White Wings Vol II. Founding Of The Provinces And Old-Time Shipping. Passenger Ships From 1840 To 1885
The Mallard
The Mallard.
The Mallard, a barque of 637 tons, built in 1857, was chartered by the Shaw, Savill Company for four voyages to New Zealand. Although only comparatively a small vessel, she brought out a good number of our early settlers. The Mallard made her first appearance at Port Chalmers in 1863. She sailed on the 18th May, in charge of Captain Dinely, and arrived on September 6th. Fine weather was experienced to the Cape. When running down her easting the barque encountered an unusually heavy gale or typhoon, when she was thrown on her beam ends, and for some hours grave fears were entertained for her safety. During this gale she lost most of her canvas and sustained injury to her bulwarks. The bargue again met with heavy weather on two or three occasions before sighting the coast of New Zealand. She had only 29 passengers on board this voyage.
The following year, 1864, under the same command, the Mallard sailed from London on the 19th November, and arrived at Wellington on the 4th April, 1865.
Her next voyage was to Auckland, in 1870. On this occasion she was under Captain Andrews, and sailed from Gravesend on November 17th, 1869. Ten days afterwards the whole of the crew suddenly refused duty, which necessitated Captain Andrews putting into Weymouth, where the men were taken ashore and each sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour. A few days later, on the 1st December, the barque took her final departure from Portland Roads. On January 1st a passenger fell overboard from the port gangway, and was drowned. The barque arrived at Auckland on March 7th, 1870, completing a good passage from Portland Roads in 95 days.
On Christmas Day, 1873, the Mallard, under Captain Duncan, sailed from London for Lyttelton, and arrived on April 25th, 1874, making a long journey of 121 days. The barque on this occasion fortunately brought no passengers. She came out under charter to the N.Z. Shipping Co.
The Mallard was built at Liverpool, and for many years sailed from that port for San Francisco.