S., leading the <i>Raven</i> 2 and the -<i>Typhoon</i> 4 days. They now stood to the northward, close-hauled on the -starboard tack, for their final struggle. Here again length and power -counted in favor of the <i>Typhoon</i>, and she came up with the <i>Sea Witch</i> -and <i>Raven</i>, leading them both into port; the <i>Raven</i>, too, for the -first time fairly headed the <i>Sea Witch</i>. The <i>Typhoon</i> glided through -the Golden Gate, November<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_192">{192}</a></span> 18th, 106 days from Sandy Hook; the <i>Raven</i>, -November 19th, 105 days from Boston Light, and the <i>Sea Witch</i>, November -20th, 110 days from Sandy Hook. Here is a brief abstract from their -log-books:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td> </td><td colspan="2"><i>Raven</i></td> -<td colspan="2"><i>Typhoon</i></td> -<td colspan="2"><i>Sea Witch</i></td></tr> -<tr><td>To the equator in the Atlantic</td> -<td class="rt">25</td> -<td class="c">days</td> -<td class="rt">27</td> -<td class="c">days</td> -<td class="rt">29</td> -<td>days.</td></tr> -<tr><td>From the equator to 50° S.</td> -<td class="rt">21</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rt">23</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rt">22</td> -<td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific</td> -<td class="rt">14</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rt">13</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rt">14</td> -<td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From 50° S. to the equator</td> -<td class="rt">24</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rt">25</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rt">22</td> -<td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From the equator to the Golden Gate</td> -<td class="rt">21</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rt">18</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rt">23</td> -<td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total</td> -<td class="rtbt">105</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rtbt">106</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rtbt">110</td> -<td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>This was a great victory for the <i>Raven</i>, the only ship of her tonnage -that ever outsailed the <i>Sea Witch</i>, to say nothing of vanquishing the -large and famous <i>Typhoon</i>, a ship more than double her size. It should, -however, be remembered with regard to the <i>Sea Witch</i>, that she was at -that time over five years old, and had led a pretty wild life under -Waterman, while she had known no peace with Frazer in command, and had -been strained and weakened by hard driving. Moreover, a wooden ship, -after five or six years, begins to lose her speed through absorbing -water, and becomes sluggish in light airs. In her prime and at her best -with Waterman in command, the <i>Sea Witch</i> was probably the fastest -sailing-ship of her inches ever built.</p> - -<p>The California clippers were, of course, racing all the time, against -each other and against the record,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_193">{193}</a></span> and the strain upon their captains -in driving their ships against competitors whose relative positions were -unknown, was terrific. It became a confirmed habit with them to keep -their ships going night and day in all weathers and at their utmost -speed.</p> - -<p>In order to appreciate what a passage of 110 days or less from an -Atlantic port to San Francisco really means, we must take a few of the -long passages of 1851, made by ships that were not clippers: <i>Arthur</i>, -from New York, 200 days; <i>Austerlitz</i>, Boston, 185 days; <i>Barrington</i>, -Boston, 180 days; <i>Bengal</i>, Philadelphia, 185 days; <i>Capitol</i>, Boston, -300 days; <i>Cornwallis</i>, New York, 204 days; <i>Franconia</i>, Boston, 180 -days; <i>Henry Allen</i>, New York, 225 days; <i>Inconium</i>, Baltimore, 190 -days. The logs of these vessels tell of long, weary days and nights of -exasperating calms, and dreary, heart-breaking weeks of battle with -tempests off Cape Horn.</p> - -<p>Some of the vessels built in 1851 did not take part in the races of that -year, as they were not launched until too late; and did not arrive at -San Francisco before 1852. Those among them which became most famous -were the <i>Hurricane</i>, <i>Comet</i>, <i>Northern Light</i>, <i>Flying Fish</i>, -<i>Staffordshire</i>, <i>Trade Wind</i>, <i>Sword-Fish</i>, and <i>Shooting Star</i>. We -shall hear of them later.</p> - -<p>The record of San Francisco passages for 1851 should not be closed -without mention of the pilot-boat <i>Fanny</i>, of 84 tons; length 71 feet, -breadth 18 feet 4 inches, depth 7 feet 2 inches, built by Daniel D. -Kelly at East Boston in 1850. This schooner was commanded by Captain -William Kelly, a brother<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_194">{194}</a></span> of her builder, and arrived at San Francisco -February 18, 1851, 108 days from Boston. She passed through the Straits -of Magellan and thus saved a considerable distance; but even allowing -for this, her passage was a very remarkable one for a vessel of her -tonnage, and reflects much credit upon the skill and courage of her -captain and his plucky companions.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_195">{195}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII<br><br> -<small>AMERICAN COMPETITION WITH GREAT BRITAIN IN THE CHINA TRADE</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE California clippers, after discharging their cargoes at San -Francisco, either returned in ballast round Cape Horn, or continued -their voyages across the Pacific and loaded cargoes at Asiatic ports for -the United States or Great Britain.</p> - -<p>Some of the ships which sailed to China from San Francisco, raced across -the Pacific in ballast, touching at the Sandwich Islands only long -enough to back the main yard off Diamond Head and send the mails ashore -with perhaps a missionary or two. In those days the Kanaka maidens used -to swim off alongside the ships, and they were probably the nearest -approach to mermaids that has ever been known in real life. The -<i>Stag-Hound</i> made the passage from San Francisco to Honolulu in 9, and -the <i>Flying Cloud</i> and <i>Surprise</i> in 12 days each. The <i>Flying Cloud</i> -sailed 374 miles in twenty-four hours, the day after leaving San -Francisco, with a fresh whole-sail breeze and smooth sea, under -sky-sails and royal studdingsails. The <i>Southern Cross</i> made the passage -from San Francisco to Hong-kong in 32, and the <i>Game-Cock</i> in 35 days, -the run of the <i>Game-Cock</i> from Honolulu to Hong-kong in 19<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_196">{196}</a></span> days being -most remarkable. When these and other fast American vessels loaded again -in China for English ports, they, of course, added to the competition -from which British ships were already suffering.</p> - -<p>We have seen how the <i>Oriental</i> brought a cargo of tea from China to -England in 1850, and what interest her appearance excited in London. She -was soon followed by the <i>Surprise</i>, <i>White Squall</i>, <i>Sea Serpent</i>, -<i>Nightingale</i>, <i>Argonaut</i>, <i>Challenge</i>, and other clipper ships built -for the California trade. These American clippers received from £6 to -£6, 10s freight per ton of forty cubic feet, with immediate despatch, -while British ships were loading slowly at £3, 10s per ton of fifty -cubic feet. The American ships made fine passages and delivered their -teas in excellent condition; but what especially appealed to the Briton -was the fact that they had cleared more than their original cost and -running expenses on this, their first voyage.</p> - -<p>An able English writer,<a id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> referring to the American clippers engaged in -the China tea-trade at this period, remarks: “This new competition -proved for a time most disastrous to English shipping, which was soon -driven out of favor by the lofty spars, smart, rakish-looking hulls, and -famed speed of the American ships, and caused the tea-trade of the -London markets to pass almost out of the hands of the English -ship-owner. British vessels well manned and well found are known to have -lain in the harbor of Foo-chow for weeks together, wait<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_197">{197}</a></span>ing for a cargo, -and seeing American clippers coming in, loading, and sailing immediately -with full cargoes, at a higher freight than they could command.</p> - -<p>“This soon became a matter of serious moment, and the arrival of these -vessels in the Thames caused great excitement, and aroused no small -amount of curiosity and criticism. Even the attention of the Government -became attracted towards them, and draughtsmen were sent from the -Admiralty to take off the lines of two of the most famous—the -<i>Challenge</i> and the <i>Oriental</i>—when they were in Messrs. Green’s -drydock.”</p> - -<p>This state of affairs could not, of course, continue without further -arousing British ship-owners and builders to the danger of their -position. Here was not one vessel, but a fleet of American clippers -bringing cargoes from China at double the rates of freight that British -ships could command, and unless some measures were adopted to check this -invasion no one could predict where it might end. That British merchants -paid so liberally to get their teas to a home market was certainly not -because they cherished any special affection for American ships or their -owners. They would have been quite as willing to pay British clippers -the same freights, had there been any such to receive them, or even -Chinese junks, provided the service could have been performed by them as -quickly and as well. So we find the British ship-owners and builders of -that period forced to exert their finest skill and most ardent energy.</p> - -<p>The firm of Jardine, Matheson & Co., of London<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_198">{198}</a></span> and China, were the -owners of the first clipper ship built in Great Britain. This vessel was -the <i>Stornoway</i>, 506 tons, launched from the yard of Alexander Hall & -Co., at Aberdeen, toward the close of 1850 for the China trade. It will -be recalled that this firm had built the clipper schooner <i>Torrington</i>, -for the same owners, four years before. The new ship was named for -Stornoway Castle, Lewis, one of the Hebrides Isles, which was then owned -by Sir James Matheson, and to which he retired after his long and -successful career as ship-owner and merchant in the China trade.</p> - -<p>It cannot be said that the <i>Stornoway</i> was a copy of any American model, -as a comparison of dimensions will clearly show. Comparing her -measurements with those of the American clipper, barque <i>Race Horse</i>, of -512 tons register, built by Samuel Hall at East Boston in the same year, -we find:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td> </td> -<td colspan="2">Length</td> -<td colspan="2">Breadth</td> -<td colspan="2">Depth</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Stornoway</i></td><td>157 ft.</td><td>8 in.</td><td>25 ft.</td><td>8 in.</td><td>17 ft.</td><td>8 in.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Race Horse</i></td><td>125 ft.</td><td> </td><td>30 ft.</td><td> </td><td>16 ft.</td><td> </td></tr> -</table> - -<p>Thus the <i>Stornoway</i>, while she exceeded the <i>Race Horse</i> by 32 feet 8 -inches in length and by 1 foot 8 inches in depth, yet had 4 feet 4 -inches less breadth; and here began a contest, which extended over so -many years, of breadth against length and depth. There can be no doubt -that the <i>Stornoway</i> with more beam and the <i>Race Horse</i> with more -length and depth, would have been faster, but at the same time -considerably larger vessels.<a id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a></p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_019" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p198a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p198a.jpg" width="600" height="339" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Stornoway”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_199">{199}</a></span> -</div> - -<p>The <i>Stornoway</i> was commanded by Captain Richard Robinson, and on her -first voyage she made the passage from the Downs to Java Head in 80 -days, to Hong-kong in 102 days, and from Hong-kong to London in 103 -days. These were at that time the quickest passages between these ports -that had ever been made by a British vessel.</p> - -<p>In 1851 Alexander Hall & Co. built the China tea-clipper <i>Chrysolite</i>, -of 471 tons, for Taylor & Potter of Liverpool; length 149 feet 3 inches, -breadth 29 feet, depth 17 feet. As will be seen this vessel approached -more nearly the proportions of the <i>Race Horse</i>, having 8 feet 5 inches -less length than the <i>Stornoway</i>, with 3 feet 4 inches more breadth, and -8 inches less depth. She made her first passage from Liverpool to -Canton, under the command of Captain Anthony Enright, in 102 days, and -came home in 104 days. She also made the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_200">{200}</a></span> passage from Liverpool to Java -Head in 80 days, her best day’s run being 320 miles.</p> - -<p>The very keen rivalry between the British and American clipper ships -engaged in the China trade at this time, seems to have been stimulating -to the imagination. W. S. Lindsay, in his <i>History of Merchant Shipping</i> -(vol. iii., p. 291), relates an interesting story of one of the early -races, and as I wish to do the narrative full justice, I give it in Mr. -Lindsay’s own words:</p> - -<p>“Mr. T. C. Cowper, of Aberdeen, himself a member of a well-known -ship-building firm in Aberdeen, who had spent some time in China at the -period to which I refer, and to whom I am much indebted for the -information connected with our struggles to maintain our position in -that trade, gives the following graphic description of his voyage home -in the <i>Ganges</i>, Captain Deas, belonging to Leith, one of the vessels we -had sent forth after the repeal of our Navigation Laws, to compete with -the Americans in that trade: ‘We loaded,’ he says, ‘new teas at Wampoa, -and sailed on the first of September, 1851. Two of the fastest American -clippers, the <i>Flying Cloud</i> and <i>Bald Eagle</i>, sailed two or three days -after us. A great deal of excitement existed in China about the race, -the American ships being the favorites. The southwest monsoon being -strong, the <i>Ganges</i> made a rather long passage to Anjer, but when we -arrived there we found that neither of our rivals had been reported as -having passed. We arrived in the English Channel on the evening of the -16th of December. On the following morning at daylight we were off -Portland, well inshore<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_201">{201}</a></span> and under short sail, light winds from the -northeast, and weather rather thick. About 8 <small>A.M.</small> the wind freshened and -the haze cleared away, which showed two large and lofty ships two or -three miles to windward of us. They proved to be our American friends, -having their Stars and Stripes flying for a pilot. Captain Deas at once -gave orders to hoist his signals for a pilot also, and as, by this time, -several cutters were standing out from Weymouth, the <i>Ganges</i>, being -farthest inshore got her pilot first on board. I said that I would land -in the pilot-boat and go to London by rail, and would report the ship -that night or next morning at Austin Friars. (She was consigned to my -firm.) The breeze had considerably freshened before I got on board the -pilot cutter, when the <i>Ganges</i> filled away on the port tack, and -Captain Deas, contrary to his wont, for he was a very cautious man, -crowded on all small sails. The Americans lost no time and were after -him, and I had three hours’ view of as fine an ocean race as I can wish -to see; the wind being dead ahead, the ships were making short tacks. -The <i>Ganges</i> showed herself to be the most weatherly of the three; and -the gain on every tack inshore was obvious, neither did she seem to -carry way behind in fore reaching. She arrived off Dungeness six hours -before the other two, and was in the London docks twenty-four hours -before the first, and thirty-six hours before the last of her -opponents.’<span class="lftspc">”</span></p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>It is always unpleasant to spoil a really good story, but in this -instance I feel constrained to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_202">{202}</a></span> point out that the <i>Flying Cloud</i> -arrived at San Francisco on August 31, 1851, after her famous passage of -89 days from New York; it is therefore difficult to understand how she -could have sailed from Wampoa on the Canton River on or about September -1st of that year, as stated by Mr. Cowper; while the <i>Bald Eagle</i> was -not launched until 1852.</p> - -<p>On January 3, 1852, the <i>Illustrated London News</i>, which then, as now, -had many readers in the United States, published a portrait of the -<i>Chrysolite</i> accompanying an article in which it was stated that both -the <i>Chrysolite</i> and the <i>Stornoway</i> had beaten the <i>Oriental</i> and the -<i>Surprise</i>, and that the <i>Chrysolite</i> had completely beaten the <i>Memnon</i> -during a race in the Gaspar Straits. This article excited a good deal of -interest in the United States, and it caused the formation by a number -of high-spirited young merchants and ship-owners at Boston of a society -called the American Navigation Club, which consisted of Daniel C. Bacon, -President; Thomas H. Perkins, John P. Cushing, William H. Bordman, John -M. Forbes, Warren Delano, and Edward King. In due time they issued the -following challenge, which was published in all the leading shipping -papers of Great Britain in September, 1852, and was copied into <i>Bell’s -Life</i>, at that period the great sporting publication of England:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>“The American Navigation Club challenges the ship-builders of Great -Britain to a ship-race, with cargo on board, from a port in England -to a port in China and back. One ship to be entered by each<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_203">{203}</a></span> party, -and to be named within a week of the start. These ships to be -modelled, commanded, and officered entirely by citizens of the -United States and Great Britain, respectively. To be entitled to -rank A 1 either at the American offices or at Lloyd’s. The stakes -to be £10,000 a side, satisfactorily secured by both parties, to be -paid without regard to accidents, or to any exceptions, the whole -amount forfeited by either party not appearing. Judges to be -mutually chosen. Reasonable time to be given after notice of -acceptance to build the ships if required, and also for discharging -and loading cargo in China. The challenged party may name the size -of the ships, not under 800 nor over 1200 American registered tons; -the weight and measurement which shall be carried each way; the -allowance for short weight or over-size. Reference may be made to -Messrs. Baring Bros. & Co. for further particulars.</p> - -<p class="r"> -“<span class="smcap">Daniel C. Bacon</span>, <i>President</i>.”<br> -</p></div> - -<p>A few weeks later, on October 10, 1852, the following comment appeared -in <i>Bell’s Life</i>:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>“It will be remembered early in the past month there was wafted -across the broad Atlantic, from the American Navigation Club, a -challenge to the ship-builders of Great Britain, which created no -little interest, and which after the defeat, then just -accomplished, of the magic yacht <i>America</i> by one of our own little -island craft, gave rise to no inconsiderable speculation as to what -might be the result of an acceptance of Brother Jonathan’s -pro<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_204">{204}</a></span>posal.... The Club by the last clause of their terms held -themselves at liberty to withdraw the challenge should it not be -accepted within thirty days. The limit of the time is now expiring, -and it is with no little disappointment that a letter received from -the head of the eminent banking house of Baring & Co., was received -in Boston a short time since, when it was found that he had nothing -like an acceptance of the challenge to communicate to the American -Club, but that, on the contrary, he had to report no inquiry as to -the proposition. As a sort of enticement, however, to our -ship-builders, the President of the American Navigation Club, Mr. -D. C. Bacon, is authorized, should the present challenge not be -accepted within thirty days, to allow the British vessels a start -of fourteen days before the departure of the American craft. And -also to allow us a crew picked from seamen experienced in voyaging -between English and Chinese ports, while their own crew is to be -composed of American seamen and officers whose experience is -limited in sailing between China and English ports. The Americans, -under the new conditions, are willing to augment the stake to -£20,000, or any higher sum than the £10,000 of the present -conditions most agreeable to us, but the last amount to be the -minimum. The Americans want a match, and it reflects somewhat upon -our chivalry not to accommodate them.”</p></div> - -<p>The London <i>Daily News</i> also published a leader in which it urged the -importance to Great Britain of making good her claim to maritime -su<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_205">{205}</a></span>premacy by accepting the challenge and winning the race; but in spite -of all that was said the challenge was not accepted. Had it been, -Captain Dumaresq would have commanded the American ship, and Lieutenant -Maury was to have prepared special wind and current charts for his -assistance. As nearly all the American clippers had been constructed for -the California trade, it is probable that for an important race of this -nature, two ships would have been built especially for the China trade, -and very likely by Donald McKay and Samuel Hall, as the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, -<i>Flying Fish</i>, <i>Stag-Hound</i>, <i>Game-Cock</i>, and <i>Surprise</i> had already -placed these two in the front rank of clipper ship builders. No reason -was ever given for the non-acceptance of the challenge, though the -inference seems obvious.</p> - -<p>It would, however, be a mistake to suppose that the <i>Stornoway</i> and -<i>Chrysolite</i> were not fast vessels; for they were probably the two -fastest ships sailing under the British flag at that time, and were ably -commanded, and on a China voyage, which is very different sailing from a -San Francisco or Australian passage, would have given any ship afloat a -run for her owner’s money. The fitful uncertainty of the monsoons in the -China seas, with an occasional typhoon thrown in, has always rendered -the voyages to and from China rather unsatisfactory tests of speed, and -in this respect not to be compared with those to Australia or to San -Francisco.</p> - -<p>The <i>Stornoway</i> and <i>Chrysolite</i> were soon followed by other British -clipper ships, among them the <i>Abergeldie</i>, of 600 tons register, built -by Walter Hood & Co., of Aberdeen, in 1851. This vessel was<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_206">{206}</a></span> named for -an estate that adjoins Balmoral, at that time under a forty years’ lease -to Prince Albert, and carried a figurehead of His Royal Highness in full -Highland costume.</p> - -<p>In 1852, Richard Green, of London, built the <i>Challenger</i>, of 699 tons. -This ship, owned by W. S. Lindsay, of London, was constructed with the -avowed purpose of beating the <i>Challenge</i> of New York. A comparison of -the dimensions of this ship and those of the <i>Sword-Fish</i>, 1036 tons, is -interesting.</p> - -<table> -<tr><td> </td> -<td colspan="2">Length</td> -<td colspan="2">Breadth</td> -<td>Depth</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Challenger</i></td><td>174 ft.</td><td> </td><td>32 ft.</td><td> </td><td>20 ft.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sword-Fish</i></td><td>169 ft.</td><td>6 in.</td><td>36 ft.</td><td>6 in.</td><td>20 ft.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>The <i>Challenger</i> was commanded by Captain Killick, who made eight China -voyages in her, the best passage home being 105 days. Although she was -never directly matched with her American rival, they both took part in -an informal race from China in 1852, while the challenge of the -Navigation Club was pending. The passages of the seven vessels, four -American and three British, were as follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td><i>Witch of the Wave</i></td><td>Canton to Deal</td><td class="rt">90</td><td class="c">days.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Challenge</i></td><td>Canton to Deal</td><td class="rt">105</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Surprise</i></td><td>Canton to Deal</td><td class="rt">106</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Stornoway</i></td><td>Canton to Deal</td><td class="rt">109</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Chrysolite</i></td><td>Canton to Liverpool</td><td class="rt">106</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Nightingale</i></td><td>Shanghai to Deal</td><td class="rt">110</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Challenger</i></td><td>Shanghai to Deal</td><td class="rt">113</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>It is only fair to state that the <i>Witch of the Wave</i>, commanded by -Captain Millett, sailed from<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_207">{207}</a></span> Canton, January 5th, in the height of the -northeast monsoon, and made the run, remarkable even at that season of -the year, of 7 days 12 hours from Canton to Java Head, while the three -British clippers, <i>Stornoway</i>, <i>Chrysolite</i>, and <i>Challenger</i>, sailed -later with a moderate monsoon, and the <i>Challenge</i>, <i>Surprise</i>, and -<i>Nightingale</i> later still, when the monsoon was less favorable. The rate -of freight this year was £8 per ton, the highest that was ever paid.</p> - -<p>This race, if so it can be called, resulted in “win, tie, or wrangle” as -it was claimed, for one reason or another, by every vessel engaged in -it, and ended by Sampson & Tappan, of Boston, offering to match the -<i>Nightingale</i> for £10,000 against any ship, British or American, for a -race to China and back. The rivalry of the American clipper ships among -themselves was as keen as with those of Great Britain, and this -challenge was intended for the Navigation Club, of Boston, of which -Sampson & Tappan were not members, and for New York as well, quite as -much as for the British clippers; but it found no response from either -side of the Atlantic.</p> - -<p>The <i>Nightingale</i> was owned by Sampson & Tappan for a number of years, -during which she made some exceedingly fast passages, under the command -of Captain Samuel Mather. Among them were the passage from Portsmouth, -England, to Shanghai, against the northeast monsoon, in 106 days in -1853; and during the year 1855 a passage from Shanghai to London in 91 -days, and from Batavia Roads to London in 70 days, an average of 197 -miles per day, her best day’s run being 336 miles.</p> - -<p>The <i>Surprise</i> proved one of the most successful<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_208">{208}</a></span> American clippers in -the China trade. After her first voyage she was for a number of years -commanded by the captains Charles Ranlett, father and son, and in their -hands made many fine passages—she made eleven consecutive passages from -China to New York in 89 days or less, six from Hong-kong, and five from -Shanghai, the best being 81 days from Shanghai, in 1857. Among other -fast passages from Canton to New York may be mentioned those of the -<i>Stag-Hound</i> 85, 91, and 92 days; <i>Flying Cloud</i>, 94 and 96 days; <i>N. B. -Palmer</i>, 84 days; <i>Comet</i>, <i>Panama</i>, and <i>Hurricane</i>, each 99 days; -<i>Sword-Fish</i>, 80 days; <i>Sea Serpent</i>, 88 days; <i>Vancouver</i>, 96 days; -<i>Mandarin</i>, 89 days; but I am unable to find that Captain Waterman’s -passage of 77 days in the <i>Sea Witch</i> in 1848, and 78 days in the -<i>Natchez</i> in 1845, from Canton to New York, have ever been beaten. In -1854 the <i>Comet</i> made a record passage of 84 days from Liverpool to -Hong-kong, an average of 212 miles per day, and in the same year the -<i>Typhoon</i> made the run from the Lizard to Calcutta in 80 days.</p> - -<p>In Great Britain the <i>Cairngorm</i>, of 1250 tons register, was built in -1853 by Alexander Hall & Co., and owned by Jardine, Matheson Co. Between -1853 and 1856 came the <i>Crest of the Wave</i>, <i>Norma</i>, <i>Flying Dragon</i>, -<i>Formosa</i>, and <i>Spirit of the Age</i>, built by John Pile of Sunderland, -and the <i>Lord of the Isles</i> (iron) by John Scott & Co., of Greenock. The -ship last named registered 770 tons, measured: length 190 feet 9 inches, -breadth 27 feet 8 inches, depth 18 feet 5 inches, and was an extremely -sharp and handsome, though a very wet ship. It used to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_209">{209}</a></span> be said that -Captain Maxton, her commander, drove her into one side of a sea and out -the other; at all events, she was generally known among sailormen as the -“Diving Bell.”</p> - -<p>The British clippers of this type, which was extremely sharp and narrow, -very nearly held their own against the American ships, and it is much to -be regretted that there never was a fair and square race between them; -for no British and American clipper ships ever sailed from China near -enough together to afford a satisfactory test of speed.</p> - -<p>The <i>Lord of the Isles</i> made the remarkable run from Shanghai to London -in 1855 during the northeast monsoon of 87 days. In 1856 she sailed -against the American clipper barque <i>Maury</i>, commanded by Captain -Fletcher, from Foo-chow to London, both carrying new teas. In this year -a premium of £1 per ton on the freight was offered for the first ship -home during the season. The reward was offered without regard to the -length of the passage, and was intended to encourage quick despatch in -loading as well as fast sailing. The <i>Lord of the Isles</i> finished -loading and sailed four days ahead of the <i>Maury</i>. Both vessels arrived -in the Downs on the same morning and passed Gravesend within ten minutes -of each other, the <i>Maury</i> leading, but Captain Maxton, having the -smartest tug, succeeded in getting his ship first into dock, and so won -the prize. The <i>Maury</i> was an exceedingly pretty barque of about 600 -tons, built by Roosevelt & Joyce, and owned by A. A. Low & Brother. She -was a very similar vessel to the barques <i>Fairy</i>, <i>Penguin</i>, and -<i>Benefactor</i>, by the same builders, all engaged in the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_210">{210}</a></span> China trade. The -<i>Lord of the Isles</i> was the only tea-clipper built of iron at that time. -It was found that she sweated her tea cargoes, though otherwise they -were delivered in excellent condition, and she was certainly a very fast -vessel.</p> - -<p>At this period (1853-1856) British iron ships, both sail and steam, were -coming into favor for other trades, but their introduction had been -slow. It is not easy at the present time to realize the difficulties -attending the building of the first iron vessels. The rolling of iron -plates to a uniform thickness was a matter requiring great care and -skill, and a number of years elapsed before plates exceeded or even -reached ten feet in length; then bending the frames and riveting the -plates were difficult processes, only learned through much trial and -experiment. In the early days, when an iron ship was completed, her -owner’s troubles had only begun. Finding a composition that would -prevent fouling and at the same time not destroy the plates; the -adjustment of compasses, and devising effective means of ventilation, -were all matters that required years of investigation and labor, to say -nothing of the prejudice against iron vessels, which time and experience -alone could overcome. Yet it was the skilful use of this stubborn metal -in the construction of ships, together with wise legislation, that -enabled Great Britain to regain her empire upon the sea.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_211">{211}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII<br><br> -<small>CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1852—THE “SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS”</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">A</span>S one by one the California clippers came home from Asiatic ports or -round Cape Horn from San Francisco in 1852, it was found that almost all -of them needed a pretty thorough overhauling aloft. The masts, spars, -and rigging of the <i>Flying Cloud</i> were fine examples of the skill of her -sailors in clapping on fishings, lashings, stoppers, and seizings, while -her topmast fids, crushed and broken, were taken up to the Astor House -and exhibited to the admiration of the town. Her owners, Grinnell, -Minturn & Co., had her log from New York to San Francisco printed in -gold letters on white silk for distribution among their friends, and -Captain Creesy fled to his home in Marblehead in order to escape -notoriety.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sea Serpent</i>, <i>Eclipse</i>, and <i>Stag-Hound</i> were in much the same -condition aloft as the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, while the <i>Witchcraft</i>, on the -voyage from San Francisco to Hong-kong had lost her main and mizzen -masts with all sails and rigging attached, during a severe typhoon in -the China Sea. The <i>Tornado</i>, commanded by Captain O. R. Mumford, bound -from San Francisco to New York, had<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_212">{212}</a></span> lost her bowsprit with the foremast -and sprung her mainmast, when to the westward of Cape Horn. It required -fourteen days to complete the jury rig at sea, after which she sailed to -New York, a distance of 8000 miles, in 51 days. In acknowledgment of -Captain Mumford’s services on this occasion, the New York, Sun, Astor, -and Mercantile Insurance Companies presented him with a costly solid -silver service, which was made by Ball, Black & Co., and exhibited in -the window of their store on the corner of Murray Street and Broadway.</p> - -<p>All of these ships were rerigged in New York with stouter spars and -rigging than they originally carried, and much valuable experience was -gained by sparmakers and riggers as to the requirements aloft of these -large, powerful clippers, while their captains had at the same time -become better acquainted with their peculiarities. The great difficulty -was to get a large ship, say from 1600 to 2000 tons, that would sail -fast in moderate winds. If she had canvas enough to drive her along in a -light breeze, the chances were that in a gale something was bound to -carry away aloft. The utmost skill and judgment were required to rig and -to handle these heavily masted ships with wooden spars and hemp rigging.</p> - -<p>The great race to San Francisco in 1852 was between the <i>Sword-Fish</i> of -New York and the <i>Flying Fish</i> of Boston, both extreme clippers and -built respectively by William H. Webb and Donald McKay. The <i>Flying -Fish</i> sailed from Boston November 11, 1851, and on the same day the -<i>Sword-Fish</i> passed Sandy Hook. Large sums were wagered<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_213">{213}</a></span> upon the -result. Captain Nickels of the <i>Flying Fish</i> and Captain Babcock of the -<i>Sword-Fish</i> were both young and skilful commanders, and it was believed -by their friends that each would send his ship along at her utmost -speed. The <i>Flying Fish</i> made an excellent run of 19 days to the -equator, leading the <i>Sword-Fish</i> by four days. From the equator to 50° -S., the <i>Flying Fish</i> was 26 and the <i>Sword-Fish</i> 22 days, so that they -passed that parallel on the same day. They raced round Cape Horn, part -of the time side by side, the <i>Flying Fish</i> making the run from 50° S. -in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific in 7 and the <i>Sword-Fish</i> in 8 -days. From this point the <i>Sword-Fish</i> came up and steadily drew away. -She made the run to the equator in 19 days, leading the <i>Flying Fish</i> by -3 days, and from the equator to San Francisco in 20 days, gaining on -this stretch another 3 days, and arrived at San Francisco February 10, -1852, after a splendid passage of 90 days 16 hours from New York. The -<i>Flying Fish</i> arrived on the 17th, or 98 days from Boston. The -<i>Sword-Fish</i> was regarded by many as the fastest and handsomest ship -built by William H. Webb; and her passage of 90 days, the second best -ever made from New York to San Francisco, and within one day of the -record, together with many other fast passages, among them her record -run of 31 days from Shanghai to San Francisco in 1855, an average of 240 -miles a day, certainly places her at or very near the head of the list -of clippers launched from this famous yard.</p> - -<p>Some of the other notable passages of this year were made by the -<i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> and <i>Comet</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_214">{214}</a></span> each 102 days; <i>Sea Witch</i> 108 -days from New York; <i>Staffordshire</i> 101 days, and <i>John Bertram</i> and -<i>Shooting Star</i> each 105 days from Boston.</p> - -<p>The <i>Flying Cloud</i>, on this, her second voyage from New York, arrived at -San Francisco September 6, 1852, 113 days from New York. She had, for -her, a long run of 30 days to the equator; and when she was off the -coast of Brazil, running before a light northerly wind under skysails -and royal studdingsails, with the weather clew of her mainsail hauled -up: as Captain Creesy was taking his noon observation, a large clipper -ship was reported about six miles ahead, under the same canvas but -almost becalmed. She was soon recognized by Captain Creesy and his -officers as the <i>N. B. Palmer</i>. The <i>Flying Cloud</i> carried the breeze -until about two o’clock, when she also ran into the calm, and signals -were exchanged. Captain Low, of the <i>N. B. Palmer</i>, reported with -pardonable pride, that he had sailed from New York eight days after the -<i>Flying Cloud</i>, and had found good winds to the equator; indeed, a few -days after sailing he had made 396 miles in twenty-four hours.</p> - -<p>As may be imagined, Captain Creesy was somewhat chagrined, but at all -events, here at last were the ships about whose speed there had been so -much discussion, side by side on blue water, and soon there would be a -chance to find out which was the faster of the two. As there was every -indication of a southerly breeze, both ships took in their -studdingsails, rigged in the booms, and got ready for the new wind, with -a pull on sheets and halliards fore and aft. The <i>Flying Cloud</i> had a -fine<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_215">{215}</a></span> crew, and in after years Captain Creesy in describing this race -said that, “They worked like one man, and that man a hero.”</p> - -<p>At about four o’clock there was a faint southerly air with a few -cat’s-paws, and soon the breeze came up from the south in a dark-blue -line across the horizon. Both ships felt it at the same moment, and -braced their yards on the starboard tack sharp by the wind, which soon -freshened to a fine whole-sail breeze. The <i>Flying Cloud</i> now began to -draw away. At daylight the next morning, the <i>N. B. Palmer</i> was hull -down to leeward, and by four o’clock in the afternoon was no longer in -sight. Both ships had strong westerly gales off Cape Horn, and the -<i>Flying Cloud</i> led her rival into San Francisco by twenty-three days.</p> - -<p>It is only fair to say, however, that the <i>N. B. Palmer</i> lost five days -through putting into Valparaiso to land two of her crew, and as it -turned out, to ship seventeen men to replace deserters. One of the two -men landed had shot and wounded the mate, and the other, known as -“Doublin Jack,” had knocked the second mate down with a handspike. -Captain Low put both these men in irons, triced them up in the mizzen -rigging, and gave them each four dozen lashes of ratline stuff, which -they had well earned. Captain R. B. Forbes, one of the most humane and -kind-hearted of men, declared in an address before the Boston Marine -Society in 1854, that he regarded “the abolition of the power of -flogging refractory seamen as having been injudicious”; and I think that -most men who had experience in handling the crews of mer<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_216">{216}</a></span>chant ships on -the high seas in those days will be inclined to agree with him.</p> - -<p>The demand for new clipper ships had by no means abated in 1852, and -thirty-three California clippers were launched in this year. Donald -McKay built the <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, <i>Bald Eagle</i>, and <i>Westward -Ho</i>; William H. Webb, the <i>Flying Dutchman</i>; Samuel Hall, the -<i>Polynesia</i>, John Gilpin, <i>Flying Childers</i>, and <i>Wizard</i>; Jacob A. -Westervelt, the <i>Golden City</i>, <i>Golden State</i>, and <i>Contest</i>; Jacob -Bell, the <i>Messenger</i> and <i>Jacob Bell</i>; Paul Curtis, the <i>Golden West</i>, -<i>Queen of the Seas</i>, <i>Cleopatra</i>, and <i>Radiant</i>; J. O. Curtis, the -<i>Phantom</i> and <i>Whirlwind</i>; Jabez Williams, the <i>Simoon</i>; R. E. Jackson, -the <i>Winged Racer</i>; Fernald & Pettigrew, the <i>Red Rover</i>.</p> - -<p>Undismayed by difficulties as to spars and rigging that beset the minds -of other ship-builders, Donald McKay resolved in this year to build a -still larger clipper than had yet appeared. This ship was the <i>Sovereign -of the Seas</i>, of 2421 tons register, and when she was launched in June, -1852, the bells that had welcomed the <i>New World</i> and <i>Stag-Hound</i> as -the largest merchant ships afloat, again rang out a joyous greeting to -this noble clipper, as she glided smoothly and swiftly into the blue -waters of Boston harbor.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> measured: length 258 feet, breadth 44 feet, -depth 23 feet 6 inches, with 20 inches dead-rise at half floor. It is -interesting to note that each one of Mr. McKay’s clippers had less -dead-rise than her predecessor. The <i>Stag-Hound</i> had 40 inches dead-rise -at half floor with<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_217">{217}</a></span> slightly convex water-lines; the <i>Flying Cloud</i> and -<i>Staffordshire</i> 30 inches with concave water-lines and shorter but -sharper ends. The <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> had the longest and sharpest -ends of any vessel then built, and combined the grace and beauty of the -smaller ships with immense strength and power to carry sail.</p> - -<p>She had a crew of 105 men and boys, consisting of 4 mates, 2 boatswains, -2 carpenters, 2 sail-makers, 3 stewards, 2 cooks, 80 able seamen, and 10 -boys before the mast. She was commanded by Captain Lauchlan McKay, who -was born at Shelburne, Nova Scotia, in 1811, being one year younger than -his brother Donald. Like him, he went to New York, served an -apprenticeship there with Isaac Webb, and after becoming a master -ship-wright, was appointed carpenter of the U. S. frigate -<i>Constellation</i>, in which he served four years. Admiral Farragut was a -young lieutenant on board this ship at the same time. In 1839 Captain -McKay published a work on naval architecture, and soon after, in company -with his brother Hugh, opened a shipyard at Boston. Here they did -repairing, and in 1846 built the bark <i>Odd Fellow</i>, in which Lauchlan -sailed as captain. In 1848 he commanded the ship <i>Jenny Lind</i>, and made -some excellent passages in her. When he took command of the <i>Sovereign -of the Seas</i>, Captain McKay was in his forty-first year, and of gigantic -build and strength.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> sailed from New York for San Francisco, -August 4, 1852, a poor season of the year for a rapid run to the -equator, but she crossed 25 days out from Sandy Hook, making a<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_218">{218}</a></span> run -which had never been bettered in the month of August, and only twice -equalled—once by the <i>Raven</i> from Boston in 1851 and once by the -<i>Hurricane</i> from New York in 1853. She was 23 days from the equator to -50° S., and 9 days from 50° S. in the Atlantic to the same parallel in -the Pacific. After rounding Cape Horn, she carried away her fore-and -maintopmasts and foreyard, and it required fourteen days to rerig her, -during which time she was kept on her course, and made the run from 50° -S. to the equator in the remarkable time, considering her disabled -condition, of 29 days. She went thence to San Francisco in 17 days, -which is the record for the month of November, and her total run from -New York to San Francisco was 103 days.</p> - -<p>Had the <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> not been dismasted, it is reasonable to -suppose that she would have equalled the fastest run from 50° S. to the -equator in the month of October, which is 19 days, made by the <i>Ocean -Telegraph</i> in 1855. This would have reduced her passage to 93 days; -still, as it stands, her passage of 103 days has never been equalled by -a vessel sailing from New York for San Francisco in the month of August. -Captain McKay received much credit for rerigging his ship at sea and not -putting into Valparaiso, and was presented with a very beautiful silver -dinner service by the New York Board of Marine Underwriters.</p> - -<p>This was the only passage made by the <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> between -New York and San Francisco. She carried on this voyage 2950 tons of -cargo, and her freight amounted to $84,000; a portion of the</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_020" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p218a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p218a.jpg" width="600" height="382" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Sovereign of the Seas”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_219">{219}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">cargo, consisting of flour, sold in San Francisco at $44 per barrel.</p> - -<p>She cleared from San Francisco in ballast for Honolulu, and there loaded -a cargo, or rather several cargoes, of sperm oil which had been landed -by American whale-ships in the Pacific, and sailed for New York, -February 13, 1853. She had light and variable winds to the equator, her -day’s runs ranging from 80 to 302 miles, and she made this stretch from -Honolulu in 8 days. On February 27th, she was off the Navigator or -Samoan Islands, and one cannot help thinking of the delight it would -have given Robert Louis Stevenson if he could have looked upon this -giant clipper flying southward under her white cloud of canvas, and with -what magic words he would have made her name immortal.</p> - -<p>On March 4th, the <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> sprung her foretopmast, and -although it was fished on the 6th, it was a source of anxiety for the -remainder of the passage, and Captain McKay, mindful of his recent -experience in these seas, carried sail with a considerable caution. -Nothing of special interest occurred until March 15th, when the first -strong westerly gales were felt, and a series of remarkable day’s runs -was begun. Up to noon on March 16th, she had sailed from her position at -noon the day before, 396 miles; on the 17th, 311 miles; on the 18th, 411 -miles, and on the 19th, 360 miles, a total of 1478 miles in four days. -During these four days, she made 34° 43′ of longitude eastward, which -with the difference in time gives an average of 15½ knots, or an average -of a fraction over 378 miles<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_220">{220}</a></span> for each twenty-four hours. In the 11 days -from March 10th to the 21st, she made the remarkable run of 3562 miles, -and as she made during this time 82° 24′ of longitude, her average -allowing for difference in time, was 13¾ knots, or 330 miles each -twenty-four hours.</p> - -<p>During her great run on the 18th of 411 miles, she made 10° 30′ of -longitude, which reduced her sea day to 23 hours 18 minutes, and shows -an average speed of 17⅔ knots, or 424 miles in twenty-four hours. On -this day her log records: “Strong northwest breezes and rough sea.” It -seems extremely improbable that she could have maintained uniform speed -of 17⅔ knots throughout the twenty-four hours, but at times her speed -probably slackened to 15 or 16 knots. If this supposition is correct, it -follows that her speed must at times have exceeded 17⅔ knots in order to -account for this average. In the absence of any data on this point, -which is much to be regretted, it seems probable that she must have -sailed at a speed of not less than 19 knots during a portion of these -twenty-four hours, and perhaps 20 knots. After rounding Cape Horn she -had light and moderate winds, her best day’s run being only 286 miles, -and she arrived off Sandy Hook May 6, 1853, after a passage of 82 days -from Honolulu.</p> - -<p>She sailed again from New York for Liverpool, June 18th, passing Sandy -Hook at 6:30 <small>P.M.</small>, sighted Cape Race in Newfoundland at 6 <small>A.M.</small> on the -24th, was off Cape Clear in Ireland at 6 <small>A.M.</small> on June 30th, took a pilot -at 2 <small>P.M.</small> July 2d, and anchored in the Mersey at 10:30 <small>P.M.</small> that day, -having made<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_221">{221}</a></span> the entire run from dock to anchorage in 13 days 22 hours -and 50 minutes. This must be regarded as a most remarkable passage for -the season, and has never been equalled by a sailing vessel during the -month of June. Her best day’s run was on June 28th, 344 miles, by the -wind, under single-reefed topsails, and on the 30th, 340 miles with -skysails and royal studdingsails set. The Cunard S.S. <i>Canada</i> sailed -from Boston on the same day that the <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> sailed from -New York, and a comparison of their logs published at the time shows -that in five days, June 25-30th, the ship outsailed the steamer by 325 -miles, and that the best run of the <i>Canada</i> during this passage was -only 306 miles.</p> - -<p>On this voyage her builder, Donald McKay, was a passenger on board the -<i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, and he passed most of his waking moments on -deck, watching her movement through the water and observing the various -strains on her spars and rigging. When he returned home, Enoch Train -asked him what he thought of the ship, and Mr. McKay replied, “Well, she -appears to be a pretty good ship, but I think I can build one to beat -her”; and eventually he did so.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Donald McKay sailed with her husband on this voyage and took a keen -interest in everything that went on aboard ship. Although this was a -summer passage, nevertheless, there was enough rough weather to bring -out the splendid sea-going qualities of the vessel, and to Mrs. McKay, -who, it is a pleasure to record, is still living, the vivid picture of -this thoroughbred clipper wrestling with<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_222">{222}</a></span> the winds and waves has always -remained one of the exciting experiences of her life.</p> - -<p>All of the American clippers made good passages home from China to -Atlantic ports in 1852, though no record was broken. The run of the -<i>Shooting Star</i>, 83 days from Canton to Boston, was the best of the -year.</p> - -<p>It was during the passage from Canton to New York in this year that -Captain Creesy of the <i>Flying Cloud</i> had the unusual experience of -perusing his own obituary in mid-ocean. It appears that after passing -Java Head, and when his vessel was well across the Indian Ocean, she -fell in with a ship outward bound, and in exchange for chickens, fruits, -and vegetables from Anjer, received newspapers from New York, one of -which contained the following somewhat startling announcement:</p> - -<p>“Captain Creesy of the ship <i>Flying Cloud</i>.—It will be seen by the -telegraph news in another column that this gallant sailor is no more. -Two days after sailing from San Francisco, bound to China, he died, and -the ship proceeded in charge of the mate; he was a native of Marblehead, -and about forty-six years of age. For many years, he commanded the ship -<i>Oneida</i> in the China trade, and was distinguished for the rapidity of -his passages. In the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, he made the shortest passage on -record to San Francisco, and eclipsed the finest and most costly -merchant ship in the world,<a id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> and yet this crowning triumph of his life -was attended with many disasters to his spars and sails; still, he -pressed on, disdaining to make a port short of<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_223">{223}</a></span> his destination. In -every scene of a sailor’s life ‘with skill superior glowed his daring -mind’—his dauntless soul ‘rose with the storm and all its dangers -shared.’ But now he rests from his toils, regardless of his triumphs. -Peace to his manes.”</p> - -<p>It was found that this news originated in New Orleans, having been -telegraphed from there to New York, and although no explanation of the -blunder was ever made, it at all events relieved Captain Creesy of an -annoying lawsuit. It will be remembered that in August, 1851, on the -passage to San Francisco, his first officer was put off duty soon after -rounding Cape Horn, “in consequence of his arrogating to himself the -privilege of cutting up rigging.” This was a more serious offence than -perhaps appears at first sight, as the <i>Flying Cloud</i> was badly crippled -aloft, and was a long way from the nearest ship chandler’s store, while -Captain Creesy needed every fathom of rope on board for preventers and -lashings. In due time, the mate turned up in New York and got in tow of -a philanthropic legal “gent,” who paid his board and lodging while -awaiting the arrival of the <i>Flying Cloud</i> in order to prosecute Captain -Creesy; but when they learned that he was supposed to be dead, the mate -was shipped off to sea again, while the sea-lawyer friend lost no time -in making fast to his three months’ advance.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_224">{224}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV<br><br> -<small>CALIFORNIA CLIPPERS OF 1853</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">D</span>URING the year 1853, twenty ships arrived at San Francisco from -Atlantic ports, chiefly New York, in 110 days or less, showing the high -standard of efficiency that had been reached. The best passages of the -year were made by the <i>Flying Fish</i>, 92 days; <i>John Gilpin</i>, 93 days; -<i>Contest</i>, 97 days; <i>Oriental</i> 100 days; <i>Trade Wind</i>, 102 days; -<i>Westward Ho</i>, 103 days; <i>Phantom</i>, 104 days; <i>Sword-Fish</i>, <i>Hornet</i>, -and <i>Flying Cloud</i>, each 105 days; and <i>Sea Serpent</i>, 107 days. The -<i>Comet</i> arrived on January 17th, after a passage of 112 days from -Boston. While off Bermuda she encountered a heavy southwest gale, and -was laying to under close-reefed fore-and maintopsails and foretopmast -staysail, when the wind suddenly shifted into the southeast and blew -with terrific force, carrying away the foretopmast stays, sending the -foretopmast over the side, and making junk of the two topsails. Captain -Gardner had a good crew, and so soon as the weather moderated, he -rerigged his ship at sea, and took her into San Francisco as noted, in -112 days.</p> - -<p>Racing had now become close and exciting, and the fleet was so large -that it was not uncommon</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_021" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p224a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p224a.jpg" width="600" height="397" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Comet”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_225">{225}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">for two or three ships to be in company at sea, each striving to outsail -the others. As we have seen, the <i>Flying Fish</i> won the race this year, -and from one of the finest fleets of clippers that ever sailed from New -York. The match between her and the <i>John Gilpin</i> was exceedingly close, -and taken altogether was one of the best ever sailed upon this famous -ocean course, the Derby of the sea. It was Samuel Hall against Donald -McKay, Justin Doane against Edward Nickels, and all against the fleet.</p> - -<p>The <i>John Gilpin</i> sailed out past Sandy Hook, October 29, 1852, followed -by the <i>Flying Fish</i> on November 1st, and before the green Highlands of -Neversink had disappeared below the horizon both ships were under a -cloud of canvas. The <i>Flying Fish</i> fanned along through the doldrums and -crossed the equator 21 days from Sandy Hook, leading the <i>John Gilpin</i> -by one day. From the line to 50° S., the <i>John Gilpin</i> made the run in -23 days, passing the <i>Flying Fish</i> and getting a clear lead of two days. -The <i>Flying Fish</i> did some fine sailing here; dashing through the -Straits of Le Maire, she came up alongside the <i>John Gilpin</i> just off -the Horn, and Nickels, ever famous for his jovial good-cheer, invited -Doane to come aboard and dine with him, “which invitation,” the <i>John -Gilpin’s</i> log-book ruefully records, “I was reluctantly obliged to -decline.” This is perhaps the only instance of an invitation to dine out -being received off Cape Horn. Few men have had the opportunity to extend -such unique hospitality and certainly none could do so more heartily and -gracefully than the famous com<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_226">{226}</a></span>mander of the <i>Flying Fish</i>. His vessel -made the run from 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific in 7 -days, leading her rival by two days. From this point to the equator, the -<i>Flying Fish</i> was 19 and the <i>John Gilpin</i> 20 days. From here the <i>John -Gilpin</i> showed remarkable speed, making the run to San Francisco in 15 -days, a total of 93 days, closely followed by the <i>Flying Fish</i>, 92 days -from Sandy Hook. Their abstract logs are as follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td> </td><td colspan="2" class="c"><i>Flying Fish</i></td><td colspan="2" class="c"><i>John Gilpin</i></td></tr> -<tr><td>Sandy Hook to the equator</td><td class="rt">21</td><td>days</td><td class="rt">24</td><td>days.</td></tr> -<tr><td>Equator to 50° S.</td><td class="rt">27</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">23</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>50° in the Atlantic to 50° S. in Pacific</td><td class="rt">7</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">11</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>To the equator</td><td class="rt">19</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">20</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>Equator to San Francisco</td><td class="rt">18</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">15</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total</td><td class="rtbt">92</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rtbt">93</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>When we reflect that this match was sailed over a course of some 15,000 -miles, and that the difference of time was only twenty-four hours, one -is impressed with the perfection to which the models of the vessels had -been brought, as well as the exactness of the data relating to the winds -and currents that had been gathered and reduced to a system by Maury, -and with the skill of their captains, who were guided by his charts and -sailing directions. The average difference of sailing between these two -ships was less than six seconds per mile over the entire distance. Few -races over thirty-mile courses have been sailed by yachts more evenly -matched.