An Ocean Race.

Mr. Warren, who was a passenger by the Avalanche, when she left Wellington early in 1877, has kindly supplied me with details of the memorable race between the Avalanche, the Ocean Mail, and the Crusader to London. "These three clipper ships," he states, "left their respective ports on the same date, the Avalanche and Ocean Mail from Wellington, and the Crusader from Lyttelton. the Avalanche was in charge of Captain Williams, a very popular and able commander, and the Ocean Mail (New Zealand Shipping Company) in command of Captain Roberts. As the Avalanche and Ocean Mail proceeded down the Wellington Harbour a heavy ' southerly buster' sprang up, and the Avalanche anchored off Worser Bay. the Ocean Mail put back and anchored off Somes Island. The following morning, with a fair wind, both ships sailed away. the Avalanche on this occasion carried about one hundred passengers. Both ships were becalmed for a day off the Chatham Islands, and Captain Roberts paid a visit to the Avalanche.

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"A large number of fine albatrosses were sailing about the ships, and several were shot for their skins, which were presented to some ladies on the Avalanche. The sailors predicted bad luck from killing these birds, and strange to relate, Captain Roberts' boat was stove in against our ship's side, and he had to be conveyed back in one of the boats belonging to the Avalanche. A breeze coming up we parted company that evening and never sighted the Ocean Mail again, but when our pilot came aboard in the English Channel we were informed that the Ocean Mail had gone ashore and was totally wrecked at the Chathams. When rounding Cape Horn and in sight of land we sighted a full-rigged ship, sailing much closer to the Cape, and rapidly overhauled her. To our surprise it was the Crusader. By evening we had left her hull down astern.

"The following day our course was altered a point or so to the south, and some hours later we were taken aback in a heavy squall. Our wheel was smashed and many of our sails blown to ribbons. Heavy weather and head winds held us up for 14 days, and but for this unfortunate mishap we should probably have had a neck-and-neck race to the Channel. When the pilot boarded our ship he informed us that the Crusader had passed up the Channel several days ahead of us. the Avalanche arrived on June 2, 1877, making the passage in 78 days."