The Colonial Clippers

“SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS.”

She was nine days making the passage of the Horn from 50° S. to 50° S.; but shortly after rounding the Horn she carried away her fore and main topmasts and sprang her foreyard. Captain Mackay, however, kept the seas and refitted his ship in 14 days, during the whole of which time he is said to have remained on deck, snatching what little sleep he allowed himself in a deck chair. The Sovereign of the Seas in spite of this mishap arrived in San Francisco only 103 days out, and this was considered the best passage ever made at such an unfavourable season of the year.

From San Francisco she went across to Honolulu in ballast and there loaded a cargo of sperm oil; it being the custom of American whalers to call in there and leave their oil for transhipment so as to clear their holds for a fresh catch.

The Sovereign of the Seas left Honolulu on 13th February, 1853, for New York, and once again made a most remarkable passage in spite of a sprung fore topmast, jury fore topgallant mast and a weak crew—no doubt a large number of her original crew deserted in San Francisco in the hope of reaching the gold diggings, but more probably only to be shanghaied on some homeward bounder.

Like all Mackay’s wonderful creations, the Sovereign of the Seas was at her best in the roaring forties, and on the run to the Horn she made 3144 miles in 10 days, her best 24-hour runs being:—

March 11	332 miles.
„ 12	312 „
„ 16	396 „
„ 17	311 „
„ 18	411 „
„ 19	360 „

During this time she had strong quartering winds and a heavy following sea, which drove her at times as much as 19 knots through the water.

After rounding the Horn, she had the usual weather up through the tropics, and arrived at New York on 6th May, 1853, having made the record passage of 82 days from Honolulu.

As she was considered to be too big for either the San Francisco or China trades, she was at once loaded for Liverpool, there to take part in the booming Australian emigrant trade.

And crossing the Western Ocean she once more made an extraordinary passage, as the following epitome shows:—

June 18	—Sailed from New York, passed Sandy Hook at 6.30 p.m.
„ 24	—Sighted Cape Race at 6 a.m.
„ 26	—Becalmed on the Banks.
„ 28	—Distance run 344 miles—ship close-hauled under single reefed topsails.
„ 30	—Distance run 340 miles, under all sail to skysails and royal stunsails off Cape Clear at 6 a.m.
July 2—Anchored in the Mersey at 10.30 p.m.
Passage New York to Liverpool, from dock to anchorage, 13 days 22 hours 50 minutes, and 5 days 17 hours from the Banks of Newfoundland.

Donald Mackay crossed the Atlantic on the ship and spent his whole time watching her every movement, and it was probably the experience gained on this passage which had much to do with the wonderful success of his later vessels.

On her arrival in Liverpool the Sovereign of the Seas was at once chartered by the Black Ball Line. Captain Lauchlan Mackay, however, did not remain in her, but returned to New York, his place being taken by Captain Warner, who had been in the ship since she was launched.

Captain Warner sailed from Liverpool on 7th September, 1853, with 25 first cabin, 40 second cabin passengers and a cargo valued at £200,000, and wrote the following account of his passage to the Liverpool Mercury:—

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 12 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. I crossed the equator in 26° 30′, and went to 53° 30′ S., but found no strong winds. I think if I had gone to 58° S. 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 10 days on the passage, although the Sovereign of the Seas was loaded down to 23½ feet.

Sovereign of the Seas’ passage was, in fact, an exceedingly good one, considering all things, but there was not much glory attached to beating the little Gauntlet, which only measured 693 tons register and was built of iron.

The Sovereign of the Seas sailed from Melbourne with the mails and a very large consignment of gold dust; but amongst her crew she had shipped some old lags, who attempted a mutiny in order to seize the ship and get away with the gold. However, Captain Warner succeeded in suppressing these rascals without bloodshed and kept them in irons for the rest of the passage.

The Sovereign of the Seas made the splendid time of 68 days between Melbourne and Liverpool; but after this one voyage for the Black Ball she seems to have returned to her original owners, who put her into the Shanghai trade for a voyage or two before selling her to a Hamburg firm.

