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

The Victory

page 227

The Victory.

the Victory was a fine new ship of 1199 tons when she entered the New Zealand trade, and on her maiden voyage in 1863, to Port Chalmers, she ran from Glasgow in 77 days—72 land to land. the Victory sailed under the well known flag of Potter, Wilson and Co., of Glasgow. She was a fine specimen of a Clyde built iron ship, fitted with every new improvement which the ingenuity of Clyde shipbuilders could devise.

the Victory sailed from the Clyde on April 26, crossed the line on May 20, passed the meridian of the Cape June 13th, the meridian of the South Cape of Tasmania on July 5th, and anchored at Port Chalmers on July 12. When the ship arrived she was placed in quarantine, and most of the passengers landed at Goat Island, as there had been one case of smallpox nineteen days prior to the ship's arrival, and several cases of measles, resulting in three deaths. Some 250 women and children were transferred to the hulk Thomas and Henry, and towed to the quarantine ground. The younger men were sent to a smaller island adjacent, being separated from the main body of the passengers. After landing three deaths occurred—two adults and one child; but the majority of the passengers continued in good health. There was almost a mutiny when the authorities decided to place the ship in quarantine, and many of the men absolutely refused to leave the ship. There were 35 in all who were allowed to remain on board until she was admitted to pratique on August 19th, ten weeks after her arrival in port. Most of the passengers who landed at Goat Island spent a pleasant time, and were delighted with the bush and general surroundings: they declared it was the most lovely spot on earth.

On the voyage of the Victory to Auckland in 1864 she had the misfortune to collide with a French schooner when working down the Channel, and suffered considerable damage. She was compelled to run to Portsmouth, where necessary repairs were effected. the Victory brought 247 passengers to Auckland, eighty of whom were Albertland settlers.

the Victory had an eventful passage to Lyttelton in 1866. She left London during December and was caught in a terrific gale in the Bay of Biscay, during which she was hovo-to for some days and suffered considerable damage. This was the same gale encountered by the ill-fated London, when she foundered with the loss of 270 lives. Several other ships bound to Australia and New Zealand were in this terrific storm, and all suffered more or less. The Amelia, auxiliary screw of 3000 tons, from Liverpool, perished in the same storm and near the same place as the London. The passengers and crew in this case were rescued by the Laconia, a screw steamer, which stood by them during the hurricane.

Owing to the buffeting and delay in the Bay the Victory did not cross the equator until the thirty-fifth day out, so the passage thence to Lyttelton was made in 62 days.

The passages recorded by the Victory were:—

To Auckland.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Sep. 15, '64 Jan. 4, '65 Gibbons 110
To Lyttelton.
Dec. 16, '65 Mar. 26, '66 Gibbons 99
To Port Chalmers.
Apr. 26 July 12, '63 77
Land to land 72

There was another vessel named Victory, a barque of 579 tons, sent out by the old firm of Willis, Gunn and Co. She made her first appearance at Dunedin in 1848, in charge of Captain Mullens—making the passage in 94 days. The same vessel came to Auckland in 1851, leaving London on October 4th, 1850. She arrived on February 1st, 1851, after a lengthy passage of 120 days. In 1859 the Victory arrived at Lyttelton in command of Captain Stevens, making the passage in 106 days. She brought out 174 passengers. The barque made another passage to Lyttelton in 1862. She sailed from London on December 11th, 1861, and arrived on March 20th, 1862—109 days out. On this occasion she put into Pernambuco for water. The old barque made still another passage to Lyttelton. Leaving London on June 28th, she arrived on October 17th, 1863. 111 days out, in command of Captain Gregory. She brought out 240 immigrants, many of whom were landed at Timaru.