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_227">{227}</a></span></p> - -<p>No racing yachts have ever been handled with greater care and skill than -were these clipper ships over courses of thousands of miles. It was the -custom for the captains to change their clothes at eight o’clock in the -evening and at the same time in the morning, the exceptions being in -thick and stormy weather, when they would not be out of their clothes -perhaps for two or three days at a time. The officers and men of the -watch below were expected to be ready to tumble out on deck at a -moment’s notice to make or to shorten sail. The “old man” was very -likely to appear on deck at any moment, night or day, which kept the -officers in a high state of watchfulness. This was the only way in which -these ships could be sailed and make the passages they did.</p> - -<p>Another splendid match of this year, sailed to the eastward round the -Horn, was that between the <i>Northern Light</i> and the <i>Contest</i>. The -<i>Contest</i> was built by Jacob A. Westervelt and commanded by Captain -William Brewster, of Stonington, and was one of the fastest ships owned -by A. A. Low & Brother. She sailed from San Francisco for New York, -March 12, 1853, followed by the <i>Northern Light</i> on the 13th, bound for -Boston. Off Cape Horn, the <i>Northern Light</i> came up with and signalled -the <i>Contest</i>, and from there led her home by three days, the <i>Northern -Light</i> being 76 days 5 hours to Boston Light, while the <i>Contest</i> was 80 -days to Sandy Hook. In 1854 the <i>Comet</i> made the passage from San -Francisco to New York in 76 days, these being the record passages from -San Francisco to Atlantic ports.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_228">{228}</a></span></p> - -<p>On this famous passage the <i>Northern Light</i> made the run from San -Francisco to Cape Horn in 38 days, and was off Rio Janeiro in 52 days, -thence to Boston Light in 24 days. Her best day’s run was 354 miles. She -made the round voyage to San Francisco and return, including detention -in port, in exactly seven months. Captain Hatch, her commander, was a -thorough clipper ship captain, who never allowed his ship to suffer for -want of canvas, and on this passage he brought his vessel across -Massachusetts Bay before a fresh easterly breeze, carrying her ringtail, -skysails, and studdingsails on both sides, alow and aloft, until she was -off Boston Light—a superb marine picture, and one seldom seen by -landsmen even in those days.</p> - -<p>No more beautiful sight can be imagined than a morning at sea, with -these magnificent vessels racing in mid-ocean, perhaps two or three of -them in sight at once; the sun rising amid golden clouds; the dark blue -sea flecked with glistening white caps; long, low black hulls cleaving a -pathway of sparkling foam; towering masts, and yards covered with snowy -canvas which bellies to the crisp morning breeze as if sculptured in -marble; the officers alert and keen for the contest; the African cook -showing his woolly head and grinning, good-natured face out through the -weather door of the galley, while the wholesome odor of steaming coffee -gladdens the hearts of officers and men. And after all, when has -anything ever tasted half so refreshing as a tin pot of hot coffee, -sweetened with molasses, under the lee of the weather bulwark, in the -chill dawn of the morning watch?<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_229">{229}</a></span></p> - -<p>The third mate walks over to the lee side and knocks the ashes out of -his pipe against the rail, and as the sparks fly far to leeward, like -falling stars among the foaming waves, he sings out, “Turn to there -forward and wash down decks; boatswain, take a pair of those gulpins and -rig the head pump; the rest of you get the gear triced up.” The watch, -with sand, buckets of water, and brooms, barefooted and with trousers -rolled up to their knees, begin to scrub and scrub and scrub. Then when -the sun has dried out ropes and canvas, the gear is swayed up fore and -aft, with watch tackles on the chain topsail sheets, and a hearty:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Way haul away,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Haul away the bowline,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Way haul away, Haul away, Joe!”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The halliards are led along the deck fore and aft in the grip of clean -brawny fists with sinewy arms and broad backs behind them, the ordinary -seamen and boys tailing on, and perhaps the cook, steward, carpenter, -and sailmaker lending a hand, and all hands join in a ringing chorus of -the ocean, mingling in harmony with the clear sky, indigo-blue waves, -and the sea breeze purring aloft among the spars and rigging:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Oh, poor Reuben Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo, boys, O Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Oh, Ranzo was no sailor,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo.<br></span> -<span class="i1">So they shipped him aboard a whaler,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_230">{230}</a></span><br></span> -<span class="i1">And he could not do his duty,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo.<br></span> -<span class="i1">So the mate, he being a bad man,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">He led him to the gangway,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And he gave him five-and-twenty,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">But the captain, he being a good man,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">He took him in the cabin,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And he gave him wine and whiskey,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And he learned him navigation,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">And now he’s Captain Ranzo,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Ranzo boys, O Ranzo.”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Finally the mate’s clear, sharp order comes: “Belay there; clap a watch -tackle on the lee fore brace.” “Aye, aye, sir!” And so every sheet, -halliard, and brace is swayed up and tautened to the freshening breeze. -The gear is coiled up, the brasswork polished until it glistens in the -morning sun, the paintwork and gratings are wiped off, decks swabbed -dry, and the pumps manned to another rousing chanty:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“London town is a-burning,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Oh, run with the bullgine, run.<br></span> -<span class="i1">Way, yay, way, yay, yar,<br></span> -<span class="i1">Oh, run with the bullgine, run.”<br></span> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_231">{231}</a></span></div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">The “old man” gets his morning sights, the log is hove, the wheel and -watch are relieved at eight bells, and the clipper is ready for another -day of stress and strain.</p> - -<p>Mornings like these bring keen appetites to officers and men, so the -watch below sit about on their chests in the forecastle or on the fore -hatch and dive into the mess kid with knives and spoons. It may be a -chunk of salt pork or cold salt beef, or what Rufus Choate, in one of -his flights of forensic eloquence, described as the “nutritious hash,” -“succulent lob-scouse,” or “palatable dandy funk,” with plenty of hard -tack in the bread barge, and all washed down with unlimited coffee. Not -quail on toast or devilled kidneys, to be sure, but good substantial -seamen’s food, upon which a man can work better at sea, grow stronger, -and become less tired than on any other.</p> - -<p>In the old days captains used to lay in large stocks of chickens, eggs, -etc., for their crews at Anjer Point, but before the ship was half-way -across the Indian Ocean, the men would begin to crow in the dog watch, -and come aft in a body, asking that their salt junk might be restored to -them. In those days, as now, salmon were plentiful in California, but -their introduction on board the clipper ships failed to tempt the -appetites of sailormen when off soundings. They said they liked salt -junk a good deal better. Besides, it gave them something to growl -about—for sailors knew how to curse junk according to traditions -approved by generations of jackies, but when it came to chickens and -salmon they were at a loss for sufficiently vigorous and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_232">{232}</a></span> appropriate -expletives to express their disgust. There used to be a yarn about an -old shellback who, in a cross-examination, was asked by a smart Boston -lawyer whether the crew did not have enough to eat. The mariner replied, -“Well, yes, your honor, there was enough of it, such as it was”; and -upon further inquiry as to the quality of the food, he answered, “Now, -you see, sir, it was like this: the food was good enough, what there was -of it.” And this summed up a sailor’s idea of food and pretty much -everything else, in those days.</p> - -<p>The building of clipper ships in the United States reached its zenith in -1853. In that year forty-eight clippers were added to the California -fleet, and the wild excitement of building, owning, and racing these -splendid ships was at its height. Every one who had capital to invest -wanted one, or at least shares in one, and the ship-building yards were -taxed to their utmost capacity. It should be remembered also that there -was a great deal of other ship-building going on in the United States -besides the clippers, and that captains, officers, and crews for such a -large number of vessels were by no means easy to obtain.</p> - -<p>In this year Donald McKay built the <i>Empress of the Seas</i> and <i>Romance -of the Seas</i>; William H. Webb, the <i>Fly Away</i>, <i>Snap Dragon</i>, and <i>Young -America</i>; Jacob A. Westerwelt, the <i>Cathay</i> and <i>Sweepstakes</i>; Samuel -Hall, the second <i>Oriental</i>, the <i>Amphitrite</i>, and <i>Mystery</i>; Greenman & -Co., the <i>David Crockett</i>; Roosevelt & Joyce, the <i>David Brown</i>; John -Currier, the <i>Guiding Star</i>; Thomas Collier, the second <i>Panama</i>; J. W.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_022" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p232a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p232a.jpg" width="600" height="406" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Young America”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_233">{233}</a></span> -</div> - -<p>Cox, the <i>Red Gauntlet</i>; Briggs Brothers, the <i>John Land</i> and <i>Golden -Light</i>; and Toby & Littlefield, the <i>Morning Star</i>—all beautiful ships, -the pride of their owners and captains.</p> - -<p>The <i>Romance of the Seas</i>, owned by George B. Upton, of Boston, was the -last extreme clipper ship built by Donald McKay for the California -trade. She was a beautiful vessel, with extremely fine lines, heavily -sparred, and proved an exceedingly fast ship in moderate weather. -Captain Dumaresq was in command on her first voyage to San Francisco. -She was 1782 tons register; length 240 feet, breadth 39 feet 6 inches, -depth 29 feet 6 inches. The <i>Sweepstakes</i>, owned by Grinnell, Minturn & -Co., and designed by Daniel Westervelt, a son of Jacob A. Westervelt, -was a very sharp and handsome ship, and was the last extreme clipper -built in the Westervelt yard. She made three passages from New York to -San Francisco averaging 106 days. Captain George Lane, who commanded her -for a number of years, was subsequently a commander in the Pacific Mail -between San Francisco and China, and later became the agent of the -company at Hong-kong.</p> - -<p>The <i>Young America</i>, the last extreme clipper built by William H. Webb, -was owned by George Daniels, of New York, and for several years was -commanded by Captain David Babcock. This ship was 1962 tons register; -length 236 feet 6 inches, breadth 42 feet, depth 28 feet 6 inches. She -proved an excellent and fast vessel. Among her many fine passages may be -mentioned: from New York to San Francisco, 103, 107, 110, 112, 117, and -116 days, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_234">{234}</a></span> from San Francisco to New York, 92, 97, 85, 101, 103, and -83 days; San Francisco to Liverpool, 103 and 106 days; Liverpool to San -Francisco, 117, 111, and 99 days; and twenty consecutive passages from -New York to San Francisco averaging 117 days. Her best performance, -however, was from 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific, in -the record time of 6 days. She, too, was an exceedingly handsome ship, -and was Mr. Webb’s favorite among all the splendid ships constructed by -him. After thirty years’ continuous service in the San Francisco trade, -during which she is said to have rounded Cape Horn over fifty times, she -was finally sold to a firm in Austria, upon condition that her name -should be changed. She then became known as the <i>Miroslav</i> and foundered -with all hands in 1888, while bound from Philadelphia to a European -port.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_235">{235}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV<br><br> -<small>THE “GREAT REPUBLIC” AND THE “DREADNOUGHT”</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>WO other ships built in 1853 deserve notice here, though they were not -constructed for the California trade. They were Donald McKay’s <i>Great -Republic</i> and the famous packet ship <i>Dreadnought</i>.</p> - -<p>For some time Mr. McKay had contemplated building a ship for the -Australian trade, but failing to find any one to join in the -undertaking, and stimulated by the success of the <i>Sovereign of the -Seas</i>, he resolved to build her for himself. This vessel was the <i>Great -Republic</i>, the largest extreme clipper ship ever built. She attracted -universal attention from the fact of her being by far the largest -merchant ship constructed up to that time, and also, among those -interested in shipping, on account of the excellence of her construction -and her majestic beauty.</p> - -<p>This vessel was 4555 tons register, and measured: length 335 feet, -breadth 53 feet, depth 38 feet. She had four decks, the upper or spar -deck being flush with the covering board and protected by a rail on -turned oak stanchions. She carried a fifteen horse-power engine on deck -to hoist the yards and to work the pumps, this being the first time an<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_236">{236}</a></span> -engine was put aboard a sailing ship for these purposes. She had four -masts with Forbes’s rig<a id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> on the fore-, main-, and mizenmasts, the -after-or spankermast being barque-rigged.</p> - -<p>October 4, 1853, was a proud day for Boston. Business was suspended, and -the schools were closed in order that every one might have an -opportunity to see the launch of the <i>Great Republic</i>. People flocked -from far and near. It was estimated that thirty thousand persons crossed -by ferry to East Boston, while Chelsea Bridge, the Navy Yard at -Charlestown, and the wharves at the north end of<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_237">{237}</a></span> the city were thronged -by at least as many more. The shipping at the Navy Yard was gayly -dressed with bunting, and the harbor was filled with steamers and -pleasure boats crowded with people. It was a beautiful day, with a clear -blue sky, bright sunshine, and a gentle westerly breeze.</p> - -<p>All the staging used in the construction of the ship had been removed, -leaving her in full view as she rested upon the ways. Her long black -hull had no ornament except a beautifully carved eagle’s head where the -sweep of her raking stem and the sharp lines of her bow intersected, and -across her handsome stern the American eagle with extended wings, under -which her name and port of hail were carved in plain block letters. She -had the same graceful sheer, finely formed midship section, and -beautifully moulded ends that had been seen in this yard in the -<i>Stag-Hound</i>, <i>Flying Cloud</i>, <i>Bald Eagle</i>, <i>Westward Ho</i>, <i>Flying -Fish</i>, and <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, only on a much larger scale; indeed, -from end to end she looked the out-and-out clipper. Spars were erected -at the mast partners, and from the main she carried a long coach-whip -pennant and a large white flag with the arms of the United States in the -centre; from the other three spars she flew large United States ensigns, -and from a staff on her bowsprit, the Union Jack.</p> - -<p>The sun gleamed and sparkled upon her smooth, bright yellow-metal -sheathing, when at twelve o’clock the signal was given and the shores -fell, to the wild chorus of topmauls, so well known in every Atlantic -port fifty years ago. She moved slowly at first; then, gathering way, -fairly leaped<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_238">{238}</a></span> into the sea, amid smoke and fire from the burning ways, -the roar of artillery, the music of bands, and the cheers of the vast -multitude. So swiftly did she leave the ways that two anchors and the -powerful steamer <i>R. B. Forbes</i> barely succeeded in bringing her up, -close to Chelsea Bridge. The <i>Great Republic</i> was named by Captain Alden -Gifford, who performed the ceremony by breaking a bottle of Cochituate -water over her bow as she began to move along the ways. This was an -innovation that created much comment at the time, and was permitted by -Mr. McKay in deference to the wishes of Deacon Moses Grant and a number -of energetic Boston women who were pushing the temperance movement and -desired to advertise their wares.</p> - -<p>During the afternoon she was towed under the shears at the Navy Yard to -receive her masts, yards, and rigging, and the work of fitting them was -done under the supervision of Lauchlan McKay, her captain. As no vessel -before or since ever had such enormous spars, their dimensions are -interesting enough to be given in full:</p> -<table> -<tr><td>Masts</td><td class="c"> -Diameters -</td><td class="c"> Lengths</td><td class="c"> -Mastheads</td></tr> - -<tr><td>  </td><td class="c"> Inches </td><td class="c"> Feet </td><td class="c"> Feet</td></tr> - -<tr><td>Fore</td><td class="rt">44 </td><td class="rt">130 </td><td class="rt">36</td></tr> -<tr><td>Top</td><td class="rt">24 </td><td class="rt">76 </td><td class="rt">12</td></tr> -<tr><td>Topgallant</td><td class="rt">18 </td><td class="rt">28 </td><td class="rt">0</td></tr> -<tr><td>Royal</td><td class="rt">15 </td><td class="rt">22 </td><td class="rt">0</td></tr> -<tr><td>Skysail</td><td class="rt">11 </td><td class="rt">19 </td><td class="rt"> Pole 12</td></tr> -<tr><td>Main</td><td class="rt">44 </td><td class="rt">131 </td><td class="rt">36</td></tr> -<tr><td>Top</td><td class="rt">24 </td><td class="rt">76 </td><td class="rt">12 -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_239">{239}</a></span></td></tr> -<tr><td>Topgallant</td><td class="rt">18 </td><td class="rt">28 </td><td class="rt">0</td></tr> -<tr><td>Royal</td><td class="rt">15 </td><td class="rt">22 </td><td class="rt">0</td></tr> -<tr><td>Skysail</td><td class="rt">11 </td><td class="rt">19 </td><td class="rt"> Pole 12</td></tr> -<tr><td>Mizen</td><td class="rt">40 </td><td class="rt">122 </td><td class="rt">33</td></tr> -<tr><td>Top</td><td class="rt">22 </td><td class="rt">69 </td><td class="rt">10</td></tr> -<tr><td>Topgallant</td><td class="rt">16 </td><td class="rt">22 </td><td class="rt">0</td></tr> -<tr><td>Royal</td><td class="rt">10 </td><td class="rt">19 </td><td class="rt">0</td></tr> -<tr><td>Skysail</td><td class="rt">8 </td><td class="rt">15 </td><td class="rt"> Pole 8</td></tr> -</table> - -<table> -<tr><td>Yards</td><td colspan="2"></td><td colspan="2">Yardarms</td></tr> - -<tr><td>Fore</td><td class="rt">26 </td><td class="rt">110 </td><td class="rt">6</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Lower topsail</td><td class="rt">24 </td><td class="rt">90 </td><td class="rt">5</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Upper topsail</td><td class="rt">19 </td><td class="rt">76 </td><td class="rt">4</td><td>½</td></tr> -<tr><td>Topgallant</td><td class="rt">15 </td><td class="rt">62 </td><td class="rt">4</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Royal</td><td class="rt">12 </td><td class="rt">51 </td><td class="rt">3</td><td>½</td></tr> -<tr><td>Skysail</td><td class="rt">9 </td><td class="rt">40 </td><td class="rt">3</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Main</td><td class="rt">28 </td><td class="rt">120 </td><td class="rt">6</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Lower topsail</td><td class="rt">24 </td><td class="rt">92 </td><td class="rt">5</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Upper topsail</td><td class="rt">19 </td><td class="rt">76 </td><td class="rt">4</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Topgallant</td><td class="rt">15 </td><td class="rt">62 </td><td class="rt">4</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Royal</td><td class="rt">12 </td><td class="rt">51 </td><td class="rt">3</td><td>½</td></tr> -<tr><td>Skysail</td><td class="rt">9 </td><td class="rt">40 </td><td class="rt">3</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Crossjack</td><td class="rt">24 </td><td class="rt">90 </td><td class="rt">5</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Lower mizentopsail</td><td class="rt"> 19</td><td class="rt">76 </td><td class="rt">4</td><td>½</td></tr> -<tr><td>Upper mizentopsail</td><td class="rt"> 15</td><td class="rt">62 </td><td class="rt">4</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Topgallant</td><td class="rt">12 </td><td class="rt">51 </td><td class="rt">3</td><td>½</td></tr> -<tr><td>Royal</td><td class="rt">9 </td><td class="rt">40 </td><td class="rt">3</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td>Skysail</td><td class="rt">6 </td><td class="rt">29 </td><td class="rt">2</td><td></td></tr> -</table> - -<p>The spankermast, nowadays called the jigger, was 26 inches in diameter, -110 feet long, including 14 feet head, and the topmast was 40 feet long -divided at 15 and 10 feet above the cap, for the gaff-topsail and -gaff-topgallantsail. The spanker boom was 40 feet long, including 2 feet -end, and the gaff<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_240">{240}</a></span> 34 feet, including 8 feet end. The bowsprit was 44 -inches in diameter and 30 feet out-board; the jibboom 23 inches in -diameter, and 18 feet outside of the cap, and the flying jibboom was 14 -feet long including 6 feet end. Her fore and main rigging and fore-and -maintopmast backstays were 12½ inch, four-stranded Russian hemp rope, -wormed, and served over the eye and over the ends to the leading trucks. -The mizen rigging and mizentopmast rigging were of eight-inch rope.</p> - -<p>It was Mr. McKay’s intention to put the <i>Great Republic</i> into the -Australian trade in competition with the British clippers that were then -coming out, and when her rigging and outfit were completed, she was -towed to New York by the <i>R. B. Forbes</i> and placed in the hands of -Grinnell, Minturn & Co., who began loading her for Liverpool at the foot -of Dover Street, East River. Thousands of people came to see this -splendid ship, including the Governor of New York, members of the -Legislature, and other prominent citizens. The season was favorable for -a rapid passage across the Atlantic, and it was confidently predicted -that the <i>Great Republic</i> would make a record run to Liverpool.</p> - -<p>She was nearly ready for sea with all her sails bent below the royals, -when, on the night of December 26, 1853, a fire broke out in Front -Street, one block from where the vessel lay, and nearly in line with her -as the wind was then blowing. At a little past midnight the watchman -called the second mate, as sparks were flying across and falling in all -directions about the ship. All hands were at once called and stationed -with buckets of water<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_241">{241}</a></span> in various parts of the ship; men were sent into -the fore-, main-, and mizentops, and whips were rove to send up buckets -of water. Soon the foresail burst into flames, and one by one the -topsails and topgallantsails took fire. Every effort was made to cut the -sails from the yards, but the men were driven back exhausted, and the -firemen, who by this time had arrived with their engines, refused to -work on board or near the ship for fear of falling blocks and gear.</p> - -<p>Captain McKay, and Captain Ellis, representing the underwriters, had a -hurried consultation, and it was decided, in order to save the hull, to -cut away the masts. The fore-and foretopmast stays and rigging were cut -and the mast went over the side into the dock; the topmast in falling -broke short off and came down, end on, through three decks. The main-and -mizenmasts were next cut away, and in falling, crushed boats, -deck-houses, and rails, and disabled the steam-engine. At this time the -decks were a mass of burning yards, masts, sails, and rigging. The -firemen now got to work, and toward morning succeeded in putting out the -fire on deck.</p> - -<p>The firemen had left, and it was supposed that the hull and cargo were -safe, when suddenly smoke was discovered coming from the hold, and it -was found that the burning foretopmast in falling through the decks had -set fire to the cargo. This fire had gained such headway that it was -beyond control; the ship was therefore scutted in three places and sunk -ten feet when she took the bottom. Every means was used to extinguish -the fire, but she burned for<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_242">{242}</a></span> two days until the flames reached the -water’s edge. After the fire had burned itself out a coffer-dam was -built and the wreck floated by means of steam pumps. It was found that a -portion of her cargo of grain had swollen to such an extent as to start -the knees and beams of the lower hold, and that the hull was otherwise -badly strained and buckled. She was therefore condemned and abandoned to -the underwriters. The ships <i>Joseph Walker</i> and <i>White Squall</i> were also -destroyed in this fire.</p> - -<p>The wreck of the <i>Great Republic</i> was subsequently sold by the -underwriters to Captain N. B. Palmer and taken to Greenpoint, Long -Island, to be rebuilt by Sneeden & Whitlock, and she eventually became -the property of A. A. Low & Brother. The rebuilding occupied more than a -year, and when the <i>Great Republic</i> again appeared, much of the original -beauty of her hull had been restored. The spar-deck had not been -replaced, but her freeboard was nearly the same, as the height of the -bulwarks was only a little below the former upper deck, and the same -sheer line had been preserved. Forward, the eagle’s head which had been -destroyed was replaced by a carved billet head and scrool, and her bow -was still exceedingly handsome. A great change had been wrought aloft; -her sail plan had been cut down and all of her spars greatly reduced in -length—the fore-and mainmasts 17 feet, the fore-and main-yards 20 feet, -and all other spars in proportion. She still carried four masts, but her -rig had been changed to Howes’s double topsail yards.</p> - -<p>As rebuilt the <i>Great Republic</i> registered 3357 tons, and was still the -largest merchant ship of her time,</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_023" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p242a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p242a.jpg" width="600" height="374" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Great Republic”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_243">{243}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">but her reduced rig required only one half the number of hands to handle -it—fifty able seamen and fifteen ordinary seamen and boys. It was for -this purpose that her sail plan had been cut down, as freights were -beginning to slacken and the tide of economy was setting in. It is to be -regretted that she could not have made a few voyages under her original -rig, as her performance in strong winds under the reduced rig left -little room for doubt that she would have proved, what Mr. McKay -intended her to be, the swiftest sailing ship ever built.</p> - -<p>The <i>Great Republic</i> sailed on her first voyage, February 21, 1855, -commanded by Captain Limeburner, and made the run from Sandy Hook to -Land’s End in thirteen days. On her arrival at London, three days later, -she was obliged to lie in the Thames, as no dock was large enough to -take her. She was subsequently chartered by the French Government as a -troop ship during the Crimean War, and carried 1600 British soldiers -from Liverpool to Marseilles. During the Civil War, she was chartered by -the United States Government as a troop ship, and was one of the -transports in Butler’s expedition to Ship Island.</p> - -<p>The burning of the <i>Great Republic</i> was a severe blow to Donald McKay, -from which he never fully recovered, but he soon began to bring out -Australian clippers, some of which proved quite as famous as the ships -he had previously constructed.</p> - -<p>The well-known packet ship <i>Dreadnought</i> also came out in 1853. She was -built by Currier & Townsend at Newburyport, and was 1413 tons register; -length 210 feet, breadth 40 feet, depth 26<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_244">{244}</a></span> feet. This ship was owned by -Governor E. D. Morgan, Francis B. Cutting, David Ogden, and others, of -New York, who subscribed to build her for Captain Samuel Samuels. He -superintended her construction and under his able command she made some -remarkably quick voyages between New York and Liverpool, sailing in -David Ogden’s Red Cross Line, with the <i>Victory</i>, <i>Racer</i>, and -<i>Highflyer</i>.</p> - -<p>Captain Samuels was born in Philadelphia in 1823 and went to sea when he -was eleven years old, and a narrative of his adventures afloat and on -shore is contained in his interesting memoirs entitled, <i>From the -Forecastle to the Cabin</i>, published in 1887. He was a most amiable and -entertaining companion, full of good humor and penetrating wit. He also -cherished a belief in the uplifting influence of an enterprising press -agent, and perhaps no merchant ship of modern times has been better -advertised than the <i>Dreadnought</i>. She sailed on her first voyage from -New York for Liverpool, December 15, 1853, and from that date until her -arrival at New York, January 28, 1855, had made eight passages between -New York and Liverpool, the average time of her eastern passages being -21 days 15 hours, and her western passages 24 days 12 hours from dock to -dock.</p> - -<p>Captain Samuels commanded the <i>Dreadnought</i> for ten years, and during -that time she made from seventy to eighty passages across the Atlantic, -and must have had ample opportunity to make fast voyages and day’s runs. -The following abstracts from the logs of her best passages are therefore -of interest:<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_245">{245}</a></span></p> - -<p>She sailed from New York for Liverpool, November 20, 1854; passed Sandy -Hook at 6.30 <small>P.M.</small> and ran to noon, November 21st, 120 miles; 22d, 57 -miles; 23d, 225 miles; 24th, 300 miles; 25th, 175 miles; 26th, 125 -miles; 27th, 250 miles; 28th, 263 miles; 29th, 240 miles; 30th, 270 -miles; December 1st, 242 miles; 2d, 222 miles; 3d, 212 miles; 4th, 320 -miles. Total 3071 miles. The log records:</p> - -<p>At noon on the 4th took a pilot off Point Lynas; was detained eight -hours for want of water on the bar; arrived in the Mersey at 10 <small>P.M.</small>; -thus making the passage in 14 days 4 hours, apparent time. Deducting -eight hours for detention by tide at the bar, and also deducting the -difference of longitude, 4 hours and 45 minutes, gives the mean or true -time of passage, 13 days 11 hours and 15 minutes. Average speed for the -passage, 9½ miles per hour. On this passage, the <i>Dreadnought</i> was off -Cape Clear, Ireland, in 12 days 12 hours from Sandy Hook.</p> - -<p>She sailed from New York, May 4, 1855, and arrived at Liverpool May -20th; passage recorded as 15 days 12 hours.</p> - -<p>She sailed from Sandy Hook, January 24, 1856 (time not given), and ran -to noon, January 25th, 345 miles; 26th, 312 miles; 27th, 252 miles; -28th, 223 miles; 29th, violent gale, drifted 90 miles west-southwest; -30th, 115 miles; 31st, 212 miles; February 1st, 228 miles; 2d, 208 -miles; 3d, 185 miles; 4th, 238 miles; 5th, 252 miles; 6th, 244 miles; -7th, 212 miles; 8th, off Point Lynas. Hove-to until daylight for pilot -and tide. Total distance run 3116 miles in 14 days, or an average of 222 -miles per day.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_246">{246}</a></span></p> - -<p>The <i>Dreadnought</i> sailed from New York, February 27, 1859; at 3 <small>P.M.</small> -discharged pilot, and ran to noon, February 28th, 200 miles; wind south -to west-northwest, brisk breezes. March 1st, 293 miles; west-northwest -fresh breezes. 2d, 262 miles; northwest to north-northwest brisk gales -and snow-squalls. 3d, 208 miles; north-northwest to north heavy gales -and snow-squalls. 4th, 178 miles; north-northeast to north heavy gales -and snow-squalls. 5th, 218 miles; north to north-northeast heavy gales -and snow-squalls. 6th, 133 miles; northeast to south light breezes. 7th, -282 miles; south-southeast brisk breezes and clear. 8th, 313 miles; -south-southwest to south fresh breezes and clear. 9th, 268 miles; south -to southeast brisk gales. 10th, 205 miles; southeast to southwest brisk -breezes and squally. 11th, 308 miles; south to southwest strong breeze -and squally. 12th, 150 miles; southwest, thick weather. Distance sailed -from Sandy Hook to the Northwest Lightship, 3018 miles; passage 13 days -8 hours, mean time.</p> - -<p>It was during this passage that the <i>Dreadnought</i> is supposed to have -made the run from Sandy Hook to Queenstown in 9 days 17 hours, but an -analysis of the abstract log shows that 9 days 21 hours after -discharging her pilot to the eastward of Sandy Hook she was not within -400 miles of Queenstown.</p> - -<p>How this mythical tale originated, is difficult to imagine, but it has -been passed along from one scribe to another these many years, until at -last it has reached the dignity of an “historical fact,” having recently -been embalmed in an encyclopedia. Curiously enough, Captain Samuels -appears to be</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_024" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p246a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p246a.jpg" width="600" height="381" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Dreadnought”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_247">{247}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">almost the only person who has written about the <i>Dreadnought</i> who does -not refer to this fable. In his memoirs, he makes no mention of it.</p> - -<p>The best passage to the westward made by the <i>Dreadnought</i> was in 1854, -when she ran from the Rock Light, Liverpool, to Sandy Hook in 19 days -While it cannot be said that the <i>Dreadnought</i> ever made the fastest -passage of a sailing vessel between New York and Liverpool, as the -records in this respect are held by the <i>Red Jacket</i>, Captain Asa -Eldridge, from Sandy Hook to the Rock Light, in 13 days 1 hour, in 1854, -and by the <i>Andrew Jackson</i>, Captain John Williams, from Rock Light to -Sandy Hook in 15 days, in 1860, still the uniform speed of the -<i>Dreadnought’s</i> many voyages entitles her to a high place among the -celebrated packet ships of the past.</p> - -<p>The <i>Dreadnought</i> was a strikingly handsome and well-designed, though by -no means a sharp ship. Her masts, yards, sails, ironwork, blocks, and -standing and running rigging were of the best material and were always -carefully looked after. She was a ship that would stand almost any -amount of driving in heavy weather, and her fast passages were in a -measure due to this excellent quality, though mainly to the unceasing -vigilance and splendid seamanship of her commander. She was wrecked in -1869 while under the command of Captain P. N. Mayhew; her crew were -rescued after being adrift fourteen days in the boats, but the noble old -packet ship went to pieces among the rugged cliffs and crags and roaring -breakers of Cape Horn.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_248">{248}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI<br><br> -<small>AMERICAN CLIPPERS OF 1854 AND 1855</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">D</span>URING the year 1854 no less than twenty passages were made from -Atlantic ports to San Francisco in 110 days or less. The <i>Flying Cloud</i> -repeated her famous record passage of 89 days, and was followed by the -<i>Romance of the Seas</i>, 96 days; <i>Witchcraft</i>, 97 days; <i>David Brown</i>, 98 -days, and <i>Hurricane</i>, 99 days. The abstract log of the <i>Flying Cloud</i> -is as follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td class="pdd">Sandy Hook to the equator</td><td class="rt">17</td><td class="c">days.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd">Equator to 50° South</td><td class="rt">25</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd">From 50° South in the Atlantic to 50° South in the Pacific</td><td class="rt">12</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd">To the equator</td><td class="rt">20</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd">To San Francisco</td><td class="rt">15</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total</td><td class="rtbt">89</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>On this passage the <i>Flying Cloud</i> gave a fine example of her sailing -qualities. She sailed eight days after the <i>Archer</i>, also an exceedingly -fast ship, and led her into San Francisco by nine days. Captain Creesy -received a grand ovation on this, his second record passage, and the -merchants of San Francisco, always generous and hospitable, vied with -each other to do him honor. Upon his return to New<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_249">{249}</a></span> York, a banquet was -given him at the Astor House, then the finest hotel in the city, and a -splendid service of silver plate was presented to him by the New York -and Boston Marine Underwriters.</p> - -<p>The <i>Romance of the Seas</i> sailed from Boston two days after the <i>David -Brown</i>, commanded by Captain George Brewster, of Stonington, had passed -out by Sandy Hook, but came up with her off the coast of Brazil. From -this point they were frequently in company for days together, finally -passing through the Golden Gate side by side, March 23, 1854. After -discharging their cargoes, they again passed out of the Golden Gate -together, this time bound for Hong-kong, and while they were not in -company during this passage of 45 days, they anchored in Hong-kong -harbor on the same day and almost at the same hour. The log of the -<i>Romance of the Seas</i> records that skysails and royal studdingsails were -set just outside the Golden Gate and were not taken in during the -passage until entering the harbor of Hong-kong.</p> - -<p>It is difficult to realize the intense interest with which these clipper -ship races were regarded in those days; and it is doubtful whether at -the present day any branch of sport inspires so much wholesome, -intelligent enthusiasm as did these splendid ocean matches of the old -clippers.</p> - -<p>In this year a change came over the California trade. The wild rush to -the mines had subsided, and the markets of San Francisco, while not -over-stocked, were so sufficiently and regularly supplied as to render -great speed in the transportation of merchandise unnecessary; the rates -of freight had<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_250">{250}</a></span> therefore declined, but were still good. Twenty ships, -the last of the extreme clippers, were built in 1854 for the California -trade, including some which became celebrated, such as the <i>Canvasback</i>, -<i>Fleetwing</i>, <i>Grace Darling</i>, <i>Harvey Birch</i>, <i>Nabob</i>, <i>Nonpareil</i>, -<i>Ocean Telegraph</i>, <i>Rattler</i>, <i>Robin Hood</i>, and <i>Sierra Nevada</i>; but we -miss from among the ship-builders of this year the names of Donald -McKay, William H. Webb, Samuel Hall, Jacob A. Westervelt, and George -Raynes, none of whom brought out California clippers.</p> - -<p>Although no more extreme clippers were built for the California trade -after 1854, a fine class of ships, known as medium clippers, was -constructed, some of which proved exceedingly fast, and remarkable -passages continued to be made. Many of these medium clippers would be -considered very sharp and heavily sparred vessels at the present time.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sunny South</i>, of 703 tons register, was one of the prettiest -clippers ever launched at New York, and was the only sailing ship built -by George Steers, the designer of the yacht <i>America</i>, steam frigate -<i>Niagara</i>, and Collins Line steamship <i>Adriatic</i>. She was built for the -China trade, was launched at Williamsburg, September 7, 1854; was owned -by Napier, Johnson & Co., and was commanded by Captain Michael Gregory. -It is a singular fact that while this ship was well known to possess -great speed when in company with other clippers, yet she never made a -passage worthy of being recorded, and was not a very successful ship -financially; although the product of the skill of a designer, who, dying -in early manhood, left a name<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_251">{251}</a></span> so interwoven with his country’s triumphs -upon the sea that it can never be forgotten.</p> - -<p>In 1859, the <i>Sunny South</i> was sold at Havana, her name being changed to -<i>Emanuela</i>. At that time her royal studdingsail booms and skysail masts -and yards were removed. On August 10, 1860, she was seized in the -Mozambique Channel flying the Chilian flag, with a cargo of slaves on -board, by the British man-of-war <i>Brisk</i>, and the following particulars -of her capture are given by one of the officers of that vessel:</p> - -<p>“At 11:30 <small>A.M.</small> on the 10th of August last, as Her Majesty’s ship -<i>Brisk</i>, Captain De Horsey, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral the Hon. -Sir Henry Keppel, K. C. B., was running to the northward in the -Mozambique Channel, a sail was reported as seen from the masthead. Steam -was got up without delay, and sail made in chase. It being hazy, the -stranger was shortly lost sight of. When the weather had partially -cleared the stranger was reported four points on our starboard bow, and -the ship’s course was altered in that direction. We were now going -eleven knots and a half, and the Captain, feeling that it must be -something out of the common that would alter bearings at that distance -in so short a time, proceeded himself with his glass to the foretopmast -head, officers mounting the rigging.</p> - -<p>“That a general excitement prevailed was evident from the manner in -which our sails were trimmed, taken in, and set again. Hottentots and -landsmen, who on other occasions only looked at ropes, now laid hold of -them with a will. The<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_252">{252}</a></span> Captain’s order from the masthead to keep away -two points showed that he had observed something suspicious—in fact, he -had noticed a sudden alteration in the course of the chase, and -pronounced her to be a long, rakish-looking ship, too large to be a -slaver, but thought there was something very suspicious in the sudden -alteration of her course, her crowd of sail, and the unusual number of -staysails.</p> - -<p>“At about 3 <small>P.M.</small> we could see her hull from the deck, and, carrying with -us a fresh breeze, while she was in the doldrums, we closed on her -rapidly. When within half a mile we hoisted our colors, when every glass -was pointed toward her peak, and all sorts of conjectures were made as -to what colors she would show. No one could imagine that so large a -vessel could be a slaver.</p> - -<p>“On closing under her lee, and when within a cable’s length, a white -package was thrown from her side into the sea; and the experienced then -exclaimed, ‘A slaver, and there go her papers!’ A few minutes more, and -we sheered up alongside to leeward of as beautiful model of a ship as -ever was seen. Some forty dejected looking individuals, apparently a -mixture of all nations, stood on her deck; still no colors, nor did she -appear inclined to shorten sail or heave-to. The Captain then determined -to run ahead and lower the quarter-boats to drop down and board; and as -this manœuvre was being carried out a blank gun caused her to square the -mainyard, which she did with studding-sails hanging to the yard, and -luffed up into the wind.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_025" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p252a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p252a.jpg" width="600" height="408" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p> -The “Brisk” <span class="capspc">The “Emanuela”</span><br> -</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_253">{253}</a></span></p> - -<p>“It was an anxious five minutes to those on board while the boats were -away. A small white British ensign run up at her peak showed that she -was a prize, and a voice hailed us, ‘Eight hundred and fifty slaves on -board!’<span class="lftspc">”</span></p> - -<p>In 1855 the California fleet was increased by the building of thirteen -medium clipper ships, among which were the <i>Andrew Jackson</i>, <i>Carrier -Dove</i>, <i>Charmer</i>, <i>Daring</i>, <i>Herald of the Morning</i>, <i>Mary Whitridge</i>, -and <i>Ocean Express</i>. Only three passages were made from Atlantic ports -to San Francisco during this year in 100 days or less; the <i>Herald of -the Morning</i>, from New York, 99 days; <i>Neptune’s Car</i>, from New York, -and <i>Westward Ho</i>, from Boston, each 100 days. Thirteen ships made the -passage in over 100 days and less than 110 days; among them being the -<i>Boston Light</i>, from Boston, 102 days; the <i>Cleopatra</i> and <i>Red Rover</i>, -from New York, each 107 days; the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, from New York, and -<i>Meteor</i> and <i>Don Quixote</i>, from Boston, each 108 days; the <i>Flying -Fish</i>, two passages from Boston in 109 and 105 days, and the <i>Governor -Morton</i>, from New York in 104 days.</p> - -<p>This was Captain Creesy’s last voyage in the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, and he now -retired to his home in Salem until 1861, when he was appointed a -Commander in the United States Navy and assigned to the clipper ship -<i>Ino</i>. She carried a crew of eighty men from Marblehead, and on her -second cruise in 1862 made the record run of twelve days from New York -to Cadiz. Captain Creesy subsequently commanded the clipper ship -<i>Archer</i>, and made two<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_254">{254}</a></span> voyages to China. He died at Salem in 1871, in -his fifty-seventh year. So long as the American clipper ships and their -brilliant exploits hold a place in the memory of man, the names of -Josiah Creesy and the <i>Flying Cloud</i> will be remembered with pride.</p> - -<p>The <i>Mary Whitridge</i> became one of the most famous of the clippers -launched in 1855. She was built in Baltimore, where she was owned by -Thomas Whitridge & Co., and was commanded by Captain Robert B. -Cheesborough, also of that port. She was 877 tons register; length 168 -feet, breadth 34 feet, depth 21 feet. On her first voyage she made the -remarkable run of 13 days 7 hours from Cape Charles to the Rock Light, -Liverpool. She was engaged for many years in the China trade under the -command of Captain Benjamin F. Cutler and bore the reputation of being -the finest and fastest ship sailing out of Baltimore.</p> - -<p>At this time an important development took place in the California -trade. It had been found that the fertile soil of the Pacific slope -could be made to yield other treasures than gold, and in May, 1855, the -barque <i>Greenfield</i>, Captain Follansbee, loaded the first consignment of -wheat exported from California, consisting of 4752 bags. She was soon -followed by the <i>Charmer</i>, commanded by Captain Lucas, which loaded a -full cargo of 1400 tons of wheat for New York at $28 per ton freight. -The export of wheat in sailing vessels rapidly increased, enabling ships -to earn freights out and home, and this continued for many years.</p> - -<p>In 1855 Donald McKay built three fine medium<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_255">{255}</a></span> clipper ships, the -<i>Defender</i>, <i>Amos Lawrence</i>, and <i>Abbott Lawrence</i>, which remind us that -a number of Boston ships bore the names of her distinguished citizens. -There were the <i>Thomas H. Perkins</i>, <i>Rufus Choate</i>, <i>Starr King</i>, -<i>Edward Everett</i>, <i>R. B. Forbes</i>, <i>Enoch Train</i>, <i>John E. Thayer</i>, -<i>George Peabody</i>, <i>Samuel Appleton</i>, <i>Robert C. Winthrop</i>, <i>Russell -Sturgis</i>, and perhaps others now forgotten. There were already a ship, a -barque, two brigs, and two schooners named the <i>Daniel Webster</i>, besides -several steamboats and tugs and a pilot-boat; hence, the owners of ships -who were desirous of honoring the great statesman were obliged to adopt -some other means of expressing their admiration, and since Webster was -known as the Defender of the Constitution and also as the Expounder of -that document, there were two ships named the <i>Defender</i> and the -<i>Expounder</i>. Some one suggested that the latter ship might, perhaps, -have been named in honor of Yankee Sullivan, a noted prize-fighter then -retired from the ring.</p> - -<p>The <i>Defender</i> was 1413 tons register, and carried a splendid -full-length figurehead of Daniel Webster. She was owned by D. S. Kendall -and H. P. Plympton, of Boston, and was commanded by Captain Isaac -Beauchamp.</p> - -<p>My object in drawing attention to this vessel is to mention a notable -gathering at Mr. McKay’s house on the day of her launch, July 27, 1855. -The leading merchants of Boston and their families were his guests on -that occasion, and speeches were made by the Hon. Edward Everett, -ex-Mayor, the Hon. Benjamin Seaver, and Enoch Train. In the course<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_256">{256}</a></span> of -his address, Mr. Everett remarked: “I was at a loss, I confess, to -comprehend the secret of the great success which has attended our friend -and host. Forty-two ships, I understand, he has built—all vessels such -as we have seen to-day. I do not mean that they were all as large, but -they were as well constructed and looked as splendidly, as they rode on -the waves. Forty-two vessels!<a id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a> No one else, certainly, has done more -than our friend to improve the commercial marine of this country, and it -has long seemed to me that there was a mystery about it. But since I -have been under this roof to-day, I have learned the secret of -it—excellent family government, and a good helpmeet to take counsel -with and encouragement from. A fair proportion of the credit and praise -for this success is, I am sure, due to our amiable and accomplished -hostess [Cheers]. I congratulate also the father of our host, the father -of such a family. He has, I am told, fourteen sons and daughters, and -fifty grandchildren. Nine of the latter were born during the last year. -I wish to know, my friends, if you do not call that being a good -citizen!”</p> - -<p>When the <i>Abbott Lawrence</i> was launched, in October of the same year. -Mr. McKay was called upon to respond to the toast, “In memory of Abbott -Lawrence,” and his brief speech has fortunately been preserved:</p> - -<p>“Ladies and gentlemen: I regret my inability</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_026" style="width: 529px;"> -<a href="images/i_p256a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p256a.jpg" width="529" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Donald McKay</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_257">{257}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">to do justice to the name that is honored and respected in every part of -the civilized world. My speech is rude and uncultivated, but my -feelings, I trust, are warm and true, and could I express those -feelings, I would tell you how much I honor the memory of Abbott -Lawrence. I know you all honor it, for you all knew him, and to know him -was to love him. Love begets love. He loved our common country as a -statesman of enlarged and liberal views, and our state and city as the -scene of his personal labors. In Massachusetts he commenced his career; -here he toiled and triumphed, here he has bequeathed the richest tokens -of his love, and here all of him that can die mingles with the soil. He -was not only a great man, but a good man. In every relation of life, he -was a model for imitation. Ever be his memory green in the hearts of his -countrymen. When the ship which bears his name shall have been worn out -by the storms and the vicissitudes of the sea, may another, and another, -and so on, till the end of time, perpetuate it upon the ocean, for he -was the patron and friend of commerce as well as of the other great -interests of the state. In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I again -give you the memory of Abbott Lawrence. May his name and noble example -never be forgotten.”</p> - -<p>This speech seems to me to be most interesting, as showing the natural -refinement of a mind destitute of the culture of even a common-school -education, or perhaps it would be nearer the truth to say, a mind that -had escaped the restraining influence of the pedagogue.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_258">{258}</a></span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Yet is remembrance sweet,<br></span> -<span class="i3">Though well I know<br></span> -<span class="i1">The days of childhood<br></span> -<span class="i3">Are but days of woe;<br></span> -<span class="i1">Some rude restraint,<br></span> -<span class="i3">Some petty tyrant sours<br></span> -<span class="i1">What else should be<br></span> -<span class="i3">Our sweetest blithest hours.”<br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">These lugubrious lines found no echo in the early life of Donald McKay, -for his boyhood was passed in earnest, healthy toil, and filled with a -keen desire for knowledge, while his manhood had known the joy of -well-earned success.</p> - -<p>After the <i>Abbott Lawrence</i>, Mr. McKay built the medium clippers -<i>Minnehaha</i>, <i>Baltic</i>, <i>Adriatic</i>, <i>Mastiff</i>, and barque <i>Henry Hill</i>, -all in 1856; the <i>Alhambra</i>, 1857; the <i>Helen Morris</i>, and second -<i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, 1868, and the <i>Glory of the Seas</i>, 1869. During -the Civil War, he built for the United States Government, the iron -gunboat <i>Ashuelot</i>, the ironclad monitor <i>Nausett</i>, the wooden gunboats -<i>Trefoil</i> and <i>Yucca</i>, and the sloop of war <i>Adams</i>. In 1877 he retired -to his farm at Hamilton, Massachusetts, and there he died, September 20, -1880, in the seventy-first year of his age.</p> - -<p>Donald McKay was a man of untiring energy and industry. He was a rapid -and skilful draughtsman and designed and superintended the construction -of every vessel that he built. This may also be said of almost every -ship-builder of that period, but Mr. McKay’s skill, the result of an -intuitive perception ripened by experience, gave him a peculiar insight<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_259">{259}</a></span> -not only into how to create, but into what to create, and it was this -genius that made him pre-eminent as a builder of clipper ships. He was a -born artist and his ships were the finest expression of mechanical art. -They are entitled to a place in the realm of fine arts far more than -much of the merchandise that claims that distinction.</p> - -<p>Mr. McKay was of a generous nature, and liberally rewarded the men who -assisted him, and he was ever ready to lend a helping hand to those less -fortunate than himself. So soon as he began to prosper he sent for his -parents and made a new home for them at East Boston, and their comfort -and happiness were always his care and greatest pleasure. In his later -years he endured misfortune and ingratitude with the same sturdy -sweetness and equanimity that he had shown in the days when fortune -smiled.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_260">{260}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII<br><br> -<small>AUSTRALIAN VOYAGES, 1851-1854</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE years between 1849 and 1856 were perhaps the most prosperous that -ship-owners and ship-builders have ever known. The discovery of gold in -Australia in 1851 had much the same effect as that in California in -1848, and people flocked to Melbourne from all parts of the world. There -was this difference, however, that whereas passengers went to -California, after the first rush, by steamers via Panama, and the mails -and gold were always transported by this route, all the Australian -passengers, mails, and gold were for a considerable period carried by -sailing vessels. The extent of this traffic may be judged from the fact -that the yield of the gold fields up to December 30, 1852, a little more -than a year after their discovery, was estimated at £16,000,000 -sterling, or $80,000,000. Prior to 1851 the emigration to the Australian -colonies had been about 100,000 persons per annum, while the average -between 1851 and 1854 was 340,000 annually. The transportation of these -passengers alone required an enormous amount of tonnage, so that the -discovery of gold in Australia gave an additional impulse to clipper -ship building.</p> - -<p>At this time the proper route to ports on that<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_261">{261}</a></span> part of the globe had -only just become known, although British ships had been sailing to and -from Australia and New Zealand for many years, taking out emigrants and -bringing back wool. They usually called at the Cape of Good Hope both -outward and homeward bound, this being the route recommended by the -Admiralty. One of the most important services rendered by Lieutenant -Maury was his careful research in this matter, which resulted in an -entire revolution of both outward and homeward tracks. Instead of -sailing near the Cape of Good Hope outward bound, he discovered that a -ship would find stronger and more favorable winds from 600 to 800 miles -to the westward, then continuing her course southward to 48°, she would -fall in with the prevailing westerly gales and long rolling seas in -which to run her easting down. It was in this region that the Australian -clippers made their largest day’s runs.</p> - -<p>The homeward bound Admiralty track was entirely abandoned by Lieutenant -Maury in favor of continuing in the brave west winds, as he called them, -round Cape Horn, so that a voyage to Melbourne out and home encircled -the globe. By the old routes, vessels were usually about 120 days each -way, though sometimes considerably longer. By the tracks which -Lieutenant Maury introduced, the outward and homeward voyages were made -in about the same time that had formerly been consumed in a single -passage, though of course the increased speed of the clipper ships -contributed to this result.