Best Outward Passages for 1853-4, Anchorage to Anchorage.

Ship.	Port from.	Date Left.	Date Arrived Melbourne.	Dys.
Try	Bristol	Oct. 12, ’52	Jan. 12, ’53	92
Alipore	London	„ 16, „	„ 19, „	95
Marian Moore	Liverpool	Nov. 15, „	Feb. 15, „	92
Kent	London	Jan. 27, ’53	Apl. 20, „	83
Eagle	Liverpool	Feb. 22, „	May. 13, „	80
Marco Polo	„	Mar. 14, „	„ 29, „	76
Bothnia	„	„ 5, „	June 3, „	90
Ganges	London	„ 23, „	„ 22, „	91
Osmanli	Liverpool	Apl. 16, „	July 4, „	79
Indian Queen	„	May 17, „	Aug. 8, „	82
Gibson Craig	London	June 4, „	„ 22, „	79
Star of the East	Liverpool	July 7, „	Sept. 23, „	78
Statesman	S’thampton	„ 10, „	Oct. 5, „	87
Tasmania	Liverpool	„ 23, „	„ 23, „	92
Mobile	„	Aug. 16, „	Nov. 16, „	92
Sovereign of the Seas	„	Sept. 7, „	„ 26, „	80
Chimera	„	„ 17, „	Dec. 17, „	92
Neleus	„	Oct. 5, „	„ 24, „	80
Flying Dragon	London	„ 14, „	„ 30, „	77
Kent	„	„ 26, „	Jan. 12, ’54	78
Marco Polo	Liverpool	Nov. 8, „	„ 31, „	84
Salem	„	Dec. 7, „	Feb. 28, „	83
Essex	„	„ 9, „	Mar. 12, „	92
Marlborough	London	Jan. 1, ’54	„ 19, „	77
Indian Queen	Liverpool	„ 29, „	Apl. 21, „	84
Crest of the Wave	„	Feb. 14, „	„ 28, „	73

1854—The Year of the Big Ships.

The result of Sovereign of the Seas’ visit to Liverpool and that of her builder and designer Donald Mackay was a further order to America and Nova Scotia for still bigger ships.

In fact, Donald Mackay returned to Boston with James Baines’ commission to build the famous quartette, Lightning, Champion of the Seas, James Baines and Donald Mackay, which were shortly to astonish the world. Against these the White Star Line put forward the equally big White Star and Red Jacket, two vessels which both in strength, beauty and speed were worthy to be ranked on equal terms with the great Black Ballers.

Only two wooden ships were ever launched in England which could compare in size with these six giants. One of these was the ill-fated Schomberg and the other the beautiful Sobraon, which, however, had iron frames and was not launched until the palmy days of the gold rush were over. Both came from the famous yard of Hall, of Aberdeen. Schomberg was, of course, wrecked on her maiden passage, but Sobraon, though never as hard sailed as the great Black Ball and White Star ships, made equally good passages, and being built of the finest Malabar teak retained her speed right up to the end of her long and successful career.

In comparing the measurements of the American built, Nova Scotian built and Aberdeen built ships the most noticeable point is the greater beam of the Nova Scotians and the greater length of the British.

This is well shown by the following table:—

American Built	Lightning	5.54 beams to length.
	Red Jacket	5.54 beams to length.
	Champion of the Seas	5.55 beams to length.
	James Baines	5.70 beams to length.
	Donald Mackay	5.72 beams to length.

British Built	Schomberg	5.82 beams to length.
British Built	Sobraon	6.80 beams to length.

Nova Scotian Built	Marco Polo	4.86 beams to length.
Nova Scotian Built	White Star	4.84 beams to length.

Carrying On.

Perhaps no ships ever sailed the seas which held on to their canvas longer than these great Black Ball and White Star clippers; and yet the carrying away of spars and sails, which was so common an occurrence with the earlier American clippers and also with the early British iron clippers, was quite rare on these big emigrant ships.

