The Countess Of Kintore.

There were few skippers better known or more popular than Captain Petherbridge, whose name was closely connected with the Countess of Kintore, Maori, and Napier. The "Countess" traded mostly to Auckland, at which port she landed many hundreds of passengers, and her saloon accommodation was always filded on her return trip Home. Captain Petherbridge took command of the ship when she was first launched in 1866. He had the "Countess" for five years, and had previously commanded the Maori and Napier. He brought the ship Maori to Nelson when she was first launched in 1851, and again in 1853, making the passage in 88 days, land to land. The "Nelson Colonist" described this as a remarkably quick passage, as very few vessels in those days made the run under from 100 to 125 days. Captain Petherbridge transferred from the Maori in 1863 to the Napier, a new iron barque of 571 tons, and made the quickest passage ever recorded to Nelson at that date—83 days. Captain Petherbridge remained in the Napier until he took over the Countess of Kintore. The Countess was described as an Aberdeen clipper, built in 1866 by Duthie. She came out to the several ports under charter to the Shaw, Savill Co., and, as will be seen from her records, made some fast passages for a vessel of 700 tons.

Keen efforts were being made in those days to acclimatise European birds in New Zealand, and several shipments were entrusted to the care of Captain Petherbridge, who took a personal interest in the matter. In 1863, when he was in the Napier, he successfully landed at Nelson seventy pairs of partridges, sky-larks, blackbirds, thrushes, starlings, and goldfinches. In 1870 he brought out in the Countess of Kintore 50 rooks, which were landed at Auckland in splendid condition. In 1876 thirteen salmon were brought out to Lyttelton by the Countess, which was then in command of Captain Norie.

On the voyage to Auckland in 1869 the vessel met with very stormy weather. She left Gravesend on August 5, 1869, taking her final departure from the Lizard on the 11th, and crossed the Line on September 3. When in latitude 39 south and longitude 18deg west a very heavy southerly gale set in, with high seas, which continued from September 18 to 21. On October 9 a heavy gale waspage 184experienced from the north, with a tremendous sea, and during a heavy snow squall the lower cap of the main mast was carried away, the ship lurching and rolling heavily and seas breaking over on all sides. On the 15th she experienced a cyclone, dirty weather, low barometer, high, confused seas, and lurid sky. The ship was brought-to under close-reefed main trysail, the cyclone travelling about west-south-west. On October 20 several icebergs were passed. Passed Tasmania on October 24, being 75 days from land. The Three Kings were sighted on November 2.

The "Herald," referring to the arrival of the "Countess" in 1870 stated: "We are glad to welcome back our old friend Captain Petherbridge, who has always taken a great interest in Auckland. We congratulate him upon his successful passage, he having been absent from this port eight months only. The passage has occupied 97 days from the time of landing the pilot. Stormy weather was encountered in the Southern Ocean, and the vessel was surrounded by an immense quantity of icebergs when in the vicinity of Tasmania; 60 bergs were passed in 24 hours. The following day a terrific westerly gale was experienced, and being in the vicinity of ice the ship was hove-to,"

The "Countess" made an excellent run to Lyttelton of 81 days in 1876, and on arrival was placed in quarantine owing to many cases of measles and scarlet fever having broken out during the voyage. She had 180 immigrants on board, seven of whom succumbed to the disease and were buried at sea.

The passages made to the Dominion were:—