</p> - -<p>The misery and suffering of passengers on board the old Australian -emigrant ships before the days<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_262">{262}</a></span> of the clippers are difficult to realize -at the present time, but there is an account compiled from the report of -the Parliamentary Committee appointed in 1844 to investigate the matter, -which reads as follows:</p> - -<p>“It was scarcely possible to induce the passengers to sweep the decks -after their meals, or to be decent in respect to the common wants of -nature; in many cases, in bad weather they would not go on deck, their -health suffered so much that their strength was gone, and they had not -the power to help themselves. Hence the between-decks was like a -loathsome dungeon. When hatchways were opened under which the people -were stowed, the steam rose and the stench was like that from a pen of -pigs. The few beds they had were in a dreadful state, for the straw, -once wet with sea-water, soon rotted, beside which they used the -between-decks for all sorts of filthy purposes. Whenever vessels put -back from distress all these miseries and sufferings were exhibited in -the most aggravated form. In one case it appeared that, the vessel -having experienced rough weather, the people were unable to go on deck -and cook their provisions; the strongest maintained the upper hand over -the weakest, and it was even said that there were women who died of -starvation. At that time the passengers were expected to cook for -themselves, and from their being unable to do this the greatest -suffering arose. It was naturally at the commencement of the voyage that -this system produced its worst effects, for the first days were those in -which the people suffered most from sea-sickness, and under the -prostration<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_263">{263}</a></span> of body thereby induced, were wholly incapacitated from -cooking. Thus though provisions might be abundant enough, the passengers -would be half-starved.”</p> - -<p>In an interesting book entitled <i>Reminiscences of Early Australian -Life</i>, a vivid description is given of maritime affairs in 1853. The -writer, who had arrived at Melbourne in 1840, says that: “Since that -time the town of Melbourne had developed from a few scattered and -straggling wooden buildings, with muddy thoroughfares interspersed with -stumps of gum trees, into a well-built and formed city, with wide, and -well-made streets, symmetrically laid out, good hotels, club houses, and -Government buildings. Port Phillip Bay, in which two or three vessels -used to repose at anchor for months together, was now the anchorage -ground of some of the finest and fastest clippers afloat.”</p> - -<p>At this time (1853) upwards of two hundred full-rigged ships from all -parts of the world were lying in the Bay. This writer continues: “After -landing their living freight of thousands that were rushing out to the -gold fields to seek for gold, and fearing that they might be too late to -participate in their reputed wealth, ships now waited for return -cargoes, or more probably for crews to take them home, as in many cases -all the hands had deserted for the gold fields. On ascertaining that -there were two good ships sailing for London, with cargoes of wool and -gold-dust, about the same time, or as soon as they could ship crews—one -the <i>Madagascar</i>, of Messrs. Green & Co.’s line, and the other the -<i>Medway</i> of Messrs. Tindall & Co.’s line—I proceeded to<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_264">{264}</a></span> the office and -booked a passage by the <i>Madagascar</i>—the passage in those days for a -first-class cabin being £80. After paying the usual deposit and leaving -the office, I met a friend, who was also homeward bound, and on my -informing him that I had booked by the <i>Madagascar</i>, he persuaded me to -change my ship and go home with himself and others whom I knew in the -<i>Medway</i>, and upon returning to the office of Green’s ship, and stating -my reasons for wishing to change to Tindall’s ship, they were very -obliging, and returned my deposit, stating that they could easily fill -up my berth. It was well for me at the time that I changed ships, as the -<i>Madagascar</i> sailed the same day from Port Phillip Head as we did, with -four tons of gold-dust on board; and to this day nothing has ever been -heard of her. She either foundered at sea, or, as was generally -supposed, was seized by the crew and scuttled and the gold taken off in -boats. All must have perished, both passengers and crew, as no tidings -of that ill-fated ship ever reached the owners.</p> - -<p>“On board the <i>Medway</i> there were four tons’ weight of gold-dust, packed -in well-secured boxes of two hundred pounds each, five of these boxes -being stowed under each of the berths of the saloon passengers. Each -cabin was provided with cutlasses and pistols, to be kept in order and -ready for use, and a brass carronade gun loaded with grape shot was -fixed in the after part of the ship, in front of the saloon and pointed -to the forecastle—not a man, with the exception of the ship’s officers -and stewards, being allowed to come aft.</p> - -<p>“The character of the crew shipped necessitated<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_265">{265}</a></span> the precautions; for -the day previous to the ship’s sailing men had to be searched for and -found in the lowest haunts and were brought on board drugged and under -the influence of liquor, and placed below the hatches. We, the -passengers, heaved up the anchor and worked the ship generally until -outside of Port Phillip Head, when the men confined below, who were to -compose the crew, were brought on deck, looking dazed and confused, any -resistance or remonstrance on their part being futile. But those amongst -them that were able-bodied seamen were paid in gold, forty sovereigns -down, on signing the ship’s articles for the homeward voyage.</p> - -<p>“Amongst them were useless hands and some of a very indifferent -character. Some, no doubt, were escaped convicts, or men who had -secreted themselves to evade the police and law; others deserters from -ships then laying in the Bay—about forty in all, and in general -appearance a very unprepossessing lot. However, there being no help for -it, we had but to keep guarded and prepared against the worst; the -ship’s passengers together with the officers numbering about twenty -hands. The captain was an old and well-known sailor of high reputation -and long experience; and the ship was well found and provisioned, in -anticipation of a long voyage—which it proved to be, extending over -four months from the time we left Port Phillip Head until she reached -the English coast.”</p> - -<p>The first clipper ship constructed for the Australian trade was the -<i>Marco Polo</i>, of 1622 tons; length 185 feet, breadth 38 feet, depth 30 -feet. She was<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_266">{266}</a></span> built in 1851 by Smith & Co., at St. John, N. B., for -James Baines & Co., Liverpool, and was the pioneer clipper of the famous -Australian Black Ball Line. The <i>Marco Polo</i> was constructed with three -decks, and was a very handsome, powerful-looking ship. Above her -water-line, she resembled the New York packet ships, having painted -ports, and a full-length figurehead of the renowned explorer whose name -she bore. Below water she was cut away and had long, sharp, concave -ends. Her accommodations for saloon and steerage passengers were a vast -improvement upon anything before attempted in the Australian trade.</p> - -<p>She sailed from Liverpool for Melbourne, July 4, 1851, commanded by -Captain James Nicol Forbes, carrying the mails and crowded with -passengers. She made the run out in the then record time of 68 days, and -home in 74 days, which, including her detention at Melbourne, was less -than a six months’ voyage round the globe. Running her easting down to -the southward of the Cape of Good Hope, she made in four successive days -1344 miles, her best day’s run being 364 miles. Her second voyage to -Melbourne was also made in six months out and home, so that she actually -sailed twice around the globe within twelve months. To the <i>Marco Polo</i> -and her skilful commander belongs the credit of setting the pace over -this great ocean race-course round the globe.</p> - -<p>Her success led to the building of a number of vessels at St. John for -British owners engaged in the Australian trade. Among these the most -famous were the <i>Hibernia</i>, 1065 tons, <i>Ben Nevis</i>, 1420<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_267">{267}</a></span> tons, and -<i>Guiding Star</i>, 2012 tons. In Great Britain also a large number of ships -were built for the Australian trade between the years 1851 and 1854. -Many of these were constructed of iron, the finest being the <i>Tayleur</i>, -2500 tons, which was built at Liverpool in 1853 and was at that time the -largest merchant ship that had been built in England. She was a very -handsome iron vessel, with three decks and large accommodation for cabin -and steerage passengers. This vessel was wrecked off the coast of -Ireland on her first voyage to Melbourne when only two days out from -Liverpool, and became a total loss; of her 652 passengers, only 282 were -saved. Among the many other vessels built in Great Britain during this -period were the <i>Lord of the Isles</i>, already mentioned in Chapter XII; -<i>Vimiera</i>, 1037 tons, built at Sunderland; the <i>Contest</i>, 1119 tons, -built at Ardrossan on the Firth of Clyde; and the <i>Gauntlet</i> (iron), 784 -tons, and <i>Kate Carnie</i>, 547 tons, both built at Greenock. All of these -vessels were a decided improvement upon any ships hitherto built in -Great Britain, and they made some fine passages, among them that of the -<i>Lord of the Isles</i>, from the Clyde to Sydney, N. S. W., in 70 days in -1853, but the 68-day record of the <i>Marco Polo</i> from Liverpool to -Melbourne remained unbroken.</p> - -<p>The <i>Marco Polo</i> was still a favorite vessel with passengers, which goes -to show what a good ship she must have been, in view of the rivalry of -newer and larger clippers. She sailed from Liverpool in November, 1853, -commanded by Captain Charles McDonnell, who had been her chief officer -under<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_268">{268}</a></span> Captain Forbes. The passengers on this voyage, on their arrival -at Melbourne, subscribed for a splendid service of silver, to be -presented to Captain McDonnell upon his return to England, which bore -the following inscription: “Presented to Captain McDonnell, of the ship -<i>Marco Polo</i>, as a testimonial of respect from his passengers, six -hundred and sixty-six in number, for his uniform kindness and attention -during his first voyage, when his ship ran from Liverpool to Port -Phillip Head in seventy-two days, twelve hours, and from land to land in -sixty-nine days.” The <i>Marco Polo</i> came home in 78 days, but these were -the last of her famous passages, as she drifted into the hands of -captains who lacked either the ability or the energy, or perhaps both, -to develop her best speed—the unfortunate fate of many a good ship.</p> - -<p>There were at that time a number of lines and private firms engaged in -the Australian trade, the best known being the White Star Line, later -managed by Ismay, Imrie & Co., and James Baines & Co.’s Black Ball Line, -both of Liverpool. There was keen rivalry between the two, and the <i>Ben -Nevis</i> and <i>Guiding Star</i> had both been built by the White Star in hopes -of lowering the record of the <i>Marco Polo</i>. By degrees, however, it -became apparent that she was an exceptional ship, not likely to be -duplicated at St. John, and also that much of her speed was due to her -able commanders, while the ships built in Great Britain, though fine -vessels, had not come up to the mark in point of speed or passenger -accommodations. It was under these circumstances that British merchants -and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_269">{269}</a></span> ship-owners began to buy and build ships for the Australian trade -in the United States.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> had attracted much attention upon her -arrival at Liverpool in 1853, and was almost immediately chartered to -load for Australia in the Black Ball Line. It is to be regretted that -for some reason Captain McKay gave up charge of the ship and returned to -the United States, the command being given to Captain Warner, who had no -previous experience in handling American clipper ships, although he -proved an extremely competent commander. The <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> -sailed from Liverpool September 7, 1853, and arrived at Melbourne after -a passage of 77 days. In a letter from Melbourne Captain Warner gives -the following account of this passage:</p> - -<p>“I arrived here after a long and tedious passage of 77 days, having -experienced only light and contrary winds the greater part of the -passage—I have had but two chances. The ship ran in four consecutive -days 1275 miles; and the next run was 3375 miles in twelve days. These -were but moderate chances. I was 31 days to the Equator, and carried -skysails 65 days; set them on leaving Liverpool, and never shortened -them for 35 days. Crossed the equator in 26° 30′, and went to 53° 30′ -south, but found no strong winds. Think if I had gone to 58° south, I -would have had wind enough; but the crew were insufficiently clothed, -and about one half disabled, together with the first mate. At any rate, -we have beaten all and every one of the ships that sailed with us, and -also the famous English clipper <i>Gauntlet</i> ten days on, the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_270">{270}</a></span> passage, -although the <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> was loaded down to twenty-three and -one half feet.” On the homeward voyage she brought the mails and over -four tons of gold-dust, and made the passage in 68 days. On this voyage -there was a mutiny among the crew, who intended to seize the ship and -capture the treasure. Captain Warner acted with great firmness and tact -in suppressing the mutineers and placing them in irons without loss of -life, for which he received much credit.</p> - -<p>The White Star Line, not to be outdone by rivals, followed the example -of the Black Ball and in 1854 chartered the <i>Chariot of Fame</i>, <i>Red -Jacket</i>, and <i>Blue Jacket</i>. These ships, of which the first was a medium -clipper and the other two extreme clippers, were built in New England. -The <i>Chariot of Fame</i> was a sister ship to the <i>Star of Empire</i>, 2050 -tons, built by Donald McKay in 1853, for Enoch Train’s Boston and -Liverpool packet line. The <i>Chariot of Fame</i> made a number of fast -voyages between England and Australia, her best passage being 66 days -from Liverpool to Melbourne. The <i>Blue Jacket</i> was a handsome ship of -1790 tons, built by R. E. Jackson at East Boston in 1854, and was owned -by Charles R. Green, of New York. Her best passages were 67 days from -Liverpool to Melbourne and home in 69 days.</p> - -<p>The <i>Red Jacket</i>, the most famous of this trio, was built by George -Thomas at Rockland, Maine, in 1853-1854, and was owned by Seacomb & -Taylor, of Boston. She registered 2006 tons; length 260 feet, breadth 44 -feet, depth 26 feet; and was designed by Samuel A. Pook, of Boston, who -had<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_271">{271}</a></span> designed a number of other clipper ships, including the -<i>Challenger</i>—not the English ship of that name,—the <i>Game-Cock</i>, -<i>Surprise</i>, <i>Northern Light</i>, <i>Ocean Chief</i>, <i>Fearless</i>, <i>Ocean -Telegraph</i>, and <i>Herald of the Morning</i>. He also designed several -freighting vessels and yachts. It was the custom at that period for -vessels to be designed in the yards where they were constructed, and Mr. -Pook was the first naval architect in the United States who was not -connected with a ship-building yard. On her first voyage the <i>Red -Jacket</i> sailed from New York for Liverpool, February 19, 1854, commanded -by Captain Asa Eldridge, and made the passage in 13 days 1 hour from -Sandy Hook to the Rock Light, Liverpool, with the wind strong from -southeast to west-southwest, and either rain, snow, or hail during the -entire run. During the first seven days she averaged only 182 miles per -twenty-four hours, but during the last six days she made 219, 413, 374, -343, 300, and 371 miles, an average of a fraction over 353 miles per -twenty-four hours.</p> - -<p>Captain Eldridge was well known in Liverpool, having, together with his -brothers, John and Oliver, commanded some of the finest New York and -Liverpool packet ships of their day; he had also commanded Commodore -Vanderbilt’s steam yacht <i>North Star</i> during her cruise in European -waters in 1853. He was afterwards lost in command of the steamship -<i>Pacific</i> of the Collins Line.</p> - -<p>The <i>Red Jacket</i> attracted a great deal of attention at Liverpool, being -an extremely handsome ship—quite as good-looking as any of the clippers -built at New York or Boston. For a figurehead she car<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_272">{272}</a></span>ried a full-length -representation of the Indian chief for whom she was named. She made her -first voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne in 1854 under command of -Captain Samuel Reed in 69 days, and as she received very quick despatch, -being in port only 12 days, and made the passage to Liverpool in 73 -days, the voyage round the globe, including detention in port, was made -in five months and four days. On the homeward passage, bringing home -45,000 ounces of gold, she beat the celebrated <i>Guiding Star</i> by 9 days, -though she lost considerable time through being among the bergs and -field ice off Cape Horn. Upon her arrival at Liverpool the <i>Red Jacket</i> -was sold to Pilklington & Wilson, of that port, then agents of the White -Star Line, for £30,000, and continued in the Australian trade for -several years, becoming one of the most famous of the American-built -clippers.</p> - -<p>The competition of the Black Ball and White Star lines proved of great -benefit to both cabin and steerage passengers, as their comfort and -convenience became subjects of consideration in a manner unthought of in -the old days before the discovery of gold at Bendigo and Ballarat.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_027" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p272a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p272a.jpg" width="600" height="393" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Red Jacket”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_273">{273}</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII<br><br> -<small>AUSTRALIAN CLIPPERS, 1854-1856</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">I</span>N view of the keen rivalry at this period, James Baines & Co. -determined to own the finest and fastest ships that could be -constructed, and accordingly placed an order with Donald McKay to build -four clipper ships for their Australian line. These vessels were the -<i>Lightning</i>, 2084 tons; the <i>Champion of the Seas</i>, 2448 tons; <i>James -Baines</i>, 2515 tons; and <i>Donald McKay</i>, 2598 tons, all launched in 1854, -with the exception of the <i>Donald McKay</i>, which was not completed until -January, 1855. This firm also bought from Mr. McKay the sister ships -<i>Japan</i> and <i>Commodore Perry</i>, 1964 tons each, while they were on the -stocks in course of construction.</p> - -<p>These ships designed for the Australian trade were very similar to the -later California clipper ships built by Mr. McKay, though with less -dead-rise and sharper ends; they were fitted with large accommodation -for cabin and steerage passengers; while the <i>Japan</i> and <i>Commodore -Perry</i> were somewhat fuller ships than the others, and were designed -with a view to carry large cargoes rather than to attain high speed.</p> - -<p>The <i>Lightning</i> measured: length 244 feet, breadth 44 feet, depth 23 -feet, with 20 inches dead-rise at<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_274">{274}</a></span> half floor. She had long, concave -water-lines, and at her load-displacement line a chord from her -cut-water to just abaft the fore rigging showed a concavity of 16 -inches. Her stem raked boldly forward, the lines of the bow gradually -becoming convex and blending with sheer line and cutwater, while the -only ornament was a beautiful full-length figure of a young woman -holding a golden thunder-bolt in her outstretched hand, the flowing -white drapery of her graceful form and her streaming hair completing the -fair and noble outline of the bow. The after body was long and clean, -though fuller than the bow, while the stern was semi-elliptical in form, -with the plank-sheer moulding for its base, and was ornamented with -gilded carved work, though this really added nothing to the beauty of -the strong, sweeping outline of her hull.</p> - -<p>Aloft the <i>Lightning</i> was heavily and strongly rigged. Her main yard was -95 feet in length, and the total height from the deck to the mainskysail -truck was 164 feet; her lower studdingsail booms were 65 feet in length; -her topsails and topgallantsails were diagonally roped from clews to -earings, and her fore and main stays, lower rigging, and topmast stays -and backstays were of 11½ inch Russian hemp, with the rest of the -standing rigging in proportion. Indeed, her masts and spars were as -strongly secured as skill and labor could make them. Evidently, Mr. -McKay had grown weary of having his ships go to pieces aloft.</p> - -<p>The quarter-deck was 90 feet long, flush with the top of the bulwarks, -and protected by a mahogany rail on turned stanchions of the same wood. -She<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_275">{275}</a></span> had also two large deck-houses, which, together with the -between-decks, gave ample passenger accommodation. The quarters for the -steerage passengers were comfortably fitted and well ventilated, while -the saloons, staterooms, bathrooms, and smoking-room for the cabin -passengers were superbly decorated and furnished.</p> - -<p>Captain Forbes, late of the <i>Marco Polo</i>, was appointed to command the -<i>Lightning</i>, and came to Boston by one of the Cunard steamers to -superintend the outfit of his ship. He brought good letters of -introduction, and was well received; indeed, he hardly needed any -introduction, as the high reputation he had gained while in command of -the <i>Marco Polo</i> had preceded him. He made many friends in Boston, -especially among the clergy, as he was an enthusiastic churchman, and he -found a congenial spirit in Captain Lauchlan McKay, who likewise took a -great interest in ecclesiastical affairs. These two mariners became such -close friends that Captain McKay consented to accompany Captain Forbes -to Liverpool as his companion and adviser, and as we shall presently -see, the <i>Lightning</i> developed her finest speed in the hands of these -experienced and skilful seamen.</p> - -<p>The <i>Lightning</i> loaded in Train’s Line at Constitution Wharf, and sailed -for Liverpool, February 18, 1854. The Boston <i>Daily Atlas</i> of that date -published the following account of her departure:</p> - -<p>“At 2 o’clock the <i>Lightning</i> hove her anchor up, and at 3 o’clock -discharged her pilot off Boston Light. She went down in tow of the -steamer <i>Rescue</i>, Captain Hennessy, and was piloted by Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_276">{276}</a></span> E. G. -Martin. Before the steamer left her, she set her head sails, fore-and -mizentopsails, and had a moderate breeze from west to southwest. 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 cutwater, 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 <small>P.M.</small>, two hours after the -pilot left her, the outer telegraph station reported her thirty miles -east of Boston Light, with all drawing sails set, and going along like a -steamboat. We think her talented designer and builder, Mr. McKay, cannot -improve upon her model. Her commander, being a pious man, was attended -down the harbor by a select party of brethren and sisters of the church, -who at parting gave him their blessing. This is much better than the -dram-drinking and vociferous cheering which usually make up the parting -scenes of the unregenerated.”</p> - -<p>The voyage so auspiciously begun proved one of the most remarkable ever -made by a ship on the ocean; for before the <i>Lightning</i> set her pilot -signal off Point Lynas, she had left more miles of salt water astern in -twenty-four hours than any vessel that has ever sailed the seas -propelled by winds and canvas. From the abstract log, published in the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_277">{277}</a></span> -Liverpool <i>Albion</i> soon after her arrival, it appears that she went -round the north of Ireland, making the run to Eagle Island in 10 days, -and to the Calf of Man, within 80 miles of Liverpool, in 12 days, thence -to Liverpool in 13 days 19½ hours from Boston Light. Her day’s runs were -as follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td class="rt">1.</td><td class="c">—</td><td colspan="2">“February 19th.   Wind west-southwest, and northwest, moderate; -200 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">2.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>20th.</td><td class="pdd">Wind north-northeast and northeast, strong breezes with -snow; 328 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">3.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>21st.</td><td class="pdd">Wind east-southeast with snowstorms; 145 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">4.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>22d.</td><td class="pdd">Wind east-southeast, a gale with high cross sea and rain; -114 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">5.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>23d.</td><td class="pdd">Wind north. Strong gales to east-southeast; ends moderate; -110 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">6.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>24th.</td><td class="pdd">Wind southeast, moderate; 312 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">7.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>25th.</td><td class="pdd">Wind east-southeast and southeast. Fresh breezes with -thick weather; 285 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">8.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>26th.</td><td class="pdd">Wind west-southwest, moderate; 295 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">9.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>27th.</td><td class="pdd">Wind west-northwest, moderate; 260 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">10.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>28th.</td><td class="pdd">Wind west and northwest, steady breezes; 306 miles.”</td></tr> -</table> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>[The position at noon on this day was latitude 52° 38′ N., -longitude 22° 45′ W., and here began the greatest day’s run ever -made by a ship under canvas.]</p></div> - -<table> -<tr><td class="rt">11.</td><td class="c">—</td><td colspan="2">“March 1st.  Wind south. Strong gales; bore away for the North -Channel, carried away the foretopsail 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. Distance run in -twenty-four hours, 436 miles.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">12.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>2d.</td><td class="pdd">Wind south, first part moderate, latter part light and calm.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">13.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>3d.</td><td class="pdd">Light winds and calms.</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="rt">14.</td><td class="c">—</td><td>4th.</td><td class="pdd">Light southeast winds and calms; at 7 <small>A.M.</small> off Great Orms -Head; 12 m. off the N. W. Lightship.”</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_278">{278}</a></span></p> - -<p>This was a remarkable passage considering the percentage of easterly -winds, though its memorable incident is, of course, the phenomenal run -of 436 miles in twenty-four hours, an average of 18½ knots, which -entitles the <i>Lightning</i> to the proud distinction of being the swiftest -ship that ever sailed the seas. There was no ocean steamship of her day -that approached her record by less than 100 miles, and another -five-and-twenty years passed away before the Atlantic greyhound, the -<i>Arizona</i>, made 18 knots for a single hour, on her trial trip. Even at -the present time, according to Lloyd’s Register, there are not more than -thirty ocean-going mail steamships afloat, that are able to steam over -18 knots. It must have been blowing hard enough when the <i>Lightning’s</i> -jib and foretopsail carried away, for these were not old, worn-out -sails, put on board to attract the favorable consideration of -underwriters, but were of new canvas, made unusually strong, and had not -been out of the sail loft more than a couple of weeks.</p> - -<p>Strange as it may seem, the “wood butchers of Liverpool,” as Donald -McKay used to call them, were allowed to fill in the concave lines of -the <i>Lightning’s</i> bow with slabs of oak sheathing, and while she -continued to be a fast ship, she doubtless would have proved still -faster had her original design not been tampered with.<a id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a></p> - -<p>The second of these ships, the <i>Champion of the Seas</i>, measured: length -269 feet, breadth 45 feet, depth 29 feet, dead-rise at half floor 18 -inches;<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_279">{279}</a></span> length of mainyard 95 feet. The concavity of her water-line -forward was 2½ inches, from which it will be seen that she was a -differently designed ship from the <i>Lightning</i>. She was considered by -many to be even a handsomer vessel. Her stern was ornamented with the -arms of Australia, while at her bow she carried a full-length figurehead -of a handsome sailorman rigged out in all his best go-ashore togs. She -was commanded by Captain Alexander Newlands, who came from Liverpool to -superintend her construction and equipment, the whole inside -arrangements of the ship, including the complicated plan for light and -ventilation and the details of the cabin, being made according to his -designs. After fitting out at Grand Junction Wharf, East Boston, she was -towed to New York by the <i>R. B. Forbes</i>, where she loaded for Liverpool, -and made the passage to that port during the month of June, 1854, in 16 -days.</p> - -<p>The <i>James Baines</i> measured: length 266 feet, breadth 46 feet 8 inches, -depth 31 feet, with 18 inches dead-rise at half floor. Her mainyard was -100 feet in length, and a single suit of sails contained 13,000 running -yards of canvas 18 inches wide. Originally she carried a main skysail -only, but later she was fitted with three skysails, main moonsail, and -skysail studdingsails, and so far as I know, she was the only clipper -ship so rigged. There was only a very slight difference between the -lines of the <i>Champion of the Seas</i> and those of the <i>James Baines</i>, the -latter ship having a somewhat more raking stem, which brought her lines -out forward a little longer and sharper above the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_280">{280}</a></span> water-line. Her bow -was ornamented with a finely executed bust of her namesake, which was -carved in England and was said to be an excellent likeness. Across her -stern she carried a carved medallion of the globe, supported by the arms -of Great Britain and the United States. She was commanded by Captain -McDonnell, late of the <i>Marco Polo</i>, who sailed from Liverpool for -Boston soon after his return from Melbourne.</p> - -<p>The <i>James Baines</i> sailed from Boston, September 12, 1854, and made the -run from Boston Light to the Rock Light, Liverpool, in the record time -of 12 days 6 hours. An English correspondent of one of the Boston papers -remarked: “You wish to know what professional men say about the ship -<i>James Baines</i>. 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.”</p> - -<p>The last of this quartette, the <i>Donald McKay</i>, measured: length 269 -feet, breadth 47 feet, depth 29 feet, with 18 inches dead-rise at half -floor, and her mainyard was 100 feet long. While her water-lines were -fuller than those of the <i>James Baines</i>, she was still an extremely -sharp vessel, and with the single exception of the <i>Great Republic</i> was -the largest merchant ship afloat. She sailed from Boston, February 21, -1855, under the command of<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_281">{281}</a></span> Captain Warner, late of the <i>Sovereign of -the Seas</i>, and made the run to Cape Clear in 12 days, and thence to -Liverpool in 5 days. On February 27th, she ran 421 miles in twenty-four -hours, and on that date her log records: “First part, strong gales from -northwest; middle blowing a hurricane from west-northwest, ship scudding -under topsails and foresail at the rate of 18 knots; latter part, still -blowing from west-northwest with heavy hail squalls; very high sea -running.”</p> - -<p>The <i>Lightning</i> sailed from Liverpool on her first voyage to Melbourne, -May 14, 1854. She encountered light winds and calms to the equator, -which she crossed in 25 days from the Mersey; such was the nature of the -winds that the topgallantsails were not taken in during the passage, and -her best day’s runs were only 332, 348, 300, 311, and 329 miles on -various dates. She arrived out in 77 days, but the passage home to -Liverpool was made in the record time of 63 days. In ten consecutive -days of twenty-four hours each, she sailed no less than 3722 miles, her -best day’s run being 412 miles. On this voyage she brought home gold and -dust to the value of £1,000,000 sterling.</p> - -<p>The <i>James Baines</i> sailed from Liverpool for Melbourne December 9, 1854, -and made the passage out in the record time of 63 days, her best -twenty-four hours’ run being 420 miles. She made the passage home in 69 -days, thus sailing around the globe in the record time of 132 days. On a -subsequent voyage in 1856 her log records, “June 16th. At noon sighted a -ship in the distance ahead; at 1 <small>P.M.</small> alongside of her; at 2 <small>P.M.</small>, out -of sight astern.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_282">{282}</a></span> The <i>James Baines</i> was going 17 knots with main -skysail set; the <i>Libertas</i>, for such was her name, was under -double-reefed topsails.” “June 17th. Latitude 44° S., longitude 106° E., -ship going 21 knots with main skysail set.” This appears to be the -highest rate of speed ever made by a sailing vessel of which any -reliable record has been preserved.</p> - -<p>The <i>Champion of the Seas</i> made the passage out in 71 days and home in -84 days, and the <i>Donald McKay</i> made the voyage in about the same time, -but the <i>Lightning</i> and <i>James Baines</i> proved the most famous of these -ships. So well pleased was Mr. Baines that he wrote to Mr. McKay, -saying, In these ships you have given us all and more than we expected.” -These were the last extreme clipper ships built by Donald McKay.</p> - -<p>During the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 a large number of British and American -merchant ships were chartered by the British Government to carry troops -to India, and among others the <i>James Baines</i>, <i>Champion of the Seas</i>, -and <i>Lightning</i>. The <i>James Baines</i> sailed from Portsmouth for Calcutta -on August 8th, with the Ninety-seventh Regiment on board, and the -<i>Illustrated London News</i>, in a notice of her departure, remarked: -“Previous to her starting she was honored by a visit of Her Majesty, who -highly eulogized the vessel and is said to have declared that she was -not aware that so splendid a merchant ship belonged to her dominions.”</p> - -<p>The <i>Champion of the Seas</i> sailed from Portsmouth on the same day, also -bound for Calcutta with troops, and the race between these clippers was -close and exciting. Nine days out they fell in</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_028" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p282a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p282a.jpg" width="600" height="386" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “James Baines”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_283">{283}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">with the steamship <i>Oneida</i> homeward bound, and the <i>Illustrated London -News</i>, again mentioning the <i>James Baines</i>, said: “When met by the -<i>Oneida</i>, on the 17th of August, on her way to Calcutta with troops, she -presented a most magnificent appearance, having in addition to her -ordinary canvas, studdingsails, skysails, and moonsail, set and drawing, -in all thirty-four sails, a perfect cloud of canvas: the troops all -well, and cheering lustily as the vessels passed each other. The sister -ship, the <i>Champion of the Seas</i>, was not far astern, both vessels -making great headway.”</p> - -<p>These two ships arrived off the mouth of the Hooghly together, each 101 -days from Portsmouth, and the finish of this race was talked about by -the Calcutta pilots for a good many years: how these splendid clippers -raced in from sea almost side by side, with a fresh three-skysail, -scupper breeze, the regimental bands on board of both ships playing -national airs, while the soldiers were cheering and wild with the joy -and excitement of seeing land once more.</p> - -<p>The <i>Lightning</i> sailed at a more favorable season, and made the passage -from Portsmouth to the Hooghly in 87 days, beating the entire fleet of -sailing transports, including those fitted with auxiliary screw -propellers.</p> - -<p>Of the large number of ships bought or chartered in the United States -for the Australian trade by British ship-owners at this period, those -mentioned, with the <i>Red Rover</i>, <i>Comet</i>, <i>Tornado</i>, <i>Sierra Nevada</i>, -and <i>Invincible</i>, each with a record of less than 75 days from Liverpool -or London to Mel<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_284">{284}</a></span>bourne, the <i>Belle of the Sea</i>, 64 days from London to -Melbourne, and <i>North Wind</i>, 67 days from London to Sydney, N. S. W., -were the most celebrated.</p> - -<p>There were also many American ships that made the voyage from New York -to Melbourne, and among the fast passages may be mentioned those of: the -<i>Mandarin</i>, in 71 days; <i>Flying Scud</i> and <i>Nightingale</i>, 75 days; -<i>Whirlwind</i>, 80 days; <i>Flying Dutchman</i> and <i>Panama</i>, 81 days; <i>Snow -Squall</i>, 79 days, and <i>Ringleader</i>, 78 days. Most if not all these ships -loaded in R. W. Cameron’s line, and it is worth noting that, of all the -great shipping firms that flourished in New York half a century ago, -this is the only one which now survives.</p> - -<p>It was only natural that ship-owners of Great Britain should feel keenly -the invasion of their trade by the American clippers, and in 1855, James -Baines & Co. placed an order with Alexander Hall & Co., of Aberdeen, -then the leading clipper ship-builders in Great Britain, for a large -clipper ship for the Australian trade, to “outdo the Americans.” This -vessel was the <i>Schomberg</i>, 2600 tons; length 262 feet, breadth 45 feet, -depth 29 feet. She was very sharp forward and had a long, clean run, -with considerable dead-rise at her midship section. She was built of -wood and heavily sparred, with single topsail yards and three skysails.</p> - -<p>When this ship came around from Aberdeen to load at Liverpool for -Melbourne, she was greatly admired and it was generally believed that -she would prove faster than her American rivals, especially as Captain -Forbes, late of the <i>Marco Polo</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_285">{285}</a></span> and <i>Lightning</i>, had been appointed to -command her. She sailed from Liverpool on October 6, 1855. Captain -Forbes was a proud man that day, for the pierheads of the port were -thronged with a patriotic, cheering crowd to see the <i>Schomberg</i> off, -and as she towed down the Mersey, the signals reading, “Sixty days to -Melbourne,” fluttered gayly from her mizen truck.</p> - -<p>She had moderate winds to the equator, which she crossed 28 days from -the Mersey, and then drifted into calms and light airs which continued -for ten days and from which she did not possess the nimble speed to -extricate herself. Her best day’s work, while running her easting down, -was 368 miles. When 81 days out she was wrecked and became a total loss -on an uncharted reef about 150 miles to the westward of Melbourne, the -passengers, crew, and mails being saved. This was by no means a record -passage, and it is to be regretted that her career was so short, as it -would be interesting to know what she might have done under more -favorable conditions. She certainly possessed the qualities of a fast -ship, and was ably commanded.</p> - -<p>There were also many fine ships of English build sailing out of London -in the Australian trade; the <i>Norfolk</i> and <i>Lincolnshire</i>, built and -owned by Money, Wigram & Sons; the <i>Kent</i>, <i>Trafalgar</i>, and <i>Renown</i>, -built and owned by R. & H. Green; and many others. These ships were -built of teak, oak, and elm; were copper-fastened and sheathed with red -copper. They resembled smart frigates more than merchantmen, and were -about the perfection<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_286">{286}</a></span> of that type—splendid ships to be at sea in, -though not so fast as the sharper American clippers. None of these -vessels was over 1500 tons, and it was thought by shipping men in London -and Liverpool that much of the speed of the American ships was due to -their greater tonnage. There may have been some truth in this, but it -should be remembered that with these large wooden vessels an increase in -size made the difficulties in building greater, as well as in getting -their wooden masts to stand with hemp rigging, to say nothing of -handling their enormous single topsails in heavy weather.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile attempts were being made by various companies to introduce -steam in place of the clipper ships that had carried the passengers, -mails, and specie after the discovery of gold in Australia, but these -efforts were beset with many difficulties and heavy financial losses.</p> - -<p>The <i>Australian</i>, an iron screw steamer of 2000 tons, was the first -steamship to carry the mails from England to Melbourne. She sailed from -Plymouth, June 5, 1852, and called at St. Vincent, St. Helena, Table -Bay, and St. George’s Sound for coal, which had been sent out by ship -from England to meet her. She arrived at Melbourne in 89 days from -Plymouth, and returned by the Cape of Good Hope in 76 days. She arrived -at London, January 11, 1853, having been 7 months and 6 days upon the -voyage, a creditable but not a very brilliant performance. The -<i>Australian</i> was soon followed by the <i>Great Britain</i>, <i>Adelaide</i>, -<i>Queen of the South</i>, <i>Sydney</i>, <i>Cleopatra</i>, <i>Antelope</i>, and other iron -screw steamers; but these vessels nearly ruined</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_029" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p286a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p286a.jpg" width="600" height="394" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Schomberg”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_287">{287}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">their owners and did not greatly interfere with the clippers.</p> - -<p>In 1854 the <i>Argo</i>, a full-rigged iron ship of 1850 tons register, with -plenty of canvas and fitted with an auxiliary engine and screw, made the -passage from London to Melbourne in 64 days and home round Cape Horn in -63 days; and though she sailed during the greater portion of the voyage, -using her engines only in calms and light winds, she was the first -merchant vessel using steam-power to circumnavigate the globe. This -voyage is peculiarly adapted to auxiliary steam vessels, as, by -following the sailing-ship track, very few strong head winds are met, -and of course the screw is of great assistance in light winds and calms.</p> - -<p>The <i>Argo</i> was followed (1855-1856) by the <i>Royal Charter</i>, <i>Istamboul</i>, -and <i>Khersonese</i> and other iron auxiliary “steam clippers,” as they were -called. These vessels carried as much canvas as the clipper ships, and -were more expensive to handle and not much faster; the rivalry was -therefore keen. The clippers still secured their full share of the cabin -and steerage passengers, the mails and gold, and were by no means -vanquished; indeed, the auxiliaries proved no more successful than the -steamships, and brought much the same result to their owners.</p> - -<p>It was not till after the close of the Crimean War in 1856, when the -Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company extended their line to -the Australian colonies, that the clipper ships began seriously to feel -the competition of steam. From that time iron sailing vessels for this -trade were<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_288">{288}</a></span> built with a view to carrying large cargoes and steerage -passengers, so that by 1860 the day of the Australian clippers had -passed away, although the later China tea-clippers sometimes made this -voyage. Almost countless splendid iron and steel sailing ships have -since been built in Great Britain, and many fine passages have been made -to and from Australia, yet the records of the <i>James Baines</i>, <i>North -Wind</i>, <i>Lightning</i>, <i>Mandarin</i>, and <i>Lord of the Isles</i> remain -unbroken.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_289">{289}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX<br><br> -<small>LAST YEARS OF THE AMERICAN CLIPPER SHIP ERA—SUMMARY OF CALIFORNIA -PASSAGES</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">D</span>URING the Crimean War a large number of merchant ships, many of which -were American, were chartered by the British and French Governments to -carry troops, but when peace was declared in 1856 and this demand for -tonnage ceased, it was found that there were more ships afloat than -could find profitable employment, or indeed employment of any kind.</p> - -<p>Only eight ships were added to the California fleet in 1856—the -<i>Alarm</i>, <i>Euterpe</i>, <i>Flying Mist</i>, <i>Florence</i>, <i>Intrepid</i>, <i>Mary L. -Sutton</i>, <i>Norseman</i>, and the second <i>Witch of the Wave</i>. These were all -handsome medium clippers, and possessed what is so sadly lacking in -sailing ships of the present day—style, distinction. The <i>Florence</i> was -built by Samuel Hall, Jr., who had succeeded his father as a -ship-builder and continued in the same yard at East Boston. She was -owned by Captain R. B. Forbes and others of Boston. Captain Dumaresq -commanded her and also owned an interest in her until his death in 1860. -As Captain Forbes used to say, “He was the prince of sea captains.”</p> - -<p>The <i>Sweepstakes</i> made the fastest passage to San<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_290">{290}</a></span> Francisco in 1856—94 -days from New York—followed by the <i>Antelope</i>, 97 days; <i>Phantom</i>, 101 -days; and <i>David Brown</i>, 103 days; the <i>Ringleader</i> made the passage -from Boston in 100 days. The abstract log of the <i>Sweepstakes</i> is as -follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td>From Sandy Hook to the equator</td><td class="rt">18</td><td class="c">days.</td></tr> -<tr><td>From the equator to 50° S.</td><td class="rt">23</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From 50° in the Atlantic to 50° in the Pacific</td><td class="rt">15</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From 50° S. to the equator</td><td class="rt">17</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From the equator to San Francisco</td><td class="rt">21</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total</td><td class="rtbt">94</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>The year 1857 was one of financial depression throughout the United -States, which was severely felt by the shipping interests of the country -and continued until the Civil War. The rates of freight from New York to -San Francisco, which during the years immediately following the -discovery of gold in California were $60 a ton, gradually declined, and -in 1857 had fallen to $10 per ton. Ships that had formerly loaded -cargoes for San Francisco night and day and were hurried to sea as -quickly as possible, now lay at their loading berths for weeks, -leisurely taking on board such cargo as their agents could engage. -During this period vessels lay idle at the wharves of Atlantic ports for -weeks and even months, in charge of ship-keepers, with sails unbent, -waiting for employment.</p> - -<p>The former activity in the ship-building yards had also subsided. During -the four years prior to the Civil War, Donald McKay built only one -ship,</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_030" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p290a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p290a.jpg" width="600" height="391" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Sweepstakes”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_291">{291}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">the <i>Alhambra</i> (1857), and William H. Webb built only one ship for the -California trade, the <i>Black Hawk</i>, beside the <i>Resolute</i>, and the -barque <i>Trieste</i> (1857), and the barque <i>Harvest Queen</i> (1858). The same -depression was felt in all the yards along the Atlantic coast. British -ship-builders had made such rapid progress in the construction and speed -of their vessels that it was now difficult for American ships to obtain -charters from China to England. From 1857 to 1861, they were to be found -lying idle for months at a time in Manila Bay, Hong-kong harbor, -Foo-chow, Shanghai, and Calcutta, seeking employment.</p> - -<p>The depression in the oversea carrying trade was felt quite as much by -the ship-owners of Great Britain as by those of the United States, and -while of short duration, was as serious there as in the United States. -It was at this period, however, that Great Britain began to feel the -benefit of Free Trade in her ship building industry, and entered upon -her conquest of the world’s oversea carrying trade. In this her -ship-builders were greatly assisted by the introduction of iron as a -material for construction. In 1855 the Committee of Lloyd’s Register had -framed rules for the classification of iron ships, as their number had -so increased, and the demand of ship-owners for their official -recognition had become so general, that they could no longer be ignored. -The screw propeller was also beginning to supersede side-wheels as a -means of propulsion, and some of the ablest men in Great Britain were -engaged upon the development and improvement of the marine engine and -boiler.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_292">{292}</a></span></p> - -<p>The steam tonnage of the British Empire—mostly engaged in the oversea -carrying trade—had increased from 204,654 tons in 1851 to 417,717 tons -in 1856, whereas the steam tonnage of the United States engaged in the -oversea carrying trade had increased from 62,390 tons in 1851 to 115,045 -tons in 1855, but had decreased to 89,715 tons in 1856. It should be -noted that while a large proportion of the steam tonnage of Great -Britain consisted of iron vessels, many of them being screw steamers, -the steam vessels of the United States were very nearly, if not all, -still constructed of wood and propelled by side-wheels.</p> - -<p>The first symptoms of the decadence of the American merchant marine were -the falling-off in the sales of American tonnage to foreign -countries—the reduction being from 65,000 tons in 1855 to 42,000 tons -in 1856, declining to 26,000 tons in 1858 and to 17,000 tons in 1860, a -falling-off of 75% in five years—then in the total tonnage of vessels -built in the United States, which fell from 583,450 tons in 1855 to -469,393 tons in 1856, and to 378,804 tons in 1857.</p> - -<p>These facts refute the historic falsehood that the <i>Alabama</i> and her -consorts were the first and immediate cause of decadence in the American -merchant marine. As a matter of fact, neither the depression preceding -the Civil War, nor the depredations of Confederate privateers, nor the -Civil War itself, have had any material bearing upon the decline of -American shipping during the last fifty years. The gigantic task of -driving the American flag from the ocean has been accomplished<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_293">{293}</a></span> by far -more insidious and potent means than these. It has been the inevitable -consequence of irrational and unjust laws, and until these are repealed, -as those of Great Britain were in 1849, we may hope in vain that the -ensign of the United States will be restored to its place upon the sea.</p> - -<p>Amid the discouraging conditions of these years preceding the Civil War, -American sea-captains never lost faith in their ships nor in themselves. -They seemed to think, the lower the rate of freight, the more reason -that it should be earned quickly, and when once clear of the -disheartening influences of a seaport and well off soundings, they sent -their ships along with the same energy and skill for which they had -become famous in more prosperous days.</p> - -<p>It was in the year 1857 that the <i>Great Republic</i> made her remarkable -passage of 92 days from New York to San Francisco, and established a new -record of 16 days from Sandy Hook to the equator. She was still -commanded by Captain Limeburner, who had as his first officer, -Montgomery Parker, an accomplished seaman and navigator, afterward -commander of the ships <i>Judge Shaw</i> and <i>Lord Lyndhurst</i>. The crew of 50 -men before the mast were the usual assortment, 15 or 20 good seamen, the -rest adventurers and mongrels of various brands, of whom little could be -expected. Captain Limeburner and his officers always went armed, and it -was perhaps fortunate, with such a crew, that the topgallantsails were -never clewed up during the passage, and that Cape Horn was rounded with -skysails set.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_294">{294}</a></span></p> - -<p>The abstract log of the <i>Great Republic</i> is as follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td>From Sandy Hook to the equator</td><td class="rt">16</td><td class="c">days.</td></tr> -<tr><td>From the equator to 50° S.</td><td class="rt">25</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific</td><td class="rt">9</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From 50° S. to the equator</td><td class="rt">23</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td>From the equator to San Francisco</td><td class="rt">19</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total</td><td class="rtbt">92</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>Lieutenant Maury, in a letter on the subject to the Secretary of the -Navy, remarks: “This vessel did not have the luck to get a wind that -could keep her up to her mettle for twenty-four hours consecutively. -Here and there she got into favorable streaks of wind, but she appears -to have run out of them faster than they could follow. She made the run -to San Francisco in 92 days.</p> - -<p>“The shortest passage that in the present state of ship-building will -probably ever be made from New York to San Francisco, is 85 days; and -the very clever first officer of this ship, writing from California, -expresses the opinion that ‘should she continue to run between New York -and San Francisco, from the experience of this voyage, she will one day -make the trip within your possible 85 days.’</p> - -<p>“The friends of this noble specimen of naval architecture, however, can -scarcely hope for a fair trial and proper display of her prowess until -she shall be sent on a voyage to Australia. The brave west winds of the -Southern hemisphere, which she will then encounter, will enable her to -show her<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_295">{295}</a></span>self; elsewhere, she can scarcely find a sea wide enough, with -belts of wind broad enough for the full display of her qualities and -capabilities.”</p> - -<p>There can be little doubt that with her original spars and sail plan, -the <i>Great Republic</i> would have made this passage in 85 days or less, -and it is to be regretted that, even with her reduced rig, she never -made a voyage between England and Australia, the service for which she -was built and especially adapted. Her best twenty-four hours’ run, made -upon a subsequent voyage while under the command of Captain Josiah Paul, -was 413 miles.</p> - -<p>In 1857 the <i>Flying Dragon</i> made the passage to San Francisco in 97 -days; the <i>Westward Ho</i> and the <i>Andrew Jackson</i> in 100 days, both from -New York; and the <i>Flying Fish</i> in 106 days from Boston. In 1858 the -<i>Twilight</i> made the passage from New York in 100 days; the <i>Andrew -Jackson</i> in 103 days; and in 1859 the <i>Sierra Nevada</i> in 97 days and the -<i>Andrew Jackson</i> in 102 days. In 1860 the <i>Andrew Jackson</i> made the trip -in 89 days.</p> - -<p>As before noted, the <i>Andrew Jackson</i> was built in 1855. Her builders -were Irons & Grinnell, of Mystic, Connecticut; she was owned by J. H. -Brower & Co., of New York, and was commanded by Captain John E. -Williams, of Mystic. She was 1679 tons register and measured: length 222 -feet, breadth 40 feet, depth 22 feet, and while not an extreme clipper, -she was a very handsome, well-designed ship. She was heavily sparred and -carried double topsails, skysails, and royal studdingsails. Her -figurehead was a full-length statue of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_296">{296}</a></span> famous warrior and statesman -in whose honor she was named.</p> - -<p>Upon Captain Williams’s arrival at San Francisco, in 89 days from New -York, he was presented with a Commodore’s pennant, and on his return to -New York the owners presented him with a valuable chronometer watch -bearing the following inscription: “Presented by J. H. Brower & Co. to -Captain J. E. Williams of the clipper ship <i>Andrew Jackson</i> for the -shortest passage to San Francisco. Time 89 days 4 hours, 1860.”</p> - -<p>With this superb record by the <i>Andrew Jackson</i>—four consecutive -passages averaging 98½ days each—the American clipper ship era may well -bring its brilliant career to a close.</p> - -<p>It would be invidious, even if it were possible, to name the fastest of -the splendid fleet of California clippers which sailed during the years -1850-1860, as their voyages were made in different years and at -different seasons of the year; still, a comparison of their records is -of interest.</p> - -<p>Eighteen ships made single passages of less than 100 days from New York -or Boston to San Francisco during this period. The <i>Flying Cloud</i> and -<i>Andrew Jackson</i> share the honor of 89 days each, and are closely -followed by the <i>Sword Fish</i>, 90 days; <i>Flying Fish</i> and <i>Great -Republic</i>, 92 days; <i>John Gilpin</i>, 93 days; <i>Sweepstakes</i>, 94 days; -<i>Surprise</i> and <i>Romance of the Seas</i>, 96 days; <i>Sea Witch</i>, <i>Contest</i>, -<i>Antelope</i>, <i>Sierra Nevada</i>, <i>Flying Dragon</i>, and <i>Witchcraft</i>, 97 days; -<i>Flying Fish</i> and <i>David Brown</i>, 98 days, and <i>Herald of the Morning</i> -and <i>Hurricane</i>, 99 days each.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_297">{297}</a></span></p> - -<p>Four of these ships, the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, <i>Flying Fish</i>, <i>Great -Republic</i>, and <i>Romance of the Seas</i>, were built by Donald McKay, and -two of the four, the <i>Flying Cloud</i> and <i>Flying Fish</i>, each came within -the limit twice. Two others, the <i>John Gilpin</i> and <i>Surprise</i>, were -built by Samuel Hall, and two, the <i>Contest</i> and <i>Sweepstakes</i>, by Jacob -A. Westervelt, with one ship each by other builders. Beside Captain -Creesy of the <i>Flying Cloud</i> and Captain Nickels of the <i>Flying Fish</i>, -Captain Dumaresq also made the passage twice in less than 100 days, in -command of the <i>Surprise</i> and <i>Romance of the Seas</i>.