There is no difficulty, however, in finding reasons for their freedom from dismasting and heavy casualties aloft, their designers and builders had learnt something by the dismastings and constant losses of spars which overtook their earlier ships, and thus no ships were more scientifically stayed than these big ships, at the same time in their outfit we find hemp rigging and wooden spars in their highest state of efficiency. Strength of gear had for some time been one of the chief problems that a clipper ship builder had to contend with, and in the rigging of these six famous ships we see this problem finally mastered.

Topsails, topgallant sails and even royals were diagonally roped from clew to earing. The rope used for standing rigging was the very best procurable and of immense thickness; for instance, Lightning’s lower rigging, fore and main stays and backstays were of 11½ inch Russian hemp; whilst in regard to spars, here are the diameters in inches of some of James Baines’ masts and yards:—

Mainmast	42 inches in diameter.
Main topmast	21 inches in diameter.
Main topgallant mast	16 inches in diameter.
Main royal mast	14 inches in diameter.
Mainyard	26 inches in diameter.
Main topsail yard	21 inches in diameter.
Main skysail yard	8 inches in diameter.

Advantages of a Light Load Line and High Side.

But added to their greater strength aloft these great clippers had another advantage over their older sisters in the Californian trade.

They sailed on a lighter load line and showed a higher side. Four or five hundred emigrants made them dry and buoyant instead of wet and hard mouthed. Besides being very easy in a sea-way, these big emigrant clippers were extraordinarily steady ships without any tendency to heavy quick rolling. This is easily proved from their logs, for one constantly reads that their passengers were able to enjoy dancing on the poop when the ships were running 15 and 16 knots before the strong gales and big seas of easting weather.

Speaking at a dinner given in Melbourne in honour of Captain Enright, Mr. Alexander Young, a veteran voyager to and from the Antipodes, who had just travelled out in the Lightning, remarked:—“I have much pleasure in adding my slight testimony to her well-earned fame by stating that she is the driest and easiest ship I have ever sailed in. I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that we scarcely shipped a bucketful of water all the passage, and when going 16 knots an hour there was scarcely any more motion than we feel at the present moment.”

And here are other proofs of the Lightning’s steadiness taken from the Lightning Gazette, a newspaper published on board:—

9th February, 1855.—14 knots upon a bowline with the yards braced sharp up and while going at this extraordinary rate she is as dry as possible, seldom shipping a spoonful of water. During the greater part of the day the carpenter was employed on a stage below the fore chains, where he worked as easily as if it had been calm.

18th March, 1857.—The wind increases a little towards evening and we make 15 to 17 knots an hour, yet the ship is so steady that we danced on the poop with the greatest ease (Lat. 42° 34′ S., Long. 17° 04′ W.)

21st February, 1855.—During this time the ship was going 16 knots an hour and in the saloon the motion was so slight that we thought she had only a light breeze.

Examples of Carrying Sail.

Two or three quotations also from the log books and shipboard newspapers may be of interest to show the power of these ships to carry sail in heavy weather and strong winds.

Here are two days from the log of the James Baines when running her easting down in 1856:—

16th June.—Lat. 43° 39′ S., Long. 101° E.; Bar. 29.80°. Wind, S.W. to W.S.W. Commences with fresh breezes and squalls of sleet, 8 a.m., more moderate. Noon, sighted a ship ahead; at 1 p.m. was alongside of her and at 2 p.m. she was out of sight astern. James Baines was going 17 knots with main skysail set, the Libertas, for such was her name, was under double-reefed topsails.

18th June.—Lat. 42° 47′ S., Long. 115° 54′ E. Bar. 29.20°. Wind, W. to S.W. First part breeze freshening. At 6 p.m. wind S.W. and freshening. At 8.30 p.m. in all starboard studding sails; ship going 21 knots with main skysail set. Midnight, fresh gale and fine clear night. 8 a.m., wind and weather the same. Noon, less wind attended with snow squalls. Distance 420 miles.

