17th May.—Lat. 44° 37′ S., long. 64° 31′ W. Going at the rate of 12 to 14 knots and wind right aft which caused the ship to roll very much. About 3 p.m. a heavy shower of snow was hailed with delight by the passengers. Our captain transferred his command from the Black Ball to the White Ball Line and first commenced snow-balling. Fierce and fast grew the conflict, the ship helping many a valiant snow-baller to a seat on her slippery decks. At 4 we saw an American clipper standing eastward under close-reefed topsails.
1st June.—Crossed the equator at midnight in 30° W. Visit of Neptune in the evening. Neptune made his appearance accompanied by his wife Amphitrite. Their Majesties were received with the usual honours, all the company standing up and the band playing “Rule Britannia.” Neptune was dressed in the uniform of a Line regiment, sea-green turned up with cerulean blue. His wife’s hair plaited in the most tasteful manner nearly touched her feet, swabbing the decks as she walked along. Neptune put the usual questions to our gallant commander and having received satisfactory replies, his Majesty, leaning upon his three-pronged toaster, made a circuit of the deck, while the fair Amphitrite in passing made a most condescending bow to the Queen of Beauty, who was supported on the arm of Aesculapius, and at this piece of condescension dropped her large blue eyes and looked confused. The salt of the briny element seemed to have excited the thirst of Amphitrite and her attendants, which the Chief Justice endeavoured to quench by draughts from the cup that cheers but inebriates. Neptune having taken the pledge when he visited certain other parts of his dominions would not put the hideous beverage to his lips. The Gods and Goddesses then delighted the company by their vocal melodies and finally descended to their chariot, which went off with fire and smoke.
4th June.—Lat. 6° 30′ N., long. 30° 11′ W. Took the N.E. trades.
28th June.—Four passengers and a number of letters landed off Kinsale.
29th June.—11 a.m., taken in tow by steam tug Dreadnought. Anchored in Liverpool at 11 p.m. 79 days out. Since passing the Horn it had been a light weather passage, the moonsail only being lowered on two occasions and the lower deck ports only shut once.
Third Voyage.
The Lightning’s third voyage was an unfortunate one. On her arrival home in June, 1855, Messrs. James Baines & Co., whether at Captain Enright’s suggestion or not, I do not know, had her hollow bow filled in with deadwood, an action which caused her designer to refer to them as the “wood-butchers of Liverpool,” though in the light of modern knowledge in ship designing they were undoubtedly right, as hollow lines for sailing ships have long been proved a mistake.
Unfortunately, however, the blocking in of the bows was not strongly enough done, and one day when she was close-hauled on the starboard tack in the South Atlantic, this false bow, as it was called, was washed away, leaving its frame and ribs bare. This, though in no way affecting the seaworthiness of the Lightning, spoilt her sailing, and what promised to be an excellent passage ran to 81 days.
In Australia the bow was repaired, but the accident frightened would-be passengers, as the Government surveyors in Melbourne refused to give her a certificate and she also lost a lot of freight.