The Speedy “Thessalus.”

Thessalus, Carmichael’s largest three-master, was one of the finest and fastest sailing ships ever seen in Australasian waters. Though not a regular wool clipper like the Mermerus, she was well known both in Sydney and Melbourne. But she was also as well known in Calcutta and San Francisco, and wherever she went she always made fine passages.

“THESSALUS.”

[Larger image] (229 kB)

“THESSALUS.”

Photo by Hall & Co., Sydney.

[Larger image] (242 kB)

Here are a few of her best:—

AUSTRALIAN PASSAGES.
1878	Start to Melbourne	67	days.
1882	London to Sydney	79	„
1884	Downs to Sydney	77	„
1887	London to Sydney	79	„
1893	Cardiff to Sydney (via Capetown)	78	„
1894	London to Sydney (via Capetown)	78	„
1896	Sydney to London	75	„
CALCUTTA PASSAGES.
1876	Calcutta to London	90	days.
1878	Calcutta to Dundee	98	„
1879	Penarth Roads to Calcutta	98	„
FRISCO AND W.C.N.A. PASSAGES.
1883	Frisco to Lizard	105	days.
1885	Frisco to Hull	125	„
1888	Portland, Ore., to Queenstown	98	„
1889	Frisco to Queenstown	104	„
1890	Swansea to Frisco	113	„
1890	Frisco to Lizard	109	„
1892	Frisco to Queenstown	101	„
CROSS PASSAGES.
1878	Melbourne to Calcutta	48	days.
1880	Calcutta to Melbourne	49	„
1882	Sydney to Frisco	55	„
1884	Sydney to San Pedro	66	„
1884	Frisco to Newcastle, N.S.W.	45	„
1886	Newcastle, N.S.W., to Frisco	50	„

On her third voyage she encountered the cyclone of 31st October, 1876, near the Sandheads. Captain E. C. Bennett, foreseeing the approach of the cyclone, stood over to the east side of the Bay of Bengal, and considered himself lucky to escape with the loss of his topgallant masts.

Lashed on top of his main hatch, he had a large kennel containing a pack of foxhounds for the Calcutta Jackal Club. When the cyclone began, the hounds were let out of the kennel, to give them a chance to save themselves; and shortly afterwards the kennel was washed clean over the lee rail without touching it. The hounds had meanwhile disappeared and everyone thought that they must have gone overboard; but when the weather cleared they all came out, safe and sound, from under the lower foc’s’le bunks, where they had taken refuge.

This cyclone wrought havoc amongst the Calcutta shipping, and cost the underwriters over £100,000. Thessalus was lucky to get off with a repair bill of £380.

The Thessalus was lucky with live freight. On her seventh voyage she took horses from Melbourne to Calcutta and landed them all alive and in prime condition. Shortly afterwards the Udston arrived with only four horses alive. She had had bad weather in the Bay of Bengal, the horses had broken loose and in their fright kicked each other to death. On this voyage, Thessalus returned to Melbourne with wheat bags, wool packs and camels. The camels also arrived in good condition. At Melbourne she loaded wool for London at a penny per pound.

Her best wool passage was in 1896, when she left Sydney on the 17th October and was only 75 days to the Start, where she signalled on 31st December. She had left Melbourne in company with Cimba and Argonaut. Argonaut made a long passage, but Thessalus and Cimba were twice in company, concerning which Captain Holmes of Cimba wrote:—

I left Sydney in company with Thessalus and Argonaut. I was twice in company with Thessalus on 3rd October in 54° S., 152° W., to 5th October 54° S., 143° W., and on 25th November in 30° S., 34° W. I came up on him in light winds, but when he got the breeze he just romped away from me as if I was at anchor. Thessalus was a wonderfully fast ship. I think the German five-master Potosi is the only one I have seen to touch her.

This is high praise, for Captain Holmes had a great knowledge of ships, especially in the Australian trade, and he had a very fast ship in Cimba, which on this occasion reported at noon at the Lizard when Thessalus was reporting at Start Point.

After a long and successful career Thessalus was sold to the Swedes in 1905, when she was still classed 100 A1.