A Dead Heat.

"At about four p.m. that afternoon a large ship under full sail came standing into the bay on the starboard tack," continues Captain Duder. "We also were under full sail, slipping along close-hauled and doing about ten knots. No other vessels of any considerable size were in sight. All eyes were turned on the stranger. She was a perfect picture, with her painted ports, every sail setting faultlessly, and the ship beautifully sailed. One of our A.B.'s declared it was our friend and rival the Timaru, but the idea was hailed with derision. 'the Timaru is in London, and paid off by this time,' said the mate.

"The ships were drawing close together, and we being on the port tack had to give way to the other vessel. But our skipper was not giving way if he could help it, although he did not intend to take any unseamanlike risks, so 'Stand by the spanker and after braces!' came the order. Then soon, 'Hard up the helm!' followed by 'Brail the spanker in!' 'Square the crossjack!' 'After yards!' the City of Auckland fell away before the wind, a hundred and fifty feet to leeward of the Timaru! 'Steady the helm!' 'Set the spanker!' 'Brace up the after yards!' came the orders, and so we regained our course and stood up Channel.

"So it was the Timaru after all! Up to that moment our long 6500-mile race was a dead heat. We had taken 61 days from the Horn, and here in the Channel we were within a hundred and fifty feet of one another.

"Next morning the ships lay becalmed off Portland Bill, about apage 24 thousand feet apart. Soon the smoke of two tugs appeared, and they came straight for us, the larger one picking the bigger vessel (and the most money), and the other coming to us. Two days later both vessels hauled in to the South West Indian Dock, in London, the jibboom of The Citly over the poop of the Timaru. Thus ended our race from the Horn, and the honours were certainly with our vessel, she being much the smaller of the two.

"A comparison of the courses steered and the positions on the chart showed that the two ships were only just out of sight of each other on three occasions, and practically the same weather was experienced. We also found that they were less than two hundred and fifty miles apart during the whole of the race.

"The City's voyage from Auckland occupied ninety-five days, the Timaru's from Dunedin was eighty-nine, and she not only had the shorter distance, but she also had a more favourable run of winds."