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White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900

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the Jessie Osborne, chartered in the 'seventies by the New Zealand Shipping Company to convey immigrants to the Dominion, was a fine full-rigged ship of 1058 tons, and when fitted up to carry passengers was comfortable and a fast sailer. Prior to trading to New Zealand, and when on a voyage to California, she was driven ashore, and the wreck was purchased by an American firm. Her name was then changed to Mariposa. She made one passage to Liverpool from San Francisco, but she was then bought back by the original owners, and her name was again changed to Jessie Osborne. She was in 1876 chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company, and after completing two voyages to New Zealand, was sold to a Norwegian firm, converted into a barque, and re-named the Okta. Some years later, in 1913, the old barque, still bearing the same name, was loaded with a cargo of jarrah timber at Tasmania, and sailed for Falmouth. She put into the Bluff harbour in distress, struck the Pelham rocks, Sterling Point, and became a total wreck.
On her first voyage out to New Zealand the Jessie Osborne arrived at Lyttelton on January 29, 1876, having sailed from London on the 7th November, 1875—a run of 83 days from the Clyde. She brought out 280 Scotch immigrants. The "Lyttelton Times," reporting her arrival, stated the vessel experienced a succession of heavy gales in the Bay of Biscay, which continued for several days and greatly impeded her progress. She crossed the equator 31 days out, and the meridian of the Cape three weeks later. The ship made some splendid runs in the Southern Ocean until passing Cape Leeuwin on January 13—68 days from the Clyde. On five separate days she logged upwards of 300 miles. Thence
Captain Falconer.

Captain Falconer.

she fell in with calms and head winds, which completely spoilt what otherwise would have been the smartest passage of the season. Owing to one of the pas-page 279sengers being down with typhoid fever, the ship was placed in quarantine for a week.