An interesting souvenir of the days of sail is an old circular of the year 1881 of the New Zealand Shipping Company that has been sent me. It advertises the "dispatch as a special passenger ship to Auckland" of the "magnificent iron clipper Stracathro, 2000 tons burthen, 100 Al at Lloyd's, T. B. Peters, commander, for the conveyance of settlers about to proceed to the Te Aroha lands, under the auspices of Messrs. Grant and Foster, the Lincolnshire Farmers delegates to New Zealand." Saloon fare was £42, second saloon £25, and steerage £15 to £18. Second class passengers were required to provide themselves with "bedding, knives and forks, table and tea spoons, one or two deep metal plates and dishes, a hook teapot, cups and saucers or tin drinking vessels, a water can, washing utensils, towels, etc."

Further interesting particulars about this fine craft are contained in a manuscript description loaned me. For instance, she carried a crew of 28—master, three mates, two cooks, two stewards, one carpenter, one sailmaker, one boatswain, twelve able seamen, two ordinary seamen, and three apprentices. Her registered tonnage was 1159, not the "2000" round figures of the circular. She carried skysails on both main and foremasts. The mainmast was 140 feet, the foremast the same height, and the mizzen was 100 feet from the deck. Her main yard measured 77 feet, and the spread of her foreyard and studding-sail booms was no less than 129 feet, Nautical men will be interested in com-page 304paring paring these measurements with the length of the barque, which was 230 feet. She had a beam of 35 feet, and the depth of her hold was 21 feet. Including passengers, she carried 72 soul on her 1881 voyage from London to Auckland. The livestock carried for cabin purposes was 144 fowls, 50 ducks, 13 sheep, and nine pigs.