Two or three quotations also from the log books and shipboard newspapers may be of interest to show the power of these ships to carry sail in heavy weather and strong winds.
Here are two days from the log of the James Baines when running her easting down in 1856:—
16th June.—Lat. 43° 39′ S., Long. 101° E.; Bar. 29.80°. Wind, S.W. to W.S.W. Commences with fresh breezes and squalls of sleet, 8 a.m., more moderate. Noon, sighted a ship ahead; at 1 p.m. was alongside of her and at 2 p.m. she was out of sight astern. James Baines was going 17 knots with main skysail set, the Libertas, for such was her name, was under double-reefed topsails.
18th June.—Lat. 42° 47′ S., Long. 115° 54′ E. Bar. 29.20°. Wind, W. to S.W. First part breeze freshening. At 6 p.m. wind S.W. and freshening. At 8.30 p.m. in all starboard studding sails; ship going 21 knots with main skysail set. Midnight, fresh gale and fine clear night. 8 a.m., wind and weather the same. Noon, less wind attended with snow squalls. Distance 420 miles.
Then in the Lightning Gazette I find the following entries:—
15th January, 1855.—Lat. 39° 42′ N., Long. 19° 25′ E. Wind. S.S.E., strong breezes and cloudy, with occasional squalls and showers; the ship going 13 knots close-hauled. In the morning we passed a ship outward bound with topgallant sails in and exchanged colours with a Swedish brig homeward bound—this vessel was under close-reefed topsails, while we were carrying three royals and main skysail.
26th February, 1855.—Lat. 45° 48′ S.; Long., 16° 55′ E. Wind, N.N.W., course, S.E. Another wet uncomfortable day; thick mist and small rain. The barometer had been falling for a day or two back and went down half an inch last night. The change took place at 4 p.m., when the wind suddenly shifted to the west and soon afterwards to S.W., from whence it blew hard with squalls and occasional showers of hail and snow. At 8 p.m. it backed again to west, where it remained all night, blowing a fresh gale, the ship running 16 and occasionally 18 knots per hour with main skysail and topgallant studding sails set.
27th February, 1855.—Lat. 46° 22′ S., Long. 26° 15′ E. Wind, west, course S.E. All last night it blew a fresh gale with heavy squalls and occasional showers of hail and snow, the sea running high. From noon yesterday till noon to-day, we ran down 9 degrees and 20 miles of longitude and 34 miles of latitude, making 390 geographical miles or 450 English miles direct course in the 24 hours, giving an average of 16¼ knots or 18¾ statute miles per hour. During 6 hours in the morning the ship logged 18 knots per hour with royals, main skysail and topgallant studding sails set, the wind blowing a fresh gale from the westward.
21st October, 1855.—Lat. 36° 4′ S., Long. 24° 52′ W. During the afternoon the wind chopped round and blew strongly from the S.W. At 5 p.m. sighted a large ship on our weather quarter, sailing under double-reefed topsails and we apprehend they must have taken us for the Flying Dutchman seen occasionally in these latitudes, for notwithstanding the strong breeze we could be observed carrying our skysails with studding sails ‘low and aloft.’
14th March, 1857.—Lat. 34° 47′ S., Long. 35° 06′ W. The breeze a splendid one. A barque on the port beam about 3, homeward bound. The wind was as fair for her as wind could be, yet she had no royals set. We formed a striking contrast to her, for we—on a wind—had all sail set up to main skysail.