At noon exactly the N.Z.S. Co.’s sailing ship Turakina passed along our lee side. She was then carrying all square sail except mizen royal and topgallant sail (probably griping a good deal). She was right alongside and you could distinguish the features of the officers, and see the seas breaking over her—I have a very good photo. She then hauled her wind and crossed our bow, at the same time shortening sail to topsails, reef in mainsail and furled crossjack; even then she held her own with us during a long summer evening light, till 9.30 there she was just ahead on the port bow.

Next day at noon we had run 315 miles. At midnight the wind came aft and she was therefore not in sight from masthead at daylight. It was a wonderful performance and made a man feel glad to be alive to see it.

And the Turakina held her own for 14 days. She covered the 5000 miles between the meridians of the Cape and the Leeuwin, in 16 days, her best runs being 328, 316 and 308.

I am glad to say that the gallant little ship is still afloat under the name of Elida, owned in Tordesstrand.

In 1912 she was in Rio at the same time as the Portuguese Ferreira ex-Cutty Sark. I wonder how many of the shipping people there realized that two of the fastest and most beautiful sailing ships ever built were lying at anchor in their wonderful harbour.

Before leaving the Turakina, I must not omit to give her official measurements from Lloyd’s Register:—

Tonnage (net)1189tons
Tonnage (gross)1247„
Tonnage (under deck)1160„
Length232.5feet
Breadth35.4„
Depth22.2„
Depth moulded23.5„
Freeboard amidships (summer)4.5½„
Raised quarterdeck32„

Robert Duncan’s Six Beautiful Sister Ships.

In 1874 Patrick Henderson launched out by ordering six iron passenger clippers from Robert Duncan and two from Scott, of Greenock, and of the big fleet of splendid iron ships built in the seventies there were few more perfect specimens of the shipbuilders’ art than these eight ships. The following are the measurements of the Duncan ships:—