The barque made her first voyage to Nelson, arriving there on the 3rd December, 1871, after a passage of 121 days. She sailed from London again on December 8th, 1876, and arrived at Lyttelton on April 12th, 1877, the passage occupying 124 days. She was under the command of Captain Morgan. The following year she sailed from Gravesend on January 26th, and arrived at the Bluff on May 17, 1878. Nothing eventful occurred until she was within 300 miles of the New Zealand coast, when a furious gale came on, and whilst labouring in the heavy sea the barque lost her fore topgallant mast and foreyard. The crew were occupied two days in clearing away the wreckage and securing the foreyard. She encountered bad weather on sighting the South-west Cape on May 15. It was then blowing a hurricane, with thick weather, and she was close in shore when the land was sighted. Great difficulty was experienced in clewing the ship offshore. The crew, however, managed to get the vessel clear, and after weathering the land she was hove-to to wait for an improvement in the weather. Next day, on the 16th May, she bore away, and passed the Solanders at noon, with a whole gale behind her.