</p> - -<p>For an average of the two fastest passages by one ship, the record of -the <i>Flying Cloud</i>—two in 89 days each—stands at the head. The others -are: the <i>Andrew Jackson</i>, 98 and 100—94½ days; <i>Flying Fish</i>, 92 and -98—95 days; <i>Sword-Fish</i>, 90 and 105—97½ days; <i>David Brown</i>, 98 and -103—101½ days; <i>Westward Ho</i>, 100 and 103—101½ days; <i>Sea Witch</i>, 97 -and 108—102½ days; <i>Contest</i>, 108 and 97—102½ days; <i>Herald of the -Morning</i>, 99 and 106—102½; <i>Phantom</i>, 101 and 104—102½ days; <i>John -Gilpin</i>, 93 and 115—104 days; <i>Romance of the Seas</i>, 96 and 113—104½ -days; <i>Ringleader</i>, 100 and 109—104½ days; <i>Sweepstakes</i>, 94 and -116—105 days; <i>Flying Dutchman</i>, 104 and 106—105 days; <i>Flying -Dragon</i>, 97 and 114—105½ days; <i>Surprise</i>, 96 and 116—106 days; <i>Young -America</i>, 105 and 109—107 days; <i>Neptune’s Car</i>, 100 and 112—106; -<i>Eagle</i>, 103 and 111—107 days; <i>Comet</i>, 103 and 112—107½ days; <i>Golden -Gate</i>, 102 and 113—107½ days; <i>Golden City</i>, 105 and 113—109 days; -<i>Flyaway</i>, 106<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_298">{298}</a></span> and 112—109 days; <i>Sea Serpent</i>, 107 and 112—109½ -days; <i>Shooting Star</i>, 105 and 115—110 days.</p> - -<p>The fastest three passages in 1850-1860 were made by the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, -89, 89, 105—94⅓ days; <i>Andrew Jackson</i>, 89, 100, 102—97 days; <i>Flying -Fish</i>, 92, 98, 105—98⅓ days; <i>Westward Ho</i>, 103, 106, 100—103 days; -<i>Sword-Fish</i>, 90, 105, 116—103⅔ days; <i>Sea Witch</i>, 97, 108, 110—105 -days; <i>Young America</i>, 105, 107, 110—107⅓ days; <i>Surprise</i>, 96, 116, -117—109⅔ days; <i>Sea Serpent</i>, 107, 112, 115—111⅓ days.</p> - -<p>The best four passages were made by the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, 89, 89, 105, -108—97¾ days; <i>Andrew Jackson</i>, 89, 100, 102, 103—98½ days; <i>Flying -Fish</i>, 92, 98, 105, 106—100¼ days.</p> - -<p>By dividing this great race-course into sections, a further comparison -of the relative speed of the clipper ships may be obtained. Thus the -following separate runs were made during the years in question:</p> - -<p>From Sandy Hook to the equator: <i>Great Republic</i>, 16 days; <i>Flying -Cloud</i>, <i>Northern Light</i>, <i>Sea Serpent</i>, <i>Storm</i> (barque), <i>White -Swallow</i>, 17 days; <i>Adelaide</i>, <i>Jacob Bell</i>, <i>Surprise</i>, <i>Sweepstakes</i>, -18 days; <i>Atlanta</i>, <i>Flying Fish</i>, <i>Golden Gate</i>, <i>Hornet</i>, <i>Samuel -Russell</i>, <i>Tingqua</i>, 19 days; <i>Archer</i>, <i>Antelope</i>, <i>Climax</i>, <i>Courier</i>, -<i>Comet</i>, <i>David Brown</i>, <i>Hazard</i>, <i>Sirocco</i>, <i>Tornado</i>, <i>White Squall</i>, -20 days. In February, 1858, the <i>Stag Hound</i>, commanded by Captain -Hussey, made the run from Boston Light to the equator in the phenomenal -time of 13 days, eclipsing all records.</p> - -<p>From Cape St. Roque to 50° S.: <i>Samuel Russell</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_299">{299}</a></span> 16 days; <i>Hornet</i>, -<i>Ocean Pearl</i>, 17 days; <i>Bald Eagle</i>, <i>Comet</i>, <i>Electric</i>, <i>Hurricane</i>, -<i>Ocean Express</i>, <i>Raven</i>, 18 days; <i>Electric Spark</i>, <i>Galatea</i>, -<i>Governor Morton</i>, <i>John Gilpin</i>, <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, <i>Sword-Fish</i>, -<i>Witch of the Wave</i>, 19 days; <i>Aurora</i>, <i>Flying Fish</i>, <i>Golden Gate</i>, -<i>John Wade</i>, <i>Mandarin</i>, <i>North America</i>, <i>Panama</i>, <i>Ringleader</i>, -<i>Seaman</i>, <i>Sea Witch</i>, <i>Skylark</i>, <i>Trade Wind</i>, 20 days.</p> - -<p>From 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific: <i>Young America</i>, 6 -days; <i>Flying Fish</i>, <i>Flying Cloud</i>, <i>Robin Hood</i>, 7 days; <i>Flying -Dutchman</i> (twice), <i>Herald of the Morning</i>, <i>Stag Hound</i>, <i>Sword-Fish</i>, -8 days; <i>Mary L. Sutton</i>, <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, <i>Great Republic</i>, 9 -days; <i>Atlanta</i>, <i>Golden City</i>, <i>Hornet</i>, <i>Snap Dragon</i> (barque), -<i>Sweepstakes</i>, <i>Typhoon</i>, <i>Whistler</i>, 10 days.</p> - -<p>From 50° S. in the Pacific to the equator: <i>Live Yankee</i>, <i>Mary L. -Sutton</i>, 16 days; <i>Flying Cloud</i>, <i>Sweepstakes</i>, 17 days; <i>Celestial</i>, -<i>Eagle</i>, <i>Hurricane</i>, <i>John Bertram</i>, <i>Surprise</i>, <i>Young America</i>, 18 -days; <i>Belle of the West</i>, <i>Courser</i>, <i>Don Quixote</i>, <i>Flying Dutchman</i> -(twice), <i>Flying Fish</i>, <i>Mermaid</i>, <i>Neptune’s Car</i>, <i>Ocean Telegraph</i>, -<i>Sirocco</i>, <i>Starlight</i>, <i>Sword-Fish</i>, <i>Wild Pigeon</i>, <i>Winged Arrow</i>, 19 -days; <i>Alarm</i>, <i>Archer</i>, <i>Electric</i>, <i>Flying Dragon</i>, <i>Golden Eagle</i>, -<i>John Gilpin</i>, <i>Malay</i>, <i>Stag Hound</i>, <i>Starr King</i>, <i>Syren</i>, <i>Shooting -Star</i>, <i>Telegraph</i>, <i>Unknown</i>, 20 days.</p> - -<p>From the equator to San Francisco: <i>White Squall</i>, 14 days; <i>Flying -Cloud</i>, <i>John Gilpin</i>, <i>Phantom</i>, 15 days; <i>Antelope</i>, <i>Comet</i>, -<i>Contest</i>, <i>Flying Dutchman</i>, <i>Game-Cock</i>, <i>Trade Wind</i>, 16 days; -<i>Aurora</i>, <i>Flying Fish</i> (twice), <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, <i>Surprise</i>, -<i>Young America</i>, 17 days; <i>Cleopatra</i>, <i>Chal<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_300">{300}</a></span>lenge</i>, <i>Golden City</i>, -<i>John Bertram</i>, <i>Samuel Appleton</i>, <i>Seaman</i>, <i>Sea Witch</i>, -<i>Staffordshire</i>, <i>Typhoon</i>, <i>Westward Ho</i>, <i>Winged Arrow</i>, 18 days; -<i>Bald Eagle</i>, <i>Boston Light</i>, <i>Defender</i>, <i>Eagle</i>, <i>Electric</i>, <i>Golden -Eagle</i>, <i>Great Republic</i>, <i>Hornet</i>, <i>N. B. Palmer</i>, <i>Wild Pigeon</i>, 19 -days; <i>Celestial</i>, <i>Cyclone</i>, <i>Eureka</i>, <i>Governor Morton</i>, <i>Herald of -the Morning</i>, <i>Intrepid</i>, <i>Living Age</i>, <i>Ocean Telegraph</i>, <i>Raven</i>, -<i>Samuel Russell</i>, <i>Sparkling Wave</i>, <i>Sword-Fish</i>, 20 days.</p> - -<p>These records indicate the remarkable sailing qualities of the clipper -ships, for, if the quickest single runs are added together—the <i>Stag -Hound’s</i> 13 days from Boston Light to the equator with an allowance of 2 -days for the run from the equator to Cape St. Roque; the <i>Samuel -Russell’s</i> 16 days from Cape St. Roque to 50° S.; the <i>Young America’s</i> -6 days from 50° S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific; the <i>Live -Yankee’s</i> and <i>Mary L. Sutton’s</i> 16 days from 50° S. to the equator; and -the <i>White Squall’s</i> 14 days from the equator to San Francisco—we find -that these six ships sailed long distances at the rate of a passage of -67 days from Boston Light to San Francisco, or 22 days less than the -record of the <i>Flying Cloud</i> and <i>Andrew Jackson</i>—89 days. Yet no one -of the six ships which made these splendid runs made the passage from an -Atlantic port to San Francisco in less than 100 days.</p> - -<p>The records of the other ships are even more remarkable, for allowing 20 -days as the outside limit of the four longer runs, with 10 days from 50° -S. in the Atlantic to 50° S. in the Pacific and 2 days from the equator -to Cape St. Roque, we find that<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_301">{301}</a></span> no less than 157 runs were made over -distances of thousands of miles, most of them considerably within an -average rate of 92 days from Sandy Hook to San Francisco, or well within -3 days of the fastest record time. These records prove, if proof were -needed, that the reputation of American clipper ships for speed does not -rest upon the fast passages of a few ships, but is based upon the -established records of many swift vessels.</p> - -<p>Judged by any standard of beauty, the American clipper ships were -handsome, noble-looking vessels. During the past fifty years I have seen -many fleets of men-of-war and merchant ships, besides naval reviews, and -at various times the squadrons of yachts that gather each summer in -Cowes Roads and Newport Harbor, but I have never seen a collection of -vessels which could compare in stately beauty with the fleet of American -clipper ships which lay in the harbor of Hong-kong during the autumn of -1858.</p> - -<p>The American clippers were all built of wood and their hulls were -painted black from the metal up, though the <i>Invincible</i> carried a -crimson stripe, and the <i>Challenge</i>, <i>N. B. Palmer</i>, <i>Sweepstakes</i>, and -perhaps two or three others, a stripe of gold. Their yards and bowsprits -were usually painted black, the lower masts white to the tops, with the -tops and doublings above scraped bright and varnished, but the -<i>Challenge</i>, <i>Young America</i>, and <i>Mandarin</i> carried black lower masts, -and a few other ships kept their lower masts bright.</p> - -<p>Many of their figureheads were of considerable artistic excellence, -being designed by skilful artists,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_302">{302}</a></span> some of whom have already been -mentioned. The <i>Romance of the Seas</i> carried the full-length figure of -an ancient navigator, whose original might have stood on the high poop -of Magellan’s flag-ship, with head bent forward and right hand raised to -shade his eager eyes, as he gazed upon an unknown land in an uncharted -sea. The <i>Sea Serpent</i> carried a long slender serpent, whose life-like, -slimy-looking body, picked out in shades of green and gold, suggested -his recent escape from the waters of one of the summer resorts along the -Atlantic coast. The <i>Nightingale</i> carried a beautiful bust of Jenny -Lind, for whom she was named. The <i>Panama</i> carried at her bow a nude, -full-length figure of a beautiful woman with arms extended, pure white -and of great artistic merit, perhaps the most beautiful figurehead ever -carried by a ship. The <i>Flying Fish</i> carried a fish on the wing, of -life-like color and giving a vivid sense of speed; the <i>Witchcraft</i>, a -grim Salem witch riding upon her aerial broomstick; the <i>Game-Cock</i>, a -fighting bird with outstretched neck and head, apparently eager for -combat; the <i>Northern Light</i>, the full-length figure of an angelic -creature in flowing white drapery, one graceful arm extended above her -head, and bearing in her slender hand a torch with golden flame.</p> - -<p>One of the most striking figureheads was the tall square-built sailor, -with dark curly hair and bronzed clean-shaven face, who stood at the bow -of the <i>Champion of the Seas</i>. 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<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_303">{303}</a></span> that almost hid his -black polished pumps. He wore a loose-fitting blue-and-white-checked -shirt, with wide, rolling collar, and black neck 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 only exception that one -could possibly take to this stalwart sailorman was that his living -prototype was likely to be met with so very seldom in real life. There -were many other figureheads that might be mentioned, but these are best -remembered.</p> - -<p>In those days New York was one of the most beautiful and picturesque -seaports of the world; the water-front was lined with majestic clippers, -stately Indiamen, and noble packet ships, their American ensigns and -well-known house flags of many brilliant colors floating in the -breeze.<a id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a> The<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_304">{304}</a></span> view and skyline of the port from the harbor were very -beautiful; Battery Park with its fine lawns and trees in the foreground, -the graceful spire of Trinity Church forming a prominent landmark, while -clustered on every side were the modest yet dignified and substantial -residences, gardens, and warehouses of the merchants, with a quiet, -refined atmosphere of prosperity and contentment, long since departed.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_305">{305}</a></span></p> - -<p>The New York pilot-boats were remarkably fast and able schooners of from -80 to 90 tons, which cruised to the eastward as far as the Grand Banks, -with a hand in the crow’s nest on the lookout for the packets and -steamships bound for New York. Among these stanch little vessels were -the <i>Washington</i>, <i>Ezra Nye</i>, <i>George W. Blunt</i>, <i>William H. Aspinwall</i>, -<i>Mary Taylor</i>, <i>Moses E. Grinnell</i>, <i>Charles H. Marshall</i>, <i>Mary Fish</i>, -<i>George Steers</i>, and <i>Jacob Bell</i>. The New York pilots themselves were a -very superior class of men, who always wore beaver hats when boarding a -vessel, and owned their boats, and it was regarded as a compliment and -an honor for a citizen of New York to have one of their vessels named -for him.</p> - -<p>Of the men who commanded the American clipper ships, it may be said that -they carried the ensign of the United States to every quarter of the -globe, with honor to their country and themselves. They were not, -however, all cast in the same mould. Each had his strongly marked -individual traits of character, and his human weaknesses. Nothing could -be more remote from the truth than to imagine these men as blustering -bullies at sea or rollicking shell-backs on shore; neither were they -Chesterfields or carpet knights, afloat or ashore, nor at all the type -of skipper that one is apt to meet in works of fiction. Many of them -might easily have been mistaken for prosperous merchants or professional -men, until a more intimate acquaintance disclosed the aura of salted -winds and surging seas, and a world-wide knowledge of men and cities. -These were the qualities which made so many of these master<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_306">{306}</a></span> mariners -delightful companions and welcome guests at the firesides of refined and -luxurious homes, whose doors could not be opened by golden keys. It may -well be doubted whether braver, truer-hearted gentlemen or finer seamen -than many of the American clipper ship captains of half a century ago -have ever sailed the seas.</p> - -<p>Many of the clipper ship captains were accompanied on their voyages by -their wives, whose influence at sea was humanizing, while their -companionship was a comfort and solace to their husbands. In foreign -ports, especially in China and India, they were made much of. The -merchants vied with each other to render their visits enjoyable, and -nothing in the way of lavish entertainment or costly gift was regarded -as too good for them. Mrs. Babcock, of the <i>Sword-Fish</i> and <i>Young -America</i>; Mrs. Low, of the <i>N. B. Palmer</i>; Mrs. Very, of the -<i>Hurricane</i>; Mrs. Creecy, of the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, and Mrs. Andrews, of -the <i>Red Gauntlet</i>, were veritable sea belles, while Mrs. Patten of the -<i>Neptune’s Car</i> proved herself a true heroine.</p> - -<p>The <i>Neptune’s Car</i> sailed from New York for San Francisco in June, -1856, and before she reached Cape Horn, Captain Patten was compelled to -put his chief officer under arrest on account of incompetence and -neglect of duty. That winter off Cape Horn was unusually cold and -stormy, and the exposure and fatigue which Captain Patten was obliged to -endure brought on an attack of brain fever which soon resulted in his -becoming entirely blind. The second mate was a good seaman but<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_307">{307}</a></span> knew -nothing about navigation. Mrs. Patten at that time was not more than -twenty-four years old, but she had acquired a thorough knowledge of -navigation upon a previous voyage with her husband round the globe, and -she at once assumed command of the ship. For 52 days she navigated this -heavily masted clipper of over 1600 tons, taking her safely into the -harbor of San Francisco, besides acting as nurse and physician to her -husband and keeping him alive by constant care and watchfulness. The -chief mate asked to return to duty, but Mrs. Patten declined his aid, as -she had no faith in his ability or loyalty, and preferred to trust the -faithful though illiterate second mate.</p> - -<p>Captain Patten never recovered his health and died at Boston on July 26, -1857, in his thirty-sixth year. His funeral took place at Christ Church -in that city, with the colors of the shipping in the harbor at half -mast, and the bells of the church tolling in his honor. Captain Joshua -A. Patten was born in Rockland, Maine, and had followed the sea from -boyhood. He was a prominent Mason, and for several years had been a -member of Christ Church. Mrs. Mary Patten was a beautiful woman of the -finest New England type, with a refined, gentle voice and manner. While -not active in the then newly-organized women’s rights movement, she was -unwillingly made to appear as the star example of woman’s ability to -compete successfully in the pursuits and avocations of man.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_308">{308}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX<br><br> -<small>THE GREATNESS AND THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE year 1851 is memorable in our maritime annals, because at that time -the United States was at the zenith of her power upon the ocean, and had -completely outstripped her rival Great Britain in the efficiency and -extent of her oversea carrying trade. It is true that the total tonnage -of merchant shipping owned in the United States in this year, including -steam, was only 3,718,640 tons, against 4,332,085 owned by the British -Empire with all its dependencies; but these figures, like many -statistics of this nature, are somewhat misleading. The primary reason -for the existence of a merchant ship is, of course, her ability to pay -her way and earn money for her owners. When a ship ceases to be able to -do this, the sooner she is converted into a hulk or broken up, the -better. So the true measure of a nation’s merchant marine is its earning -capacity, not merely the number or tonnage of its ships; and judged by -this standard, the merchant marine of the United States was at this time -far in advance of the merchant shipping of the whole British Empire.</p> - -<p>In the first place, the merchant ships of the Brit<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_309">{309}</a></span>ish Empire were of -such massive construction that they could not carry at the very most -more than ninety per cent. of the cargo carried by ships of similar -tonnage owned in the United States; then in the matter of speed, an -American merchantman would make five voyages while a British ship was -making four of equal length; and as to freights, the American ships had -the splendid rates to San Francisco all to themselves, while from China -to England the rates of freight were quite double in their favor, as -compared with British ships.</p> - -<p>If any one with a liking for statistics will apply these facts to the -foregoing figures, the seeming advantage of tonnage possessed by the -British Empire will disappear and it will be found that the merchant -marine of the United States at that time held a commanding position in -the maritime carrying trade of the world. Furthermore, the ship-builders -of this country still excelled in every branch of merchant marine -architecture.</p> - -<p>On the North Atlantic in 1851, the American Collins Line steamships -<i>Arctic</i>, <i>Atlantic</i>, <i>Baltic</i>, and <i>Pacific</i> were competing -successfully with the British Cunarders <i>Niagara</i>, <i>Canada</i>, <i>Asia</i>, and -<i>Africa</i>: the <i>Baltic</i> holding the speed record for both the eastern and -the western passages between New York and Liverpool; while the New York, -Philadelphia, and Boston packet ships still held their own. No sailing -ships of other nationalities could compete with them, and though hard -pressed by steamships of the various lines, they still retained their -popularity with passengers and shipping merchants. American ships from -home ports were<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_310">{310}</a></span> profitably engaged in the India, China, African, and -South American trades; the New Bedford and Nantucket whaling ships were -to be found upon every sea; the Mississippi, Hudson River, and Long -Island Sound steamboats were the most perfect types of this period for -inland navigation; and the Massachusetts fishing schooners, the North -River sloops, and the New York pilot-boats were far famed for speed and -beauty; while the American clippers were now known and admired -throughout the maritime world.</p> - -<p>It was in this year also that the Royal Yacht Squadron presented a cup -to be sailed for at Cowes by yachts belonging to the yacht clubs of all -nations, which, as every one knows, was won by the <i>America</i>, -representing the New York Yacht Club.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“To teach the Mistress of the Sea<br></span> -<span class="i3">What beam and mast and sail should be,<br></span> -<span class="i1">To teach her how to walk the wave<br></span> -<span class="i3">With graceful step, is such a lore<br></span> -<span class="i1">As never had been taught before;<br></span> -<span class="i3">Dumb are the wise, aghast the brave.”<a id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a><br></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Surely De Tocqueville was right when he said: “Nations, as well as men, -almost always betray the most prominent features of their future destiny -in their earliest years. When I contemplate the ardor with which the -Anglo-Americans prosecute commercial enterprise, the advantages which -befriend them, and the success of their undertakings, I cannot refrain -from believing that they will one<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_311">{311}</a></span> day become the first maritime power -of the globe. They are born to rule the seas, as the Romans were to -conquer the world.”<a id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a></p> - -<p>This day had then come. The victory of the <i>America</i> off the Isle of -Wight may be likened to the gilded weathercock at the top of some lofty -spire, being highly decorative and at the same time showing the -direction of the wind. At that time the commercial greatness of the -United States rested upon the splendid qualities shown by her sailing -ships and their captains upon the ocean. And after all the only really -rational sovereignty of the seas that exists, or has ever existed, is -maintained by the merchant marine, whose ships and seamen contribute not -only to the welfare and happiness of mankind, but also to the wealth of -the nations under whose flags they sail.</p> - -<p>In those early days, as the flaming posters in the downtown streets of -New York used to announce, it was “Sail versus Steam” and the packet -ships justified their claim more than once by beating a steamship from -port to port. When, as not infrequently happened, a packet ship running -before a strong westerly gale in mid-ocean overhauled a wallowing -side-wheel steamer bound the same way, the joyous shouts and derisive -yells of the steerage passengers on board the packet, as she ranged -alongside and swept past the “tea-kettle,” were good for the ears of -sailormen to hear. In those days no sailors liked steamships, not even -those who went to sea in them. If a<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_312">{312}</a></span> packet captain sighted a steamer -ahead going the same way, he usually steered for her and passed to -windward as close as possible, in order that the dramatic effect of the -exploit might not be lost upon the passengers of either vessel.</p> - -<p>The Atlantic steamship lines with which the packet ships had to compete, -the Cunard, Collins, Havre, Bremen, and Vanderbilt lines, ran only -wooden side-wheel steamers; but when the Inman Line was founded in 1850, -and began to run iron screw steamers between Liverpool and Philadelphia, -the Atlantic packet ships began to lose their trade. Indeed, from 1840, -when the Cunard Line was established, until the Inman Line began to run -their fast iron screw steamships to New York in 1857, the rivalry -between sail and steam was keen and spirited. During these years the -Atlantic mail steamships carried almost as much canvas as sailing -vessels, and they continued to do so for many years. Most of the -Cunarders were barque-rigged, and the famous <i>Russia</i> of that line -carried topmast and topgallant studdingsails. The Allan liners were also -barque-rigged, and the Inman steamships were full ship-rigged, while the -White Star liners were ship-rigged with a jiggermast. It was not until -1889, when the White Star Line brought out the <i>Majestic</i> and the -<i>Teutonic</i> with twin screws, pole masts, and no canvas, that the -Atlantic Ocean began to be navigated by vessels propelled entirely by -steam; so that the complete transition from sail to steam required very -nearly half a century.</p> - -<p>It cannot be said that steam competition had any direct effect upon the -California clippers, as<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_313">{313}</a></span> it is only of late years that there has been -direct communication by sea between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and -the Pacific Mail Company, after once getting its steamers round into the -Pacific, had always carried passengers, the mails, and specie with -transshipment at Panama. The demand for the California clippers ceased -when rapid transportation of cargoes round Cape Horn became no longer -necessary.</p> - -<p>Besides the competition between sail and steam, there was also going on -for many years, as has already been suggested, the attempt to substitute -iron for wood in the construction of vessels, and screw propellers for -paddle-wheels as a means of propulsion by steam. In both branches of -this transition, which were parallel but not necessarily connected, -Great Britain took the lead, and she has rightfully reaped the benefit.</p> - -<p>How gradually the change came about will be seen from the following -facts and figures: The first iron sailing ship was the <i>Vulcan</i>, built -on the Clyde in 1818, and in the following year the first sailing vessel -with an auxiliary engine crossed the Atlantic. This was the <i>Savannah</i>, -a wooden ship of 350 tons, with portable paddles and an engine and -boiler on deck. She was built at New York. The first vessel to cross the -Atlantic using steam-power during the entire voyage was the <i>Royal -William</i>, which was taken from Quebec to London in 1833; and in 1838 the -first steamers of British build, the <i>Great Western</i> and the <i>Sirius</i>, -made the westward passage. The first steamer constructed of iron was the -<i>Aaron Manby</i>, a small paddle-wheel<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_314">{314}</a></span> vessel about 50 feet long, built at -Horsley, England, in 1821; and the first screw steamer of any importance -was the <i>Archimedes</i>, an iron vessel of 237 tons, built in England in -1839. The <i>Great Britain</i>, built at Bristol, England, in 1843, was the -first screw, as well as the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic, -but it was not until 1850, when the Inman liner <i>City of Glasgow</i> began -to run regularly between Liverpool and Philadelphia, that iron screw -steamers took a recognized place upon the ocean.</p> - -<p>It is to be noticed how closely these last dates correspond with those -of the clipper ship era, which opened with the advent of the <i>Rainbow</i> -in 1843, and was brought to its greatest brilliancy through the -discovery of gold in California and Australia in 1848 and 1851. At this -time each nation was devoting its best talents to developing the -material that lay nearest at hand; and while the American wooden-built -type was earlier brought to perfection, its possibilities were more -limited by natural causes. Greater economy, durability, and regularity -of speed on the part of the iron screw steamer were the qualities that -finally drove from the seas the far more picturesque and beautiful -wooden sailing ship.</p> - -<p>The supremacy held by the merchant marine of the United States in 1851 -was maintained until about 1856, and during this period American ships -continued to be built, bought, and chartered by British ship-owners; but -after the great financial depression which affected both countries from -1857 to 1859, British ship-owners no longer needed Ameri<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_315">{315}</a></span>can-built -ships, for in Great Britain iron had by this time superseded wood in the -construction of large vessels. Thus the advantage to the United States -of having an abundant supply of timber was taken away, while the -advantage of Free Trade, with low cost of living, was on the side of -England. Moreover, the spirit of enterprise, which had been growing in -Great Britain during the years of free competition in the carrying trade -since 1849, was having its effect.</p> - -<p>Following the repeal of the Navigation Laws, the Merchant Shipping Act -of 1854, a wise and far-seeing measure, completed the foundation upon -which the merchant marine of Great Britain has been developed. This act -of Parliament contains 548 clauses, dealing with all questions which -relate to British merchant ships and seamen, including tonnage. The -ship-builders of Great Britain had been much hampered by the old tonnage -laws and were glad to see them abolished.<a id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> The new tonnage rules, -which are still in force, were based upon the actual cubic capacity of -the hull, the unit of 100 cubic feet being one ton register, so that a -vessel measuring 100,000 cubic feet internal capacity registers 1000 -tons, and is able to carry 2000 tons at 50 cubic feet per ton. This new -system of measurement encouraged the application of scientific knowledge -to the design of vessels, and, as we shall see, helped somewhat to -prolong the clipper ship era in England, when it was practically dead in -the United States.</p> - -<p>It is true that during our Civil War American<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_316">{316}</a></span> ships were still sold in -England, but this was rather because their owners had no profitable use -for them at home than from any lack of British iron vessels. Since that -period, the decline of American shipping, for reasons that should be -well understood, has been constant.</p> - -<p>I refer to the Navigation Laws and Protective Tariff of the United -States. The former, first enacted in 1792 and revised and added to since -that time only in unimportant details, have long out-lived the -usefulness they may once have possessed, and completely fail to meet the -requirements of the changes in ocean navigation that have taken place -during the period of more than a century that has since elapsed. As is -well known, they prohibit an American citizen from owning a -foreign-built merchant ship. Meanwhile the Protective Tariff so -increases the cost of living and with it the cost of the labor and -materials that go into the construction of a modern ship, that the -American ship-builder cannot produce a steel or iron vessel at anything -like a cost that will enable her to compete successfully with a ship of -the same class constructed in a European shipyard. Were it not for this -hindrance, the immense natural advantages of such broad, deep waters as -those of the Delaware and Chesapeake, where the finest coal and iron ore -are within easy transportation, and the abundant food supplies of the -neighboring garden States and of the West which are easily accessible, -would make them ideal spots for the construction of ships. So it will be -seen that the Navigation Laws and Protective Tariff are the mill-<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_317">{317}</a></span>stones -between which the American ship-owner and ship-builder at present find -themselves ground with an ever-receding prospect of escape from this -cunningly devised dilemma. Meanwhile, the ensign of the United States no -longer contributes in any marked degree to the gayety of foreign -seaports; whereas, Great Britain, with inferior coal and iron ore, -compelled to import the food and clothing material for her shipwrights -from distant lands, and with certainly no keener intelligence nor -greater energy among her ship-owners and builders, but guided by the -enlightened policy of Free Trade, sends her endless procession of -merchant ships, both sail and steam, to every seaport upon the globe.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_318">{318}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI<br><br> -<small>THE LATER BRITISH TEA CLIPPERS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">I</span>N what may be called the ante-Suez Canal days, China was a pretty -comfortable place to be in. The East India Company, with its pomp and -grandeur, had passed away, but the older residents treasured the -picturesque traditions of former times, and the comfort and luxury of -the old days still survived.</p> - -<p>All white foreigners in China were known as Europeans, and at the little -treaty ports along the coast their communities were closely united by -ties of social necessity, the barriers of national prejudice, if they -existed, being soon obliterated in the effort of each member to -contribute to the well-being of all. Hong-kong was the European capital. -With its cathedral, Government House, regiment of soldiers, court of -justice, race-course, social clubs, and annual Derby and Regatta week, -it was a most entertaining pocket edition of England, set down at the -base of a lofty island mountain-peak, between the bluest of seas and the -brightest of skies. Almost the only things that reminded one of the -Orient were the tiers of junks that lay moored at the western end of the -town, and the<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_319">{319}</a></span> industrious well-mannered Chinese who mingled so -unobtrusively with their visitors from the west.</p> - -<p>All of these things worked together for good. There were no cables or -telegraphs to vex the souls of the righteous. The P. & O. steamer, via -the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, usually arrived every month, though -frequently four or five days overdue, and once in a while she would not -appear at all, having fetched up on one of the numerous uncharted reefs -or shoals that then infested these seas. When she did arrive, there was -a ripple of excitement over receiving letters and newspapers from home, -and when she had departed, the little colony settled once more into -agreeable repose. The towns and cities of America and Europe seemed far -away—bright, shadowy visions that dwelt in our hearts as “home.”</p> - -<p>In 1862 the Messageries Imperiales of France extended their steamship -line to China, and in 1867 the first steamship of the Pacific Mail -Company from San Francisco arrived at Hong-kong. Vast numbers of -globe-trotters then began to appear, most of them far too energetic; -they insisted, among other things, on tying their own shoestrings, and -in general proved very inferior lotus-eaters. When the Suez Canal was -opened and telegraph cables began to be laid, then the remnant of charm -that had made the old life in China so pleasant vanished forever.</p> - -<p>In 1859 quite a new type of China tea clipper appeared in Great Britain. -The first of these beautiful vessels was the <i>Falcon</i>, built by Robert -Steele & Son, at Greenock, and owned by Shaw,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_320">{320}</a></span> Maxton & Co. She was a -wooden vessel of 937 tons register; length 191 feet 4 inches, breadth 32 -feet 2 inches, depth 20 feet 2 inches, and was commanded by Captain -Maxton, who had been in command of the <i>Lord of the Isles</i>. The <i>Falcon</i> -was the first of the really handsome tea clippers sailing out of London. -Like her, the <i>Fiery Cross</i>, built by Chalour & Co., of Liverpool, in -1860; the <i>Min</i>, by Robert Steele & Son, of Greenock, and the <i>Kelso</i>, -by William Pile, of Sunderland, in 1861; the <i>Belted Will</i>, by Feel & -Co., of Workington, and the <i>Serica</i>, by Robert Steele & Son, in 1863 -were all wooden ships sheathed with red copper. The <i>Fiery Cross</i>, the -largest of these, was only 888 tons. They were all beautiful vessels of -an entirely original type and with nothing about them to remind one of -the American clippers; for they had considerably less sheer, much less -freeboard, and lower bulwarks, and their comparatively small breadth -gave them a slim, graceful appearance.</p> - -<p>These ships and the tea clippers which followed them had very clear -decks for working ship. The deck-houses were small, and with the rails, -bulwarks, waterways, bitts, hatch-coamings, companions, and skylights -were of India teak varnished; the decks, also of India teak, were -holystoned; and this, with the polished brasswork and the spare spars -lashed amidships, made them very smart and shipshape.</p> - -<p>The tea-trade in the early sixties was comparatively small, and did not -require many vessels, but speed in the delivery of new teas was of the -utmost importance, and it was this demand that brought<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_321">{321}</a></span> these clippers -into existence. They were designed with great skill for this special -purpose, and as they invariably sailed from China with new teas during -the southwest monsoon, it was necessary that they should be smart in -moderate weather going to windward, as well as in getting through the -northeast trades in the Atlantic. It was under these conditions that -they did their best work. They did not carry as heavy spars nor as much -canvas as the American clippers of the same length, and probably could -not have done so to advantage, as their breadth was considerably less, -and with their easy lines they did not require much canvas to drive -them. They were remarkably fast in light and moderate winds, and made -fine averages rather than exceptional daily records of speed, none of -them reaching the extreme speed of many of the sharper and more powerful -American clipper ships. Only twenty-five or thirty of these vessels were -built from first to last, and not more than four or five in any one -year. A list of the most celebrated of them will be found in Appendix -III.</p> - -<p>The captains were men of great ability, who handled their ships with -skill and judgment; some of them accumulated considerable fortunes, -being part owners of the vessels which they commanded. These ships were -manned by fine British seamen, many of whom had served in the Royal -Navy. When these fellows got safely to sea and properly sobered up, -there were no smarter sailors afloat, whether aloft or with marlinspike, -palm and needle, or watch tackle.</p> - -<p>In 1863 the first tea clippers of composite con<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_322">{322}</a></span>struction were brought -out—the <i>Taeping</i>, built by Robert Steele & Son; the <i>Eliza Shaw</i>, by -Alexander Stephen, and the <i>Yang-tze</i> and <i>Black Prince</i>, by Alexander -Hall. This system of ship-building—iron frames and wood planking—was -invented by John Jordan, son of a member of the firm of L. H. Macintyre -& Co., ship-builders of Liverpool, who built the schooner <i>Excelsior</i> -upon this principle in 1850, and the barque <i>Marion Macintyre</i>, in 1851, -these being the first composite vessels constructed.</p> - -<p>This system combined the strength of iron frames with the advantage that -the wooden planking could be coppered to prevent fouling, which was a -serious matter in this trade. Great care had to be taken in building -these vessels to prevent galvanic action so far as possible. -Gutta-percha was placed between the frames and planking as a -non-conductor; the planking was then fastened with yellow-metal screw -bolts with counter-sunk heads, the holes being afterwards filled with a -composition prepared for the purpose. Mr. Jordan obtained a patent for -his invention, but it did not attract much attention until adopted in -the construction of the <i>Taeping</i>, <i>Eliza Shaw</i>, <i>Yang-tze</i>, and <i>Black -Prince</i>. From that time all the tea clippers were of composite build, -though it was not until 1867 that the Committee of Lloyd’s Register -issued rules for their construction.</p> - -<p>It was in 1863 also that the <i>Seaforth</i>, an iron ship of 1200 tons, -built for the Calcutta trade by Jones, Quiggin & Co., of Liverpool, was -fitted with steel lower masts, topmasts, topsails yards, and bowsprit, -and with standing rigging of steel wire</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_031" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p322a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p322a.jpg" width="600" height="432" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The Composite Construction</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_323">{323}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">rope. It was estimated that by replacing wood and hemp with steel, she -saved 21 tons weight aloft, besides getting less wind resistance and a -very considerable increase in strength. The <i>Seaforth</i> was the first -vessel to have steel spars and rigging, but they soon came into use on -board the tea clippers.</p> - -<p>The wild, speculative years of ship-owning which followed the discovery -of gold in California and Australia, when a clipper ship was expected to -pay for herself every voyage or two, had now passed away. Ship-owners -retained a lively recollection of the crash in 1857 and the depression -which followed, so the tea clippers were built with an eye to economy as -well as speed. The rates of freight, which in the early fifties had been -£6 and even as high as £8 per ton, were in 1863 £4 10s. to £5 per -ton—still fine paying rates on the investment of capital, after -allowing for running expenses and depreciation. Ship-owning in Great -Britain had now become established upon a less profitable, though more -rational and substantial basis.</p> - -<p>The tea clippers carried from 200 to 300 tons of clean shingle ballast, -laid beautifully smooth and even, upon which the chests of tea were -stowed, and a considerable quantity of dunnage wood, for which -allowances were made in reckoning the actual cargo capacity. The -<i>Taeping</i>, which under the new rules based on the cubic capacity of the -hull registered 767 tons, carried 1234 tons of tea at 50 cubit feet per -ton, with a crew of 30 men all told. Vessels were now designed on -scientific principles, and it may be doubted whether the qualities then -desirable in a merchant sailing ship<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_324">{324}</a></span>—speed, strength, carrying -capacity, and economy—have ever been so successfully united as in these -famous China tea clippers.</p> - -<p>Some exciting contests took place between the various clippers of the -new type, the <i>Falcon</i>, <i>Fiery Cross</i>, <i>Serica</i>, and <i>Taeping</i> proving -the most successful. In the year 1865 the <i>Fiery Cross</i> and <i>Serica</i> -sailed from Foo-chow side by side, on May 28th, both bound for London. -After a close race during which they sighted each other several times, -both ships made their signals off St. Catharine’s, Isle of Wight, at -almost the same moment, 106 days from Foo-chow, and continued up Channel -before a light westerly breeze. Off Beechy Head they fell in with the -tugs sent out to meet them, the <i>Serica</i> at that time having a lead of -about two miles. The <i>Fiery Cross</i>, however, secured the most powerful -tug and reached her dock one tide before the <i>Serica</i>, thus winning the -premium of 10 shillings per ton. The <i>Taeping</i> sailed from Foo-chow some -days later and made the passage to the Downs in 101 days. As may be -supposed, this system of awarding premiums led to a good deal of -unpleasantness.</p> - -<p>In 1865, Robert Steele & Son brought out the sister ships <i>Ariel</i> and -<i>Sir Launcelot</i>; Alexander Hall, the <i>Ada</i>, and Connell & Co., of -Glasgow, the <i>Taitsing</i>, all of composite construction; and in the -following year the most famous race between these vessels—the one which -the tea brokers of Mincing Lane still discuss with enthusiasm—was -sailed. It was arranged that nine clippers should sail from Foo-chow as -nearly the same date as pos<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_325">{325}</a></span>sible, and during the last week in May the -picturesque Pagoda Anchorage presented a scene of unusual activity. The -<i>Ada</i>, <i>Black Prince</i>, <i>Chinaman</i>, <i>Fiery Cross</i>, <i>Flying Spur</i>, -<i>Serica</i>, <i>Ariel</i>, <i>Taeping</i>, and <i>Taitsing</i> were all hurrying to finish -loading and get to sea. Cargo junks and lorchers<a id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> were being warped -alongside at all hours of the day and night; double gangs of -good-natured, chattering coolies were on board each ship ready to handle -and stow the matted chests of tea as they came alongside; comfortable -sampans worked by merry barefooted Chinese women sailed or rowed in -haste between the ships and the shore; slender six-oared gigs with crews -of stalwart Chinamen in white duck uniforms darted about the harbor; -while dignified master mariners, dressed in white linen or straw-colored -pongee silk, with pipe-clayed shoes and broad pith hats, impatiently -handled the yoke lines.</p> - -<p>On shore the tyepans and their clerks hurried about in sedan chairs -carried on the shoulders of perspiring coolies, with quick, firm step to -the rhythm of their mild but energetic “woo ho—woo-ho—woo ho.” The -broad, cool veranda of the clubhouse was almost deserted; in the great -hongs of Adamson, Bell; Gilman & Co.; Jardine, Matheson; Gibb, -Livingston; and Sassoon, the gentry of Foo-chow toiled by candle-light -over manifests and bills of lading and exchange, sustained far into the -night by slowly swinging punkahs, iced tea, and the fragrant Manila -cheroot.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_326">{326}</a></span></p> - -<p>The <i>Fiery Cross</i> was the first ship to get her final chest of tea on -board, at midnight, and she towed to sea early on the morning of May -29th; the <i>Ariel</i> left the Pagoda Anchorage at 10:30 and the <i>Serica</i> -and <i>Taeping</i> at 10:50 <small>A.M.</small> on the 30th; the <i>Taitsing</i> followed at -midnight on the 31st. Here we must bid good-bye to the <i>Ada</i>, <i>Black -Prince</i>, <i>Chinaman</i>, and <i>Flying Spur</i>, for these vessels, -unfortunately, did not finish loading in time to take part in the race. -The five competing ships, however, represented the flower of the fleet, -and for this reason had been the favorites with shippers. The <i>Fiery -Cross</i>, <i>Taeping</i>, and <i>Serica</i> were fast and well-tried vessels, while -the <i>Ariel</i> and <i>Taitsing</i> were just beginning their successful career. -The captains, Keay, of the <i>Ariel</i>; Robinson, of the <i>Fiery Cross</i>; -Innes, of the <i>Serica</i>; McKinnon, of the <i>Taeping</i>, and Nutsfield, of -the <i>Taitsing</i>, were all seamen of skill and experience, well known in -the China trade.</p> - -<p>The <i>Fiery Cross</i> found a light northeast breeze outside, and passed -through the Formosa Channel with royal studdingsails set, followed by -the other four ships. They all carried this breeze for four hundred -miles, when the <i>Fiery Cross</i> drifted into a calm which let the other -ships run up, but she was the first to get the southwest monsoon, and -soon drew away again. On June 8th the <i>Fiery Cross</i> and <i>Ariel</i> met on -opposite tacks, both ships having a strong southwest breeze, and the -<i>Fiery Cross</i> passed three miles to windward. She kept her lead through -the Straits of Sunda, passing Anjer Point at noon on June 19th, and was -followed by the <i>Ariel</i> on the morning of June 20th and the <i>Taeping</i> -during that<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_327">{327}</a></span> afternoon; the <i>Serica</i> passed Anjer Point on the 22d and -the <i>Taitsing</i> on the 25th. From Anjer Point to the meridian of -Mauritius they all carried fresh trade winds, and it was on this stretch -across the Indian Ocean that each ship made her best twenty-four hours’ -run—the <i>Ariel</i>, 317; <i>Taeping</i>, 319; <i>Serica</i>, 291; <i>Fiery Cross</i>, -328; and <i>Taitsing</i>, 318 miles.</p> - -<p>The <i>Fiery Cross</i> rounded the Cape of Good Hope on July 14th, 46 days -from Foo-chow, followed by the <i>Ariel</i> also 46 days; <i>Taeping</i>, 47 days; -<i>Serica</i>, 50 days, and <i>Taitsing</i>, 54 days. The <i>Fiery Cross</i> was on the -equator, August 3d, 20 days from the Cape of Good Hope, with the <i>Ariel</i> -still only one day astern, while the <i>Taeping</i> and <i>Taitsing</i> had each -gained 1 and the <i>Serica</i> 2 days on this stretch. On August 9th, in -latitude 12° 29′ N., the <i>Fiery Cross</i> and <i>Taeping</i> exchanged signals, -and they continued in company, with calms and variable winds until the -17th, when the <i>Taeping</i> picked up a breeze which carried her out of -sight while the <i>Fiery Cross</i> lay becalmed for another twenty-four -hours. Meanwhile, the <i>Ariel</i>, which was about thirty miles further to -the westward, found better winds and now led the fleet, while the -<i>Taitsing</i> brought up a good breeze and passed the <i>Taeping</i>, <i>Serica</i>, -and <i>Fiery Cross</i> and was closing on the <i>Ariel</i>. At the Azores the -<i>Ariel</i> still held the lead, though closely followed by the <i>Taitsing</i>, -<i>Fiery Cross</i>, <i>Serica</i>, and <i>Taeping</i> in the order named. From the -Azores to the entrance of the English Channel, the <i>Taeping</i> and -<i>Serica</i> passed the <i>Taitsing</i> and <i>Fiery Cross</i> and closed on the -<i>Ariel</i>, the <i>Taeping</i> leading the <i>Serica</i> by about six hours.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_328">{328}</a></span></p> - -<p>At daybreak on the morning of September 5th, two of the clippers sighted -each other running in for the Lizard; they were about five miles apart, -beam and beam, steering on slightly converging courses. There was a -strong southerly wind with smooth sea, and both ships were being driven -at their utmost speed—a good fifteen knots—their lee scuppers -smothered in foam, with the wind well abaft the starboard beam; both -were under the same canvas, main skysail, topmast, topgallant, royal, -and square lower studdingsails. Neither captain required the example of -the other to send his ship along at her best speed—they had been doing -that for ninety-eight days and nights. When their signals could be made -out these ships proved to be the <i>Ariel</i> and the <i>Taeping</i>. After -passing the Lizard the wind moderated, and they raced up channel almost -side by side, now one and then the other gaining a slight advantage, but -never far apart, and as they passed the various headlands along the -coast they presented a spirited marine picture. They were off the pilot -station at Dungeness at three o’clock the next morning and burned their -blue lights for pilots, who boarded both ships at the same time. With a -moderate wind they were now making not more than five or six knots -through the water, but the tide was sweeping them along fast. Off the -South Foreland the wind slackened again with the rising sun. Here the -<i>Ariel</i> held a slight lead and she passed Deal at 8 o’clock, followed by -the <i>Taeping</i> eight minutes later, but as the latter vessel had sailed -from the Pagoda</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_032" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p328a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p328a.jpg" width="600" height="351" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Ariel” and “Taeping” Running up Channel, September -5, 1866</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_329">{329}</a></span></p> - -<p>Anchorage twenty minutes after the <i>Ariel</i>, ninety-nine days before, she -had won the race by twelve minutes. Both ships had sailed 16,000 miles.</p> - -<p>The <i>Serica</i> passed Deal four hours later; all three ships went up the -Thames on the same tide, and after the usual tugboat race, the <i>Taeping</i> -arrived in the London Docks at 9:45, the <i>Ariel</i> in the East India Docks -at 10:15, and the <i>Serica</i> in the West India Docks at 11:30 <small>P.M.</small> on -September 6th. The <i>Fiery Cross</i> passed Deal on the 7th and the -<i>Taitsing</i> on the 9th, each 101 days from the Pagoda Anchorage.</p> - -<p>The following is an abstract of their logs:</p> - -<table> -<tr style="vertical-align:bottom;"><td> </td><td colspan="2" class="c"><i>Ariel</i></td> -<td colspan="2" class="c"><i>Taeping</i></td> -<td colspan="2" class="c"><i>Serica</i></td> -<td colspan="2" class="c"><i>Fiery Cross</i></td> -<td colspan="2" class="c"><i>Taitsing</i></td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd">From the Pagoda Anchorage to Anjer</td><td class="rt">21</td> -<td class="c"> days</td><td class="rt">21</td><td class="c"> days</td><td class="rt">23 </td><td class="c">days</td><td class="rt">21</td><td class="c"> days</td><td class="rt">26</td><td class="c"> days.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd">From Anjer to the Cape of Good Hope</td><td class="rt">25</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">26</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">27</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">25</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">28</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd">From the Cape of Good Hope to the equator</td><td class="rt">20</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">19</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">18</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">20</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">19</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="pdd">From the equator to Deal</td><td class="rt">33</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">33</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">31</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">35</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">28</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total</td> -<td class="rtbt">99</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rtbt">99</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rtbt">99</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rtbt">101</td> -<td class="c">“</td> -<td class="rtbt">101</td> -<td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_330">{330}</a></span></p> - -<p>The best twenty-four hours’ runs were as follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td colspan="6"> </td><td><i>Average</i></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ariel</i></td><td>June</td><td class="rt">25</td><td class="rt">317</td><td>miles</td><td class="rt">13.2</td><td>knots.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Taeping</i></td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">25</td><td class="rt">319</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">13.3</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Serica</i></td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">29</td><td class="rt">291</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">12.1</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Fiery Cross</i></td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">24</td><td class="rt">328</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">13.7</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Taitsing</i></td><td>July</td><td class="rt">2</td><td class="rt">318</td><td class="c">“</td><td class="rt">13.25</td><td class="c">“</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>This contest of 1866 was one of the grandest ocean races ever sailed, -partly on account of the number of evenly matched vessels engaged in it, -but chiefly by reason of the splendid manner in which it was contested -and the close, exciting finish. The tea cargoes of the five ships were: -<i>Taeping</i>, 1,108,709 lbs.; <i>Ariel</i>, 1,230,900 lbs.; <i>Serica</i>, 954,236 -lbs.; <i>Fiery Cross</i>, 854,236 lbs.; <i>Taitsing</i>, 1,093,130 lbs.</p> - -<p>The usual altercation arose over the award of premium, which this year -was 10 shillings per ton; Shaw, Maxton & Co., owners of the <i>Ariel</i>, -protested that their ship had arrived first at Deal and was therefore -entitled to the prize money, but the contention of Rodger & Co., owners -of the <i>Taeping</i>, that their ship had made the fastest passage and had -also reached her dock first, prevailed, and the matter was finally -adjusted by dividing the premium. The captains all dined together at the -Ship and Turtle Tavern in Leadenhall Street, and harmony was restored, -but there were no premiums after this race. The system of awards had -always led to controversy, and such an effort to combine sport and -business could not be made to flourish. There had also been heavy -betting on these races, large sums of money changing hands, and this -con<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_331">{331}</a></span>tinued; but it was better understood whether wagers were being laid -on the clippers or tugboats, for under the old system, there had been -nothing except expense to prevent a ship towing from the Azores.</p> - -<p>In the next two years the fleet was increased by a number of fine -vessels, built to meet the competition of steam, which was now beginning -to be felt in the China trade. We have seen how fierce and prolonged a -contest there had been between sail and steam on the Atlantic, where the -brave old packet ships had finally been driven into other trades, and -how the California and Australian clippers had gradually been superseded -by other means of transportation. The difficulty and peculiar conditions -of the China voyage made this a harder field to conquer.</p> - -<p>Since 1845 the P. & O. steamers had carried passengers between England -and China via the Red Sea, but they were expensive vessels to operate, -and there were difficulty and delay in transportation across the Isthmus -of Suez; consequently, their rates of freight were high and they were -unable to compete with the tea clippers. On the other hand, auxiliary -vessels did not have sufficient power to drive them against the -southwest monsoon when new teas were shipped from China, as their heavy -masts, yards, and rigging held them back in head winds. A number of -auxiliaries were tried in the China trade, among them the <i>Scotland</i>, -<i>Erl King</i>, <i>Robert Lowe</i>, and <i>Far East</i>, but they were not successful. -As late as 1866 there were no steamers that could make the voyage -between England and China with sufficient cargo to meet expenses, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_332">{332}</a></span> -very few persons at that time believed that the direct trade between -Europe and China could ever be carried on by steamers, or that the Suez -Canal, even if completed, would prove of any commercial value.</p> - -<p>In this year, however, Alfred Holt, of Liverpool, brought out three iron -screw steamships with compound engines—the <i>Ajax</i>, <i>Achilles</i>, and -<i>Agamemnon</i>,—2270 tons gross and 1550 tons net register—and put them -in the China trade. These vessels could steam from London to Mauritius, -a distance of 8500 miles, without coaling, a remarkable performance in -those days, and they made the passage from Foo-chow to London in 58 -days, at an average speed of 235 miles per day. These were the first -steamships to perform long ocean voyages successfully, and they marked a -new era in steam navigation, although they were expensive vessels to -operate compared with steamers of the present day, and it was at first -doubted whether they could be made to pay.