Extraordinary 24-hour Runs.

I have quoted the above passages to show the way in which a Black Baller could carry sail either with a fresh favouring gale or in a strong head wind. This is sufficiently astonishing in itself, but what amazes most present day sailors and compels many of them to be incredulous are such statements as the much quoted one concerning James Baines—“Ship going 21 knots with main skysail set.”

This and other log book statements have been looked upon by many as far-fetched exaggerations, but, after careful study of the subject, during which I have pricked off the different voyages on a track chart, I have come to the conclusion that these amazing performances were in no way a stretching of the imagination.

To begin with, I will give the main arguments advanced against them by the sceptics.

The late Mr. J. N. Barry, writing in an Australian paper, remarks:—

Where American records are concerned much caution must be observed in taking their feats of speed for granted. Our cousins had a canny fashion of, no matter where they might be sailing, always reckoning 60 miles to a degree of longitude whilst doing their easting, so that a day’s run of, say, 240 miles upon a parallel of 45°, would by this means give the distance covered as exactly 100 miles in excess of what it should be.

Another nautical writer remarks:—

The skippers of many of the celebrated Black Ball clippers were not above adopting this mode of calculation, viz., 60 miles to a degree of longitude, but while it gave some wonderful results for a single 24 hours, it did not as a matter of fact make their passages any more rapid.

And I have had letters scoffing at the Black Ball records, remarking that their skippers were a leery lot and provided “palatable pabulum for the proud passengers.”

I will now try and show that these arguments were altogether too sweeping, and if they may possibly have applied to certain individuals, they are by no means fair to the greater number of the skippers.

In the first place, not one of the Black Ball or White Star ships was commanded by an American, and though the accusation was levelled at Americans, it was evidently done in the belief that the American built Australian clippers were commanded by Americans.

In the second place, such men as Anthony Enright, of the Lightning, James Nicol Forbes, of the Marco Polo, Charles McDonald, of the James Baines, Sam Reid, of the Red Jacket, Captain Pryce, R.N.R., of the Donald Mackay, and Alexander Newlands, of the Champion of the Seas, were known and respected all over the world as leading men in their profession, occupying a position in the Mercantile Marine which would correspond with that of Orient and P. & O. commanders nowadays, whilst their performances were very much more widely known, thus such elementary cheating as giving 60 miles to a degree in the roaring forties would have been exposed at once.

The greatest 24-hour run ever accomplished by a sailing ship was one of 436 nautical miles made by the Lightning when crossing the Atlantic on her maiden passage. The second greatest run was also made by the Lightning. This was 430 miles when running her easting down bound out to Australia in 1857, and on the following day her run was 360. This wonderful performance drew the following letter from Captain Enright to his passengers, and I think it will dispose of the 60 miles to a degree accusation, at any rate as far as the Lightning and her commander are concerned:—

21st March, 1857.

Ladies and Gentlemen,—I cannot help informing you of the extraordinary run we have made during the last 48 hours—or rather allowing for change of time, 46 hours and 48 minutes. During this time we have run, by thoroughly good and trustworthy observation, no less than 790 knots or 920 statute miles, being an average of nearly 17 knots or more than 19½ statute miles per hour. Yesterday our noble ship made no less than 430 knots amounting to an average during the 24 (23½) hours of more than 18 knots. Our change of longitude has amounted to 18 degrees, each degree being equal to 44 miles.

I firmly believe this to be the greatest performance a sailing ship has ever accomplished.

I hope this information will in some degree compensate you for the inconvenience which the heavy weather has occasioned you.
And I remain, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Very faithfully yours,
A. Enright, Commander.

If further proof is wanted that Captain Enright did not allow 60 miles to a degree, but only 44 as he states to his passengers, here are the noon positions found by observation, not account only, from which the runs can be verified on the chart.

The following is a list of all runs of 400 miles and over, which I have been able to verify.

All these performances were made running east, making the day’s work under 24 hours.

Several other ships claimed runs of over 400 miles, but I have not included these as I have not sufficient particulars to verify them.

Marco Polo is supposed to have done a run of 428 miles under Captain McDonald on 7th January, 1854, and Shalimar 420 miles in 1855 on her first passage to Australia, under Captain Robertson. With this general account of their powers I must now return to a more detailed description of the giant clippers themselves.