The Race Home.

Nor did we see any more signs of the Kylemore till about a week later, when we sighted a vessel one morning dead ahead. As we closed up on her (guessing it was one of our three rivals) we found it was the Kylemore. We both had a good breeze on port quarter. After we had exchanged signals she started to pile on canvas, and rigged up a couple of "jury" stunsails for'ard. But it was no good. We passed her within hailing distance soon after noon and she was nearly out of sight astern at dusk. Again the day we rounded the Horn, we picked up a vessel ahead in the afternoon, moderate gale right aft (our worst sailing point), passed her (the Kylemore of course) at dusk and signalled our names and "best wishes" etc. by Morse lamp. Picked her up again off Falklands, and soon passed her and lost sight of her astern. Lost the run of her then till in the lights and variables. Sighted her several times afterwards, and passed her easily each time. Picked her up again amongst a lot of other vessels between the end of the N.E. trades and western islands, where there was quite a collection of wool clippers from the colonies that had got up into that spot and could not get out of it, as it had been blowing north-east and east for weeks there.

It was great to see the way we would "claw" up on some vessel on one tackpage 34and cross astern of her when she went about, and on the next tack (we all seemed to make two or four hour tacks) cross her bows well ahead, and leave her astern and pick up another. We passed several of the noted Australian wool clippers that time, and eventually worked right through the whole "fleet," and picking up a lovely westerly got all the "rags" on we could spread. We held this wind and did not waste an ounce of it till about 300-400 miles off the Lizard, when we picked up a tug, but the weather turned very bad, and finally we got an ultimatum from the tug either to anchor somewhere for her to coal or she had to go on half steam to last out.

Our "Old Man" thought if we once got anchored she might leave us

the Auckland Loading Wool At Wellington.

too long, and one of our rivals pass us, so we kept on, and on rounding the "Nore" sighted a big vessel towing up astern. In a short time the William Joliffe, a big, powerful Liverpool tug, passed close to us with that infernal pest of a Kylemore in tow, and although our old tug skipper did his best she beat us by half a tide. She got into the basin and we missed the tide. You may bet we had a real "wake" when we got alongside, and met our rivals.

Running our easting down one time we passed one of the Shipping Company's steamers (I think it was the Ruahine). Strong breeze on our quarter, everything set that would draw, and moderate sea—we must have been doing about a knot faster than she was. Another time running down to the Horn at daybreak we saw a steamer astern; gale of wind nearly dead aft. The steamer turned out to be the Rimutaka or Aorangi, or one of those boats, steaming well, and all sail set that would draw. Those ships used to carry a good press of canvas in those days. Anyhow, she did not pass us till late in the afternoon, and had the wind been a little more "out" I believe we would have lost her. We also passed one of the old "Ducal" liners that trip, and they used to carry a fair amount of sail too, although only square rigged on fore and main. We had a good breeze on quarter, and must have been doing at least two knots faster than she was. I also remember giving one of the big Australian fourmast painted port ships a good licking off the River Plate, homeward bound. I forget her name, but I believe it was either the Loch Torridorn or the Hahnimann (both of which I remember passing some time). This was on a wind with yards just "checked" in a bit, and a moderate breeze.

Mr. W. J. Penn, editor of the Taranaki "Herald," has sent me the following amusing incident which occurred when he was a passenger by the ship Auckland from London to Wellington. Mr. Penn writes: It was early in November, 1881, we sighted another full-rigged ship, and when we werepage 35close enough for identification it was found to be the Dunedin, whose captain was commodore of the Shaw-Savill fleet. He signalled to our captain, MacDougall, who died a few years ago in Christchurch, to close up within hailing distance. Our course was slightly altered, but it was soon evident that we were too fast for the Dunedin, so our "old man" shortened sail a little and ordered his steward (one Ball) to bring him a cup of coffee on to the poop deck, where he sat and smoked a cigar, apparently enjoying immensely the fact that he had to shorten sail to enable the commodore to come near him. Eventually he had the main mizzen sail laid "flat-a-back"—put a brake on, in fact—and soon the Dunedin was alongside, close enough almost for a biscuit to be thrown across. After a brief conversation we put on all sail again, and next morning there was no sign of the Dunedin.

In 1893 the Auckland sailed from Dunedin to Wellington, there to load for London. On 4th March she was lying at the Railway Wharf, and had just about completed her loading of wool and flax, when dense smoke was observed pouring out of the port hole. The ship's crew fought the flames for half an hour, but the fire had now a firm hold and the fire brigade was summoned. After stubborn work the fire was subdued, but not before a considerable portion of her cargo had been saturated with water. The ship suffered very little damage, but a large portion of the cargo was damaged and discharged.

Captain Charles James was for 31 years in the employ of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, and was in command of their ships for over 25 years. He sailed the Auckland for twelve years, the Helen Denny for five years, the Westland for the last two voyages to the Dominion, and other ships.

The ship Auckland was wrecked during a gale, and became a total loss, on the 6th March, 1909, off Possession Island, South-West Africa. All hands were lost.

Here follow the records of the outward passages of the Auckland:—

the Auckland sailed from Glasgow on twelve occasions, eight from London, and three from Sharpness.