</p> - -<p>The owners, builders, and captains of the tea clippers were not men to -yield without a contest; they met this new and aggressive invasion of -steam by building in rapid succession such noted fliers as the -<i>Titania</i>, <i>Spindrift</i>, <i>Forward Ho</i>, <i>Lahloo</i>, <i>Leander</i>, <i>Thermopylæ</i>, -<i>Windhover</i>, <i>Cutty Sark</i>, <i>Caliph</i>, <i>Wylo</i>, <i>Kaisow</i>, and <i>Lothair</i>. -These, with the older tea clippers, held their own against the steamers -until the opening of the Suez Canal in November, 1869, greatly lessened -the length of the voyage and the difficulty and expense of obtaining -coal.</p> - -<p>In 1868 the <i>Ariel</i>, <i>Taeping</i>, and <i>Sir Launcelot</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_333">{333}</a></span> sailed from -Foo-chow on May 28th, the <i>Spindrift</i> on the 29th, the <i>Lahloo</i> on the -30th, the <i>Serica</i> on June 1st, and the <i>Leander</i> on June 3d. The -<i>Ariel</i> and <i>Spindrift</i> made the passage to Deal in 97 days, the <i>Sir -Launcelot</i> in 98 days, the <i>Lahloo</i> in 100 days; <i>Taeping</i>, 102 days; -<i>Leander</i>, 109 days, and <i>Serica</i>, 113 days.</p> - -<p>The famous tea clipper <i>Thermopylæ</i> was launched in this year. She was -of composite construction, built by Walter Hood, of Aberdeen, for George -Thompson & Co., who also owned the <i>Star of Peace</i>, <i>Ethiopian</i>, -<i>Aristides</i>, <i>Patriarch</i>, <i>Salamis</i>, and other fine ships well known in -the Australian trade. The <i>Thermopylæ</i> was 947 tons register; length 210 -feet, breadth 36 feet, depth 21 feet; she carried double topsails, but -no skysail, and like all the Thompson ships, her hull was painted sea -green from the copper up with white yards and lower masts. She carried a -handsome figurehead of the brave Leonidas, and was a very beautiful -ship. She was designed by Bernard Weymouth, an accomplished naval -architect who was for many years the secretary to Lloyd’s Register of -Shipping. He had before this designed the tea clipper <i>Leander</i>, and -later designed the <i>Melbourne</i>, a fast ship in the Australian trade, -built and owned by Richard Green, of London, of which further mention -will be made later.</p> - -<p>On her first voyage the <i>Thermopylæ</i> sailed from London to Melbourne -under command of Captain Kemball, who had formerly commanded the -<i>Fairlight</i> and the <i>Yang-tze</i>. She left Gravesend, November 7, 1868, -and arrived at Melbourne, January 9, 1869, thus making the passage in -the remarkable<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_334">{334}</a></span> record time of 63 days, the same time as the record -passage of the <i>James Baines</i>, from Liverpool to Melbourne fourteen -years before. She had a fast run of 21 days to the equator; on the three -days before and after crossing the line she made 202, 140, 228, 271, -288, and 293 miles—an unusual rate of speed for that part of the ocean. -Her best days’ runs were made on January 3d and 4th—330 and 326 miles; -her log records on both days “northerly, strong,” so that it may be -assumed that she had as much fair wind as she needed. Her log records -nine days during the passage when her runs were over 300 miles, and five -days of less than 100 miles. The entries on December 9th and 10th are: -“Northwesterly, fresh gale, 240 miles,” and “southwesterly, blowing a -gale, 224 miles.” These were fair winds. An analysis of this log leads -to the conclusion that the <i>Thermopylæ</i> was a very fast ship in average -weather at sea, but in heavy weather could not be driven at a high rate -of speed for a vessel of her length, probably on account of her small -breadth and low foreboard.<a id="FNanchor_18_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a></p> - -<p>She next made the run from Newcastle, New South Wales, to Shanghai in 28 -days, which is the record between those ports. On this passage large -days’ runs are not to be expected, but on one day she made 300 miles, -and she showed the same fast averages in moderate weather as before.</p> - -<p>There was great excitement in the hongs at the coast ports of China in -this year (1869) when it<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_335">{335}</a></span> became known that the <i>Thermopylæ</i> was -chartered to load new teas at Foo-chow for London; for no racing yachts -ever had firmer friends and backers than the tea clippers; moreover, the -rivalry between Aberdeen and the Clyde was acute. Of late years the -Clyde clippers had carried all before them, and it was now felt that -Aberdeen was about to regain her former glory; but this did not prove to -be the case. The <i>Ariel</i> sailed from the Pagoda Anchorage on June 30th; -the <i>Leander</i>, July 1st; <i>Thermopylæ</i>, July 3d; <i>Spindrift</i>, July 4th; -<i>Taeping</i>, July 9th, and the <i>Sir Launcelot</i>, July 17th. They arrived -off Deal as follows: <i>Sir Launcelot</i>, 89 days; <i>Thermopylæ</i>, 91 days; -<i>Taeping</i>, 102 days; <i>Leander</i>, 103 days; <i>Ariel</i>, 104 days, and -<i>Spindrift</i>, 106 days.</p> - -<p>The winner, the <i>Sir Launcelot</i>, was commanded by Captain Robinson, -formerly of the <i>Fiery Cross</i>, a seaman of great energy and experience. -On this passage she sailed 354 miles in twenty-four hours while running -through the trades in the Indian Ocean, which is believed to be the -greatest speed ever made by any of the tea clippers of that period. This -vessel was 886 tons register; length 197 feet 6 inches, breadth 33 feet -7 inches, depth 21 feet, drawing 18 feet 9 inches aft and 18 feet 7 -inches forward, and carried 45,500 square feet of canvas, with a crew of -30 hands all told. She delivered 1430 tons of tea at fifty cubic feet -per ton, and in addition to 200 tons of shingle ballast, she carried 100 -tons of kentledge, cast to fit the floors along the keelson between the -fore and mizzen masts. Her owner, James MacCumm, of Greenock, claimed -that she was the fastest of the tea clippers, which<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_336">{336}</a></span> her record passage -of 89 days from Foo-chow to London and her twenty-four hours’ run of 354 -miles would seem to justify, though there were probably very slight -differences in speed between any of these vessels under similar -conditions of wind and weather.</p> - -<p>The race of 1870 from Foo-chow to London was won by the <i>Lahloo</i> in 97 -days, the other vessels being: the <i>Windhover</i>, 100 days; <i>Sir -Launcelot</i>, 102 days; <i>Leander</i>, 103 days; <i>Thermopylæ</i>, 106 days. In -1871 the <i>Titania</i> won in 93 days; the <i>Lahloo</i>, 111 days, from Foo-chow -to London; and from Shanghai to London the <i>Thermopylæ</i> was 106 days; -<i>Cutty Sark</i>, 110 days, and <i>Forward Ho</i>, 118 days. This was about the -last of the tea clipper racing, for the combined competition of steam -and the Suez Canal proved too powerful for sail. No more tea clippers -were built after 1869; by degrees these beautiful vessels were driven -into other trades; and so the Clipper Ship Era drifted into history.</p> - -<p>Great Britain had regained her empire upon the sea, and few British -ship-owners could be found who any longer doubted the wisdom of Free -Trade. Through the irony of fate, Duncan Dunbar, who had been one of the -most vehement opponents of the repeal of the Navigation Laws, became -under the new conditions, the largest ship-owner and one of the -wealthiest in the United Kingdom, leaving at his death an estate of -£1,500,000.</p> - -<p>In comparing the speed of the British tea clippers with that of American -clipper ships, a good deal depends on what is meant by speed. In -ordinary weather at sea, when great power to carry sail is</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_033" style="width: 600px;"> -<a href="images/i_p336a.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p336a.jpg" width="600" height="357" alt="[Image unavailable.]"></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The “Lahloo”</p></div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_337">{337}</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="nind">not required, the British tea clippers were extremely fast vessels, -chiefly on account of their narrow beam, which gave their hulls a -comparatively small wetted surface, and their smooth copper bottoms -which reduced skin resistance. Under these conditions they were, -perhaps, as fast as the American clippers of the same class, though from -very different causes;—such ships, for instance, as the <i>Sea Witch</i>, -<i>Samuel Russell</i>, <i>Game Cock</i>, <i>Phantom</i>, <i>White Squall</i>, <i>Nightingale</i>, -<i>Shooting Star</i>, <i>Northern Light</i>, <i>Surprise</i>, <i>Witch of the Wave</i>, -<i>Sword-Fish</i>, and others. But if speed is to be considered as the -maximum performance of a ship under the most favorable conditions, -though these conditions may not often occur, then the British tea -clippers were certainly no match for the larger American ships such as -the <i>Flying Cloud</i>, <i>Typhoon</i>, <i>Neptune’s Car</i>, <i>Challenge</i>, <i>Comet</i>, -<i>Hurricane</i>, <i>Flying Fish</i>, <i>Stag-Hound</i>, <i>Young America</i>, <i>Trade-Wind</i>, -and others of this class, to say nothing of the <i>James Baines</i>, <i>Red -Jacket</i>, <i>Champion of the Seas</i>, <i>Lightning</i>, <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, -and <i>Great Republic</i>. The greater breadth of the American ships in -proportion to their length, meant, in sailing vessels of this type, not -only power to carry canvas, but also power in the form of buoyancy; and -this, with their longer and sharper ends, enabled the American clippers -to be driven at much greater speed than the British clippers in strong -gales and before heavy seas. It should, however, be remembered that none -of the British tea clippers exceeded 1000 tons register, and it may -again be said that they probably combined the good qualities of a -merchant ship in a<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_338">{338}</a></span> higher degree than any other vessels that have ever -been built.</p> - -<p>The <i>Melbourne</i>, already mentioned, was perhaps the fastest ship ever -built in Great Britain. In 1875, commanded by Captain Marsden, she made -the passage from London to Melbourne in the not very remarkable time of -74 days, but when running her easting down in strong westerly gales she -sailed 5100 miles in 17 days, an average of 300 miles a day, and her -best twenty-four hours’ run was 374 miles, an average of over 15½ knots. -She was an iron vessel of 1865 tons register; length 269 feet, breadth -40 feet, depth 23 feet 7 inches, and while not an extreme clipper, was a -finely designed ship.</p> - -<p>It should be remembered that both the American and the British clippers -were dependent upon the form of their lines for stability; this problem -in their design was therefore a far more intricate and difficult one to -deal with than that of producing stability by hanging a huge mass of -lead below the body of a hull, as is the custom with our modern racing -yachts.</p> - -<p>Yachting is the grandest of sports when yachtsmen handle their yachts -themselves, and there are a good number of yachtsman who are excellent -seamen and navigators. It is pleasant to recall that in the race for the -Emperor’s Cup in 1905, four of the competing yachts were sailed and -navigated by their owners; and although there is far too much wasteful -extravagance and enervating luxury in yachting, still, the increasing -number of yachtsmen who show a keen interest and are amateur experts in -the design, construction, rigging, and sailing of<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_339">{339}</a></span> their yachts, is an -encouraging sign for the future of the sport.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, it must be frankly admitted that yacht racing, even across -the Atlantic, in comparison with the old clipper ship racing, resembles -snipe shooting as compared with hunting big game in the wilds of Africa, -while the gold and silver yacht racing cups appear as mere baubles -beside the momentous stake of commercial supremacy for which the -clippers stretched their wings.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_340">{340}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII<br><br> -<small>THE FATE OF THE CLIPPER SHIPS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">W</span>E have already seen how, about the year 1855, the extreme clippers were -succeeded in the United States by a class of vessels known as medium -clippers. These vessels were not so sharp and did not carry as heavy -spars or so much canvas as the old clippers, but they could carry more -cargo and could be handled with fewer men. This made them more -profitable when the demand for speed and the rates of freight had -declined, and the extreme clippers were unable to command any higher -rate than the medium clippers. After the Civil War ship building for the -oversea carrying trade steadily declined, though it was not until 1893 -that the last American wooden sailing ship, the <i>Aryan</i>, was launched. -During these thirty-eight years a good many ships were built, and by -degrees a new type of vessel, designed to carry large cargoes at -moderate speed, was developed, which enterprising agents advertised as -clippers; but those who had known the real clippers were not deceived. -Many of the old names survived; thus there were a second <i>Memnon</i>, -another <i>Rainbow</i>, <i>Sea Witch</i>, <i>Oriental</i>, <i>Eclipse</i>, <i>Comet</i>, -<i>Northern Light</i>, <i>Ringleader</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_341">{341}</a></span> <i>Invincible</i>, <i>Witch of the Wave</i>, -<i>Blue Jacket</i>, <i>Charmer</i>, <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, <i>Lightning</i>, and -<i>Andrew Jackson</i> which should not be mistaken for the famous clippers -after which they were named.</p> - -<p>One may well ask what became of all the splendid clipper ships? The fate -of some of them has already been told in these pages, others have -disappeared from one cause or another, as time went on, until now -scarcely one is left. During the Civil War many of them were sold and -sailed under foreign flags, their names were changed and their identity -all but lost.</p> - -<p>Of the more famous early clippers, the <i>Houqua</i> foundered in a typhoon -in the China seas in 1865 while under command of Captain McKenzie. The -<i>Sea Witch</i> made her last voyage to San Francisco in 1852 and then -returned to the China trade for which she had been built. On her voyage -to China in 1855 Captain Fraser was murdered at sea by his chief mate, -and the vessel put into Rio Janeiro, where Captain Lang took command. On -the homeward voyage from Amoy to Havana with a cargo of coolies, the -<i>Sea Witch</i> was wrecked and became a total loss on the eastern coast of -Cuba, March 26, 1856. The <i>Samuel Russell</i> was wrecked in the Gaspar -Straits in 1870, under command of Captain Frederick Lucas.</p> - -<p>The <i>Stag-Hound</i> was burnt off the coast of Brazil in 1863, her United -States ensign, which the captain brought off and returned to the owners -in Boston, being the sole relic. The <i>Surprise</i>, under command of -Captain Charles Ranlett, struck a sunken rock while beating into -Yokohama Bay and became a<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_342">{342}</a></span> total wreck, February 4, 1876; the -<i>Game-Cock</i> was condemned at the Cape of Good Hope in 1880.</p> - -<p>The <i>Staffordshire</i> was lost off Cape Sable, while bound from Liverpool -for Boston in December, 1854. She struck on a ledge during a thick fog -and foundered in deep water. Two days before her wreck Captain -Richardson had fallen on deck and fractured his spine, and while he lay -helpless in his berth, Joseph Alden, his chief mate, reported that the -ship was sinking. Captain Richardson gave directions to the mate for -saving the women and children passengers, but declined assistance for -himself. His last words were: “God’s will be done,” and as the vessel -settled deeper and deeper in the water and the waves closed in upon her -deck, the brave spirit of her captain returned to God who gave it, to -join the innumerable host of heroes and martyrs of the sea.</p> - -<p>The <i>Flying Cloud</i> was sold to James Baines in 1863 and was destroyed by -fire at St. John, N. B., in 1874. The <i>Flying Fish</i> was wrecked in -November, 1858, while coming out of Foo-chow, bound for New York with a -cargo of tea, and was abandoned to the underwriters, who sold her to a -Spanish merchant of Manila. She was subsequently floated and rebuilt at -Wampoa, her name being changed to <i>El Bueno Suceso</i>. She sailed for some -years between Manila and Cadiz, and finally foundered in the China Sea. -The <i>Typhoon</i> was sold to the United States Government during the Civil -War, and was finally broken up. The <i>Northern Light</i> was abandoned at -sea, December 25, 1861, after being in collision while bound from Havre -for New York.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_343">{343}</a></span></p> - -<p>The <i>Comet</i> was sold under the British flag and renamed the <i>Fiery -Star</i>. She sailed between England and Australia for several years and -was finally burned at sea in 1865, while on a voyage from Moreton Bay, -Queensland, for London. She had been on fire for twenty-one days when -the crew were rescued by the ship <i>Dauntless</i>. The <i>Trade Wind</i>, while -bound from Mobile for Liverpool, in 1854, was in collision with the ship -<i>Olympus</i>, from Liverpool for New York. Both vessels foundered, -forty-four of the sixty-four passengers and crew of the <i>Trade-Wind</i> and -fifty-two of the fifty-eight on board the <i>Olympus</i> being rescued by the -Belgian barque <i>Stadt Antwerpen</i>, Captain Wyteerhoven, and landed at New -York.</p> - -<p>The <i>Nightingale</i> was sold to a firm in Salem and sent to Rio Janeiro, -where she was bought and sailed in the African slave trade under the -Brazilian flag. About the year 1860 she was captured by a United States -war-vessel and sent home as a prize. She was subsequently fitted out by -the Government as an armed cruiser during the Civil War, and at the -close of the war was sold and sailed in the California and China trade. -Later she sailed for many years under the flag of Norway. The <i>Shooting -Star</i> was sold to a merchant of Siam in 1862 and was wrecked on the -coast of Formosa in 1867. Captain Low remained in command of the <i>N. B. -Palmer</i> until she was sold abroad in 1872. The <i>Tornado</i>, <i>Whirlwind</i>, -and <i>Neptune’s Car</i> were sold in England and disappeared from the -Shipping Lists many years ago.</p> - -<p>The <i>Golden Light</i> under command of Captain C.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_344">{344}</a></span> F. Winsor, sailed from -Boston on her first voyage bound for San Francisco, February 12, 1853, -and ten days out was struck by lightning which set fire to cargo in the -forehold. After every exertion had been made to save the vessel, Captain -Winsor gave orders to abandon the ship, and at 6 <small>P.M.</small>, February 23d, her -people took to the boats. At that time the ship was in flames. Her -foremast had burnt off and fallen; soon after her main-and mizzen-masts -went over the side. She had eleven passengers, including three ladies -who were in the long boat with the captain. There were five boats in -all, four of which, after being adrift eight days, were picked up by the -British ship <i>Shand</i> from Calcutta bound for Boston; the other boat, in -charge of the mate, reached Barbadoes in safety, so that all hands were -saved.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sovereign of the Seas</i> was sold to a Hamburg firm and was wrecked -on the Pyramid Shoal in the Straits of Malacca, August 6, 1859, becoming -a total loss. The <i>Contest</i> and <i>Winged Racer</i> were destroyed by the -<i>Alabama</i> off the coast of Java in 1863, and the <i>Jacob Bell</i> by the -<i>Florida</i> during the same year. The <i>Harvey Birch</i> was destroyed by the -<i>Nashville</i> in 1861. The <i>Flying Dutchman</i> went ashore on the Brigantine -Shoal, off the coast of New Jersey, during a thick snowstorm in -February, 1858, and became a total loss. The <i>Highflyer</i>, under command -of Captain Gordon B. Waterman, sailed from San Francisco, October 24, -1856, bound for Hong-kong and was never heard from. The <i>John Gilpin</i> -struck an iceberg off Cape Horn and foundered, January 29, 1858, while -bound from<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_345">{345}</a></span> Honolulu for New Bedford under command of Captain John F. -Ropes, all hands, including fifteen passengers, being saved by the -British ship <i>Herefordshire</i>.</p> - -<p>The <i>Phantom</i> was lost on Prates Shoal, about two hundred miles -east-southeast of Hong-kong, in 1862, while under command of Captain -Henry Sargent. All hands were saved in the boats, which reached -Hong-kong safely, and a large amount of treasure that she had on board -was also saved. Captain Sargent received great credit for his brave and -judicious action at the time of the wreck; for in those days the China -Sea was filled with junks whose crews required only the sight of a -vessel in distress to turn them into most barbarous pirates. Captain -Sargent soon after took command of the clipper barque <i>Emily C. Starr</i> -and sailed from Shanghai for Yokohama. She was never heard from, and it -was supposed that she foundered in a typhoon. Captain Sargent belonged -to an old Boston family whose home was on Beacon Street. He had sailed -with Captain Nickels in the <i>Flying Fish</i> and had also commanded the -ship <i>Rockland</i>. He was one of the youngest and most accomplished of all -the American clipper ship captains.</p> - -<p>The <i>Bald Eagle</i> and <i>Romance of the Seas</i> both sailed from Hong-kong in -1860 and were never heard from. The <i>Reporter</i> foundered off Cape Horn -in 1863, and in the same year the <i>Undaunted</i> was condemned at Rio -Janeiro.</p> - -<p>The <i>Sweepstakes</i> was condemned in Batavia in 1864. The <i>Great Republic</i> -was sold to the Merchants’ Trading Company, of Liverpool, in 1869 and<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_346">{346}</a></span> -her name was changed to the <i>Denmark</i>. She finally foundered in a -hurricane off Bermuda in 1872. The <i>Morning Star</i> was sold to a -Liverpool firm, who renamed her the <i>Rockingham</i>; she foundered while on -a voyage from Samarang for Falmouth in 1879. The <i>Ocean Telegraph</i> was -sold to an English firm and renamed the <i>Light Brigade</i> and was finally -condemned at Gibraltar and converted into a coal hulk.</p> - -<p>The <i>Marco Polo</i>, <i>Red Jacket</i>, and <i>Donald McKay</i> ended their days in -the Quebec lumber trade, and the <i>Lightning</i> disappeared from the -Shipping List in 1866. The <i>Champion of the Seas</i> foundered while -homeward bound round Cape Horn in 1877. The <i>James Baines</i> was burnt at -Liverpool in 1858, and her wreck was converted into the old landing -stage for Atlantic steamship passengers, few of whom probably realized -that they were walking over the remains of one of the grandest ships -that ever sailed the sea.</p> - -<p>Of the British-built clippers, the first <i>Lord of the Isles</i> built in -1854 was burnt in 1862. The second of the name, built in 1864 by Robert -Steele, of Greenock, was sold in France and became known as the <i>Paul -Albert</i>. The <i>Spindrift</i> and <i>Serica</i> were both wrecked in 1869. The -<i>Forward Ho</i> was lost in 1881. The <i>Sir Launcelot</i> was sold to a -merchant of Bombay and sailed for many years between that port and -Mauritius, and was finally wrecked in 1895. The <i>Cutty Sark</i> was sold to -a merchant in Lisbon in 1895. The <i>Chinaman</i> was sunk by a steamer on -the coast of China in 1880. The <i>Windhover</i> was wrecked on the coast of -Australia in<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_347">{347}</a></span> 1884. The <i>Falcon</i> was sold in Australia, her name being -changed to the <i>Sophia Branilla</i>. She was wrecked on the coast of Java -in 1871. The <i>Thermopylæ</i> is now a schoolship at the mouth of the Tagus. -The <i>Yang-tze</i> was lost in 1872. The first <i>Guinevere</i>, built by Robert -Steele, in 1862, was lost in 1866, while the second <i>Guinevere</i>, built -by Randolph Elder & Co., in 1868, was sold in Norway. The <i>Ariel</i> sailed -for Melbourne and was never heard from. The <i>Taitsing</i> was wrecked on -the coast of Zanzibar in 1883.</p> - -<p>The <i>Titania</i> is the only one of all the old clipper ships that can now -be traced as in active service. She is owned by Madame Maresca, of -Castellamare, and sails under the flag of Italy, usually between -European and South American ports. A few years ago she arrived at New -York, and I was much interested in going on board of her, as I had known -the ship and her captain many years before in China. She appeared so -little changed that it was difficult to realize that nearly forty years -had passed away since I last stood upon her deck one bright June morning -at the Pagoda Anchorage, bidding Captain Burgoyne good-bye as he was -getting under way bound for London with new teas. Her spars had been -somewhat reduced and her rig changed to a barque, but the beautiful -India teak used in the construction of her hull, decks, and bulwarks, -with the polished brasswork of her rails, skylights, bells, and -capstans, blinking cheerfully in the autumn sunshine, seemed to have -paid little heed to the flight and ravages of time.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_348">{348}</a></span></p> - -<p>And so I have endeavored to record the leading events of an era in -maritime history long ago departed; and however much the remarkable -development of steam navigation may have contributed to the welfare of -mankind, I think that the memory of the clipper ships and the men who -built and commanded them, will always find a welcome in the hearts of -those who know and love the sea.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_349">{349}</a></span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_350">{350}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="Appendix_I"></a>Appendix I<br><br> -<small>CALIFORNIA CLIPPER SHIPS BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 1850 TO 1857 -INCLUSIVE</small></h2> - -<table> -<tr><th colspan="5" class="c">1850</th></tr> -<tr><td class="c">SHIP</td><td class="c">TONS</td><td class="c">CAPTAIN</td><td class="c">BUILDER</td><td class="c">OWNER & PORT</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Celestial</i></td><td class="rt">860</td><td>Gardner</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td>Bucklin & Crane,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Eclipse</i></td><td class="rt">1223</td><td>Hamilton</td><td>J. Williams & Son,</td><td>T. Wardle & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Williamsburg, N. Y.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Game-Cock</i></td><td class="rt">1392</td><td>Hollis</td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td>Daniel C. Bacon,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>East Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Governor Morton</i></td><td class="rt">1318</td><td>Burgess</td><td>James M. Hood,</td><td>Handy & Everett,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Somerset</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>John Bertram</i></td><td class="rt">1080</td><td>Landholm</td><td>R. E. Jackson,</td><td>Glidden & Williams,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mandarin</i></td><td class="rt">776</td><td>Stoddard</td><td>Smith & Dimon,</td><td>Goodhue & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Race Horse</i></td><td class="rt">512</td><td>King</td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td>Goddard & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Seaman</i></td><td class="rt">546</td><td>Myrick</td><td>Bell & Co.,</td><td>Funch & Meincke,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Baltimore</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sea Serpent</i></td><td class="rt">1337</td><td>Howland</td><td>George Raynes,</td><td>Grinnell, Minturn & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Stag-Hound</i></td><td class="rt">1535</td><td>Richardson</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>George B. Upton and Sampson</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>& Tappan, Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Surprise</i></td><td class="rt">1361</td><td>Dumaresq</td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td>A. A. Low & Brother,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>White Squall</i></td><td class="rt">1118</td><td>Lockwood</td><td>Jacob Bell,</td><td>W. Platt & Son,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>Philadelphia.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Witchcraft</i></td><td class="rt">1310</td><td>Rogers</td><td>Paul Curtis,</td><td>S. Rogers & W. D. Pickman,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Chelsea, Mass.</td><td>Salem.</td></tr> -<tr><th class="c" colspan="5">1851 -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_351">{351}</a></span> -</th></tr> -<tr><td><i>Alert</i></td><td class="rt">764</td><td>Bursley</td><td> </td><td>Crocker & Warren,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Damariscotta, Me.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Challenge</i></td><td class="rt">2006</td><td>Waterman</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td>N. L. & G. Griswold,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Comet</i></td><td class="rt">1836</td><td>Gardner</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td>Bucklin & Crane,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Courser</i></td><td class="rt">1026</td><td>Berry</td><td>Paul Curtis,</td><td>Richardson & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Eagle</i></td><td class="rt">1340</td><td>Farran</td><td>Perrin, Patterson & Stack,</td><td>Harbeck & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Williamsburg, N. Y.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Eureka</i></td><td class="rt">1050</td><td>Canfield</td><td>Jacob A. Westervelt & Son,</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Cloud</i></td><td class="rt">1793</td><td>Creesy</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>Grinnell, Minturn & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Fish</i></td><td class="rt">1505</td><td>Nickels</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>Sampson & Tappan,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Gazelle</i></td><td class="rt">1244</td><td>Henderson</td><td>William H. Webb</td><td>Chamberlain & Heyser,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden Gate</i></td><td class="rt">1347</td><td>Barstow</td><td> </td><td>Taylor & Merrill,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Hornet</i></td><td class="rt">1426</td><td>Lawrence</td><td>Jacob A. Westervelt & Son,</td><td>Chamberlain & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Hurricane</i></td><td class="rt">1607</td><td>Very</td><td>Smith & Co.,</td><td>C. W. & H. Thomas,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Hoboken, N. J.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Invincible</i></td><td class="rt">1767</td><td>Johnson</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td>J. W. Phillips,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ino</i></td><td class="rt">895</td><td>Plummer</td><td>Perrin, Patterson & Stack,</td><td>Sifkin & Ironside,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Williamsburg, N. Y.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>John Wade</i></td><td class="rt">639</td><td>Willis</td><td> </td><td>Augustine Heard & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Monsoon</i></td><td class="rt">773</td><td>Winsor</td><td>Trufant & Drummond,</td><td>G. Hussey,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Bath, Me.</td><td>New Bedford.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Northern Light</i></td><td class="rt">1021</td><td>Hatch</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>James Huckins & Sons,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>South Boston</td><td>Boston.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_352">{352}</a></span></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>N. B. Palmer</i></td><td class="rt">1490</td><td>Low</td><td>Jacob A. Westervelt,</td><td>A. A. Low & Brother,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Queen of the East</i></td><td class="rt">1275</td><td>Bartlett</td><td>Metcalf & Co.,</td><td>Crocker & Warren,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Damariscotta, Me.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Raven</i></td><td class="rt">715</td><td>Henry</td><td>Hood & Co.,</td><td>Crocker & Warren,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Somerset</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Shooting Star</i></td><td class="rt">903</td><td>Baker</td><td>J. O. Curtis,</td><td>S. G. Reed & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Snow Squall</i></td><td class="rt">742</td><td>Bursley</td><td> </td><td>Charles R. Green & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portland, Me.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Southern Cross</i></td><td class="rt">950</td><td>Stevens</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>Baker & Morrell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Staffordshire</i></td><td class="rt">1817</td><td>Richardson</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>Enoch Train & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sword-Fish</i></td><td class="rt">1036</td><td>Babcock</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td>Barclay & Livingston,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Syren</i></td><td class="rt">1064</td><td>Silsbee</td><td>Isaac Taylor,</td><td>G. Z. Silsbee & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Tornado</i></td><td class="rt">1801</td><td>Mumford</td><td>J. Williams,</td><td>W. T. Frost & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Williamsburg, N. Y.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Trade-Wind</i></td><td class="rt">2030</td><td>Osgood</td><td>Jacob Bell,</td><td>W. Platt & Son,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>Philadelphia.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Typhoon</i></td><td class="rt">1610</td><td>Salter</td><td>Fernald & Pettigrew,</td><td>D. & A. Kingsland,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Wild Pigeon</i></td><td class="rt">996</td><td>Putnam</td><td>George Raynes,</td><td>Olyphant & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Witch of the Wave</i></td><td class="rt">1500</td><td>Millett</td><td>George Raynes,</td><td>Glidden & Williams,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><th class="c" colspan="5">1852 -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_353">{353}</a></span></th></tr> -<tr><td><i>Antelope</i></td><td class="rt">1187</td><td>Cole</td><td>J. Williams & Son,</td><td>Harbeck & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Williamsburg, N. Y.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ariel</i></td><td class="rt">1340</td><td>Delano</td><td>Patten & Co.,</td><td>Patten & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Bath, Me.</td><td>Bath, Me.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Bald Eagle</i></td><td class="rt">1790</td><td>Dumaresq</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>George B. Upton,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Celestial Empire</i></td><td class="rt">1399</td><td>Pierce</td><td>J. Stetson,</td><td>C. H. Parsons & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Cleopatra</i></td><td class="rt">1562</td><td>Thayer</td><td>Paul Curtis,</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Climax</i></td><td class="rt">1051</td><td> </td><td>Howes</td><td>Howes & Crowell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td> </td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Contest</i></td><td class="rt">1150</td><td>Brewster</td><td>Jacob A. Westervelt,</td><td>A. A. Low & Brother,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Dauntless</i></td><td class="rt">791</td><td>Miller</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Fleetwood</i></td><td class="rt">666</td><td>Dale</td><td>George Raynes,</td><td>Captain and others,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Childers</i> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_354">{354}</a></span></td><td class="rt">1125</td><td>Cunningham</td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td>Cunningham & Sons,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Dutchman</i></td><td class="rt">1257</td><td>Hubbard</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden City</i></td><td class="rt">810</td><td>Canfield</td><td>Jacob A. Westervelt,</td><td>H. A. Pierce & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden Eagle</i></td><td class="rt">1120</td><td>Fabens</td><td>Hayden & Co.,</td><td>William Lincoln & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden Light</i></td><td class="rt">1141</td><td>Winsor</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>James Huckins & Sons,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>South Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden State</i></td><td class="rt">1363</td><td>Barstow</td><td>Jacob A. Westervelt,</td><td>A. A. Low & Brother,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden West</i></td><td class="rt">1443</td><td>Kerwin</td><td>Paul Curtis,</td><td>Glidden & Williams,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Highflyer</i></td><td class="rt">1092</td><td>Waterman</td><td>Currier & Townsend,</td><td>David Ogden,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Jacob Bell</i></td><td class="rt">1382</td><td>Kilham</td><td>Jacob Bell,</td><td>A. A. Low & Brother,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>John Gilpin</i></td><td class="rt">1089</td><td>Doane</td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td>Pierce & Hunnewell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Messenger</i></td><td class="rt">1350</td><td>Corning</td><td>Jacob Bell,</td><td>Slade & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Meteor</i></td><td class="rt">1063</td><td>Pike</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>Curtis & Peabody,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>South Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Phantom</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_355">{355}</a></span></td><td class="rt">1177</td><td>Paterson</td><td>J. O. Curtis,</td><td>Henry P. Sturgis,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Polynesia</i></td><td class="rt">1068</td><td>Watson</td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td>Hunnewell, Pierce & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Queen of the Seas</i></td><td class="rt">1400</td><td>Knight</td><td>Paul Curtis,</td><td>Glidden & Williams,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Radiant</i></td><td class="rt">1300</td><td>Hallet</td><td>Paul Curtis,</td><td>Baker & Morrell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Red Rover</i></td><td class="rt">1021</td><td>Putnam</td><td>Fernald & Pettigrew,</td><td>R. C. Taylor,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Simoon</i></td><td class="rt">1436</td><td>Smith</td><td>Jabez Williams,</td><td>B. A. Mumford & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sovereign of the Seas</i></td><td class="rt">2421</td><td>McKay</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>Grinnell, Minturn & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Storm</i> (barque)</td><td class="rt">545</td><td>Roberts</td><td> </td><td>Chamberlain & Heyser,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Sag Harbor</td> <td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Westward Ho</i></td><td class="rt">1600</td><td>Hussey</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>Sampson & Tappan,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Whirlwind</i></td><td class="rt">962</td><td>Burgess</td><td>J. O. Curtis,</td><td>W. & F. H. Whitmore,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Winged Racer</i></td><td class="rt">1760</td><td>Esterbrook</td><td>R. E. Jackson,</td><td>R. L. Taylor,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Wizard</i></td><td class="rt">1600</td><td>Woodside</td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td>Slade & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Boston</td><td>New York. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_356">{356}</a></span></td></tr> -<tr><th class="c" colspan="5">1853</th></tr> -<tr><td><i>Amphitrite</i></td><td class="rt">1687</td><td> </td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Archer</i></td><td class="rt">1098</td><td>Bursley</td><td>Hood & Co.,</td><td>Crocker & Warren,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Somerset</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Belle of the West</i></td><td class="rt">936</td><td>Howes</td><td> </td><td>Glidden & Williams,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Dennis</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Black Warrior</i></td><td class="rt">1878</td><td>Murphy</td><td>Austin & Co.,</td><td>W. Wilson & Sons,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Damariscotta, Me.</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Bonita</i></td><td class="rt">1127</td><td>Windsor</td><td> </td><td>Hallett & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Boston Light</i></td><td class="rt">1164</td><td>Crowell</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>James Huckins & Sons,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Challenger</i></td><td class="rt">1334</td><td>Hill</td><td>R. E. Jackson,</td><td>Whitmore & Son,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Cyclone</i></td><td class="rt">1109</td><td>Osgood</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>Curtis & Peabody,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Dashing Wave</i></td><td class="rt">1239</td><td>Young</td><td>Fernald & Pettigrew,</td><td>S. Tilton,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>David Brown</i></td><td class="rt">1715</td><td>Brewster</td><td>Roosevelt & Joyce,</td><td>A. A. Low & Brother,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>David Crockett</i></td><td class="rt">1679</td><td>Spicer</td><td>Greenman & Co.,</td><td>Handy & Everett,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_357">{357}</a></span></td><td>Mystic, Conn.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Don Quixote</i></td><td class="rt">1470</td><td>Nott</td><td> </td><td>John E. Lodge,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Eagle Wing</i></td><td class="rt">1174</td><td>Linnell</td><td>J. O. Curtis,</td><td>Chase & Tappan,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Edwin Forrest</i></td><td class="rt">1200</td><td> </td><td>D. D. Kelly,</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td> </td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Empress of the Seas</i></td><td class="rt">2200</td><td>Putnam</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>W. Wilson & Son,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Fearless</i></td><td class="rt">1183</td><td>Manson</td><td>A. & G. T. Sampson,</td><td> W. F. Weld & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flora Temple</i></td><td class="rt">1915</td><td> Myers</td><td>J. Abraham,</td><td>Abraham & Oshcroft,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Baltimore</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Dragon</i></td><td class="rt">1140</td><td>Baker</td><td>Trufant & Drummond,</td><td> S. G. Reed & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Bath, Me.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Gauntlet</i></td><td class="rt">1860</td><td>Borland</td><td>T. J. Southard,</td><td>Stephenson & Thurston,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Richmond, Me.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Great Republic</i></td><td class="rt">3357</td><td>Limeburner</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>A. A. Low & Brother,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Guiding Star</i></td><td class="rt">899</td><td>Hale</td><td>J. Currier,</td><td>C. Hill & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>John Land</i></td><td class="rt">1061</td><td>Howes</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>Baker & Morrell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>South Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Kate Hooper</i></td><td class="rt">1507</td><td>Johnson</td><td>Hunt & Wagner,</td><td>J. Hooper,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Baltimore</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Kathay</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_358">{358}</a></span></td> -<td class="rt">1460</td> -<td>Stoddard</td> -<td>Jacob A. Westervelt,</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Kingfisher</i></td><td class="rt">1300</td><td>Crosby</td><td></td><td>William Lincoln & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Lightfoot</i></td><td class="rt">1996</td><td></td><td>Jackson & Ewell,</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Live Yankee</i></td><td class="rt">1637</td><td>Thorndike</td><td></td><td>Foster & Nickerson,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Rockland, Me.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Matchless</i></td><td class="rt">1033</td><td>Potter</td><td></td><td>N. S. Goddard,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Chelsea, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Morning Light</i></td><td class="rt">1713</td><td>Knight</td><td>Toby & Littlefield,</td><td>Glidden & Williams,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mystery</i></td><td class="rt">1200</td><td></td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Neptune’s Car</i></td><td class="rt">1616</td><td>Patten</td><td></td><td>Foster & Nickerson,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, Va.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>North Wind</i></td><td class="rt">1041</td><td>Gore</td><td>Jacob Bell,</td><td>Grinnell, Minturn & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Oriental</i></td><td class="rt">1654</td><td>Fletcher</td><td>Samuel Hall,</td><td>D. G. & W. B. Bacon.</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Pamparo</i></td><td class="rt">1376</td><td>Coggins</td><td>Charles Mallory,</td><td>J. Bishop & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Mystic, Conn.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Panama</i></td><td class="rt">1349</td><td>Cave</td><td>Thomas Collyer,</td><td>N. L. & G. Griswold,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Queen of Clippers</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_359">{359}</a></span></td><td class="rt">2360</td><td>Zerega</td><td>Jackson & Ewell,</td><td>Zerega & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Red Gauntlet</i></td><td class="rt">1038</td><td>Andrews</td><td>J. W. Cox,</td><td>F. Boyd & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Robbinston, Me.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Reporter</i></td><td class="rt">1474</td><td>Howes</td><td>Paul Curtis,</td><td>E. Snow,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ringleader</i></td><td class="rt">1156</td><td>Matthews</td><td></td><td>Howes & Crowell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Romance of the Seas</i></td><td class="rt">1782</td><td>Dumaresq</td><td>Donald McKay,</td><td>George B. Upton,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Skylark</i></td><td class="rt">1209</td><td>Henry</td><td>Hood & Co.,</td><td>Crocker & Warren,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Somerset</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Snapdragon</i> (barque)</td><td class="rt">619</td><td>Brown</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Spirit of the Times</i></td><td class="rt">1206</td><td>Klein</td><td>Cooper & Slicer,</td><td>Aymer & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Baltimore</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Spitfire</i></td><td class="rt">1550</td><td>Arey</td><td></td><td>Manning & Stanwood,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Frankfort, Me.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Storm King</i></td><td class="rt">1408</td><td>Callahan</td><td>Isaac Taylor,</td><td>John E. Lodge,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Chelsea, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sweepstakes</i></td><td class="rt">1735</td><td>Lane</td><td>Jacob A. Westervelt,</td><td>Grinnell, Minturn & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Undaunted</i></td><td class="rt">1371</td><td>Freeman</td><td>Snow & Hall,</td><td>W. H. Foster & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Bath, Me.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Viking</i></td><td class="rt">1449</td><td>Windsor</td><td>Trufant & Drummond,</td><td>G. Hussey,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Bath, Me.</td><td>New Bedford.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Whistler</i></td><td class="rt">820</td><td>Brown</td><td>George W. Jackman,</td><td>Bush & Wildes,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Wild Wave</i></td><td class="rt">1547</td><td>Knowles</td><td>G. H. Ferrin,</td><td>Benjamin Bangs,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Richmond, Me.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Young America</i></td><td class="rt">1961</td><td>Babcock</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td>George Daniels,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><th class="c" colspan="5">1854 -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_360">{360}</a></span></th></tr> -<tr><td><i>Adelaide</i></td><td class="rt">1831</td><td>Wakeman</td><td>Jacob Bell,</td><td>Williams & Guion,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Canvas Back</i></td><td class="rt">735</td><td>Clarke</td><td></td><td>S. Lurman,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Baltimore</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Black Prince</i></td><td class="rt">1050</td><td>Brown</td><td>George W. Jackman,</td><td>Bush & Wildes,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Electric</i></td><td class="rt">1271</td><td>Gates</td><td></td><td>C. Adams,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Mystic, Conn.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Fleetwing</i></td><td class="rt">912</td><td>Howes</td><td>Hayden & Cudworth,</td><td>Crowell, Brooks,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Grace Darling</i></td><td class="rt">1240</td><td>Doane</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>C. B. Fessenden,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>South Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Harvey Birch</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_361">{361}</a></span></td><td class="rt">1488</td><td>Nelson</td><td>Irons & Grinnell,</td><td>J. H. Brower & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Mystic, Conn.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Midnight</i></td><td class="rt">1000</td><td>Hatch</td><td>Fernald & Pettigrew,</td><td>Henry Hastings,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Nabob</i></td><td class="rt">1254</td><td>Baxter</td><td>J. Taylor,</td><td>William Appleton,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Chelsea, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Nonpareil</i></td><td></td><td class="rt">1431</td><td>Dunham & Co.,</td><td>T. Richardson & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Frankfort, Me.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Nor’wester</i></td><td class="rt">1267</td><td>Gregory</td><td>S. Lapham,</td><td>Coolidge & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ocean Telegraph</i></td><td class="rt">1492</td><td>Willis</td><td>J. O. Curtis,</td><td>S. G. Reed & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Rattler</i></td><td class="rt">794</td><td>Forrest</td><td>Forster & Borze,</td><td>D. Stewart,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Baltimore</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Robin Hood</i></td><td class="rt">1185</td><td>Sears</td><td>Hayden & Cudworth,</td><td>Howe & Crowell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sancho Panza</i></td><td class="rt">850</td><td>Friend</td><td></td><td>John E. Lodge,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Saracen</i></td><td class="rt">1266</td><td>Barry</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>Curtis & Peabody,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>South Boston</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sierra Nevada</i></td><td class="rt">1942</td><td>Penhallow</td><td>Toby & Littlefield,</td><td>Glidden & Williams,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Starlight</i></td><td class="rt">1150</td><td>Matthews</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>Baker & Morrell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>South Boston,</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Starr King</i></td><td class="rt">1170</td><td>Turner</td><td>George W. Jackman,</td><td>Bates & Thaxter,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Swallow</i></td><td class="rt">1435</td><td>Tucker</td><td>Robert E. Jackson,</td><td>W. T. Dugan,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><th class="c" colspan="5">1855</th></tr> -<tr><td><i>Andrew Jackson</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_362">{362}</a></span></td><td class="rt">1676</td><td>Williams</td><td>Irons & Grinnell,</td><td>J. H. Brower & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Mystic, Conn.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Beacon Light</i></td><td class="rt">1320</td><td>Barwell</td><td></td><td>J. A. Stetson,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Chelsea, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Carrier Dove</i></td><td class="rt">1694</td><td>Conner</td><td>J. Abraham,</td><td>Montell & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Baltimore.</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Charmer</i></td><td class="rt">1060</td><td>Lucas</td><td>George W. Jackman,</td><td>Burt & Wildes,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Courier</i></td><td class="rt">1025</td><td>Smith</td><td></td><td>Foster & Elliott,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Daring</i></td><td class="rt">1097</td><td>Simonson</td><td>George W. Jackman,</td><td>Bush & Comstock,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Electric Spark</i></td><td class="rt">1215</td><td>Howes</td><td>Thacher & Magoun,</td><td>Magoun & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden Fleece</i></td><td class="rt">1538</td><td>Manson</td><td>Paul Curtis,</td><td>Weld & Baker,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Herald of the Morning</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_363">{363}</a></span> </td><td class="rt">1300</td><td>Baker</td><td>Thacher & Magoun,</td><td>Magoun & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mary Whitridge</i></td><td class="rt">978</td><td>Cheesebrough</td><td>Hunt & Wagner,</td><td>T. Whitridge,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Baltimore.</td><td>Baltimore.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Noonday</i></td><td class="rt">1177</td><td>Gerry</td><td>Fernald & Pettigrew,</td><td>Henry Hastings,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ocean Express</i></td><td class="rt">1699</td><td>Cunningham</td><td>J. O. Curtis,</td><td>Reed & Wade,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>War Hawk</i></td><td class="rt">1067</td><td>Simmons</td><td>George W. Jackman,</td><td>Captain and others,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><th class="c" colspan="5">1856</th></tr> -<tr><td><i>Alarm</i></td><td class="rt">1184</td><td>Matthews</td><td>Briggs Brothers,</td><td>Baker & Morrell,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>South Boston.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Euterpe</i></td><td class="rt">1984</td><td>Avery</td><td>H. Merriman,</td><td>Foster & Nickerson,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Rockland, Me.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Florence</i></td><td class="rt">1310</td><td>Dumaresq</td><td>Samuel Hall, Jr.,</td><td>R. B. & John M. Forbes,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston,</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Mist</i></td><td class="rt">1150</td><td>Fennell</td><td>J. O. Curtis,</td><td>T. Chase & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Medford, Mass.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Intrepid</i></td><td class="rt">1173</td><td>Gardner</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td>Bucklin & Crane,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mary L. Sutton</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_364">{364}</a></span></td><td class="rt">1450</td><td>Rowland</td><td>Charles Mallory,</td><td>Charles Mallory,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Mystic, Conn.</td><td>Mystic, Conn.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Norseman</i></td><td class="rt">820</td><td>Haskell</td><td>R. E. Jackson,</td><td>Cunningham Brothers,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>East Boston.</td><td>Boston.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Witch of the Wave</i></td> <td class="rt">1200</td><td>Todd</td><td></td><td>Titcomb & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Portsmouth, N. H.</td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td></tr> -<tr><th class="c" colspan="5">1857</th></tr> -<tr><td><i>Black Hawk</i></td><td class="rt">1108</td><td>Bowers</td><td>William H. Webb,</td><td>Bucklin & Crane,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Black Hawk</i></td><td class="rt">970</td><td>Shoof</td><td>J. Currier,</td><td>M. Devenport & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Newburyport, Mass.</td><td> Newburyport, Mass.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Hotspur</i></td><td class="rt">862</td><td>Porter</td><td>Roosevelt & Joyce,</td><td> Wisner, McCready & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>New York.</td><td>New York.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Twilight</i></td><td class="rt">1482</td><td>Gates</td><td>Charles Mallory,</td><td>G. Gates & Co.,</td></tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"></td><td>Mystic, Conn.</td><td>Mystic, Conn. