Made 24 Round Voyages.

the Oamaru was a handsome, fairly fast, and most comfortable iron ship. She made no less than 24 complete voyages to New Zealand and Home again, landing hundreds of immigrants at all the principal ports. Her best performance was in 1875 on her maiden voyage to Dunedin, when she ran out from London in 78 days, anchorage to anchorage; and her next best passage was from London to Auckland, winch was accomplished in 80 days in 1887.

During the many voyages out and

The Oamaru.

home she did not escape the severe gales so frequently met with in the Southern Ocean. Probably her worst experience was in 1898 on her passage to Wellington. On this occasion the Oamaru sailed from Liverpool on July 30th, in command of Captain Fullerton. All went well until she rounded the Cape of Good Hope, when she encountered a series of gales which, on October 4th, increased to a cyclone, blowing with intense fury, and forcing the ship to heave-to on the port tack for forty hours. The sea at the same time was running very viciously, especially to leeward, and as the vessel's head came up she smashed in the weather lifeboat, also some of the topgallant bulwarks, broke the fastenings of the lower bulwarks to leeward amidships, and almost washed out the topgallant forecastle. After this she met with a succession of gales until October 25th, when it was blowing "feather white."

Succession of Gales.

During the height of this storm this ship carried away several of her forecastle rails and mizzen stay, and did other damage. Luckily the Oamaru was a vessel that lay-to easily. After the gale moderated she had light variable winds all round the compass, which continued until November 3rd. On that day she passed the Snares; thence she had light northerly winds until breasting Banks Peninsula on November 7th. When off the Kaikouras on November 12th, she encountered another heavy gale, with a heavy south-east sea, which compelled her to stand off shore, and finally heave-to for thirty-six hours; the weather then moderating allowed the ship to stand in for the land again, but when about ten miles distant from Pencarrow Head another strong northerly gale set in, which sent the ship away off the land, and kept her there until November 19th. On the morning of that day, when close in to Flaxburn, a southerly wind was taken, and this carried her up to Wellington Harbour—arriving there on 19th November.

During the passage from the Cape of Good Hope to the Snares the ship was compelled to heave-to some six or seven times, owing to the prevalence of very severe northerly gales.

Bad Buffeting.

On a previous passage to Wellington, in 1894, the Oamaru also had a bad buffeting. Shortly after passing the Cape she was driven before a heavy N.N.W. gale, when she pooped mountainous seas, which did considerable damage. Big seas constantly broke over the ship, carrying away lifeboats, rails, and most things movable on deck. Apart from this mishap she had a good run to the coast. She was off Akaroa on the 11th August, passed Cape Campbell

Captain Maxwell.

on the 15th, and arrived in port on the 18th, having had to fight against light and moderate head winds for seven days.

In 1893 the Oamaru experienced another very rough passage when bound for Lyttelton. She left London on October 12th, and immediately upon getting to sea encountered a south-west gale, which compelled Captain Wright to put into Torbay. She started again and landed the pilot off the Start. When off Falmouth another westerly gale drove the ship back to the Start, and she again took shelter in Torbay, where she remained until the 20th. Fairly good weather ensued until November 20th, when the ship had further bad luck.

But the heaviest gale was met with after passing the Cape, when off Kerguelen Island, on December 21st. The barometer in four hours fell three-tenths, and later in the day fell to 28.2. The wind was of hurricane force, with tremendous seas, which broke aboard, stripping off the bulwarks, carrying away sails, smashing most of the boats, and drowning a number of valuable stud sheep. From that point right up to the Snares wretched weather continued; heavy gales with rain and sleet being almost incessant.

the Oamaru in 1905 was sold and renamed the Fox, and rigged as a barque. She was eventually abandoned at sea, timber-laden, off Pensacola, U.S.A.

On the voyage to the Bluff in 1878 the Oamaru encountered very severe gales the day after her departure, and they continued for eight days, during which the ship made but little progress.

During the voyage to Lyttelton in 1883 the Oamaru once more struck heavy gales in the Channel, and put into Torbay for shelter. On December 12, when off Kergulensland, she encountered another very fierce gale, during which the sheep pens were washed away, the topgallant bulwarks carried away, the port lifeboat and pinnace smashed, and the deck flooded. One of the passengers was knocked down and severely injured.

Here follow the records of the Oamaru's passages outwards:—