The Taranaki.

the Taranaki, one of Duncan's beautiful ships, was a real clipper, and made no less than 24 successful voyages to New Zealand. She was launched in 1877—one of the last ships built for

the Taranaki At Wellington Wharf.

the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company. Her tonnage was 1126, and her length 228 feet. She was subsequently (about 1900) sold for £2900 to Italy, and was still afloat in 1914.

the Taranaki made some remarkable runs out and Home. Her best performance outwards was in 1879, when under the command of Captain Wight. She ran from Glasgow with 326 passengers to Port Chalmers in 75 days. She crossed the Equator on the 22nd day out, rounded the Cape on December 24, passed Tasmania on January 17, and sighted the Snares three days later, anchoring at Port Chalmers on January 24. Her next best run was in 1888, under Captain Gordon, when she ranpage 171 from Gravesend to Port Chalmers in 78 days, or 73 land to land.

In 1891 the Taranaki was detained for fourteen days in the Channel, and met with very heavy weather afterwards. The following year she was knocking about the Channel for ten days before clearing the land, and experienced severe storms in running down her easting.

In 1898 the ship occupied 93 days from Gravesend, but as the "Otago Daily Times" stated, it was the fastest of the season. All the ships arriving about this time reported terrific gales in the Southern Ocean. the Turakina, which sailed about the same time as the Taranaki, had to put into Algoa Bay for repairs, and the ship Soukar, seriously damaged, put into Mauritius for extensive repairs. The fast ship Canterbury sailed from London one day after the Taranaki, and took five days longer to reach Port Chalmers.

Here follows the record of outward passages by the Taranaki:—