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_365">{365}</a></span></td></tr> -</table> - -<h2><a id="Appendix_II"></a>Appendix II<br><br> -<small>RECORD PASSAGES OF THE CALIFORNIA CLIPPER SHIPS MADE IN 110 DAYS OR LESS -FROM 1850 TO 1860, INCLUSIVE</small></h2> - -<table> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1850</th></tr> - -<tr><td>SHIP</td> -<td>PORT OF<br>DEPARTURE</td> -<td>ARRIVAL AT<br> -SAN FRANCISCO</td><td>DAYS</td></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Celestial</i></td><td>New York</td><td>November 1</td><td class="rt">104</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Race Horse</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>November 24</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Samuel Russell</i></td><td>New York</td><td>May 1</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sea Witch</i></td><td>New York</td><td>July 24</td><td class="rt">97</td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1851</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Challenge</i></td><td>New York</td><td>October 29</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Cloud</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 31</td><td class="rt">89</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>N. B. Palmer</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 21</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Raven</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>November 19</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sea Witch</i></td><td>New York</td><td>November 20</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Seaman</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 11</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Stag-Hound</i></td><td>New York</td><td>May 26</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Surprise</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 19</td><td class="rt">96</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Typhoon</i></td><td>New York</td><td>November 18</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Witchcraft</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 11</td><td class="rt">103 -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_366">{366}</a></span></td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1852</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Celestial</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 17</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Comet</i></td><td>New York</td><td>January 13</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Courser</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 28</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Eclipse</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 22</td><td class="rt">104</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Northern Light</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>March 8</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sea Witch</i></td><td>New York</td><td>December 8</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Staffordshire</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>August 13</td><td class="rt">101</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sword-Fish</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 10</td><td class="rt">90</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Fish</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>February 17</td><td class="rt">98</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>John Bertram</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>March 26</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Shooting Star</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>August 17</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>White Squall</i></td><td>New York</td><td>July 29</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Wild Pigeon</i></td><td>New York</td><td>January 28</td><td class="rt">104</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sovereign of the Seas</i></td><td>New York</td><td>November 15</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1853</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Bald Eagle</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 11</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Contest</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 24</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Contest</i></td><td>New York</td><td>October 24</td><td class="rt">97</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Cloud</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 12</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Dutchman</i></td><td>New York</td><td>January 27</td><td class="rt">104</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Dutchman</i></td><td>New York</td><td>October 7</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Fish</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 1</td><td class="rt">92</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden Age</i> (barque)</td><td>Boston</td><td>May 31</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden Gate</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 20</td><td class="rt">102</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Hornet</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 12</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Invincible</i></td><td>New York</td><td>September 9</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>John Gilpin</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 2</td><td class="rt">93</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Meteor</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>March 10</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Oriental</i></td><td>New York</td><td>May 7</td><td class="rt">100</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Phantom</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 21</td><td class="rt">104</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Rebekah</i> (barque)</td><td>Baltimore</td><td>May 10</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sea Serpent</i></td><td>New York</td><td>June 1</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sword-Fish</i></td><td>New York</td><td>May 30</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Storm</i> (barque)</td><td>New York</td><td>April 10</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Tornado</i></td><td>New York</td><td>May 2</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Trade-Wind</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 24</td><td class="rt">102</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Westward Ho</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>February 1</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Witchcraft</i></td><td>New York</td><td>July 8</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Winged Racer</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 30</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Young America</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 29</td><td class="rt">110 - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_367">{367}</a></span></td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1854</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Archer</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 29</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Challenger</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>June 9</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Courier</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 28</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>David Brown</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 23</td><td class="rt">98</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Eagle</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 16</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Eagle Wing</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 5</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Cloud</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 20</td><td class="rt">89</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden City</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 8</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Herald of the Morning</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>May 7</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Hurricane</i></td><td>New York</td><td>September 4</td><td class="rt">99</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Matchless</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>February 8</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Pamparo</i></td><td>New York</td><td>January 25</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Polynesia</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 10</td><td class="rt">104</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ringleader</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>February 8</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Romance of the Seas</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>March 23</td><td class="rt">96</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Samuel Russell</i></td><td>New York</td><td>January 20</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>San Francisco</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 8</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Stag-Hound</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 14</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Westward Ho</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 28</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Witchcraft</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 15</td><td class="rt">97</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Young America</i></td><td>New York</td><td>October 20</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1855</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Boston Light</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 11</td><td class="rt">102</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Cleopatra</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 4</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Don Quixote</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>March 29</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Electric</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 4</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Cloud</i></td><td>New York</td><td>June 6</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Fish</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>January 10</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Fish</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>December 27</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden Eagle</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 25</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Governor Morton</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 2</td><td class="rt">104</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Greenfield</i> (barque)</td><td>New York</td><td>May 6</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Herald of the Morning</i></td><td>New York</td><td>May 16</td><td class="rt">99</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Meteor</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>August 30</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Neptune’s Car</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 25</td><td class="rt">100</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Red Rover</i></td><td>New York</td><td>June 13</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Telegraph</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 9</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Westward Ho</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 24</td><td class="rt">100 - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_368">{368}</a></span></td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1856</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Antelope</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 15</td><td class="rt">97</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>David Brown</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 28</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Don Quixote</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>May 31</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Electric Spark</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 9</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flyaway</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 8</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mary L. Sutton</i></td><td>New York</td><td>July 20</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>North Wind</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>July 21</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Phantom</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 29</td><td class="rt">101</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Red Rover</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 7</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Reporter</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 27</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ringleader</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>February 3</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sweepstakes</i></td><td>New York</td><td>May 25</td><td class="rt">94</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Tornado</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 27</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Wild Hunter</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>April 29</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Young America</i></td><td>New York</td><td>October 14</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1857</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Andrew Jackson</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 28</td><td class="rt">100</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Dragon</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 10</td><td class="rt">97</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Dutchman</i></td><td>New York</td><td>September 10</td><td class="rt">102</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Fish</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>October 2</td><td class="rt">100</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>John Land</i></td><td>New York</td><td>July 30</td><td class="rt">104</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Reporter</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 17</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Westward Ho</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 26</td><td class="rt">100 - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_369">{369}</a></span></td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1858</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Andrew Jackson</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 27</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Dashing Wave</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 18</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Don Quixote</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 4</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Esther May</i></td><td>Boston</td><td>May 19</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>John Land</i></td><td>New York</td><td>July 24</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Twilight</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 16</td><td class="rt">100</td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1859</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Andrew Jackson</i></td><td>New York</td><td>April 5</td><td class="rt">102</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Robin Hood</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 25</td><td class="rt">107</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sierra Nevada</i></td><td>New York</td><td>December 17</td><td class="rt">97</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Young America</i></td><td>New York</td><td>July 24</td><td class="rt">105</td></tr> - -<tr><th class="c" colspan="4">1860</th></tr> - -<tr><td><i>Andrew Jackson</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 23</td><td class="rt">89</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Archer</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 18</td><td class="rt">106</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Lookout</i></td><td>New York</td><td>February 20</td><td class="rt">108</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mary L. Sutton</i></td><td>New York</td><td>May 12</td><td class="rt">103</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ocean Telegraph</i></td><td>New York</td><td>March 13</td><td class="rt">109</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>White Swallow</i></td><td>New York</td><td>August 7</td><td class="rt">110</td></tr> -</table> -<p>During the forty-five years that have elapsed since the close of the -Civil War a large number of sailing ships have been built for the -California trade, and it is a notable fact that only two of these -vessels made the passage from an Atlantic port to San Francisco in less -than one hundred days. The <i>Seminole</i>, built by Maxon & Fish at Mystic, -Connecticut, in 1865, arrived at San Francisco from New York, March 10, -1866, in 96 days, and the <i>Glory of the Seas</i>, already mentioned as the -last ship built by Donald McKay, made the same voyage, arriving at San -Francisco, January 18, 1874, in 94 days.</p> - -<p>The two most successful ships in after years were the <i>David Crockett</i> -and <i>Young America</i>. Both were built in<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_370">{370}</a></span> 1853, and both continued in the -San Francisco trade until 1883, during which time the <i>David Crockett</i> -made her best twelve passages from New York to San Francisco in an -average of 109-<sup>7</sup>/<sub>12</sub> days each, her best being 102 days in 1872. The -<i>Young America</i>, during this period also made twelve passages in an -average of 110-<sup>7</sup>/<sub>12</sub> days each, her best being 102 days in 1880.</p> - -<p>As these ships were by many years the oldest survivors of the California -clippers, there was a good deal of rivalry between them, and their -records show that they were very evenly matched. It should, however, be -remembered that about the year 1860 their spars and canvas were -considerably reduced and that they were fitted with double topsail -yards, all of which hampered their speed in moderate weather. Indeed, -they resembled two faded beauties who in their youth had been rival -belles.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_371">{371}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="Appendix_III"></a>Appendix III<br><br> -<small>CHINA TEA CLIPPERS, 1859-1869</small></h2> - -<table> -<tr><td class="c">SHIP</td><td class="c">TONS</td><td class="c">CONSTRUCTION</td><td class="c">BUILDER</td><td class="c">YEAR</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Falcon</i></td><td class="rt">937</td><td class="c">Wood</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1859</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Isle of the South</i></td><td class="rt">821</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Laing & Co., Sunderland</td><td class="rt">1859</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Fiery Cross</i></td><td class="rt">888</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Chalour & Co., Liverpool</td><td class="rt">1860</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Min</i></td><td class="rt">629</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1861</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Kelso</i></td><td class="rt">556</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Pile & Co., Sunderland</td><td class="rt">1861</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Belted Will</i></td><td class="rt">812</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Feel & Co., Workington</td><td class="rt">1863</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Serica</i></td><td class="rt">708</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1863</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Taeping</i></td><td class="rt">767</td><td class="c">Composite</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1863</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Eliza Shaw</i></td><td class="rt">696</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Alexander Stephen, Glasgow 1863</td><td class="rt">1863</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Yang-tze</i></td><td class="rt">688</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Alexander Hall, Aberdeen</td><td class="rt">1863</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Black Prince</i></td><td class="rt">750</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Alexander Hall, Aberdeen</td><td class="rt">1863</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ariel</i></td><td class="rt">853</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1865</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ada</i></td><td class="rt">686</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Alexander Hall, Aberdeen</td><td class="rt">1865</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sir Launcelot</i></td><td class="rt">886</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1865</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Taitsing</i></td><td class="rt">815</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Connell & Co., Glasgow</td><td class="rt">1865</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Titania</i></td><td class="rt">879</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1866</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Spindrift</i></td><td class="rt">899</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Connell & Co., Glasgow</td><td class="rt">1867</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Forward</i> Ho</td><td class="rt">943</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Alexander Stephen, Glasgow</td><td class="rt">1867</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Leander</i><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_372">{372}</a></span></td><td class="rt">883</td><td class="c">Composite</td><td>Lawrie & Co., Glasgow</td><td class="rt">1867</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Lahloo</i></td><td class="rt">779</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1867</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Thermopylæ</i></td><td class="rt">947</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Walter Hood, Aberdeen</td><td class="rt">1868</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Windhover</i></td><td class="rt">847</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Connell & Co., Glasgow</td><td class="rt">1868</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Cutty Sark</i></td><td class="rt">921</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Scott & Co., Dumbarton</td><td class="rt">1868</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Caliph</i></td><td class="rt">914</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Alexander Hall, Aberdeen</td><td class="rt">1869</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Wylo</i></td><td class="rt">799</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1869</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Kaisow</i></td><td class="rt">795</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Robert Steele & Sons, Greenock</td><td class="rt">1869</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Lothair</i></td><td class="rt">794</td><td class="c">“</td><td>Walker & Son, London</td><td class="rt">1869</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_373">{373}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="Appendix_IV"></a>Appendix IV<br><br> -<small>RULES FOR TONNAGE MEASUREMENTS</small></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE English system of measuring the tonnage of vessels in the eighteenth -century is given in Falconer’s <i>Marine Dictionary</i>, 1780, as follows:</p> - -<p>“To determine the burden, or, in other words, the tonage, of a ship, it -is usual to multiply the length of keel into the extreme breadth of the -ship within board, taken along the midship beam, and multiplying the -product by the depth in the hold from the plank joining to the keelson -upwards to the main-deck, and divide the last product by 94; then will -the quotient be the burden required, in tons.”</p> - -<p>This rule continued in force till 1819, when it was changed by the Lords -Commissioners of the Admiralty as follows:</p> - -<p>“Multiply the length of the keel by the breadth of beam, and that -product by half the breadth of beam, and divide the last product by 94, -and the quotient will be the tonnage” (<i>Marine Dictionary</i>, William -Burney, LL.D., 1830). Dr. Burney remarks: “It appears from the general -construction of merchant ships, that more attention is paid to evade the -tax on tonnage than to their sailing well with the wind in different -directions; and if the real tonnage of ships were taken, an alteration -would soon be made in the construction for the better.”</p> - -<p>This form of the rule continued until 1842, when by Act of Parliament -the following method was adopted:</p> - -<p>“Divide the length of the upper deck between the after part of the stem -and the fore part of the stern-post into six equal parts. Depths: at the -foremost, the middle, and the aftermost of these points of division, -measure in feet<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_374">{374}</a></span> and decimal parts of a foot the depths from the under -side of the upper deck to the ceiling at the limber strake. In the case -of a break in the upper deck, the depths are to be measured from a line -stretched in a continuation of the deck. Breadths: Divide each of those -three depths into five equal parts, and measure the inside breadths at -the following points—viz., at one fifth and at four fifths from the -upper deck of the foremost and aftermost depths, and at two fifths and -four fifths from the upper deck of the midship depth. Length: At half -the midship depth, measure the length of the vessel from the after part -of the stem to the fore part of the stem-post; then, to twice the -midship depth add the foremost and the aftermost depths; add together -the upper and lower breadths at the foremost division, three times the -upper breadth, and the lower breadth, at the midship division and the -upper and twice the lower breadth at the after division, for the sum of -the breadths; then multiply the sum of the depths by the sum of the -breadths, and this product by the length, and divide the final product -by three thousand five hundred, which will give the number of tons for -register” (Young’s <i>Marine Dictionary</i>, 1846).</p> - -<p>In 1854 this rule was changed by the Merchant Shipping Act, which -provided that the actual cubic contents of a vessel’s hull should be -measured, a registered ton being reckoned as 100 cubic feet. This is -known as the Moorsom system, and is still in use and likely to continue. -It was adopted by the United States in 1865; Denmark, 1867; Austria, -1871; Germany, France, and Italy, 1873; Spain, 1874; and Sweden, 1875.</p> - -<p>The old practice of calculating tonnage in the United States was adapted -from the English, and the mode of measurement was as follows:</p> - -<p>The length was measured on deck from the fore part of the stem to the -after part of the stern-post; the breadth from outside to outside -planking at the broadest part of the vessel; the depth of the hold from -the plank on deck to the ceiling of the hold. This last measurement was -not used, the depth of a vessel for tonnage purposes being assumed to be -one half of her breadth. In order<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_375">{375}</a></span> to find the tonnage, three fifths of -the breadth were deducted from the length and the remainder multiplied -by the breadth, and this product multiplied by one half the breadth, or -the assumed depth, the last product was then divided by 95, giving the -formula:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td>(L - ⅗ B) × B × ½ B</td></tr> -<tr><td class="cbt">95</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>Thus in a vessel measuring 100 ft. x 20 ft. x 18 ft.:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td>Length of vessel</td><td class="rt">100</td></tr> -<tr><td>Subtract ⅗ breadth</td><td class="rt">12</td></tr> -<tr><td>Length for measurement</td><td class="rtbt">88</td></tr> -<tr><td>Multiply by the breadth</td><td class="rt">20</td></tr> -<tr><td></td><td class="rtbt">1760</td></tr> -<tr><td>Multiply by half breadth</td><td class="rt">10</td></tr> -<tr><td></td><td class="rtbt">17,600</td></tr> -</table> - -<table> -<tr><td>Divide 17,600 by 95    </td><td>and</td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">    the result is</td><td>185 + <sup>12</sup>/<sub>19</sub></td></tr> -<tr><td class="c">Total tonnage</td><td>185 + <sup>12</sup>/<sub>19</sub></td></tr> -</table> - -<p>This mode of measurement continued from colonial times until the Moorsom -system was adopted in 1865.</p> - -<p>The dimensions of ten representative American and British clippers were -as follows:</p> - -<table> -<tr><td> </td><td> </td><td colspan="2" class="c">Length</td><td> </td><td colspan="3" class="c">Breadth</td></tr> - -<tr><td> </td><td><i>Nightingale</i> (1851)  </td><td>178</td><td class="c">“</td><td></td><td>36</td><td class="c">“</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="4">American</td><td><i>Oriental</i> (1849)</td><td>183</td><td> ft.</td><td> </td><td>36</td><td> ft.</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Celestial</i> (1850)</td><td>158</td><td class="c">“</td><td> </td><td>34</td><td class="c">“ </td><td>6 in.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Stag-Hound</i> (1850)</td><td>209</td><td class="c">“</td><td> </td><td>39</td><td class="c">“</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Flying Dutchman</i> (1852)</td><td>187</td><td class="c">“</td><td> </td><td>38</td><td class="c">“ </td><td>6 in.</td></tr> -<tr><td rowspan="5" style="vertical-align:top;">British</td> -<td><i>Falcon</i> (1859)</td><td>191</td><td class="c">“ </td><td>4 in.</td><td>32</td><td class="c">“ </td><td>2 in.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Taitsing</i> (1865)</td><td>192</td><td class="c">“</td><td> </td><td>31</td><td class="c">“</td><td> 5 in.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Titania</i> (1866)</td><td>200</td><td class="c">“</td><td> </td><td>35 </td><td class="c">“</td><td></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Spindrift</i> (1867)</td><td>219</td><td class="c">“</td><td> 4 in.</td><td>35 </td><td class="c">“</td><td> 6 in.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Thermopylæ</i> (1868)</td><td>210</td><td class="c">“</td><td> </td><td>36 </td><td class="c">“</td><td></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page_376">{376}</a></span></p> - -<p>Although these British ships show less breadth than the American, yet -they have more breadth in proportion to length than the earlier British -clippers, such as the <i>Stornoway</i> (1850), <i>Lord of the Isles</i> (1855), -etc.<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_377">{377}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a id="INDEX"></a>INDEX</h2> - -<p class="c">Vessels not otherwise designated are American</p> - -<p class="c"><a href="#A">A</a>, -<a href="#B">B</a>, -<a href="#C">C</a>, -<a href="#D">D</a>, -<a href="#E">E</a>, -<a href="#F">F</a>, -<a href="#G">G</a>, -<a href="#H">H</a>, -<a href="#I">I</a>, -<a href="#J">J</a>, -<a href="#K">K</a>, -<a href="#L">L</a>, -<a href="#M">M</a>, -<a href="#N">N</a>, -<a href="#O">O</a>, -<a href="#P">P</a>, -<a href="#Q">Q</a>, -<a href="#R">R</a>, -<a href="#S">S</a>, -<a href="#T">T</a>, -<a href="#U">U</a>, -<a href="#V">V</a>, -<a href="#W">W</a>, -<a href="#Y">Y</a>, -<a href="#Z">Z</a></p> - -<p class="nind"> -<span class="inx"><a id="A"></a>A</span><br> - -<i>Abbot Lawrence</i>, medium clipper ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a>, <a href="#page_256">256</a>, <a href="#page_258">258</a><br> - -<i>Abergeldie</i>, British clipper ship, <a href="#page_205">205</a><br> - -Abrahams, J., builder, Baltimore, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Abrahams & Ashcroft, owners, Baltimore, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -<i>Achilles</i>, British iron screw steamer, <a href="#page_332">332</a><br> - -Ackley, Samuel, builder N. Y., <a href="#page_16">16</a>, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -<i>Ada</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea-trade, <a href="#page_325">325-6</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -Adamson & Bell, China merchants, <a href="#page_325">325</a><br> - -<i>Adelaide</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_44">44</a><br> - -—— clipper ship, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -—— British iron screw steamer, <a href="#page_286">286</a><br> - -<i>Admiral Gardner</i>, Brit. E. Indiamen, <a href="#page_25">25</a><br> - -<i>Adriatic</i>, Collins Line S. S., <a href="#page_49">49</a>, <a href="#page_250">250</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_258">258</a></span><br> - -<i>Ajax</i>, Brit. iron screw steamer, <a href="#page_332">332</a><br> - -<i>Akbar</i>, clipper ship, China trade, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_138">138</a><br> - -<i>Alarm</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Albert Gallatin</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a><br> - -<i>Albion</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a><br> - -<i>Alert</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -<i>Alexander Marshall</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Alfred</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36-37</a><br> - -<i>Alhambra</i>, med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_258">258</a>, <a href="#page_291">291</a><br> - -Allen, Wm. H., N. Y. packet captain, <a href="#page_44">44</a><br> - -<i>Alliance</i>, U. S. frigate, 1778, <a href="#page_6">6</a>, <a href="#page_7">7</a><br> - -Alsop & Co., S. Francisco, agents of <i>Challenge</i>, <a href="#page_187">187</a><br> - -<i>Amelia Packet</i>, Brit. barque, <a href="#page_180">180</a><br> - -<i>America</i>, Brit. fifty-gun frigate, built at Portsmouth, N. H., <a href="#page_9">9</a><br> - -<i>Amos Lawrence</i>, med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -<i>Amphitrite</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_256">256</a><br> - -<i>Andrew Jackson</i>, Cal. med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_295">295</a>; <a href="#page_362">362</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">89 days to S. Francisco, <a href="#page_144">144</a>, <a href="#page_178">178</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">other records, <a href="#page_247">247</a>, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -Andrews, Capt., later ship, <a href="#page_341">341</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Red Gauntlet</i>, <a href="#page_359">359</a></span><br> - -<i>Anglo-American</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Anglo-Saxon</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Angola</i>, clipper schooner, opium trade, <a href="#page_58">58</a><br> - -<i>Ann McKim</i>, first clipper ship built, <a href="#page_60">60-2</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_378">{378}</a></span><i>Antarctic</i>, ship, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Antelope</i>, clipper brig, opium trade, <a href="#page_58">58</a>, <a href="#page_59">59</a>, <a href="#page_138">138</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_353">353</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_290">290</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -Appleton, Wm., ship-owner, Boston, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Archer</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_248">248</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_248">248</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a></span><br> - -<i>Architect</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_70">70</a><br> - -<i>Arctic</i>, Collins Line S. S., <a href="#page_309">309</a><br> - -Arey, Capt., <i>Spitfire</i>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Argo</i>, Brit., first merchant ship with steam power to circumnavigate the globe, <a href="#page_287">287</a><br> - -<i>Argonaut</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_196">196</a><br> - -<i>Ariel</i>, clipper schooner, opium trade, <a href="#page_58">58</a><br> - -—— clipper ship, China trade, <a href="#page_68">68</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -—— Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_347">347</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">racer, <a href="#page_324">324-30</a>, <a href="#page_332">332-3</a>, <a href="#page_335">335</a></span><br> - -<i>Aristides</i>, Brit. ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_333">333</a><br> - -<i>Arizona</i>, S. S., <a href="#page_278">278</a><br> - -<i>Aryan</i>, last Amer. wooden sailing ship, 1893, <a href="#page_340">340</a><br> - -<i>Ashburton</i>, N. Y. packet, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -<i>Atlanta</i>, clipper ship, Cal. trade, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a><br> - -<i>Atlantic</i>, first Amer. ship in India, <a href="#page_12">12-13</a><br> - -<i>Aurora</i>, ship, <a href="#page_236">236</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a><br> - -<i>Austerlitz</i>, ship, <a href="#page_193">193</a><br> - -Austin & Co., builders, Damariscotta, Me., <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -<i>Australian</i>, Brit. screw steamer, <a href="#page_286">286</a><br> - -Avery, Capt., <i>Euterpe</i>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Aymer & Co., owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="B"></a><span class="inx">B</span><br> - -Babcock, Col. Harry, <a href="#page_160">160</a><br> - -—— Maj. Paul, <a href="#page_84">84</a>, <a href="#page_160">160</a><br> - -—— Capt. David S., <a href="#page_84">84</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Sword Fish</i>, <a href="#page_160">160-1</a>, <a href="#page_213">213</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Young America</i>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a></span><br> - -Bacon, Daniel C., owner, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pres. Amer. Nav. Club, <a href="#page_202">202-4</a></span><br> - -—— D. G. & W. B., owners, <a href="#page_304">304</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Bailey, Capt., <i>Yorkshire</i>, <a href="#page_46">46</a><br> - -Baines, James, owner, L’pool, <a href="#page_342">342</a><br> - -—— & Co., L’pool, Australian Black Ball Line, <a href="#page_266">266</a>, <a href="#page_268">268</a>, <a href="#page_272">272</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">vessels for, <a href="#page_273">273</a>, <a href="#page_284">284</a></span><br> - -Baker, Capt., <a href="#page_352">352</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Baker & Morrill, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_352">352</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Bald Eagle</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_237">237</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">story of race, <a href="#page_200">200-2</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -<i>Baltic</i>, med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_258">258</a><br> - -—— Collins Line S. S., <a href="#page_309">309</a><br> - -Baltimore, ship-building, <a href="#page_54">54</a>, <a href="#page_60">60-62</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_254">254</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Baltimore</i>, Havre packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -Bangs, Benj., owner, Boston, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -Barclay & Livingston, owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -Baring Bros. & Co., <a href="#page_203">203-4</a><br> - -<i>Barrington</i>, ship, <a href="#page_193">193</a><br> - -Barry, Commodore, <a href="#page_11">11</a><br> - -Barry, Capt., <i>Saracen</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Barstow, Gideon, of E. Boston Timber Co., <a href="#page_49">49</a><br> - -Barstow, Capt., <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_379">{379}</a></span>Bartlett, Capt., <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -Barwell, Capt., <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Bates & Thaxter, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Bath, Me., ship-building, <a href="#page_105">105</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -<i>Bavaria</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -Baxter, Capt., <i>Nabob</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Beacon Light</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Beauchamp, Capt. Isaac, <i>Defender</i>, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -<i>Beauregard</i>, Confederate privateer, <a href="#page_14">14</a><br> - -<i>Beaver</i>, ship, China trade, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -Bell, Jacob, builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_47">47</a>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_164">164</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>see</i> Brown</span><br> - -Bell & Co., builders, Baltimore, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -<i>Belle of the Sea</i>, clipper ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_284">284</a><br> - -<i>Belle of the West</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -<i>Belted Will</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -<i>Ben Nevis</i>, Brit. clipper ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_266">266</a>, <a href="#page_268">268</a><br> - -<i>Benefactor</i>, clipper barque, China trade, <a href="#page_209">209</a><br> - -<i>Bengal</i>, ship, <a href="#page_193">193</a><br> - -Benjamin, Capt., <i>Helena</i>, <a href="#page_62">62</a><br> - -Bennett, Capt., <i>Oliver Ellsworth</i>, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -Bergh, Christian, builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_17">17</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -Berry, Capt., <i>Courser</i>, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -Bertram, Capt. John, Salem, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_166">166-8</a><br> - -Best days’ run, <a href="#page_69">69</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_178">178</a>, <a href="#page_179">179</a>, <a href="#page_207">207</a>, <a href="#page_220">220</a>, <a href="#page_221">221</a>, <a href="#page_228">228</a>, <a href="#page_266">266</a>, <a href="#page_278">278</a>, <a href="#page_281">281</a>, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_327">327</a>, <a href="#page_330">330</a>, <a href="#page_334">334</a>, <a href="#page_336">336</a>, <a href="#page_338">338</a><br> - -Bishop, J., & Co., owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Black Ball Line, N. Y., L’pool packets, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_39">39-40</a>, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_42">42</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">vessels, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_52">52</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">flag, <a href="#page_42">42</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">match, <a href="#page_45">45</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">captains, <a href="#page_39">39-40</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">discipline, <a href="#page_44">44</a>, <a href="#page_73">73</a></span><br> - -Australian clippers, <i>see</i> James Baines & Co.<br> - -<i>Black Hawk</i>, Cal. clipper ships (Webb), <a href="#page_291">291</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Currier), <a href="#page_364">364</a></span><br> - -<i>Black Prince</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_322">322</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_325">325-6</a></span><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<i>Black Warrior</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -<i>Blenheim</i>, Brit. merchant frigate, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Blessing of the Bay</i>, colonial barque, 1631, <a href="#page_2">2</a><br> - -<i>Blue Jacket</i>, clipper ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_270">270</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">later ship, <a href="#page_341">341</a></span><br> - -<i>Bombay</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -<i>Bonita</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -Bordman, Wm. H., Amer. Nav. Club, <a href="#page_202">202</a><br> - -Borland, Capt., <i>Gauntlet</i>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -Borrows & Spooner, owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_84">84</a><br> - -<i>Boston</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Boston Light</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -Boston & Liverpool Packet Company, <a href="#page_51">51-2</a><br> - -Bowditch, Nath., navigator, <a href="#page_141">141</a><br> - -Bowers, Capt., <i>Black Hawk</i>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -Boyd, Col. Geo., 1767, <a href="#page_53">53</a><br> - -Boyd, F., & Co., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Brenda</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_380">{380}</a></span>Brewster, Capt. Geo., <a href="#page_249">249</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -Brewster, Capt. Wm., <a href="#page_227">227</a><br> - -<i>Briganza</i>, ship, eighteenth century, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -Briggs Brothers (E. & H. O.), builders, South Boston, <a href="#page_50">50-1</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cal. clippers, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_163">163</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_351">351-63</a></span><br> - -<i>Brighton</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Britannia</i>, Black Ball packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a>, <a href="#page_73">73</a><br> - -Britton, Capt. John, <i>Constitution</i>, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -<i>Brookline</i>, ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -Brower, J. H., & Co., owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Brown, Adam & Noah, builders, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -—— Charles, builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -—— David, of Brown & Bell, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -—— Vernon H., owner, <a href="#page_303">303</a><br> - -—— Bates & Delano, builders, E. Boston, <a href="#page_50">50</a><br> - -—— & Bell, builders, N. Y., <a href="#page_47">47-8</a>, <a href="#page_53">53</a>, <a href="#page_58">58</a>, <a href="#page_63">63</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_72">72</a><br> - -Brown, Capt., <a href="#page_359">359</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -Bryant & Sturgis, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Bucephalus</i>, Brit. frigate, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Buckinghamshire</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a>, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -Bucklin & Crane, owners of first Cal. clipper ship, N. Y., <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -Burgess, <i>see</i> Snow, owners, <a href="#page_304">304</a><br> - -Burgess, Capt., <a href="#page_349">349</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -Burgoyne, Capt., <i>Titania</i>, <a href="#page_347">347</a><br> - -Bursley, Capt. Ira, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -Bush & Comstock, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_360">360</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Bush & Wildes, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="C"></a><span class="inx">C</span><br> - -<i>Cairngorm</i>, Brit. clipper ship, China trade, <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -<i>Cairo</i>, ship, Boston, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -<i>Caledonia</i>, ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Calhoun</i>, ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>California</i>, Pacific Mail, S. S., <a href="#page_103">103</a><br> - -<i>Caliph</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -Callahan, Capt., <i>Storm King</i>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Cambria</i>, N. Y., packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Cambridge</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -Cameron, R. W.’s Australian line, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_304">304</a><br> - -<i>Canada</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -—— Cunard S. S., <a href="#page_221">221</a>, <a href="#page_309">309</a><br> - -Canfield, Capt., <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -<i>Canning</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a>, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -<i>Canvasback</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<i>Capitol</i>, ship, <a href="#page_193">193</a><br> - -<i>Carmelite</i>, ship, 1807, <a href="#page_17">17-18</a><br> - -<i>Carnatic</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Carrier Dove</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Castle Eden</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Cathay</i>, <i>Kathay</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Cave, Capt., <i>Panama</i>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>Celestial</i>, Cal. clipper ship, first to be launched, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_145">145-6</a>, <a href="#page_229">229</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a></span><br> - -<i>Celestial Empire</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -<i>Challenge</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_156">156</a>, <a href="#page_164">164</a>, <a href="#page_174">174</a>, <a href="#page_222">222</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -vicious crew, <a href="#page_77">77</a>, <a href="#page_181">181-9</a>;<br> -in China trade, <a href="#page_196">196-7</a>, <a href="#page_206">206-7</a>;<br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_381">{381}</a></span>records, <a href="#page_181">181</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_301">301</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a><br> - -<i>Challenger</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_206">206</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_206">206-7</a></span><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -Chamberlain & Co., owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -Chamberlain & Heyser, owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Chariot of Fame</i>, med. clipper ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_270">270</a><br> - -<i>Charles Carroll</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Charles Grant</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Charles H. Marshall</i>, N. Y., pilot boat, <a href="#page_305">305</a><br> - -<i>Charlestown</i>, ship, South American trade, <a href="#page_161">161</a><br> - -<i>Charmer</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_254">254</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -—— later ship, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -Chase, T., & Co., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Chase & Tappan, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -Cheesborough, Capt. Robt. B., <a href="#page_254">254</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Chinaman</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_325">325-6</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a><br> - -<i>Chrysolite</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_199">199</a>, <a href="#page_202">202</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_206">206-7</a><br> - -Chrystall, James, British owner, <a href="#page_35">35</a><br> - -<i>City of Glasgow</i>, Inman Line, S. S., <a href="#page_314">314</a><br> - -<i>City of Pekin</i>, Pacific S. S., <a href="#page_86">86</a><br> - -Clarke, Capt., <i>Canvasback</i>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<i>Cleopatra</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a></span><br> - -<i>Climax</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -Coggin, Capt., <i>Panparo</i>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Coleman, Wm. T., & Co., owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_106">106</a><br> - -Collins, E. K., manager of Dramatic Line, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -—— Capt. John, <i>Shakespeare</i>, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -Collins Line S. S., <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_309">309</a>, <a href="#page_312">312</a><br> - -Collyer, Thos., & Mm., builders, N. Y., <a href="#page_49">49</a>, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>Columbia</i>, 1773, first Amer. ship to sail round globe, <a href="#page_14">14</a>, <a href="#page_51">51</a><br> - -—— N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">No. <a href="#page_2">2</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a></span><br> - -<i>Columbus</i>, N. Y., packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_45">45</a>, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Comet</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_213">213</a>, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_227">227</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">China passage, <a href="#page_208">208</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australian trade, <a href="#page_283">283</a></span><br> - -—— later ship, <a href="#page_340">340</a><br> - -<i>Commodore Perry</i>, ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_273">273</a><br> - -Composite build, <a href="#page_321">321-2</a>, <a href="#page_371">371-2</a><br> - -Condry, Dennis, owner of <i>Delia Walker</i>, <a href="#page_53">53-5</a><br> - -<i>Congress</i>, ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -Connell & Co., builders, Glasgow, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -Conner, Capt., <i>Carrier Dove</i>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Constant Warwick</i>, first frigate built, <a href="#page_5">5</a><br> - -<i>Constantine</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_141">141</a><br> - -<i>Contest</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_227">227</a>, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race with <i>Northern Light</i>, <a href="#page_227">227</a></span><br> - -—— Brit. ship, <a href="#page_267">267</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_382">{382}</a></span>Coolidge & Co., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Cooper & Slicer, owners, Baltimore, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Cope, Thos., Phila., owner of packet line, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -Copper fastened, <a href="#page_10">10</a>, <a href="#page_30">30</a>, <a href="#page_33">33</a>, <a href="#page_34">34</a>, <a href="#page_61">61</a>, <a href="#page_285">285</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">sheathed, <a href="#page_61">61</a>, <a href="#page_285">285</a>, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_322">322</a></span><br> - -<i>Coquette</i>, clipper barque, China trade, <a href="#page_64">64</a><br> - -<i>Corinthian</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Cornelia</i>, ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Cornelius Grinnell</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_56">56</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_236">236</a><br> - -<i>Cornwallis</i>, ship, <a href="#page_193">193</a><br> - -<i>Cortes</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Courier</i>, packet ship, 1816, <a href="#page_38">38</a><br> - -—— early clipper ship, 1842, <a href="#page_54">54</a>, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, 1855, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -<i>Courser</i>, Boston packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a><br> - -Cox, J. W. builder, Robbinston, Me., <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Creesy, Capt. Josiah P., boyhood, <a href="#page_153">153-5</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Oneida</i>, <a href="#page_155">155</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Flying Cloud</i>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>, <a href="#page_248">248-9</a>, <a href="#page_253">253-4</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_214">214-15</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“obituary,” <a href="#page_222">222-3</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mrs. Creesy, <a href="#page_306">306</a></span><br> - -<i>Creole</i>, N. Orleans packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Cressy</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Crest of the Wave</i>, Brit. clipper ship, <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -Crocker & Warren, owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_304">304</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Crosby, Capt., <i>Kingfisher</i>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Crowell, Capt., <i>Boston Light</i>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -Crowell & Brooks, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_360">360</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>see</i> Howes</span><br> - -Crowninshield, Jacob, owner, Salem, <a href="#page_13">13</a><br> - -Cunningham, Capt., <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -—— Bros., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -—— & Sons, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -Cunningham’s rolling topsails, <a href="#page_163">163</a><br> - -Currier, John, Jr., builder, Newburyport, <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_68">68</a>, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -—— & McKay, <a href="#page_53">53-4</a><br> - -—— & Townsend, <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_243">243</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -Curtis, J. O., builder, Medford, <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -—— Paul, builder, Chelsea, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">E. Boston, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a></span><br> - -Curtis & Peabody, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Cutler, Capt. Benj. F., <i>Mary Whitridge</i>, <a href="#page_254">254</a><br> - -Cutting, Capt. Robt. C., packet ship <i>Adelaide</i>, <a href="#page_44">44</a><br> - -Cutting, Francis B., part owner of <i>Dreadnought</i>, N. Y., <a href="#page_244">244</a><br> - -<i>Cutty Sark</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_336">336</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -<i>Cyclone</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="D"></a><span class="inx">D</span><br> - -Dale, Capt Fleetwood, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -<i>Daniel Webster</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -Daniels, Geo., owner, Boston, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a><br> - -<i>Daring</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_383">{383}</a></span><i>Dashing Wave</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_356">356</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -<i>Dauntless</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>David Brown</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_248">248</a>, <a href="#page_290">290</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -<i>David Crockett</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a>, <a href="#page_369">369-70</a><br> - -<i>David Malcolm</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -Dean, Capt. Stewart, sloop <i>Enterprise</i>, 1785, <a href="#page_6">6</a><br> - -Deas, Capt., <i>Ganges</i>, <a href="#page_200">200-1</a><br> - -Decline of American shipping, <a href="#page_290">290</a>, <a href="#page_292">292-3</a>, <a href="#page_314">314-17</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -<i>Defender</i>, med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_255">255-6</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a><br> - -De Horsey, Capt. of H. M. S. <i>Brisk</i>, <a href="#page_251">251-2</a><br> - -Delano, Capt., <i>Ariel</i>, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -—— Capt. Joseph, packets, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -—— Warren, owner, Boston, <a href="#page_70">70</a>;<br> -Amer. Nav. Club, <a href="#page_202">202</a><br> - -<i>Delia Walker</i>, ship, <a href="#page_53">53</a>, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -Dent & Co., owners, China, <a href="#page_59">59</a><br> - -Depaw, Francis, owner of Havre packet line, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -De Peyster, Capt. F. A., packets, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_45">45</a><br> - -Derby, Elias Haskett, Salem merchant, eighteenth century, <a href="#page_12">12-13</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jr., Capt., <i>Atlantic</i>, <a href="#page_12">12</a></span><br> - -<i>Devonshire</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -“<i>Diadem</i>,” Brit. brig., Capt. Johnson’s story, <a href="#page_157">157-9</a><br> - -“Diving Bell,” <i>Lord of the Isles</i>, <a href="#page_209">209</a><br> - -Doane, Capt. Justin, <a href="#page_225">225</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -Donald McKay, clipper ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_273">273</a>, <a href="#page_280">280</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a><br> - -<i>Don Quixote</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_357">357</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a></span><br> - -<i>Dorchester</i>, Boston ship, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -<i>Dorsetshire</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -Douglas, Mr., chief officer on <i>Challenge</i>, <a href="#page_182">182-3</a><br> - -<i>Dragon</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_23">23</a>, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -Dramatic Line, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_45">45</a><br> - -<i>Draper</i>, 18th cent. ship, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -<i>Dreadnought</i>, <a href="#page_44">44</a>, <a href="#page_235">235</a>, <a href="#page_243">243-7</a><br> - -<i>Duchesse d’Orléans</i>, Havre packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Duke of York</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -Dumaresq, Capt. Phillip, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_71">71</a>, <a href="#page_138">138</a>, <a href="#page_175">175</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="E"></a><span class="inx">E</span><br> - -<i>Eagle</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -<i>Eagle Wing</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -<i>Earl of Balcarras</i>, largest ship of Brit. E. India Co., <a href="#page_32">32</a>, <a href="#page_33">33</a>, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -<i>Echo</i>, early N. Y. ship, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -Eckford, Henry, builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_17">17</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Eclipse</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_175">175-6</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -—— later ship, <a href="#page_340">340</a><br> - -<i>Edward Everett</i>, ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -<i>Edwin Forrest</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -Elder, Randolph & Co., builders, <a href="#page_347">347</a><br> - -Eldridge, Capt. Asa, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_247">247</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_384">{384}</a></span>—— Capt. John, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a><br> - -Eldridge, Capt. Oliver, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_64">64</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a><br> - -<i>Electric</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -<i>Electric Spark</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a><br> - -<i>Eliza Shaw</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_322">322</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -Ellis, Capt., <a href="#page_241">241</a><br> - -Emanuel, <i>see</i> Wells<br> - -<i>Emily C. Starr</i>, barque, <a href="#page_345">345</a><br> - -<i>Empress of the Seas</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232-3</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -Englis, John, <a href="#page_149">149</a><br> - -Enright, Capt. Anthony, <i>Chrysolite</i>, <a href="#page_199">199</a><br> - -<i>Erie</i>, Havre packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Erl King</i>, Brit. auxiliary steamer, China trade, <a href="#page_331">331</a><br> - -<i>Espirito Santo</i>, <a href="#page_78">78-9</a><br> - -Esterbrook, Capt., <i>Winged Racer</i>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Esther May</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -<i>Ethiopian</i>, Brit. ship in Australian trade, <a href="#page_333">333</a><br> - -<i>Eureka</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -<i>Euterpe</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="F"></a><span class="inx">F</span><br> - -Fairbank & Wheeler, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Fairlight</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_333">333</a><br> - -<i>Falcon</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_319">319-20</a>, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_347">347</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a><br> - -Farran, Capt., <i>Eagle</i>, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -Fast days’ runs, <a href="#page_179">179</a>, <a href="#page_180">180</a>, <a href="#page_195">195</a>, <a href="#page_214">214</a>, <a href="#page_219">219-20</a>, <a href="#page_245">245-6</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_277">277</a>, <a href="#page_281">281</a>, <a href="#page_334">334</a><br> - -Fast passages: Atlantic, <a href="#page_46">46</a>, <a href="#page_221">221</a>, <a href="#page_247">247</a>, <a href="#page_254">254</a>, <a href="#page_277">277-8</a><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australian, <a href="#page_266">266</a>, <a href="#page_268">268</a>, <a href="#page_281">281-2</a>, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_336">336</a>, <a href="#page_338">338</a></span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">California, <a href="#page_213">213</a>, <a href="#page_218">218</a>, <a href="#page_225">225</a>, <a href="#page_227">227-8</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(eastward), <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_293">293</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_365">365-9</a></span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">China, <a href="#page_199">199</a>, <a href="#page_207">207</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_209">209</a>, <a href="#page_329">329</a>, <a href="#page_335">335</a></span><br> - -Fastest ships: packet, <i>Yorkshire</i>, <a href="#page_46">46</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">clipper, <i>Rainbow</i>, <a href="#page_67">67</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Sea Witch</i>, <a href="#page_192">192</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Gt. Republic</i>, <a href="#page_243">243</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Lightning</i>, <a href="#page_278">278</a></span><br> - -<i>Fearless</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -<i>Federal Eagle</i>, brig, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -Fennell, Capt., <i>Flying Mist</i>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Fernald & Pettigrew, builders, Portsmouth, N. H., <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Fessenden, C. B., owner, Boston, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<i>Fidelia</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Fiery Cross</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_335">335</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_325">325-30</a></span><br> - -<i>Fiery Star-Comet</i>, <a href="#page_343">343</a><br> - -<i>Flavio</i>, ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Fleetwing</i>, yacht, <a href="#page_159">159</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_260">260</a><br> - -<i>Fleetwood</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -Fletcher, Capt., <i>Maury</i>, <a href="#page_209">209</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Oriental</i>, No. <a href="#page_2">2</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a></span><br> - -<i>Florence</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Floyd, John, builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -<i>Fly Away</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a><br> - -<i>Flying Childers</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_236">236</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -<i>Flying Cloud</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_155">155</a>, <a href="#page_174">174</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_217">217</a>, <a href="#page_237">237</a>, <a href="#page_254">254</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_342">342</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_385">{385}</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">N. Y. to S. F.