At the beginning of the twentieth century, just before going into steam, Trinder, Anderson & Co. bought the fine ships Wasdale and Hornby Castle, but the century was not ten years old before steamers only were flying the blue with yellow cross and black swan, as the house-flag of the combined firm of Trinder, Anderson and Bethell, Gwyn.
Occasional Visitors in Australian Waters.
Though this part has run to greater length than I had at first intended, nevertheless I fear that many of my readers will complain because old favourites have not been mentioned.
I have tried not to leave out any regular Colonial trader, and space only admits of the bare mention of many beautiful and fast ships which occasionally visited Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide in the course of their general round.
Of these perhaps the finest were:—Carmichael’s Golden Fleece, one of the handsomest ships ever launched, with a run from London to Sydney of 72 days to her credit.
Williamson & Milligan’s Cedric the Saxon, whose 72-day run from Liverpool to Calcutta is the iron ship record. This magnificent clipper once went from Calcutta to the Adelaide Semaphore in 28 days during the S.W. monsoon.
D. Bruce’s Dundee clippers Maulesden and Duntrune; the first famous for her wonderful passage of 69 days from Glasgow to Maryborough, Queensland, in 1882.
The beautiful Belfast ship Star of Italy, one of Corry’s Irish “Stars,” which in 1884-5 went out to Sydney in 78 days and came home in 79.
Beazley’s British Merchant, which in 1881 arrived in Melbourne, 78 days out.
The Sierra Blanca, one of those yacht-like white “Sierras,” which in 1883-4 went out to Sydney in 77 days.