The Dona Anita.

An extraordinary voyage of 211 days, London to Nelson, was made by the barque Dona Anita in 1867. She left St. Katherine's docks on February 7th, but meeting with stormy weather in the Channel, put into Plymouth in a leaky condition. After being caulked, she left again on the 3rd March. The next calamity was the death, while crossing the line, of the master, Captain Brown. Shortly afterwards the barque spoke the barque Saunderson, home-ward bound, and Mrs. Brown and her child were put on board.

The chief officer had taken command on the death of Captain Brown, but owing to a disagreement with the passengers the vessel put into Rio Janeiro on May 5th. While at Rio part of the cargo was sold to defray expenses, and a new captain appointed, the vessel sailing again on the 10th June. Soon after leaving Rio she ran into a storm and sprung her mainmast, but eventually reached her destination on the 27th August, landing 28 passengers. She brought the plant for the Nelson waterworks.

Three previous visits had been paid to New Zealand by the Dona Anita, and she had made fairly good passages, considering she was only a vessel of 500 tons. On July 14, 1863, she arrived at Lyttelton, 105 days from the Downs. Up to the time of sighting Kerguelen Island she had a comfortable passage, but after that the weather was so bad that Captain Smith said that in all his thirty-five years at sea he had never seen worse. On this occasion the barque brought 45 passengers.

In 1865 she was again in Lyttelton, arriving on January 7th, this time under Captain Davis. In 1866 she visited Nelson, where she arrived on February 6, under Captain Sharman, after making a passage of 107 days. She brought 54 passengers.