Then in the Lightning Gazette I find the following entries:—

15th January, 1855.—Lat. 39° 42′ N., Long. 19° 25′ E. Wind. S.S.E., strong breezes and cloudy, with occasional squalls and showers; the ship going 13 knots close-hauled. In the morning we passed a ship outward bound with topgallant sails in and exchanged colours with a Swedish brig homeward bound—this vessel was under close-reefed topsails, while we were carrying three royals and main skysail.

26th February, 1855.—Lat. 45° 48′ S.; Long., 16° 55′ E. Wind, N.N.W., course, S.E. Another wet uncomfortable day; thick mist and small rain. The barometer had been falling for a day or two back and went down half an inch last night. The change took place at 4 p.m., when the wind suddenly shifted to the west and soon afterwards to S.W., from whence it blew hard with squalls and occasional showers of hail and snow. At 8 p.m. it backed again to west, where it remained all night, blowing a fresh gale, the ship running 16 and occasionally 18 knots per hour with main skysail and topgallant studding sails set.

27th February, 1855.—Lat. 46° 22′ S., Long. 26° 15′ E. Wind, west, course S.E. All last night it blew a fresh gale with heavy squalls and occasional showers of hail and snow, the sea running high. From noon yesterday till noon to-day, we ran down 9 degrees and 20 miles of longitude and 34 miles of latitude, making 390 geographical miles or 450 English miles direct course in the 24 hours, giving an average of 16¼ knots or 18¾ statute miles per hour. During 6 hours in the morning the ship logged 18 knots per hour with royals, main skysail and topgallant studding sails set, the wind blowing a fresh gale from the westward.

21st October, 1855.—Lat. 36° 4′ S., Long. 24° 52′ W. During the afternoon the wind chopped round and blew strongly from the S.W. At 5 p.m. sighted a large ship on our weather quarter, sailing under double-reefed topsails and we apprehend they must have taken us for the Flying Dutchman seen occasionally in these latitudes, for notwithstanding the strong breeze we could be observed carrying our skysails with studding sails ‘low and aloft.’

14th March, 1857.—Lat. 34° 47′ S., Long. 35° 06′ W. The breeze a splendid one. A barque on the port beam about 3, homeward bound. The wind was as fair for her as wind could be, yet she had no royals set. We formed a striking contrast to her, for we—on a wind—had all sail set up to main skysail.

20th March, 1857.—Lat. 43° S., Long. 0° 55′ E. We have made during the last 47 hours the greatest run that perhaps ship ever made, yet all the time we have carried our main skysail and all sorts and conditions of studding sails.

Extraordinary 24-hour Runs.

I have quoted the above passages to show the way in which a Black Baller could carry sail either with a fresh favouring gale or in a strong head wind. This is sufficiently astonishing in itself, but what amazes most present day sailors and compels many of them to be incredulous are such statements as the much quoted one concerning James Baines—“Ship going 21 knots with main skysail set.”

This and other log book statements have been looked upon by many as far-fetched exaggerations, but, after careful study of the subject, during which I have pricked off the different voyages on a track chart, I have come to the conclusion that these amazing performances were in no way a stretching of the imagination.

To begin with, I will give the main arguments advanced against them by the sceptics.

The late Mr. J. N. Barry, writing in an Australian paper, remarks:—

Where American records are concerned much caution must be observed in taking their feats of speed for granted. Our cousins had a canny fashion of, no matter where they might be sailing, always reckoning 60 miles to a degree of longitude whilst doing their easting, so that a day’s run of, say, 240 miles upon a parallel of 45°, would by this means give the distance covered as exactly 100 miles in excess of what it should be.

Another nautical writer remarks:—

The skippers of many of the celebrated Black Ball clippers were not above adopting this mode of calculation, viz., 60 miles to a degree of longitude, but while it gave some wonderful results for a single 24 hours, it did not as a matter of fact make their passages any more rapid.

