“Miltiades.”
George Thompson’s second iron ship was the beautiful Miltiades, for many years a favourite ship in the Melbourne trade. Like the Patriarch, she was built for the emigrant trade, and in the Australian papers was spoken of as “that mammoth clipper,” though to modern eyes she would look quite small and one of the daintiest of ships. Unlike Patriarch she was a very wet ship, especially when running in heavy weather, but she was just as fast as the Patriarch, if not faster—indeed taking her average, both outward and homeward, I do not think that any ship can beat her record for an iron ship except the little Salamis.
Captain Perrett took her from the stocks and had her until 1885, when Captain Harry Ayling assumed command. On her first voyage she carried stunsails, but when she got home the booms were sent down and never used again.
Her best outward passage was made in 1873, being 70 days dock to dock, 63 days pilot to pilot. She left London on 5th May, dropped her pilot off the Start on 12th May. Had very light winds to the equator, crossed the line on 6th June in 27° 30′ W., crossed the meridian of the Cape on 24th June in 44° S. On 24th, 25th and 26th June she ran 305, 310, and 345 miles. Crossed the meridian of Cape Leeuwin on 9th July, and was off the Otway on 14th July, only 20 days from the Cape, finally anchored in Hobson’s Bay on the 15th; just 39 days from the equator. On this passage her decks were lumbered up with sheep pens, and one can well imagine what an unpleasant time those sheep must have had when she was running her easting down.
In 1874 Miltiades was diverted from Melbourne to Wellington. Emigration to New Zealand was booming and many extra ships had to be taken up; for instance the La Hogue took 443 emigrants to Wellington, the fine iron Calcutta clipper Ballochmyle took 484 to Canterbury and the Rooparell 361 to Auckland.
The change was very near being the end of Miltiades, for she missed stays whilst beating up to Wellington and slid on to a reef. Captain Perrett immediately fired his signal guns and sent up a rocket to attract attention. Luckily for him the inter-colonial steamer had just rounded the North Heads bound in and at once went to his assistance, and after one or two failures managed to get the Miltiades off. It was not until many years later that the Miltiades was again seen in Maoriland, but in the early nineties she made the following fine runs home:—
| 1890 | Lyttelton to London, February 8 to April 27 | 78 days |
| 1891 | Wellington to London, January 14 to April 6 | 82 days |
When the Aberdeen White Star sold their ships the Italian owners of the Titania bought the Miltiades. She was finally condemned and broken up in 1905.