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

Put into Melbourne

Put into Melbourne.

Strenuous work, however, gradually got the better of the storm. Emergency steering tackle was rigged, and the gale gradually abating, the storm-tossed vessel was once more put on her course. In view of the terrible knocking about his vessel had sustained, Captain Sims decided to run for the nearest port, which happened to be Melbourne, and he arrived there on July 14. The hull was found to be perfectly sound, but it neededpage 170 the expenditure of some £3000 to put the rest of the damage right. She left Melbourne on September 18, and carried fine weather until her arrival at Port Chalmers 183 days after leaving Glasgow.

In the following year the Ben Nevis was sold to a Norwegian firm, and her name was changed to Astoria. She remained afloat until January 24, 1912, when she was dismasted in the Atlantic. She was set on fire, and abandoned by the crew, who were taken off the sinking vessel by the steamer Dungenness of London.

When she was in the Australian passenger trade the Ben Nevis was very popular under the command of Captain McPetrie. This well-known master left the Ben Nevis to take over the Ben Voirlich, of the same line, and he was in command of her in 1875, when she ran from London to Melbourne in 62 days, which at the time was said to be a record for any iron ship trading from England to Australia.