</span><br> - -in 89 days, <a href="#page_144">144</a>, <a href="#page_178">178-81</a>, <a href="#page_248">248</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">log, <a href="#page_179">179-80</a>, <a href="#page_248">248</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">other California passages, <a href="#page_214">214-15</a>, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_298">298-9</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">other passages, <a href="#page_195">195</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_222">222</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">story of race with <i>Ganges</i>, <a href="#page_200">200-2</a></span><br> - -—— Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_357">357</a>;<br> -records, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a><br> - -<i>Flying Dutchman</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, S. F., <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australia, <a href="#page_284">284</a></span><br> - -<i>Flying Fish</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_155">155-6</a>, <a href="#page_173">173</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_237">237</a>, <a href="#page_302">302</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_342">342</a>, <a href="#page_345">345</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race with <i>Sword-Fish</i>, <a href="#page_212">212-13</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">other Cal. passages, <a href="#page_224">224-6</a>, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_295">295-9</a>, <a href="#page_366">366-8</a></span><br> - -<i>Flying Mist</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Flying Scud</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_284">284</a><br> - -<i>Flying Spur</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_325">325</a>, <a href="#page_326">326</a><br> - -Food on board ship, <a href="#page_29">29</a>, <a href="#page_78">78</a>, <a href="#page_90">90</a>, <a href="#page_107">107-8</a>, <a href="#page_188">188</a>, <a href="#page_231">231-2</a>, <a href="#page_262">262</a><br> - -Forbes, Capt. James Nicol, <i>Marco Polo</i>, <a href="#page_266">266</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Lightning</i>, <a href="#page_275">275-6</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Schomberg</i>, <a href="#page_284">284</a></span><br> - -Forrest, Capt., <i>Rattler</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Forward Ho</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_336">336</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -Foster, W. H., & Co., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -—— & Nickerson, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_358">358</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Francis</i>, brig, <a href="#page_84">84</a><br> - -<i>Francis Depaw</i>, ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -Fraser, Capt. Geo., <i>Sea Witch</i>, <a href="#page_69">69</a>, <a href="#page_145">145</a>, <a href="#page_189">189</a>, <a href="#page_192">192</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -Freeman, Capt., <i>Undaunted</i>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Friend, Capt., <i>Sancho Panza</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Funch & Meincke, owners, N. Y. and Baltimore, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="G"></a><span class="inx">G</span><br> - -<i>Galatea</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a><br> - -<i>Game Cock</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_173">173</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_302">302</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_342">342</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_195">195</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a></span><br> - -<i>Ganges</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_200">200-1</a><br> - -Gardner, Capt. E. C., <i>Celestial</i>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Comet</i>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Intrepid</i>, <a href="#page_363">363</a></span><br> - -Gates, Capt., <a href="#page_360">360</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -<i>Gauntlet</i>, <a href="#page_267">267</a><br> - -<i>George Canning</i>, ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>George Peabody</i>, ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -Gerry, Capt., <i>Noonday</i>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Gibb & Livingston, <a href="#page_325">325</a><br> - -Gilman & Co., <a href="#page_325">325</a><br> - -<i>Gipsey</i>, brig, 1804, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -Girard, Stephen, capt. and owner, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -Glidden & Williams, Boston, owners of line of S. Francisco clippers, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_172">172</a>, <a href="#page_349">349-61</a><br> - -<i>Globe</i>, Brit. merchant ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Gloriana</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Glory of the Seas</i>, med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_258">258</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -Goddard, N. S., owner, Boston, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_386">{386}</a></span>Goddard & Co., owners of <i>Race Horse</i>, Boston, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -<i>Golden Age</i>, clipper barque, <a href="#page_366">366</a><br> - -<i>Golden City</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a></span><br> - -<i>Golden Eagle</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_354">354</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a></span><br> - -<i>Golden Fleece</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Golden Gate</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -<i>Golden Light</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_343">343-4</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -<i>Golden State</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -<i>Golden West</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -Goodhue & Co., N. Y., owners of <i>Mandarin</i>, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -Goodwin, Gov. of N. H., <a href="#page_165">165</a><br> - -Gordon, Capt. Geo., <i>Memnon</i>, <a href="#page_145">145</a><br> - -Gore, Capt., <i>North Wind</i>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>Governor Morton</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -<i>Grace Darling</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<i>Grand Turk</i>, Salem ship, <a href="#page_12">12</a><br> - -Gray, Capt. Robt., 1788, <a href="#page_14">14</a><br> - -—— Wm., Salem merchant, <a href="#page_13">13</a><br> - -<i>Great Britain</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a>, <a href="#page_71">71-2</a>, <a href="#page_138">138</a><br> - -<i>Great Republic</i>, clipper ship, largest extreme clipper ship ever built, <a href="#page_235">235-43</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_345">345</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">launch, <a href="#page_236">236-8</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">masts and spars, <a href="#page_238">238-40</a>, <a href="#page_242">242-3</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">burnt, <a href="#page_240">240-2</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">rebuilt, <a href="#page_242">242-3</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_293">293</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">log, <a href="#page_294">294</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">estimated speed, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_294">294-5</a></span><br> - -<i>Great Western</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Greenfield</i>, barque, <a href="#page_368">368</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">brought first cargo of wheat from California, <a href="#page_254">254</a></span><br> - -Greenman & Co., builders, Mystic, Conn., <a href="#page_232">232</a><br> - -Gregory, Capt. Michael, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Griffeths, John W., <a href="#page_65">65-66</a><br> - -Grinnell, Minturn & Co., N. Y., owners, packet lines, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_42">42</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cal. clippers, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">flags, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a></span><br> - -Griswold, John, N. Y.,-London packet line, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_42">42</a><br> - -—— N. L. & G., owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_60">60</a>, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_64">64</a>, <a href="#page_68">68</a>, <a href="#page_156">156</a>, <a href="#page_189">189</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -—— Capt., <i>Toronto</i>, <a href="#page_162">162</a><br> - -<i>Guest</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, 1611, <a href="#page_23">23</a><br> - -<i>Guiding Star</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -—— Brit. clipper ship, <a href="#page_267">267</a>, <a href="#page_268">268</a>, <a href="#page_269">269</a>, <a href="#page_272">272</a><br> - -<i>Guinevere</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, Nos. 1 and <a href="#page_2">2</a>, <a href="#page_347">347</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="H"></a><span class="inx">H</span><br> - -Hackett, Wm. & John, builders, Salisbury, Mass; U. S. frigate <i>Alliance</i>, 1778, <a href="#page_6">6</a><br> - -Hale, Capt., <i>Guiding Star</i>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -Hall, Alexander, & Co., <a href="#page_58">58</a>, <a href="#page_59">59</a>, <a href="#page_198">198</a>, <a href="#page_199">199</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_322">322</a>, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_371">371-2</a><br> - -Hall, Samuel, builder, East Boston, <a href="#page_50">50</a>, <a href="#page_137">137</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_250">250</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">clipper schooner, <a href="#page_58">58</a>;</span><br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_387">{387}</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">China clippers, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_64">64</a>;</span><br> - -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cal. clippers, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_198">198</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_225">225</a>, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_349">349-58</a></span><br> - -—— Jr., <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Hallet, Capt., <i>Radiant</i>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -—— & Co., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -Hamilton, Capt., <i>Eclipse</i>, <a href="#page_175">175-6</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -Handy & Everett, owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -Hanscom, Saml., Portsmouth, N. H., builder of <i>Nightingale</i>, <a href="#page_164">164-5</a><br> - -<i>Harvest Queen</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -—— barque, <a href="#page_291">291</a><br> - -<i>Harvey Birch</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Haskell, Capt., <i>Norseman</i>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -Hastings, Henry, owner, Boston, <a href="#page_361">361</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Hatch, Capt., <i>Northern Light</i>, <a href="#page_228">228</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Midnight</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a></span><br> - -Hathorne, Wm., of Hathorne & Steers, builders, N. Y., <a href="#page_49">49</a><br> - -Hayden & Cudworth, builders, Medford, <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Hayes, Capt., lost on <i>Rainbow</i>, <a href="#page_68">68</a><br> - -Hays, Capt. Gilbert, of <i>Beauregard</i>, <a href="#page_141">141</a><br> - -<i>Hazard</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_298">298</a><br> - -Heard, Augustine, & Co., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_303">303</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -<i>Hebe</i>, French frigate, model for British, <a href="#page_5">5</a><br> - -<i>Hector</i>, Brit. E. Indiamen, in first fleet, <a href="#page_23">23</a>, <a href="#page_24">24</a><br> - -<i>Helen Mar</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Helen Morris</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_258">258</a><br> - -<i>Helena</i>, early clipper ship, <a href="#page_62">62</a><br> - -<i>Helicon</i>, barque, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Helvetia</i>, Girard ship, China trade, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -Henderson, Capt., <i>Gazelle</i>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -Henning, Capt., Brit. ship <i>Alfred</i>, <a href="#page_37">37</a><br> - -<i>Henrietta</i>, yacht, <a href="#page_159">159</a><br> - -Henry, Capt., <i>Raven</i>, <a href="#page_189">189-92</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Skylark</i>, <a href="#page_359">359</a></span><br> - -<i>Henry Allen</i>, ship, <a href="#page_193">193</a><br> - -<i>Henry Clay</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">admired at L’pool, <a href="#page_89">89</a></span><br> - -<i>Henry Hill</i>, clipper barque, <a href="#page_258">258</a><br> - -<i>Herald of the Morning</i>, med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -<i>Hercules</i>, early ship, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -—— packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Herefordshire</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a>, <a href="#page_345">345</a><br> - -<i>Hersilia</i>, brig, sealing voyages, <a href="#page_77">77-80</a><br> - -<i>Hibernia</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a>, <a href="#page_84">84</a>, <a href="#page_160">160</a><br> - -—— Brit. clipper ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_266">266</a><br> - -<i>Highflyer</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_244">244</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -Hill, Capt., <i>Challenge</i>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -Hollis, Capt., <i>Game Cock</i>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -Holt, Alfred, L’pool, builder of iron screw steamers, <a href="#page_332">332</a><br> - -Hood, Jas. M., builder, Somerset, Mass., <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_388">{388}</a></span>—— & Co., builders, Somerset, Mass., <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Hood, Walter & Co., builders, Aberdeen, <i>Abergeldie</i>, <a href="#page_205">205-6</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Thermopylæ</i>, <a href="#page_333">333</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a></span><br> - -Hooper, J., owner, Baltimore, <a href="#page_357">357</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Witch of the Wave</i>, <a href="#page_169">169</a></span><br> - -<i>Hope</i>, ship, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -<i>Horatio</i>, ship in China trade, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a><br> - -<i>Hornet</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -records, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a><br> - -<i>Hotspur</i>, Brit. merchant frigate, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -<i>Hottinger</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -<i>Houqua</i>, clipper ship in China trade, <a href="#page_63">63</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_77">77</a>, <a href="#page_84">84</a>, <a href="#page_85">85</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -Howes, Capt. Frederic, <a href="#page_236">236</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Howes & Crowell, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_353">353</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Howland, Capt. Williams, <a href="#page_141">141-2</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -Hubbard, Capt., <i>Flying Dutchman</i>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -Huckins, Jas., Boston, owner of <i>Northern Light</i>, <a href="#page_163">163-4</a><br> - -—— & Co., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -<i>Hudson</i>, N. Y., packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_44">44</a><br> - -Hunnewell, Jas., owner, Boston, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -Hunt & Wagner, builders, Baltimore, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Huntress</i>, ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Huntsville</i>, N. Y.,-N. Orleans packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_84">84</a><br> - -<i>Hurricane</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_163">163</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_218">218</a>, <a href="#page_248">248</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a></span><br> - -Hussey, Capt., <i>Westward Ho</i>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Hyderabad</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="I"></a><span class="inx">I</span><br> - -<i>Inconium</i>, ship, <a href="#page_193">193</a><br> - -<i>Independence</i>, New York-L’pool packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_45">45</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">carried President’s message, <a href="#page_45">45</a></span><br> - -Innes, Capt., <i>Serica</i>, <a href="#page_326">326</a><br> - -<i>Ino</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">in U. S. Navy, <a href="#page_253">253</a></span><br> - -<i>Intrepid</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Invincible</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_156">156-7</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_301">301</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">in Australian trade, <a href="#page_283">283</a></span><br> - -Irons & Grinnell, builders, Mystic, Conn., <a href="#page_295">295</a><br> - -<i>Isaac Wright</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_44">44</a>, <a href="#page_45">45</a><br> - -<i>Isaac Webb</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Isaac Wright</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -Ismay, Imrie & Co., L’pool, White Star Australian Line, <a href="#page_268">268</a><br> - -<i>Istamboul</i>, Brit. auxil. vessel, <a href="#page_287">287</a><br> - -<i>Ivanhoe</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="J"></a><span class="inx">J</span><br> - -Jackman, Geo. W., builder, Newburyport, <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_360">360-3</a><br> - -—— R. E., builder, East Boston, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_270">270</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -—— & Ewell, builders, E. Boston, <a href="#page_358">358</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Jacob Bell</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_389">{389}</a></span>—— N. Y. pilot boat, <a href="#page_305">305</a><br> - -<i>James Baines</i>, clipper ship, for Australian service, <a href="#page_273">273</a>, <a href="#page_279">279-80</a>, <a href="#page_281">281</a>, <a href="#page_288">288</a>, <a href="#page_334">334</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">carried troops to India, <a href="#page_281">281-2</a></span><br> - -<i>James Cropper</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -<i>James Monroe</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a><br> - -<i>Jamestown</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -<i>Japan</i>, ship in Australian trade, <a href="#page_273">273</a><br> - -Jardine, Matheson & Co., China merchants, <a href="#page_59">59</a>, <a href="#page_197">197</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_325">325</a><br> - -<i>Jenny Lind</i>, ship, Boston, <a href="#page_56">56</a>, <a href="#page_217">217</a><br> - -<i>John Bertram</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_173">173</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -<i>John E. Thayer</i>, ship, Boston, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -<i>John Gilpin</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_224">224-6</a></span><br> - -<i>John Jay</i>, ship, N. Y., <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>John Land</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -<i>John Quincy Adams</i>, ship, Boston, <a href="#page_156">156</a><br> - -<i>John R. Skiddy</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -<i>John Wade</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -Johnson, Capt. H. W., <i>Invincible</i>, <a href="#page_157">157</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">story of <i>Diadem</i>, <a href="#page_157">157-9</a></span><br> - -—— Capt., <i>Kate Hooper</i>, Baltimore, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -—— Napier & Co., <a href="#page_303">303</a><br> - -Johnston, Capt. John, N. Y. packets, <a href="#page_44">44</a>, <a href="#page_45">45</a><br> - -Jones, Quiggin & Co., L’pool, owners of <i>Seaforth</i>, <a href="#page_322">322</a><br> - -Jordan, John, L’pool, inventor of composite construction, <a href="#page_322">322</a><br> - -<i>Joseph Walker</i>, ship, <a href="#page_242">242</a><br> - -<i>Joshua Bates</i>, Boston-L’pool packet ship, <a href="#page_55">55</a><br> - -<i>Judge Shaw</i>, ship, <a href="#page_293">293</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="K"></a><span class="inx">K</span><br> - -<i>Kaisow</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -<i>Kate Carine</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_267">267</a><br> - -<i>Kate Hooper</i>, Cal. clipper ship, Baltimore, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -<i>Kathay</i>, <i>Cathay</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Keay, Capt., tea clipper <i>Ariel</i>, <a href="#page_326">326</a><br> - -<i>Kellie Castle</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -Kemball, Capt. John, 1788, <a href="#page_14">14</a><br> - -Kennard & Williamson, Baltimore, builders of <i>Ann McKim</i>, <a href="#page_60">60</a><br> - -Kermit, Robert, N. Y.-L’pool packet line, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_46">46</a><br> - -Kerwin, Capt., <i>Golden West</i>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -<i>Khersonese</i>, Brit. auxiliary steamer, <a href="#page_287">287</a><br> - -Kilham, Capt., <i>Jacob Bell</i>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -Killick, Capt., <i>Challenger</i>, <a href="#page_206">206</a><br> - -King, Capt., <i>Race Horse</i>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -<i>Kingfisher</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Klein, Capt., <i>Spirit of the Times</i>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Knight, Capt., <i>Queen of the Seas</i>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Morning Light</i>, <a href="#page_358">358</a></span><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_390">{390}</a></span>Knowles, Capt., <i>Wild Wave</i>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="L"></a><span class="inx">L</span><br> - -<i>L. Z.</i>, N. Y. ship, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Lady Melville</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Lahloo</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">races, <a href="#page_332">332-3</a>, <a href="#page_336">336</a></span><br> - -Laing & Co., builders, Sunderland, Eng., <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -Lamb, Edward, & Co., Boston, owners, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Lanark</i>, Brit. clipper brig, opium trade, <a href="#page_59">59</a><br> - -<i>Lancaster</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -Land, Capt. John, <a href="#page_67">67</a>, <a href="#page_187">187</a><br> - -Landholm, Capt., <i>John Bertram</i>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -Landor, W. S., yacht <i>America</i>, <a href="#page_310">310</a><br> - -Lane, Capt. Geo., <i>Sweepstakes</i>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>;<br> -Pacific Mail S. S. Co., <a href="#page_233">233</a><br> - -Lang, Capt., <i>Sea Witch</i>, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -Lapham, Saml., builder, Medford, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -Laurence & Folkes, builders, N. Y., <a href="#page_49">49</a><br> - -Lawrie & Co., builders, Glasgow, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -<i>Leander</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_333">333-6</a></span><br> - -<i>Leonore</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -<i>Libertas</i>, ship, <a href="#page_282">282</a><br> - -<i>Liberator</i>, Greek frigate built in N. Y., <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Light Brigade-Ocean Telegraph</i>, <a href="#page_346">346</a><br> - -<i>Light Horse</i>, barque, Salem, 1784, <a href="#page_12">12</a><br> - -<i>Lightfoot</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>Lightning</i>, clipper ship for Australian trade, <a href="#page_273">273</a>, <a href="#page_274">274-5</a>, <a href="#page_285">285</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">passages, <a href="#page_275">275-8</a>, <a href="#page_281">281-8</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">log, <a href="#page_227">227-8</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">carrying troops to India, <a href="#page_282">282-3</a></span><br> - -—— later ship, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -Limeburner, Capt., <i>Great Republic</i>, <a href="#page_243">243</a>, <a href="#page_293">293</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -Lincoln, Wm., & Co., Boston, owners, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>Lincolnshire</i>, Brit. ship in Australian trade, <a href="#page_285">285</a><br> - -Linnell, Capt., <i>Eagle Wing</i>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -<i>Lintin</i>, ship. Forbes’s rig, <a href="#page_236">236</a><br> - -<i>Live Yankee</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>Liverpool</i>, packet ship, N. Y., <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -—— packet ship, Boston, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -Lockwood, Capt., <i>White Squall</i>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -Lodge, John E., Boston, owner, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Logs: <i>Flying Cloud</i>, <a href="#page_178">178-81</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Raven et al.</i>, <a href="#page_192">192</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Sov. of Seas</i>, <a href="#page_219">219-20</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Flying Fish</i> and <i>John Gilpin</i>, <a href="#page_226">226</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Dreadnought</i>, <a href="#page_245">245-6</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Romance of Seas</i>, <a href="#page_249">249</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Lightning</i>, <a href="#page_277">277</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>James Baines</i>, <a href="#page_281">281-2</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Sweepstakes</i>, <a href="#page_290">290</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Great Republic</i>, <a href="#page_294">294</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">tea clippers, <a href="#page_329">329-30</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Thermopylæ</i>, <a href="#page_334">334</a></span><br> - -<i>Look Out</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -<i>Lord Amherst</i>, Brit. schooner, opium trade, <a href="#page_58">58</a><br> - -<i>Lord Lyndhurst</i>, ship, <a href="#page_293">293</a><br> - -<i>Lord of the Isles</i>, Brit. clipper ship (iron), tea trade, <a href="#page_208">208-10</a>, <a href="#page_267">267</a>, <a href="#page_288">288</a>, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_376">376</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">second of the name, <a href="#page_346">346</a></span><br> - -<i>Lothair</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_391">{391}</a></span><i>Louis Philippe</i>, Havre packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -Low, Capt. Chas. P., <a href="#page_145">145</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <a href="#page_214">214-15</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mrs. Low, <a href="#page_306">306</a></span><br> - -—— A. A., & Brother, owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_63">63</a>, <a href="#page_64">64</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_85">85</a>, <a href="#page_87">87</a>, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <a href="#page_209">209</a>, <a href="#page_227">227</a>, <a href="#page_242">242</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a><br> - -<i>Lowell</i>, Boston packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Lowther Castle</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a>, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -Lucas, Capt. Frederic, <a href="#page_254">254</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Lucilla</i>, ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="M"></a><span class="inx">M</span><br> - -McCumm, Jas., Greenock, owner of <i>Sir Launcelot</i>, <a href="#page_335">335</a><br> - -McDonnell, Capt. Chas., <i>Marco Polo</i>, <a href="#page_267">267-8</a><br> - -McIntyre, L. H., & Co., builders, Liverpool, <a href="#page_322">322</a><br> - -McKay, Donald, Highland chieftain, <a href="#page_53">53</a><br> - -McKay, Donald, clipper ship builder, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_53">53</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_225">225</a>, <a href="#page_258">258-9</a>, <a href="#page_276">276</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">boyhood, <a href="#page_53">53</a>, <a href="#page_258">258</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">New York, <a href="#page_53">53</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Newburyport, <a href="#page_53">53-5</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">East Boston, <a href="#page_56">56</a>, <a href="#page_62">62</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">packet ships, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_270">270</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">California clippers, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_212">212</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_250">250</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, <a href="#page_221">221</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Great Republic</i>, <a href="#page_235">235</a>, <a href="#page_243">243</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">medium clippers, <a href="#page_255">255</a>, <a href="#page_258">258</a>, <a href="#page_290">290-1</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">tribute to Abbott Lawrence, <a href="#page_256">256-7</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australian clippers, <a href="#page_273">273-83</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Civil War, <a href="#page_258">258</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">last years, <a href="#page_258">258</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mrs. McKay, <a href="#page_221">221-2</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Currier & McKay, <a href="#page_53">53-4</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">McKay, & Pickett, <a href="#page_54">54</a></span><br> - -—— Hugh, builder, Boston, <a href="#page_217">217</a><br> - -—— Capt. Lauchlan, <a href="#page_217">217-275</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Sov. of the Seas</i>, <a href="#page_217">217-19</a>, <a href="#page_269">269</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Great Republic</i>, <a href="#page_238">238</a>, <a href="#page_241">241</a></span><br> - -McKenzie, Capt., <i>Houqua</i>, <a href="#page_63">63</a>, <a href="#page_145">145</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -McKim, Isaac, Baltimore, owner of <i>Ann McKim</i>, <a href="#page_60">60</a>, <a href="#page_61">61</a><br> - -McKinnon, Capt., <i>Taeping</i>, <a href="#page_326">326</a><br> - -<i>Madagascar</i>, Brit. ship, Australian line, <a href="#page_263">263-4</a><br> - -Magoun, Thacher, builder, Medford, <a href="#page_51">51-2</a><br> - -—— Medford, builder of Cal. clippers, <a href="#page_362">362-3</a><br> - -<i>Malay</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a><br> - -Mallory, Chas., builder, Mystic, Conn., <a href="#page_358">358</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -<i>Mandarin</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_145">145-6</a>, <a href="#page_301">301</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">passages: S. Francisco, <a href="#page_146">146</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Canton, <a href="#page_208">208</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Melbourne, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_288">288</a></span><br> - -<i>Manhattan</i> ship, 1796, China trade, <a href="#page_16">16-17</a><br> - -—— N. Y. packet ship, Red Star Line, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -—— N. Y. packet ship, Black Ball Line, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -Manning & Stanwood, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Manson, Capt., <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Marco Polo</i>, Brit. clipper ship, Australian service, <a href="#page_265">265-6</a>, <a href="#page_267">267-8</a>, <a href="#page_275">275</a>, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a><br> - -<i>Margaret Evans</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_89">89</a><br> - -<i>Margaret Forbes</i>, ship, Boston, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Maria Somes</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_392">{392}</a></span><i>Marion</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Marion MacIntyre</i>, Brit. barque, composite build, <a href="#page_322">322</a><br> - -<i>Marlborough</i>, Brit. merchant frigate, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Marquis of Camden</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Marquis of Wellington</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -Marsden, Capt., <i>Melbourne</i>, <a href="#page_338">338</a><br> - -Marshall, Benj., part owner, Black Ball Line, N. Y.-L’pool, <a href="#page_38">38</a><br> - -—— Capt. Chas. H., owner, Black Ball Line, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_73">73</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a><br> - -<i>Mary and John</i>, ship of Popham colonists, 1607, <a href="#page_1">1</a><br> - -<i>Mary Broughton</i>, barque, <a href="#page_53">53</a><br> - -<i>Mary Fish</i>, N. Y. pilot boat, <a href="#page_305">305</a><br> - -<i>Mary Howland</i>, ship, N. Y., <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Mary L. Sutton</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a></span><br> - -<i>Mary Taylor</i>, N. Y. pilot boat, <a href="#page_305">305</a><br> - -<i>Mary Whitridge</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_86">86</a>, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_254">254</a><br> - -Mason, John W., carver, Boston, <a href="#page_166">166</a><br> - -<i>Mastiff</i>, med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_258">258</a><br> - -Masting of <i>Rainbow</i>, <a href="#page_66">66-7</a><br> - -<i>Matchless</i>, clipper ship, Boston, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -Materials of merchant ships, <a href="#page_3">3</a>, <a href="#page_10">10</a>, <a href="#page_30">30</a>, <a href="#page_50">50</a>, <a href="#page_210">210</a>, <a href="#page_285">285</a>, <a href="#page_287">287-8</a>, <a href="#page_301">301</a>, <a href="#page_313">313-15</a>, <a href="#page_316">316</a>, <a href="#page_322">322</a>, <a href="#page_340">340</a><br> - -Mather, Capt. Saml., <i>Nightingale</i>, <a href="#page_207">207</a><br> - -Matheson, Sir James, owner of <i>Stornoway</i>, <a href="#page_198">198</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>see</i> Jardine</span><br> - -Matthews, Capt., Cal. clippers, <a href="#page_359">359</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Maury, Lieut. M. F., U. S. N., life, <a href="#page_146">146-50</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wind and Current Charts, <a href="#page_147">147-8</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_226">226</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“Maury’s log,” <a href="#page_148">148</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sailing Directions, <a href="#page_147">147-49</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Physical Geography of the Sea, <a href="#page_148">148</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australian routes, <a href="#page_261">261</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">opinion of <i>Gt. Republic</i>, <a href="#page_294">294</a></span><br> - -<i>Maury</i>, clipper barque, tea trade, <a href="#page_209">209</a><br> - -Maxon & Fish, builders, Mystic, Conn., <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -Maxton, Capt., <i>Lord of the Isles</i>, <a href="#page_209">209</a>, <a href="#page_320">320</a><br> - -Mayhew, Capt. P. N., <i>Dreadnought</i>, <a href="#page_247">247</a><br> - -<i>Medway</i>, ship, London-Melbourne line, <a href="#page_263">263-5</a><br> - -<i>Memnon</i>, clipper ship, China trade, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_202">202</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">California passages, <a href="#page_145">145-6</a>, <a href="#page_180">180</a></span><br> - -<i>Merchants’ Hope</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_232">232</a><br> - -<i>Merchants’ Magazine</i>, Hunt’s, <a href="#page_148">148</a><br> - -<i>Mercury</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Mermaid</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a><br> - -<i>Messenger</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -Metcalf & Co., builders, Damariscotta, Me., <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<i>Meteor</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_354">354</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -Middleton, Sir Henry, commander of <i>Trades Increase</i>, 1609, <a href="#page_23">23</a><br> - -<i>Midnight</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Miller, Capt., <i>Dauntless</i>, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_393">{393}</a></span>Millett, Capt. I. H., <i>Witch of the Wave</i>, <a href="#page_172">172</a>, <a href="#page_206">206</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -<i>Min</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -<i>Minerva</i>, ship, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -—— Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a>, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -<i>Minna</i>, clipper schooner, opium trade, <a href="#page_59">59</a><br> - -<i>Minnehaha</i>, med. clipper ship, <a href="#page_258">258</a><br> - -Minot & Hooper, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_68">68</a><br> - -Minturn, Robt., <a href="#page_109">109</a><br> - -<i>Miroslav-Young America</i>, <a href="#page_234">234</a><br> - -<i>Monarch</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -—— Aberdeen clipper, <a href="#page_58">58</a><br> - -<i>Monsoon</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -<i>Montana</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Montauk</i>, clipper ship, China trade, <a href="#page_63">63-4</a><br> - -<i>Montesquieu</i>, Girard ship, China trade, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -<i>Montezuma</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_46">46</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a>, <a href="#page_89">89</a><br> - -Morgan, Capt. E. E., packet ships, <a href="#page_44">44</a><br> - -<i>Morning Light</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>Morning Star</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a><br> - -Morris, Capt., <i>R. B. Forbes</i>, <a href="#page_139">139-40</a><br> - -<i>Moses Wheeler</i>, ship, Boston, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -Mumford, Capt. O. R., <i>Tornado</i>, <a href="#page_211">211-12</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -Murphy, Capt., <i>Black Warrior</i>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -Murray, Alexander, <a href="#page_11">11</a><br> - -Myers, Capt., <i>Flora Temple</i>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -Myrick, Capt., <i>Seaman</i>, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -<i>Mystery</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Mystic, Conn., <a href="#page_160">160</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">ship-building, <a href="#page_105">105</a>, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a></span><br> - -<br> -<a id="N"></a><span class="inx">N</span><br> - -<i>N. B. Palmer</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_87">87</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <a href="#page_174">174</a>, <a href="#page_301">301</a>, <a href="#page_306">306</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_178">178</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race with <i>Flying Cloud</i>, <a href="#page_214">214-15</a></span><br> - -<i>Nabob</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Napier, Johnson & Co., N. Y., owners of <i>Sunny South</i>, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a><br> - -<i>Napoleon</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Nashville</i>, New Orleans packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Natchez</i>, N. Orleans packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_68">68</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">in China trade, <a href="#page_74">74-5</a>, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a></span><br> - -Nelson, Capt., <i>Harvey Birch</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Neptune’s Car</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_306">306-7</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a></span><br> - -<i>Nestor</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a><br> - -<i>New World</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_56">56</a>, <a href="#page_89">89</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a><br> - -<i>New York</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -Newburyport, <a href="#page_167">167</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">ship-builders, <a href="#page_18">18</a>, <a href="#page_52">52</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>see</i> Currier, Jackson, McKay;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">ship-building, <a href="#page_7">7</a>, <a href="#page_49">49</a>, <a href="#page_68">68</a>, <a href="#page_105">105</a>, <a href="#page_243">243</a></span><br> - -Newlands, Capt. Alexander, <i>Lightning</i>, <a href="#page_279">279</a><br> - -<i>Niagara</i>, first ship built at E. Boston, <a href="#page_50">50</a><br> - -<i>Niantic</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_176">176-7</a><br> - -Nicholas, Jonathan, impromptu lines, <a href="#page_170">170</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_394">{394}</a></span>Nickels, Capt. Edward, <i>Flying Fish</i>, <a href="#page_156">156</a>, <a href="#page_213">213</a>, <a href="#page_225">225</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_345">345</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -—— Commander John A. H., U. S. N., <a href="#page_156">156</a><br> - -<i>Nightingale</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_164">164-5</a>, <a href="#page_196">196</a>, <a href="#page_302">302</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">China passage, <a href="#page_206">206-7</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australian passage, <a href="#page_284">284</a></span><br> - -<i>Nonpareil</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Noonday</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Norfolk</i>, Brit. ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_285">285</a><br> - -<i>Norma</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -<i>Norseman</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_289">289</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -<i>North America</i>, ship, 1804, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -—— clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a><br> - -North Beach, S. Francisco, <a href="#page_175">175</a><br> - -<i>North Wind</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_288">288</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a><br> - -<i>Northern Light</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_163">163</a>, <a href="#page_164">164</a>, <a href="#page_173">173</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_302">302</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_227">227-8</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">quickest eastward passage from S. Francisco, <a href="#page_227">227-8</a></span><br> - -—— later ship, <a href="#page_340">340</a><br> - -<i>Northerner</i>, Pacific Mail S. S., <a href="#page_75">75</a>, <a href="#page_189">189</a><br> - -Northfleet, Kent, ship-building, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Nor’wester</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Nott, Capt., <i>Don Quixote</i>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -Noyes, Charlotte, Mrs. D. S. Babcock, <a href="#page_161">161</a>, <a href="#page_306">306</a><br> - -—— Joseph Stonington, <a href="#page_161">161</a><br> - -Nutsfield, Capt., <i>Taitsing</i>, <a href="#page_326">326</a><br> - -Nye, Capt. Ezra, packet ships <i>Independence</i>, <a href="#page_45">45</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Henry Clay</i>, <a href="#page_89">89</a></span><br> - -Nye, Parkin & Co., China merchants, <a href="#page_70">70</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="O"></a><span class="inx">O</span><br> - -<i>Oberlin</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Ocean Chief</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_271">271</a><br> - -<i>Ocean Express</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -<i>Ocean Monarch</i>, packet ship (McKay), <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -—— packet ship (Webb), <a href="#page_164">164</a><br> - -<i>Ocean Pearl</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a><br> - -<i>Ocean Queen</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Ocean Telegraph</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_218">218</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a></span><br> - -<i>Odd Fellow</i>, barque, <a href="#page_217">217</a><br> - -Ogden, David, N. Y., owner Red Cross packets, <a href="#page_244">244</a>, <a href="#page_304">304</a><br> - -<i>Oliver Ellesworth</i>, ship, N. Y., <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -Oliver, Francis, E. Boston Timber Co., <a href="#page_49">49</a><br> - -<i>Olympus</i>, ship, <a href="#page_343">343</a><br> - -<i>Oneida</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -—— ship, China trade, <a href="#page_155">155</a>, <a href="#page_222">222</a><br> - -<i>Orbit</i>, packet ship, 1821, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Oriental</i>, clipper ship, 1849, China trade, <a href="#page_77">77</a>, <a href="#page_84">84</a>, <a href="#page_85">85</a>, <a href="#page_96">96-8</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_202">202</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">carrying tea to London, <a href="#page_97">97-8</a>, <a href="#page_196">196</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">California passage, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship, 1853, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -—— later ship, <a href="#page_340">340</a><br> - -Osgood, Capt. W. H., <i>Trade Wind</i>, <a href="#page_164">164</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_395">{395}</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Cyclone</i>, <a href="#page_356">356</a></span><br> - -<i>Oxford</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -Oxnard, Henry, owner, Boston, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="P"></a><span class="inx">P</span><br> - -<i>Pacific</i>, packet ship, 1816, <a href="#page_38">38</a><br> - -—— ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -—— Collins Line S. S., <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_309">309</a><br> - -Pacific Mail S. S. company, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_75">75</a>, <a href="#page_84">84</a>, <a href="#page_103">103</a>, <a href="#page_189">189</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_313">313</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">first S. S. to reach S. Francisco, 1849, <a href="#page_103">103</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">first to reach China, 1862, <a href="#page_319">319</a></span><br> - -Paige, James, E. Boston Timber Co., <a href="#page_49">49</a><br> - -<i>Pallas</i>, barque, Boston, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -Palmer, Capt. Alexander, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_86">86</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a><br> - -—— Capt. N. B., <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_63">63</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_77">77-86</a> (life), <a href="#page_96">96</a>, <a href="#page_160">160-2</a>, <a href="#page_242">242</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">mate of <i>Hersilia</i>, <a href="#page_77">77-80</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">discovered Antarctic continent, <a href="#page_81">81-3</a></span><br> - -—— N. B., 2d, <a href="#page_86">86</a><br> - -—— Capt. Theodore, <a href="#page_97">97</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a><br> - -<i>Palmer</i>, schooner yacht, <a href="#page_87">87</a><br> - -<i>Pamparo</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_358">358</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -<i>Panama</i>, clipper ship (Webb), 1844, China trade, <a href="#page_64">64</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -—— Cal. clipper ship (Collyer, 1853), <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>Panther</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -Parker, D. P., Boston, owner of <i>Lucille</i>, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -Paterson, Capt., <i>Phantom</i>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Patriarch</i>, Brit. ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_333">333</a><br> - -<i>Patrick Henry</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_46">46</a><br> - -Patten, Capt. Joshua A., <i>Neptune’s Car</i>, <a href="#page_306">306-7</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mrs. Mary Patten, <a href="#page_306">306-7</a></span><br> - -Paul, Capt. Josiah, <i>Great Republic</i>, <a href="#page_295">295</a><br> - -<i>Paul, Albert-Lord of the Isles</i>, <a href="#page_346">346</a><br> - -<i>Paul Jones</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_62">62-3</a>, <a href="#page_77">77</a>, <a href="#page_84">84</a><br> - -Peabody, Alfred, owner, Salem, <a href="#page_166">166</a><br> - -—— Joseph, owner, Salem, <a href="#page_13">13</a>, <a href="#page_119">119</a><br> - -<i>Peggy</i>, Salem ship, brought first cargo of cotton to Massachusetts, <a href="#page_13">13</a><br> - -Pierce, Henry A., Boston, owner, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Penguin</i>, clipper barque, China trade, <a href="#page_209">209</a><br> - -Penhallow, Capt., <i>Sierra Nevada</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Pennsylvania</i>, N. Y. packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -Perrin, Patterson & Stock, builders, Williamsburg, N. Y., <a href="#page_49">49</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -Perry, Capt., <i>Ann McKim</i>, <a href="#page_61">61</a><br> - -<i>Perseverance.</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Phantom</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_345">345</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_290">290</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -Phillips, J. W., N. Y., owner of <i>Invincible</i>, <a href="#page_156">156</a><br> - -Pierce, Capt., <i>Celestial Empire</i>, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -Pike, Capt., <i>Meteor</i>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -Pile, John, builder, Sunderland, Eng., <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -—— Wm., builder, Sunderland, <a href="#page_320">320</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_396">{396}</a></span>Pile & Cole, builders, Sunderland, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -Pilkington & Wilson, Liverpool, owners, <a href="#page_272">272</a><br> - -Pitcher shipyard, Northfleet, Kent, <a href="#page_33">33</a><br> - -Platt, W., & Son., Phila., owners, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_164">164</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<i>Plymouth</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Plymouth Rock</i>, ship, Boston, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -Plympton, H. P., Boston, part owner of <i>Defender</i>, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -<i>Polynesia</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -Pook, Saml., naval architect, <a href="#page_270">270-1</a><br> - -Potter, Capt. Geo., <i>Architect</i>, <a href="#page_70">70</a><br> - -—— Capt., <i>Matchless</i>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -<i>President</i>, 44-gun frigate, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -—— packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Prince Regent</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Prince of Wales</i>, “Blackwall frigate,” <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Princess Amelia</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Princess Royal</i>, Brit, ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -Protection, <a href="#page_92">92</a>, <a href="#page_94">94</a>, <a href="#page_95">95</a>, <a href="#page_316">316-17</a><br> - -Putnam, Capt., Cal. clippers, <a href="#page_353">353</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="Q"></a><span class="inx">Q</span><br> - -<i>Queen of Clippers</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Queen of the East</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<i>Queen Mab</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<i>Queen of the Seas</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Queen of the South</i>, Brit. iron screw steamer, <a href="#page_286">286</a><br> - -<i>Queen of the West</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="R"></a><span class="inx">R</span><br> - -<i>R. B. Forbes</i>, ship, <a href="#page_236">236</a>, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -—— wrecking steamer, <a href="#page_138">138-40</a>, <a href="#page_167">167-72</a>, <a href="#page_238">238</a>, <a href="#page_240">240</a>, <a href="#page_279">279</a><br> - -<i>Race Horse</i>, Cal. clipper barque, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_145">145</a>, <a href="#page_198">198</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_146">146</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a></span><br> - -Races:<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">packet, <a href="#page_45">45</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">yachts, <a href="#page_64">64</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_310">310-11</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">California clippers, <a href="#page_145">145-6</a>, <a href="#page_189">189-92</a>, <a href="#page_212">212-13</a>, <a href="#page_214">214-15</a>, <a href="#page_225">225-6</a>, <a href="#page_227">227-8</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">tea clippers, <a href="#page_200">200-2</a>, <a href="#page_206">206-7</a>, <a href="#page_209">209</a>, <a href="#page_324">324-30</a>, <a href="#page_332">332-3</a>, <a href="#page_335">335-6</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">to India, <a href="#page_282">282-3</a></span><br> - -Racing:<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">packet ship, <a href="#page_45">45</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">yacht, <a href="#page_226">226</a>, <a href="#page_339">339</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cal. clippers, <a href="#page_145">145</a>, <a href="#page_192">192-3</a>, <a href="#page_195">195</a>, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_226">226</a>, <a href="#page_228">228</a>, <a href="#page_249">249</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">sail and steam, <a href="#page_311">311-12</a></span><br> - -<i>Radiant</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Rainbow</i>, Brit. frigate, 1782, <a href="#page_5">5</a><br> - -—— first extreme clipper ship, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_65">65-7</a>, <a href="#page_68">68</a>, <a href="#page_314">314</a><br> - -—— later ship, <a href="#page_340">340</a><br> - -Ranlett, Capt. Chas., <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -—— Jr., <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -<i>Rapid</i>, schooner, Aberdeen clipper, <a href="#page_58">58</a><br> - -<i>Rattler</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Raven</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_173">173</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_189">189-92</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">log, <a href="#page_192">192</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_218">218</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a></span><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_397">{397}</a></span>Raynes, Geo., builder, Portsmouth, N. H., <a href="#page_52">52-3</a>, <a href="#page_59">59</a>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_168">168</a>, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -<i>Rebekah</i>, clipper barque, <a href="#page_366">366</a><br> - -Record days’ runs, <a href="#page_179">179</a>, <a href="#page_278">278</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>see</i> Best days’ runs</span><br> - -Record passages:<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">transatlantic, <a href="#page_221">221</a>, <a href="#page_247">247</a>, 309 (steamer);</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">California, westward, <a href="#page_144">144</a>, <a href="#page_145">145-6</a>, <a href="#page_175">175</a>, <a href="#page_178">178</a>, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_296">296-8</a>, <a href="#page_298">298-300</a> (in sections);</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">eastward, <a href="#page_227">227</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pacific, <a href="#page_195">195-6</a>, <a href="#page_218">218</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">China, <a href="#page_74">74</a>, <a href="#page_329">329</a>, <a href="#page_336">336-7</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australian, <a href="#page_281">281</a>, <a href="#page_287">287</a>, <a href="#page_333">333-4</a></span><br> - -<i>Red Gauntlet</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_306">306</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Red Jacket</i>, clipper ship, Australian service, <a href="#page_247">247</a>, <a href="#page_270">270-2</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a><br> - -<i>Red Rover</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_283">283</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -Reed, Capt. Saml., <i>Red Jacket</i>, <a href="#page_272">272</a><br> - -<i>Reindeer</i>, ship, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Reporter</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_345">345</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a><br> - -<i>Republic</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Rescue</i>, Boston wrecking steamer, <a href="#page_275">275</a><br> - -<i>Resolute</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_291">291</a><br> - -<i>Resource</i>, ship, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -<i>Rhinebeck</i>, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Rhone</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_44">44</a><br> - -Richardson, Capt. Josiah, <i>Stag Hound</i>, <a href="#page_144">144</a>, <a href="#page_178">178</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Staffordshire</i>, <a href="#page_342">342</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a></span><br> - -Richie, Capt. A. A., Fairfield, Cal., <a href="#page_189">189</a><br> - -<i>Ringleader</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_359">359</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_290">290</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a>, (to Melbourne)</span><br> - -—— later ship, <a href="#page_340">340</a><br> - -<i>Robert C. Winthrop</i>, Boston ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -<i>Robert Lowe</i>, Brit. aux. steamer, <a href="#page_331">331</a><br> - -Roberts, Capt., <i>Storm</i>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Robin Hood</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a></span><br> - -Robinson, Capt. Richard, tea clippers, <a href="#page_199">199</a>, <a href="#page_326">326</a>, <a href="#page_335">335</a><br> - -<i>Rockland</i>, ship, <a href="#page_345">345</a><br> - -Rodger & Co., London, owner of <i>Taeping</i>, <a href="#page_330">330</a><br> - -Rogers, S., Salem, owner, <a href="#page_136">136</a><br> - -—— Capt. Wm. C., <i>Witchcraft</i>, <a href="#page_140">140-1</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a><br> - -<i>Romance of the Seas</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_302">302</a>, <a href="#page_345">345</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_248">248</a>, <a href="#page_249">249</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a></span><br> - -Roosevelt & Joyce, builders, N. Y., <a href="#page_209">209</a>, <a href="#page_232">232</a><br> - -Ropes, Capt. John F., <i>John Gilpin</i>, <a href="#page_345">345</a><br> - -<i>Roscoe</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Roscius</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -<i>Rose</i>, Brit. clipper schooner, opium trade, <a href="#page_59">59</a><br> - -Ross, Sir John, explorer, <a href="#page_84">84</a><br> - -<i>Rousseau</i>, Phila. ship, China trade, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -Rowland, Capt., <i>Mary L. Sutton</i>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -<i>Royal Charter</i>, Brit. iron aux. steamer, <a href="#page_287">287</a><br> - -<i>Royal William</i>, first vessel to cross Atlantic by steam power, <a href="#page_313">313</a><br> - -<i>Rufus Choate</i>, Boston ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -Russell, Capt., packets, <a href="#page_45">45</a><br> - -—— & Co., China merchants, <a href="#page_58">58</a>, <a href="#page_63">63</a>, <a href="#page_64">64</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_97">97</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_398">{398}</a></span><i>Russell Sturgis</i>, Boston ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="S"></a><span class="inx">S</span><br> - -<i>St. Andrew</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_46">46</a><br> - -<i>St. Clair</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>St. George</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -<i>St. Lawrence</i>, Brit. merchant frigate, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>St. Michael</i>, schooner, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -<i>St. Patrick</i>, Boston ship, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -<i>Salamis</i>, Brit. ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_333">333</a><br> - -Salter, Capt. Chas. H., <i>Typhoon</i>, <a href="#page_161">161</a>, <a href="#page_189">189</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<i>Samarang</i>, <a href="#page_346">346</a><br> - -<i>Sampson</i>, ship, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -Sampson & Tappan, Boston, owners of <i>Nightingale</i>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_155">155</a>, <a href="#page_165">165</a>, <a href="#page_207">207</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Samuel Appleton</i>, Boston ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a><br> - -<i>Samuel Badger</i>, ship, <a href="#page_161">161</a><br> - -<i>Samuel Russell</i>, clipper ship, China trade, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_77">77</a>, <a href="#page_84">84</a>, <a href="#page_85">85</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records to S. Francisco, <a href="#page_145">145</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a></span><br> - -Samuels, Capt. Samuel, <i>Dreadnought</i>, <a href="#page_44">44</a>, <a href="#page_244">244</a>, <a href="#page_246">246-7</a><br> - -San Francisco passages:<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Atlantic ports, 1849, <a href="#page_101">101</a>, <a href="#page_145">145</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1850, <a href="#page_145">145-6</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1851, <a href="#page_174">174</a>, <a href="#page_175">175</a>, <a href="#page_178">178-81</a>, <a href="#page_181">181-5</a>, <a href="#page_189">189-94</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1852, <a href="#page_212">212-5</a>, <a href="#page_217">217-8</a>, <a href="#page_222">222</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1853, <a href="#page_224">224-8</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1854, <a href="#page_248">248-9</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1855, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_254">254</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1856, <a href="#page_290">290</a>, <a href="#page_306">306-7</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">1857, <a href="#page_293">293-4</a>, <a href="#page_295">295</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">General, <a href="#page_69">69</a>, <a href="#page_233">233-4</a>, <a href="#page_365">365-9</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">long, <a href="#page_193">193</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pacific ports, <a href="#page_195">195</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>, <a href="#page_219">219</a></span><br> - -<i>San Francisco</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -<i>Sancho Panza</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Santa Barbara</i>, <a href="#page_86">86</a><br> - -<i>Sapphire</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_51">51</a><br> - -<i>Saracen</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Saratoga</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -Sargent, Capt. Henry, <i>Phantom</i>, <a href="#page_345">345</a><br> - -Saunders, Capt. Thos. M., Salem, from cabin boy to captain, <a href="#page_119">119-20</a><br> - -<i>Savannah</i>, ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -—— first sailing ship with auxl. engine to cross Atlantic, 1819, <a href="#page_313">313</a><br> - -<i>Schomberg</i>, Brit. clipper ship, built for Australian service, <a href="#page_284">284-5</a><br> - -Scott, John, & Co., builders, Greenock, <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -Scott & Co., builders, Dumbarton, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -<i>Sea Serpent</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_196">196</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>, <a href="#page_302">302</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_175">175</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -<i>Sea Witch</i>, clipper ship, built for China trade, <a href="#page_68">68</a>, <a href="#page_69">69</a>, <a href="#page_73">73</a>, <a href="#page_75">75-7</a>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_156">156</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">passages, <a href="#page_68">68-9</a>, <a href="#page_189">189-92</a> (race);</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_145">145</a>, <a href="#page_174">174</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_214">214</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a></span><br> - -Seacomb & Taylor, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_270">270</a><br> - -<i>Seaforth</i>, Brit. ship, first vessel with steel spars and rigging, <a href="#page_322">322-3</a><br> - -<i>Seaman</i>, Cal. clipper ship, Baltimore, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_174">174</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a></span><br> - -Sears, Capt., <i>Robin Hood</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Seaver, Hon. Benj., Boston, <a href="#page_225">225</a><br> - -<i>Seminole</i>, ship, <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -<i>Serica</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">races, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_325">325-30</a></span><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_399">{399}</a></span><i>Severn</i>, ship, <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -Shackfords, captains and builders, Portsmouth, N. H., <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Shakespeare</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Shand</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_344">344</a><br> - -Shaw, Maxton, & Co., owners, London, <a href="#page_319">319-20</a><br> - -Sheathing, copper, <a href="#page_61">61</a>, <a href="#page_285">285</a>, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_322">322</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">yellow metal, <a href="#page_237">237</a></span><br> - -Sheer, <a href="#page_18">18</a>, <a href="#page_237">237</a>, <a href="#page_320">320</a><br> - -Sheffield, Capt. J. P., <i>Hersilia</i>, <a href="#page_77">77-80</a><br> - -Shelburne, N. S., <a href="#page_53">53</a>, <a href="#page_217">217</a><br> - -<i>Sheridan</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_45">45</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -Shoof, Capt., <i>Black Hawk</i>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Shooting Star</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_173">173</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_214">214</a>, <a href="#page_222">222</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -Shuter, Thos. A., owner, London, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -<i>Siddons</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_43">43</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a>, <a href="#page_84">84</a><br> - -<i>Sierra Nevada</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_283">283</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a></span><br> - -<i>Silas Richards</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -Silsbee, Capt., <i>Syren</i>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<i>Silvia de Grasse</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -Simmons, Capt., <i>War Hawk</i>, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Simonson, Capt., <i>Daring</i>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Simoon</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Sir George Seymour</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Sir Launcelot</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_332">332-3</a>, <a href="#page_335">335-6</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -<i>Sir Robert Peel</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Sirius</i>, Brit. steamer, <a href="#page_313">313</a><br> - -<i>Sirocco</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a><br> - -Skiddy, Francis, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -—— Capt. William, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -<i>Skylark</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Smith, Adam, <i>Wealth of Nations</i>, <a href="#page_92">92</a><br> - -—— James, & Son, owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_106">106</a><br> - -—— Stephen, builder, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -—— T. & W., builders, Newcastle, Eng., <a href="#page_35">35</a>, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -—— & Co., builders Hoboken, N. J., <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -—— & Co., builders, St. John, N. B., <a href="#page_266">266</a><br> - -—— & Dimon, builders, N. Y., <a href="#page_45">45</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a>, <a href="#page_65">65</a>, <a href="#page_68">68</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -—— Capt., <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Smyrna</i>, brig, first Amer. vessel in Black Sea, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -<i>Snapdragon</i>, Cal. clipper barque, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Sneeden & Whitlock, builders, Greenpoint, L. I., rebuilt <i>Great Republic</i>, <a href="#page_242">242</a><br> - -Snow & Burgess, owners, <a href="#page_304">304</a><br> - -<i>Snow Squall</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -Somes, Jos., owner, London, <a href="#page_34">34</a>, <a href="#page_35">35</a>, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Sophia Branilla-Falcon</i>, <a href="#page_347">347</a><br> - -<i>South America</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -<i>South Carolina</i>, ship, first to leave S. Francisco in 1849, <a href="#page_101">101</a><br> - -<i>Southampton</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_46">46</a><br> - -<i>Southern Cross</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_195">195</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_400">{400}</a></span><i>Sovereign</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Sovereign of the Seas</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216-21</a>, <a href="#page_235">235</a>, <a href="#page_237">237</a>, <a href="#page_281">281</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">speed, <a href="#page_220">220-1</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records: California, <a href="#page_213">213</a>, <a href="#page_217">217</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">N. Y.-L’pool, <a href="#page_220">220-1</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Australia, <a href="#page_269">269-70</a></span><br> - -—— No. <a href="#page_2">2</a>, <a href="#page_258">258</a><br> - -—— No. <a href="#page_3">3</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a><br> - -<i>Sparkling Wave</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_300">300</a><br> - -Speed:<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Conditions and tests, <a href="#page_9">9-10</a>, <a href="#page_11">11</a>, <a href="#page_39">39</a>, <a href="#page_46">46</a>, <a href="#page_71">71</a>, <a href="#page_90">90</a>, <a href="#page_134">134</a>, <a href="#page_192">192</a>, <a href="#page_198">198</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_243">243</a>, <a href="#page_286">286</a>, <a href="#page_294">294-5</a>, <a href="#page_321">321</a>, <a href="#page_336">336-7</a></span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Vessels built for, <a href="#page_57">57</a>, <a href="#page_60">60</a></span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Speed of Brit. and Amer. frigates, <a href="#page_4">4</a>, <a href="#page_8">8</a>, <a href="#page_10">10</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">E. Indiamen, <a href="#page_30">30</a>, <a href="#page_35">35</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">opium clippers, <a href="#page_59">59</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Amer. clippers, <a href="#page_135">135-6</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_278">278</a>, 282 (highest rate);</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">of Brit. tea clippers, <a href="#page_320">320-1</a>, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_334">334</a>, <a href="#page_335">335-6</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">of steamers, <a href="#page_221">221</a>, <a href="#page_278">278</a>, <a href="#page_309">309</a></span><br> - -Speed in knots, <a href="#page_71">71</a>, <a href="#page_161">161</a>, <a href="#page_169">169</a>, <a href="#page_178">178</a>, <a href="#page_220">220</a>, <a href="#page_251">251</a>, <a href="#page_276">276</a>, <a href="#page_278">278</a>, <a href="#page_281">281</a>, <a href="#page_282">282</a>, <a href="#page_328">328</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">average, <a href="#page_46">46</a>, <a href="#page_180">180</a>, <a href="#page_219">219-20</a>, <a href="#page_245">245</a>, <a href="#page_278">278</a>, <a href="#page_338">338</a></span><br> - -Spicer, Capt., <i>David Crockett</i>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -<i>Spindrift</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_333">333</a>, <a href="#page_335">335</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a><br> - -<i>Spirit of the Age</i>, Brit. clipper ship, <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -<i>Spirit of the Times</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Spitfire</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Splendid</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -Spofford & Tillotson, N. Y.-L’pool packet line, <a href="#page_42">42-3</a><br> - -Spooner, <i>see</i> Borrows<br> - -Sprague & James, builders, Medford, <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_58">58</a><br> - -<i>Stadt Antwerpen</i>, Belgian barque, <a href="#page_343">343</a><br> - -<i>Staffordshire</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_217">217</a>, <a href="#page_342">342</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_214">214</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -<i>Stag Hound</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_142">142-3</a>, <a href="#page_151">151</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_237">237</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_178">178</a>, <a href="#page_195">195</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a></span><br> - -<i>Star of Empire</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_270">270</a><br> - -<i>Star of Peace</i>, Brit. ship, Australian trade, <a href="#page_333">333</a><br> - -<i>Starlight</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -<i>Starr King</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_255">255</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Steele, Robt., & Son, builders, Greenock, <a href="#page_319">319</a>, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_322">322</a>, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_347">347</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -Steers, Geo., designer and builder, <a href="#page_49">49</a>, <a href="#page_250">250</a><br> - -<i>Stephania</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -Stephen, Alex., builder, Glasgow, <a href="#page_322">322</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -Stoddard, Capt., <a href="#page_349">349</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Stevens, Capt., <i>Southern Cross</i>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<i>Storm</i>, Cal. clipper barque, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a><br> - -<i>Storm King</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Stornoway</i>, Brit. clipper ship, <a href="#page_198">198</a>, <a href="#page_202">202</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_206">206-7</a>, <a href="#page_376">376</a><br> - -<i>Strabo</i>, ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Sultana</i>, barque, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -<i>Sunny South</i>, clipper ship, China trade, <a href="#page_250">250</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">slaver, <a href="#page_251">251</a></span><br> - -Supremacy, <a href="#page_339">339</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">American, <a href="#page_311">311</a>, <a href="#page_314">314</a>;</span><br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_401">{401}</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">British, <a href="#page_210">210</a></span><br> - -<i>Surprise</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_135">135</a>, <a href="#page_136">136-8</a>, <a href="#page_174">174-5</a>, <a href="#page_196">196</a>, <a href="#page_202">202</a>, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <a href="#page_207">207-8</a>, <a href="#page_271">271</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_341">341</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_175">175</a>, <a href="#page_195">195</a>, <a href="#page_206">206</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a></span><br> - -<i>Susannah</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -Sutton & Co., N. Y., owners, <a href="#page_106">106</a>, <a href="#page_303">303</a><br> - -<i>Sweepstakes</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_301">301</a>, <a href="#page_345">345</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_289">289-90</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">log, <a href="#page_290">290</a></span><br> - -<i>Sword Fish</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_84">84</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_206">206</a>, <a href="#page_306">306</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_212">212-13</a></span><br> - -<i>Syren</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="T"></a><span class="inx">T</span><br> - -<i>Taeping</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_322">322</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">races, <a href="#page_324">324-30</a>, <a href="#page_332">332-5</a></span><br> - -<i>Taitsing</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_347">347</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_324">324-30</a></span><br> - -<i>Talbot</i>, ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Tampico</i>, brig, <a href="#page_84">84</a><br> - -<i>Tayleur</i>, Brit. ship (iron), for Australian service, <a href="#page_267">267</a><br> - -Tea Trade, iii:<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">to England: Amer. clippers in, <a href="#page_96">96-8</a> <a href="#page_196">196-7</a>, <a href="#page_200">200-2</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>see</i> Tea clippers;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">amount, <a href="#page_320">320</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">freights, <a href="#page_196">196</a>, <a href="#page_207">207</a>, <a href="#page_323">323</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">premiums, <a href="#page_324">324</a>, <a href="#page_330">330</a></span><br> - -<i>Telegraph</i>, clipper ship, Cal. passages, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a><br> - -Templer, Henry, owner, London, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -<i>Teutonic</i>, White Star S. S., <a href="#page_312">312</a><br> - -Thacker & Mangels, owners, London, <a href="#page_34">34</a><br> - -<i>Thames</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_35">35</a><br> - -Thayer, Capt., <i>Cleopatra</i>, <a href="#page_353">353</a><br> - -<i>Thermopylæ</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332-6</a>, <a href="#page_347">347</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a><br> - -Thomas, C. W. & H., N. Y., owners of <i>Hurricane</i>, <a href="#page_163">163</a><br> - -—— Geo., Rockland, Me., builder of <i>Red Jacket</i>, <a href="#page_270">270</a><br> - -<i>Thomas</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_24">24</a><br> - -<i>Thomas Coutts</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Thomas Granville</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Thomas H. Perkins</i>, ship, Boston, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -Thorndike, Capt., <i>Live Yankee</i>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br> - -Tindall & Co.’s Australian line, <a href="#page_263">263</a><br> - -<i>Tingqua</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_298">298</a><br> - -<i>Titania</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_336">336</a>, <a href="#page_375">375</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">still in service, <a href="#page_347">347</a></span><br> - -Toby & Littlefield, builders, Portsmouth, N. H., <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a><br> - -Todd, Capt., 2d <i>Witch of the Wave</i>, <a href="#page_364">364</a><br> - -Ton in cubic feet, <a href="#page_104">104</a>, <a href="#page_196">196</a>, <a href="#page_323">323</a>, <a href="#page_335">335</a>, <a href="#page_373">373-5</a><br> - -Tonnage, aggregate:<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Afloat, <a href="#page_289">289</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">built, <a href="#page_3">3-4</a>, <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_151">151</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">captured, <a href="#page_7">7</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">owned, <a href="#page_13">13</a>, <a href="#page_71">71</a>, <a href="#page_292">292</a></span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">(steam), <a href="#page_308">308</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sent out, <a href="#page_33">33</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">sold, <a href="#page_292">292</a></span><br> - -Tonnage, detail:<br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_402">{402}</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">American, early, <a href="#page_1">1</a>, <a href="#page_2">2</a>, <a href="#page_4">4</a>, <a href="#page_6">6</a>, <a href="#page_14">14-18</a>, <a href="#page_51">51-4</a>, <a href="#page_80">80</a>, <a href="#page_119">119</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">packets, <a href="#page_38">38</a>, <a href="#page_40">40</a>, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_45">45</a>, <a href="#page_46">46</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_243">243</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">opium clippers, <a href="#page_58">58-9</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">China clippers, <a href="#page_60">60</a>, <a href="#page_62">62-5</a>, <a href="#page_68">68</a>, <a href="#page_70">70</a>, <a href="#page_96">96</a>, <a href="#page_250">250</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">California clippers, <a href="#page_135">135-6</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_153">153-6</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_161">161-6</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_254">254</a>, <a href="#page_349">349-64</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Australian clippers, <a href="#page_235">235</a>, <a href="#page_242">242</a>, <a href="#page_265">265-7</a>, <a href="#page_270">270</a>, <a href="#page_273">273</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">pilot boats, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_305">305</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">increase in, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_151">151</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a></span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">British: E. Indiamen, <a href="#page_23">23</a>, <a href="#page_25">25</a>, <a href="#page_32">32-7</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Aberdeen clippers, <a href="#page_58">58</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">tea clippers, <a href="#page_198">198</a>, <a href="#page_199">199</a>, <a href="#page_205">205-6</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_320">320</a>, <a href="#page_322">322-3</a>, <a href="#page_333">333</a>, <a href="#page_371">371-2</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Australian clippers, <a href="#page_267">267</a>, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_338">338</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">steamers, <a href="#page_286">286</a>, <a href="#page_287">287</a></span><br> - -Tonnage Laws, <a href="#page_20">20</a>, <a href="#page_198">198-9</a>, <a href="#page_315">315</a>, <a href="#page_323">323</a>, <a href="#page_373">373-6</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>see</i> Tax</span><br> - -<i>Topaz</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_51">51</a><br> - -<i>Tornado</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>, <a href="#page_283">283</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -<i>Toronto</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a><br> - -<i>Trade Wind</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_164">164</a>, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -<i>Trades Increase</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, 1609, <a href="#page_23">23</a><br> - -Train, Enoch, Boston, owner, <a href="#page_54">54-5</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_221">221</a>, <a href="#page_255">255</a><br> - -Train’s Line, Boston-L’pool packets, <a href="#page_55">55-6</a>, <a href="#page_270">270</a>, <a href="#page_275">275</a><br> - -Trask, Capt. Benj., packet ships, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -<i>Trenton</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_52">52</a><br> - -<i>Trident</i>, ship, 1805, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -<i>Trieste</i>, barque, <a href="#page_291">291</a><br> - -<i>Triton</i>, ship, 1805, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br> - -Trufant & Drummond, builders, Bath, Me., <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -Tucker, Capt., <i>Swallow</i>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -Turner, Capt., <i>Starr King</i>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -<i>Tuscarora</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_40">40</a><br> - -<i>Twilight</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_364">364</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -<i>Two Friends</i>, brig, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -<i>Typhoon</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_161">161</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_342">342</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">race, <a href="#page_189">189-92</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_192">192</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a></span><br> - -<br> -<a id="U"></a><span class="inx">U</span><br> - -<i>Undaunted</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_345">345</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -<i>Union</i>, sloop, <a href="#page_15">15</a><br> - -Upham, Hon. Chas. W., <a href="#page_169">169</a><br> - -Upton, Geo. B., Boston, owner, <a href="#page_56">56</a>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_155">155</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <a href="#page_304">304</a><br> - -<i>Utica</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="V"></a><span class="inx">V</span><br> - -Vail, Thos., builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -<i>Valparaiso</i>, ship, <a href="#page_164">164</a><br> - -<i>Vancouver</i>, ship, <a href="#page_208">208</a><br> - -<i>Vanguard</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Venice</i>, ship, <a href="#page_161">161</a><br> - -Very, John Crowninshield, <a href="#page_163">163</a><br> - -—— Capt. Saml., <i>Hurricane</i>, <a href="#page_163">163</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mrs. Very, <a href="#page_306">306</a></span><br> - -<i>Vicksburg</i>, ship, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Victoria</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_44">44</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>Victory</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_244">244</a><br> - -<i>Viking</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<i>Vimiera</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_267">267</a><br> - -Vincent, Wm., builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_403">{403}</a></span><i>Voltaire</i>, ship in China trade (Girard), <a href="#page_16">16</a><br> - -<i>Vulcan</i>, Brit. ship, first iron sailing ship, 1818, <a href="#page_313">313</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="W"></a><span class="inx">W</span><br> - -Wakeman, Capt., <i>Adelaide</i>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<i>Wanderer</i>, Brit. clipper schooner, opium trade, <a href="#page_59">59</a><br> - -<i>War Hawk</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Wardle, T., & Co., N. Y., owners of <i>Eclipse</i>, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a><br> - -Warner, Capt., <i>Sov. of the Seas</i>, <a href="#page_269">269-70</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Donald McKay</i>, <a href="#page_281">281</a></span><br> - -<i>Washington Irving</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_56">56</a><br> - -Waterman, Capt. G. B., <i>Highflyer</i>, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a><br> - -—— Capt. Robt. H., <a href="#page_73">73-7</a>, <a href="#page_145">145</a>, <a href="#page_189">189</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Britannia</i>, <a href="#page_73">73-4</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Natchez</i>, <a href="#page_68">68</a>, <a href="#page_74">74-5</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Sea Witch</i>, <a href="#page_68">68-9</a>, <a href="#page_73">73</a>, <a href="#page_75">75</a>, <a href="#page_208">208</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Northerner</i>, <a href="#page_75">75</a>, <a href="#page_189">189</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>Challenge</i>, <a href="#page_156">156</a>, <a href="#page_181">181-9</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;</span><br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mrs. Waterman, <a href="#page_75">75</a></span><br> - -—— & Elwell, builders, Medford, <a href="#page_52">52</a>, <a href="#page_63">63</a><br> - -Watkins, Capt. Jas., <i>Akbar</i>, <a href="#page_62">62</a><br> - -Watson, Capt., <i>Polynesia</i>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -Webb, Isaac, builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_47">47</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a>, <a href="#page_53">53</a>, <a href="#page_74">74</a>, <a href="#page_217">217</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">& Co., <a href="#page_40">40</a></span><br> - -—— Wm. H., son of Isaac, builder, <a href="#page_42">42</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a>, <a href="#page_62">62</a>, <a href="#page_63">63</a>, <a href="#page_135">135-6</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_156">156</a>, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <a href="#page_164">164</a>, <a href="#page_212">212</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_232">232-4</a>, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_291">291</a>, <a href="#page_349">349-52</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -—— Wilsey, father of Isaac, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -—— & Allen, builders, N. Y., <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -Weld, W. F., & Co., owners, Boston, <a href="#page_304">304</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -—— & Baker, owners, Boston, <a href="#page_363">363</a><br> - -Wells & Emanuel, owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_106">106</a>, <a href="#page_304">304</a><br> - -<i>West Point</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_44">44</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -Westervelt, Aaron and Daniel, sons of Jacob A., <a href="#page_49">49</a>, <a href="#page_233">233</a><br> - -—— Jacob A., builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_48">48-9</a>, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_227">227</a>, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_250">250</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_352">352-4</a>, <a href="#page_358">358-9</a><br> - -—— & Co., <a href="#page_49">49</a><br> - -—— & Sons, <a href="#page_49">49</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br> - -—— & Mackay, <a href="#page_46">46</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Westward Ho</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_237">237</a>, <a href="#page_255">255</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_224">224</a>, <a href="#page_253">253</a>, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_297">297</a>, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a>, <a href="#page_368">368</a></span><br> - -<i>Whirlwind</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_284">284</a>, <a href="#page_343">343</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -<i>Whistler</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<i>White Squall</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_142">142</a>, <a href="#page_196">196</a>, <a href="#page_242">242</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -<i>White Swallow</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_298">298</a>, <a href="#page_369">369</a><br> - -Whitridge, Thos., & Co., owners, Baltimore, <a href="#page_254">254</a><br> - -Wigram, Robt., builder and owner, London, <a href="#page_35">35</a>, <a href="#page_36">36</a>, <a href="#page_285">285</a><br> - -<i>Wild Dayrell</i>, Brit. clipper schooner, opium trade, <a href="#page_59">59</a><br> - -<i>Wild Hunter</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_368">368</a><br> - -<i>Wild Pigeon</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a></span><br> - -<i>Wild Wave</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_360">360</a><br> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page_404">{404}</a></span><i>William G. Anderson</i>, U. S. clipper barque, <a href="#page_141">141</a><br> - -<i>William Tell</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_47">47</a><br> - -<i>William Thompson</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_38">38</a><br> - -Williams, J., & Son, builders, Williamsburg, N. Y., <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_349">349</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br> - -—— Jabez, builder, N. Y., <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -—— Capt. John E., <i>Andrew Jackson</i>, <a href="#page_247">247</a>, <a href="#page_295">295</a>, <a href="#page_362">362</a><br> - -—— & Guion, owners, <a href="#page_304">304</a><br> - -Willis, Capt., Cal. clippers, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br> - -Wilson, W., & Sons, owners, Baltimore, <a href="#page_356">356</a>, <a href="#page_357">357</a><br> - -<i>Windhover</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_336">336</a>, <a href="#page_346">346</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -<i>Windsor</i>, Brit. E. Indiaman, <a href="#page_32">32</a><br> - -<i>Windsor Castle</i>, Brit. ship, <a href="#page_36">36</a><br> - -<i>Winged Arrow</i>, clipper ship, <a href="#page_299">299</a>, <a href="#page_300">300</a><br> - -<i>Winged Racer</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a><br> - -Winsor, Capt. C. F., <a href="#page_344">344</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_354">354</a>, <a href="#page_356">356</a><br> - -<i>Witch of the Wave</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_152">152</a>, <a href="#page_153">153</a>, <a href="#page_166">166-72</a> (trip on), <a href="#page_173">173</a>, <a href="#page_353">353</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_206">206</a>, <a href="#page_299">299</a></span><br> - -<i>Witchcraft</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_136">136</a>, <a href="#page_140">140</a>, <a href="#page_211">211</a>, <a href="#page_302">302</a>, <a href="#page_350">350</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_178">178</a>, <a href="#page_248">248</a>, <a href="#page_296">296</a>, <a href="#page_365">365</a>, <a href="#page_366">366</a>, <a href="#page_367">367</a></span><br> - -<i>Wizard</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_216">216</a>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -Wolfe, W. A. & A. Foster, Jr., N. Y., owners of <i>Courier</i>, <a href="#page_54">54</a><br> - -Woodhouse, Capt. Philip, packet ships, <a href="#page_43">43</a><br> - -Woodside, Capt., <i>Wizard</i>, <a href="#page_355">355</a><br> - -Wooton, Jas. A., packet ship captain, <a href="#page_44">44</a><br> - -<i>Wylo</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_332">332</a>, <a href="#page_372">372</a><br> - -Wyteerhoven, Capt., <a href="#page_343">343</a><br> - -<br> -<a id="Y"></a><span class="inx">Y</span><br> - -<i>Yang-tze</i>, Brit. clipper ship, tea trade, <a href="#page_322">322</a>, <a href="#page_333">333</a>, <a href="#page_347">347</a>, <a href="#page_371">371</a><br> - -<i>Yorkshire</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_41">41</a>, <a href="#page_46">46</a>, <a href="#page_48">48</a>, <a href="#page_89">89</a><br> - -<i>Yorktown</i>, packet ship, <a href="#page_48">48</a><br> - -<i>Young America</i>, Cal. clipper ship, <a href="#page_84">84</a>, <a href="#page_232">232</a>, <a href="#page_233">233-4</a>, <a href="#page_301">301</a>, <a href="#page_306">306</a>, <a href="#page_337">337</a>, <a href="#page_360">360</a>;<br> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">records, <a href="#page_233">233-4</a>, <a href="#page_297">297-300</a>, <a href="#page_367">367-70</a></span><br> - -<br> -<a id="Z"></a><span class="inx">Z</span><br> - -Zerega, Capt., <i>Queen of Clippers</i>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> - -Zerega & Co., owners, N. Y., <a href="#page_56">56</a>, <a href="#page_359">359</a><br> -</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><p class="cb">FOOTNOTES:</p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> A frigate was a ship designed to be a fast, armed cruiser -and mounted from twenty to fifty guns; when a naval vessel mounted less -than twenty guns she became a sloop of war, and when she mounted more -than fifty guns she became a line-of-battle ship. The frigate was always -a favorite type of vessel with the officers and men of the navy, as she -was faster and more easily handled than a line-of-battle ship, and was -at the same time a more powerful fighting and cruising vessel than a -sloop of war. Frigate-built means having the substantial construction, -arrangement of the decks, masts, spars, rigging, and guns of a frigate.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> When peace was declared in 1783, the Government of the -United States sold or otherwise disposed of all its vessels, a fact that -was quickly taken advantage of by the Barbary corsairs. They at once -began to prey upon American merchant shipping in the Mediterranean and -even in the Atlantic, and made slaves of the captured crews. The French -and English, too, in their wars with each other, by no means respected -the neutrality of American commerce, the former being the worse -offenders. It was not, however, until 1794 that Congress again -authorized the formation of a navy, under the Secretary of War, and in -1798 the office of Secretary of the Navy was created. Among the vessels -built in 1794-98 was the frigate <i>Constitution</i>, the famous “Old -Ironsides” which still survives. The separate States had meanwhile -maintained vessels for the protection of their own coasts, and, of -course, there had been no cessation in the building of merchant ships -during the period preceding the War of 1812.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> A typean was the head merchant of one of the Company’s -“factories” or mercantile houses, such as were later known in China as -“hongs.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> <i>Annus Mirabilis</i>, stanza 89 (1667).</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> Second American edition, translated by H. Reeve, pp. -403-4.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> <i>New York Commercial</i>, October 8, 1851.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> William John, in an article on clipper ships in <i>Naval -Science</i>, vol. ii. (1873), p. 265.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> The various systems of calculating the tonnage of vessels -which were in force in Great Britain prior to 1854, (see Appendix iv.,) -gave the breadth measurement a preponderating influence upon the result, -and as taxation, port, and light dues, etc., were based upon the -registered tonnage of a vessel, there was economy in decreasing the -breadth of a vessel at the expense of the other dimensions. -Ship-builders and owners in England showed a much greater tendency to -profit by this feature of the law than did those in the United States, -where substantially the same system was in force. In this country some -very narrow vessels were built for the New Orleans and West India trade, -in the period 1820-1845, but it was found that the saving in taxation -did not pay for using such an undesirable type of vessels, so they were -given up. As a rule, American owners and builders preferred to build -vessels of a type which they regarded as the best for speed and for the -trade in which they were engaged, without regard for the tonnage laws.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> The <i>Challenge</i>.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> Forbes’s rig was invented by Captain R. B. Forbes, and was -first put on the topsail schooner <i>Midas</i> in 1841, afterwards on the -auxiliaries <i>Edith</i>, <i>Massachusetts</i>, and <i>Meteor</i>; ships, <i>R. B. -Forbes</i>, <i>Lintin</i>, <i>Flying Childers</i>, <i>Aurora</i>, <i>Cornelius Grinnell</i>, -and probably others. In this rig the topmast was fidded abaft the -lowermast head, and the lower topsail yard hoisted on the lowermast head -from the eyes of the lower rigging to the cap. The lower topsail had two -reefs with reef-tackles, buntlines, and clew-lines, as in the single -topsail rig. The upper topsail hoisted on the topmast and had the same -gear as the lower topsail. Sometimes the topmast was fidded before the -lower masthead, and then the lower topsail yard hoisted on the doubling -of the topmast. This rig was an improvement upon the single topsail rig, -but was eventually superseded by Howes’s rig, which was invented by -Captain Frederic Howes, of Brewster, Massachusetts, who in 1853 first -put it on the ship <i>Climax</i>, of Boston, which he commanded. Captain -Howes took out a United States patent for his rig in 1854. In this rig, -the lower topsail yard is slung by a truss at the lower mast cap; -indeed, Howes’s rig is the double topsail rig of the present day, though -one does not often hear the name of Captain Howes in connection with -it.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> Mr. Everett is reported to have said “eighty-two,” but if -he did so, it was a mistake, for forty-two is the true number.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> These slabs were subsequently removed, one side being -washed away.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> The following are some of these house flags: The crimson -field and black ball, of Charles H. Marshall; the red, white, and blue -swallowtail, of Grinnell, Minturn & Co.; the yellow, red, and yellow -horizontal bars with white “L” in centre, of A. A. Low & Brother; the -thirteen blue and twelve white squares, of N. L. & G. Griswold; the -crimson field and yellow beehive, of Sutton & Co.; the crimson field, -white border, and white “D” in centre, of George Daniels; the red, -white, and red vertical stripes with red “B” in centre, of Vernon H. -Brown; the blue and white half-diamonds, of Russell & Co.; the crimson -field and white diamond, of Augustine Heard & Co.; the white above blue -and red ball in the centre, of Sampson & Tappan; the white above yellow -and red star in centre, of Glidden & Williams; the narrow blue and white -horizontal stripes with red ball in the centre, of Napier, Johnson & -Co.; the white field and blue cross, of George B. Upton; the crimson -swallowtail and blue cross, of Charles R. Green; the white swallowtail, -red cross with white diamond in the centre, of R. W. Cameron; the -crimson swallowtail, blue cross, and white ball in the centre, of Wells -& Emanuel; the blue above white, white ball in blue and red ball in -white, of D. & A. Kingsland; the white field and red cross in the centre -of D. G. & W. B. Bacon; the white swallowtail and black S. & B., of Snow -& Burgess; the white field and black horse, of William F. Weld & Co. The -flag of Howland & Aspinwall had a blue square in the upper corner of the -luff and lower corner of the fly; the rest of the flag was white with -narrow blue lines in the lower corner of the luff and upper corner of -the fly, which formed squares, and also formed a white cross extending -the full hoist and length of the flag. David Ogden’s flag was a white -field and red cross; Crocker & Warren’s, blue above yellow with a yellow -“C” in the blue and blue “W” in the yellow. Then there was the red -swallowtail with white cross and black star in the centre, of Samuel -Thompson & Nephew; the blue field, white diamond, and black star, of -Williams & Guion; the crimson field and black “X” of John Griswold. -These were the private signals of most of the leading New York and -Boston ship-owners, which, half a century ago, enlivened the water front -of New York, though there were some others which have now faded from -memory.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> Walter Savage Landor.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> <i>Democracy in America</i> (1835); Second American edition, p. -408.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> See Appendix IV.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> A lorcher is a fast Chinese vessel, used a good deal by -fishermen, and in former times by the Chinese pirates and smugglers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_18_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> The <i>Thermopylæ</i> repeated this remarkable passage of -sixty-three days from London to Melbourne during the following year.</p></div> - -</div> - -<table style="padding:2%;border:3px dotted gray;" -id="transcrib"> -<tr><th>Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:</th></tr> -<tr><td> - -their chests, mess-kids=><br> -their chests, mess-kits<br> -{pg 28}<br> -<br> -A seires of voyages=><br> -A series of voyages<br> -{pg 75}<br> -<br> -upon the the transom=><br> -upon the transom<br> -{pg 188}<br> -<br> -a ship-bulding yard=><br> -a ship-building yard<br> -{pg 271}<br> -<br> -receiving letters and newspapars=><br> -receiving letters and newspapers<br> -{pg 319}<br> -<br> -David Crocket=><br> -David Crockett<br> -{pg 369}<br> -<br> -McKensie, Capt., <i>Houqua</i>, 63, 145, 341=><br> -McKenzie, Capt., <i>Houqua</i>, 63, 145, 341<br> -{pg 391 index}<br> -</td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="full"> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CLIPPER SHIP ERA ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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