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White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900

Another Dusting

Another Dusting.

In 1866 the Bombay left London for Lyttelton, leaving the docks on May 5, and arriving on August 18. The passage was made in 105 days, or 94 land to land. When supplying a report of the voyage to the Lyttelton papers, Captain Sellars said he had experienced a succession of heavy gales throughout. The ship was nine days clearing the English Channel with light winds, and immediately after leaving Start Point the first westerly gale was encountered. On June 27 a heavy squall carried away the mizzen and topgallant masts. Three days later the main topsail tie broke, and the yard was broken in two. On July 16 the mizzen topgallant mast and yard was got up, and five days later the ship struck another furious gale, with a heavy cross confused sea, which broke on board and carried away a portion of the bulwarks and stove in the main hatch. A large quantity of water rushed below and greatly frightened the passengers.

Nine days later, on July 25, the Bombay was rolling heavily and taking in large quantities of water during another gale similar to the last, and in spite of all attempts to stop it the cabins were again flooded below. On August 5 the ship was labouring in another heavy gale. "Indeed," said Captain Sellars, "it has been gale, calm, gale, calm, rolling continually round, flying about round the compass, for the past six weeks." Just before sighting the Snares on August 15 the ship struck another severe gale, and then light variable winds carried her to an anchorage on August 18, 1866.

the Bombay made one good voyage to Dunedin in 1862. She sailed from London on June 17, and arrived on September 8, making the passage in 84 days.

The passages outwards by the Bombay were:—

To Auckland.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Aug. 26, '63 Dec. 8, '63 Sellars 104
Nov. 26, '64 Mar. 18, '65 Sellars 112
To Lyttelton.
May 5, '66 Aug. 18, '66 Sellars 105
To Port Chalmers.
June 17, '62 Sep. 9, '62 Sellars 84

Another vessel bearing the name Bombay, a boat of 400 tons register, arrived at Nelson on December 14, 1842, under Captain Moore. She had a tedious run of 135 days. It was, I believe, this same vessel which arrived at the Bluff in 1863. She sailed from London on August 1, and arrived on November 21, under Captain McLeod.