And I have had letters scoffing at the Black Ball records, remarking that their skippers were a leery lot and provided “palatable pabulum for the proud passengers.”

I will now try and show that these arguments were altogether too sweeping, and if they may possibly have applied to certain individuals, they are by no means fair to the greater number of the skippers.

In the first place, not one of the Black Ball or White Star ships was commanded by an American, and though the accusation was levelled at Americans, it was evidently done in the belief that the American built Australian clippers were commanded by Americans.

In the second place, such men as Anthony Enright, of the Lightning, James Nicol Forbes, of the Marco Polo, Charles McDonald, of the James Baines, Sam Reid, of the Red Jacket, Captain Pryce, R.N.R., of the Donald Mackay, and Alexander Newlands, of the Champion of the Seas, were known and respected all over the world as leading men in their profession, occupying a position in the Mercantile Marine which would correspond with that of Orient and P. & O. commanders nowadays, whilst their performances were very much more widely known, thus such elementary cheating as giving 60 miles to a degree in the roaring forties would have been exposed at once.

The greatest 24-hour run ever accomplished by a sailing ship was one of 436 nautical miles made by the Lightning when crossing the Atlantic on her maiden passage. The second greatest run was also made by the Lightning. This was 430 miles when running her easting down bound out to Australia in 1857, and on the following day her run was 360. This wonderful performance drew the following letter from Captain Enright to his passengers, and I think it will dispose of the 60 miles to a degree accusation, at any rate as far as the Lightning and her commander are concerned:—

21st March, 1857.

Ladies and Gentlemen,—I cannot help informing you of the extraordinary run we have made during the last 48 hours—or rather allowing for change of time, 46 hours and 48 minutes. During this time we have run, by thoroughly good and trustworthy observation, no less than 790 knots or 920 statute miles, being an average of nearly 17 knots or more than 19½ statute miles per hour. Yesterday our noble ship made no less than 430 knots amounting to an average during the 24 (23½) hours of more than 18 knots. Our change of longitude has amounted to 18 degrees, each degree being equal to 44 miles.

I firmly believe this to be the greatest performance a sailing ship has ever accomplished.

I hope this information will in some degree compensate you for the inconvenience which the heavy weather has occasioned you.
And I remain, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Very faithfully yours,
A. Enright, Commander.

If further proof is wanted that Captain Enright did not allow 60 miles to a degree, but only 44 as he states to his passengers, here are the noon positions found by observation, not account only, from which the runs can be verified on the chart.

March 18, Lat. 42° 34′ S., Long. 17° 04′ W.
19, Lat. 43° 0′ S., Long. 7° 17′ W.
20, Lat. 43° 0′ S., Long. 0° 55′ E.

The following is a list of all runs of 400 miles and over, which I have been able to verify.

March 1, 1854.—Lightning 436 miles.
March 19, 1857.—Lightning 430 miles.
February 6, 1855.—James Baines 423 miles.
February 27, 1855.—Donald Mackay 421 miles.
June 18, 1856.—James Baines 420 miles.
February 27, 1854.—Red Jacket 413 miles.
January 27, 1855.—James Baines 407 miles.
July 6, 1854.—Red Jacket 400 miles.

All these performances were made running east, making the day’s work under 24 hours.

Several other ships claimed runs of over 400 miles, but I have not included these as I have not sufficient particulars to verify them.

Marco Polo is supposed to have done a run of 428 miles under Captain McDonald on 7th January, 1854, and Shalimar 420 miles in 1855 on her first passage to Australia, under Captain Robertson. With this general account of their powers I must now return to a more detailed description of the giant clippers themselves.

The “Lightning.”

The Lightning was built by Donald Mackay to the order of James Baines in the winter of 1853-4 at a cost of £30,000, and on her arrival in Liverpool was furnished and decorated below at a further cost of £2000.