Scuttled To Save Her.

On January 24 of the following year, at between two and three in the morning, when the City of Auckland was practically a full ship, a fire broke out as she lay alongside the old Queen Street wharf. Valiant efforts were made to suppress the outbreak, but it was soon seen to be hopeless, and the ship was taken out into the stream and scuttled. Two days later she was raised and brought alongside of Firth's wharf, Quay Street, where the Northern Roller Mills now stand, and she sank considerably in the mud.

When the fire broke out there was a £20,000 cargo under hatches, and forty passengers had engaged berths. It was believed that the trouble was started among the flax—a material which has been blamed several times since for causing the same sort of mysterious blaze.

Captain Ashby retained command of the "City" until 1872, and up till then she made four successful voyages to Auckland in two years two months and twenty-one days. On her last round trip she did the return voyage to Auckland in seven months 14 days, having sailed in that time no less than 30,212 miles. Her runs from London to Auckland while Captain Ashby was in commandpage 21 were respectively 98 days, 86 days, 96 days, and 95 days.

The "City" on her first voyage out to Auckland showed a good turn of speed and logged on several occasions as much as 298 miles and 301 miles for the twenty-four hours. The latter figure works out at a little over 12½ knots.

Stewart and Simpson of London were the owners of the ship, Captain Ashby having a £5000 interest in her.