The Hereford.

the Hereford, a fine powerful ship of 1149 tons, built at Glasgow by Elder in 1869 for the Merchant Shipping Co., of London, was chartered by the N.Z. Shipping Co. in the seventies, and made three successful and uneventful voyages to Lyttelton, the only New Zealand port visited. On each voyage the Hereford brought out about 300 Government immigrants. She came out first in 1874, under Captain Elsden, R.N.R. Sailing on April 18, she arrived on July 14, making the passage in 81 days from Start Point, and 87 from port. On the second passage she sailed from Plymouth on October 31, 1877, under Captain McCarthy, and arrived on January 10, 1878, making a fine run of 80 days, port to port. When in the Southern Ocean the ship made some good runs of 310, 305, and 302 days. On the last passage the Hereford sailed on October 6 and arrived at Lyttelton on December 30, 1879.

Writing from Dean Street, Arch Hill, Auckland, Mr. Sidney R. Billett mentioned that he and 166 other passengers were brought out by the Hereford to Townsville, Australia, in 1883. The ship took 101 days and her best day's run was 335, which was logged soon after crossing the line. She brought railway iron to Townsville, sailed thence to Calcutta for coolies for Demerara, where she loaded sugar for Home. Mr. Billett tells me that he understood the ship was wrecked off Cape Horn when on the passage Home.