Many of our early settlers came to Auckland by the ship Nimroud, a vessel of just over 1000 tons, chartered by Willis, Gann and Co., which made three voyages out from London in the 'sixties. The vessel's first arrival in Auckland was on January 17, 1860, and among the passengers on that occasion were the late Mr. W. Hoffman, who was one of the pioneers in the pianoforte business in Auckland; Mrs. Annie Buchanan, of Devonport; Mr. Alfred Jowitt, of New North Road, Auckland; and Mr. S. J. Gorman, of Auckland, the three latter being still alive. Mrs. Buchanan, who is over 90 years of age, is the widow of Mr. William Buchanan, a very well-known Aucklander, and she is still living at Devonport, which has been her home for so many years. On the occasion of this trip the Nimroud was in command of Captain Harrison. The passage occupied 123 days, and was uneventful with the exception of a fatal accident that happened to a cabin passenger named Duncan John McNeil, who was knocked overboard by one of the staysail sheets and drowned. Mr. Gorman, recalling the primitive Auckland of those far-away days, writes to me: "The first building I saw when I landed was Hugh Coolihan's biscuit factory, built on piles, just where the Waitemata Hotel now stands at the corner of Queen and Customs Streets. At that time a wall was being built along what is now Customs Street, and it stretched as far as Fort Britomart eventually. There was when I landed water inside the wall, and it spread nearly up as far as the present Fort Street. It was called the "intake." When we arrived we were landed in cargo boats at the end of the old wooden Queen Street wharf."

The second voyage of the Nimroud was made in 1862-3, under command of Captain Edmonds. She sailed from London on December 28, 1862, but owing to a heavy storm in the Channel she had to put into Deal, which port she did not leave until December 31. She arrived in Auckland on April 27, 1863.

In the following year the Nimroud was again in the Waitemata, this time in command of Captain Oughton. The ship left the Downs on August 12, 1864, and arrived in Auckland Harbour on December 17, having been 126 days on the passage. When running down her easting she encountered terrific gales. On October 30 and 31 she was hove-to under close-reefed topsails, and during this time she was struck by a heavy sea that filled the decks and shifted the cargo. On the 29th of the same month many large icebergs were passed. On November 1 a tremendous sea swept over the ship, flooding the decks and doing much damage on deck. the Nimroud was in Auckland for two months, and then "cleared for Guam."

It is interesting to recall that the peal of bells that for many years hung in the Cathedral Library, Bishop's Court, Parnell, and are now in the tower of St. Matthew's, Auckland, came out by the Nimroud on the 1863 passage, and that Bishop and Mrs. Selwyn paid a visit to the ship while she was in port.

the Nimroud must not be confused with the Nimrod, which did not come to Auckland, but was in Wellington, where she arrived on April 27, 1864, in command of Captain Poynton. The almost identical spelling of the two names would be likely to lead to some confusion.

A Versatile Sailor.

The third mate of the Nimroud when she visited Auckland in 1864 in command of Captain Oughton, was a young man named Bennett, who was afterwards connected with the noted Loch line. When the Nimroud was in Auckland young Bennett left her to serve in the Maori war then raging, and attracting most of the adventurous spirits that lived in the little township of those early days. It was not his first visit to New Zealand, as he had been here as an apprentice on the Albermarle, which was in Wellington in 1861. When Bennett joined up with the forces at Auckland he was sent to the front almost immediately, and it was only about a fortnight after leaving the ship before he was wounded and sent back to the Auckland Hospital. He recovered before the ship left, and not being fit for duty again rejoined the Nimroud before she sailed.

Later Bennett joined the Loch line as mate of the Clanranald, and then of the Loch Rannoch. He was afterwards given command of the Loch Tay, and frompage 3411885 to 1904 he commanded the famous Loch Vennachar, one of the finest and speediest ships that traded to Australia. Captain Bennett made some remarkable trips out and Home, four of his voyages to Melbourne being done in 72, 74, 75, and 75 days respectively. He retired from the sea in 1892. The Loch Vennachar was dismasted while on the voyage to Melbourne, having left Glasgow on April 6 of that year. One sea that broke on board during this terrible gale filled the lower topsail, 60ft above the deck! Tons of water swept over the ship, the foremast and the mainmast were swept over the side and the mizzen topmast carried away, while the unfortunate cook was washed out of his galley and drowned. For several days the ship was unmanageable, until the crew at length managed to get her jury rigged, and after five weeks' struggling got her into port at Mauritius. Captain Bennett for this magnificent "save" was awarded Loyd's medal, which is considered the Victoria Cross of the mercantile marine.

In 1901, when lying at anchor in the River Thames, ready to sail for Melbourne, the Loch Vennachar was run into by a steamer and sunk in 40ft of water, no one, however, being drowned, and the ship was afterwards raised and refitted. In 1905 the ship was wrecked on Kangaroo Island, but by that time Captain Bennett had left her, and Captain Hawkins was in command.