As we were sailing to Australia.
In 1879 the Orient was sold to Cox Bros., of Waterford, and she was still afloat quite recently as a coal hulk at Gibraltar.
The Little “Heather Bell.”
In 1855 Hall, of Aberdeen, built the little Heather Bell for Brown & Co., from whom the Orient Line bought her. Her measurements were:—
| Registered tonnage | 479 | tons. |
| Length | 155 | feet. |
| Beam | 28.5 | „ |
| Depth | 17.5 | „ |
She was not one of the South Australian traders, however, but ran regularly to Sydney and Melbourne. She made herself famous by a wonderful run home from Melbourne under Captain William Harmsworth. She left Port Phillip Heads on 15th October, 1856, with a strong easterly wind and took the route down the West Coast of Tasmania. In spite of five days of easterly gales, she made the passage to the Horn in 26 days. The record for this run was made by the Lightning in 1854, being 19 days. Heather Bell ran from the Horn to the line in 21 days. This was a record, and considered such a remarkable performance that it was pricked off on old South Atlantic charts. And so far as I know, it has only been twice beaten, once by the Cutty Sark and once by the Thomas Stephens. Heather Bell made the land at Start Point 20 days from the line, thus making a passage of 67 days. Her best 24-hour run was 330 miles, and her best week’s work was 1885 miles. Of course she had great luck with her winds, but, even so, she proved herself a very speedy little ship.
Heather Bell had a long life of 39 years, and was finally broken up at Balmain, Sydney, in 1894.
The “Murray.”
Another Adelaide passenger ship belonging to Anderson was the Murray. She was built by Hall, of Aberdeen, in 1861, being the last Orient liner to be built entirely of wood. Her measurements were:—
| Registered tonnage | 903 | tons. |
| Length of keel | 180 | feet. |
| Beam | 33.3 | „ |
| Depth | 20.8 | „ |