CONTENTSCHAPTER PAGE[I.][ American Shipping to the Close of the War of 1812][1][II.][ British Shipping after 1815—The East India Company][19][III.][ The North Atlantic Packet Ships, 1815-1850][38][IV.][ Opium Clippers and Early Clipper Ships, 1838-1848][57][V.][ Two Early Clipper Ship Commanders][73][VI.][ The Repeal of the British Navigation Laws—The “Orientalâ€�][88][VII.][ The Rush for California—A Sailing Day][100][VIII.][ The Clipper Ship Crews][119][IX.][ California Clippers of 1850 and their Commanders—Maury’s Wind and Current Charts][134][X.][ California Clippers of 1851 and their Commanders—A Day on Board the “Witch of the Waveâ€�][151][XI.][ California Clipper Passages in 1851][173][XII.][ American Competition with Great Britain in the China Trade][195][XIII.][ California Clippers of 1852—The “Sovereign of the Seasâ€�][211][XIV.][ California Clippers of 1853][224][XV.][ The “Great Republicâ€� and the “Dreadnoughtâ€�][235][XVI.][ American Clippers of 1854 and 1855][248][XVII.][ Australian Voyages, 1851-1854][260][XVIII.][ Australian Clippers, 1854-1856][273][XIX.][ Last Years of the American Clipper Ship Era—Summary of California Passages][289][XX.][ The Greatness and the Decline of the American Merchant Marine][308][XXI.][ The Later British Tea Clippers][318][XXII.][ The Fate of the Old Clipper Ships][340] Appendices[349] Index[377]ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE[The “Flying Cloudâ€�][Frontispiece][East Indiamen, 1720][24][An East Indiaman, 1788][30][The “Marlboroughâ€� and “Blenheimâ€�][36][The “Englandâ€�][40][The “Montezumaâ€�][44][The “Yorkshireâ€�][48][Jacob A. Westervelt][104][Jacob Bell][104][William H. Webb][106][Samuel Hall][106][Robert H. Waterman][112][N. B. Palmer][112][Josiah P. Creesy][122][H. W. Johnson][122][David S. Babcock][128][George Lane][128][Lauchlan McKay][130] [Philip Dumaresq][130][The “Surpriseâ€�][136][The “Stag-Houndâ€�][142][Matthew Fontaine Maury][148][The “Nightingaleâ€�][164][The “Challengeâ€�][186][The “Stornowayâ€�][198][The “Sovereign of the Seasâ€�][218][The “Cometâ€�][224][The “Young Americaâ€�][232][The “Great Republicâ€�][242][The “Dreadnoughtâ€�][246][The “Briskâ€� and “Emanuelaâ€�][252][Donald McKay][256][The “Red Jacketâ€�][272][The “James Bainesâ€�][282][The “Schombergâ€�][286][The “Sweepstakesâ€�][290][The Composite Construction][322][The “Arielâ€� and “Taepingâ€� Running up Channel, September 5, 1866][328][The “Lahlooâ€�][336]The Clipper Ship EraCHAPTER IAMERICAN SHIPPING TO THE CLOSE OF THE WAR OF 1812