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

The Carnatic

The Carnatic.

the Carnatic, a fine clipper ship of 871 tons, built at Sunderland by Pile in 1867, and chartered by the N.Z. Shipping Co., was never fortunate enough to make any sensational passages outwards, but on one occasion, when in command of Captain Moon, she ran Home in 69½ days from Port Chalmers. This was in 1874, on her return voyage from the Dominion.
Captain Chapman.

Captain Chapman.

Her outward passage on this occasion, under Captain Moon, was made in 84 days from Plymouth to Port Chalmers. She sailed with 250 passengers on December 8, 1873, crossed the Equator on January 8, and sighted the Snares on February 25, 1874, 81 days out. The following year the Carnatic brought another batch of immigrants to Picton and Wellington. She sailed from Plymouth on September 28, 1874, and after landing passengers and some cargo at Picton arrived at Wellington on January 16, 1875.

On the third and last voyage of the Carnatic the ship was dispatched from Gravesend on September 24, 1875, under Captain Chapman, and after a tedious passage of 119 days the vessel arrived at Auckland on January 21, 1876, In those days very little cargo was offering in the Dominion, and the Carnatic remained at anchor in the harbour for six months, when she sailed for London with a general cargo.

On her return to London the Carnatic made a voyage to San Francisco, and had a narrow escape of being totally wrecked before reaching her destination.

In the early fifties another ship bearing the same name made two voyages to the colony. She was a vessel of 632 tons, commanded by Captain Smart on her first visit. She arrived at Dunedin on December 10, 1853, and after discharging part cargo proceeded to Lyttelton, arriving there on December 29. The passage, land to land, was made in 99 days to Dunedin.

Two years later, in 1855, the ship, under Captain Smith, arrived at Auckland on December 27, making the passage in 111 days from the Downs.