I believe no other ship trading to New Zealand has a record equal to the James Nicol Fleming for regular and consistent passages. She made nine complete voyages between Glasgow and Dunedin, and three from London to Dunedin, and the average of the outward passages was only 86½ days!

the James Nicol Fleming was a beautiful composite clipper ship, close on 1000 tons register. As already stated, she was a sister ship to the Otago—built on exactly the same lines—but she did better work than the Otago, as only on two occasions did she exceed 90 days. In 1873, as will be seen from her records, she ran out to Dunedin from Glasgow in 71 days, anchorage to anchorage, or 69½ days land to land. This places the Fleming third on the list for the record passage to Dunedin, the Westland coming first, and Scimitar (Rangatiki), second.

The "Otago Daily Times," referring to the ship's arrival in 1873, said:—"Patrick Henderson's clipper ship has astonished even her well-wishers by making the passage out in 69 days and 11 hours from the time she parted with the pilot off Inistrahull to rounding the Snares. Her greatest run was 320 miles in one day, and for two days off the pitch of the Cape she logged 632 miles. She crossed the equator in 21 days, and the S.E. trades proved favourable until losing them on May 21, in latitude 23.40 S., when strong southerly winds delayed her for six days—the ship making an average of 80 miles per day. The Cape was passed on June 4, and Cape Leeuwin on the 20th. The easting was run down on a parallel of 43 S. until passing Cape Leeuwin, when a more southerly course was shaped, the ship going down to 47 S. until reaching the Snares on Junepage 157 29." On this occasion the ship brought 280 passengers.

The Fleming was credited with having made some remarkable runs from Port Chalmers to the English Channel.