She was well armed, carrying eight guns—four 18 pounders and four 24 pounders; besides a large swivel gun on the forecastle, and a good number of Minié rifles for the saloon.
She left Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Melbourne on the 16th April, 1856, and accomplished the passage in 59 days. She had but a short career, for on the 26th October, 1859, this noble ship was totally wrecked on the coast of Anglesea. She had almost reached her home port, inward bound from Australia under the command of Captain Taylor, and having on board about 500 persons including passengers and crew, and a valuable cargo, including gold to the amount of £400,000. She had called at Queenstown, where thirteen of her passengers disembarked. On her passage up channel she was caught in a terrific northerly gale, which, driving the current in the large bay between the Ormes Head and Point Lynas, swept the vessel from her course and drove her upon the rock-bound coast off Moelfra Head, Red Wharf Bay. She struck during the night when no assistance from the shore could be obtained. From 30 to 35 persons only were saved out of the 500 on board, and these mainly through the heroic efforts of Joseph Rodgers, who swam ashore with a line round his body. In recognition of his devoted courage, this intrepid seaman was presented with a gold medal and £5 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution at a meeting held at the Sailors’ Home, Liverpool, on the 16th November, 1859, on which occasion the Board of Trade also presented him with a silver medal and £10.
Chapter XXI.
China and Steam Navigation.—Opening of the Treaty Ports, 1860.—Auxiliary Steamers first employed.—The Scotland.—The Robert Lowe.—The Holt Line.
The treaty ports of the Yang-tse were for the first time opened to the ships of the “barbarian nations of the West” in February, 1860.
The first foreign merchant vessel to load a cargo at Shanghai for Hankow was the auxiliary screw steamer Scotland, belonging to the late W. S. Lindsay, the well-known author of the “History of Merchant Shipping.” She was a vessel of about 1,100 tons gross register, and was commanded by Captain A. D. Dundas, R.N. She sailed from Shanghai with a full cargo in June, 1860, her draft being 17 feet. She was subsequently sold to the Prince of Satsuma, the same purchaser having previously, in 1861, purchased her sister ship, the England, from Messrs. W. S. Lindsay & Co.
It was not until 1863 that any English steamer loaded a cargo direct from Hankow for Great Britain. The third vessel to sail was the auxiliary screw steamship Robert Lowe, also belonging to Messrs. Lindsay. She was a vessel of 1,250 tons gross, with engines of only 80 nominal horse power. Her average speed between Shanghai and Hankow, a distance of 608 miles, was 60 miles per day, but one day was lost in changing her propeller, and she anchored every night. She sailed from Shanghai on the 8th May, 1863, and came to an anchor off Hankow on the 18th idem. On the 10th June her cargo arrived alongside, and on the 23rd June she sailed for Shanghai and London. She traversed the distance between Hankow and Shanghai in 57 hours, the current being with her. Her cargo for London consisted of 9,568 chests, 234 half-chests, and 2,064 boxes of tea; 535 bales of cotton and 192 packages of sundries. Her freight amounted to the respectable sum of £10,315, in addition to which she earned £480 passage money.
In 1866 Mr. Alfred Holt, of Liverpool, started a line of steamers to trade between England and China, via the Cape of Good Hope. Mr. Holt was a practical engineer. Having served his apprenticeship, he was appointed inspecting engineer to several steamship companies, and about 1850 commenced as steamship owner with a small coasting steamer, the Alpha. This steamer was succeeded by the Cleator and Dumbarton Youth, sailing between Liverpool, Cumberland Ports, and the Bristol Channel.
Upon the outbreak of the Crimean War, Mr. Holt secured several remunerative charters from the Government, and in 1855 he inaugurated the first line of steamers between Liverpool and the West Indies. His first steamer in this trade was only 535 tons burden, but she was so well supported that in a short time a monthly line of steamers of larger capacity and greater power was established.