White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900
The Eastern Monarch
The Eastern Monarch.
the Eastern Monarch, a vessel of 1706 tons, made a sensational passage to Lyttelton. She sailed from Plymouth on
May 7, 1874, with 560 Government immigrants, in command of Captain A. Donaldson, having, in spite of contrary winds at the commencement of the voyage, made the run in 71 days 19 hours from Plymouth, one of the fastest passages ever experienced to Lyttelton. The Equator was crossed on June 5, and the meridian of the Cape on June 23. The Snares were sighted on July 18, and the ship, having a good run up the coast, sighted the Lyttelton light on the 20th, and anchored early the following morning. the Eastern Monarch, an iron vessel, built at Sunderland by Messrs. Mounsey and Foster, was on her maiden voyage when visiting Lyttelton. She was beautifully fitted up, each cabin being luxuriously adorned with velvet pile couches, handsome Brussels carpets, and elegant mirrors. In fact, the accommodation was in all respects similar to that of a first-class ocean mail steamer.