I have a photograph of the South Dock just as it is depicted by Conrad, showing the long row of lean, knife-like cut-waters, surmounted by their spotless figure-heads, and with their bowsprits stabbing the sheds opposite, whilst the masts and yards criss-cross the dull grey of the London sky.
The Builders of the Iron Wool Clippers.
Before proceeding to the ships themselves, I must not omit to say a few words about the men who built these splendid iron sailing ships.
The London River, partly owing to an ill-advised strike and partly owing to its distance from the raw material in comparison to the northern ports, entirely lost its shipbuilding business in the latter half of the nineteenth century; and the builders of the iron wool clipper were pretty evenly distributed over the Clyde, the Mersey and Aberdeen. Once more, as with the tea clippers, there was a keen rivalry between Glasgow and Aberdeen, and it is difficult to say which carried the day, for both cities were represented by countless beautiful ships. Duthie, Hall and Hood had, however, to contend with more than twice their number of Clydeside rivals. If I were asked to give my humble opinion, I should award the palm to Messrs. Barclay, Curle & Co. for producing the most perfect iron ships that ever sailed the seas. They built many of the best “Lochs,” such as Loch Maree, and the four-posters Lochs Torridon, Carron and Broom. They were responsible for the whole of Carmichael’s splendid fleet, and the two famous “Bens”—Voirlich and Cruachan—emanated from their drawing lofts.
Thomson, of Glasgow, built some half-dozen “Lochs,” his masterpiece being the Loch Garry. The rest of the Loch Line were divided amongst Lawrie, Inglis, Henderson, and Connell. Duthie’s finest ship was the Brilliant. Hall built the well-known Port Jackson, whilst Hood was the originator of all the Aberdeen White Star ships and also built the smart little Cimba.
Heap’s ships were mostly built by Evans, of Liverpool; and Potter, of Liverpool, produced the two well-known London ships, Thomas Stephens and Old Kensington. Of the other London owned ships, Hesperus and Harbinger worthily upheld the name of Steele, while Pile, of Sunderland, was represented by Rodney.
I must now turn to the ships themselves, and, taking them in order of date, will begin with that famous veteran the Darling Downs.
The “Darling Downs.”
She was one of that numerous fleet of ships, the converted from steam to sail, about which one could make a largish book without much trouble. And she was one of the most successful of the lot. She was built as far back as 1852 and sailed under the flag of the General Screw Steamship Company, as the Calcutta, an auxiliary steamer with a 300 horse-power engine. Like nearly all early steamship businesses the General Screw S.S. Co. did not remain solvent very long, their ships were sold and were promptly converted into sailing ships, and in many cases renamed.