“PIAKO.”Larger image(206 kB)
“PIAKO.”
Larger image(206 kB)
After having four ships on the stocks in 1869, Patrick Henderson remained content with his fleet until 1874. His ships were always painted black with gold stripe and gingerbread work, whilst Shaw, Savill’s were painted green. When the two firms amalgamated in 1882, all their ships came out with painted ports and lead colour under the ports.
TheAlbion house-flag, a French flag with a small Union Jack in the centre, is supposed to have originated during the Crimean War. It is said that one of their early vessels carried both French and British troops at the same time, and for this reason flew a Union Jack and a French tricolour side by side on separate flagstaffs on the stern—this being later improved upon by the well-known Henderson house-flag.
Duringthe early years of the Colony Shaw, Savill and P. Henderson had practically all the carrying trade in their hands. Occasionally an outsider took a load of emigrants out to New Zealand, such as the White Star linerChariot of Fame, but the big Liverpool emigrant ships were really too big for the small volume of trade at that time. However, as both emigrationto and trade with New Zealand increased, it was felt that the service of ships could well be improved, and at last in 1873, with this object in view, a number of merchants and run holders in the Colony decided to go in for shipowning and managing, and formed themselves into a company under the style of the New Zealand Shipping Company.
Full of enthusiasm, push and go, the promoters of the N.Z.S. Co. were determined from the first to have a line worthy to class with the Blackwall frigates of Green & Wigram. They had, of course, a great deal to learn, and mistakes were made but never repeated; and so great was their energy that in the first three years of their existence they chartered and despatched no less than 150 ships, carrying 28,675 passengers to the Colony. And before the company was ten years old it owned 16 up-to-date iron clippers, most of which had been built specially for them.
From the start the N.Z.S. Co. proceeded on generous lines, their ships being always well found, well manned and most liberally kept up. Their officers, also, considered themselves the aristocrats of the trade and rather looked down on the more economical Shaw, Savill and Albion clippers, whom they nicknamed the “Starvation Stars,” in allusion to the stars in their house-flag, which by the way is the proper New Zealand flag which Queen Victoria presented to the Maoris.
The ships built for the N.Z.S. Co. were none of them specially fast; they aimed chiefly at safety and comfort for their passengers.
All these ships were built of iron, the finest and fastest of the fleet being the beautiful littleTurakina, which originally belonged to George Smith of the well-known City Line, being then called theCityof Perth, I shall deal with her in more detail presently.
LIST OF THE NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY’S SAILING FLEET.DateBuiltShipTonsLengthFeetBreadthFeetDepthFeetBuilders.1855Pareora(ex-White Eagle)879203·332·820·9At Glasgow1863Waitara833182·431·420·9Reid, Glasgow„Rangitiki(ex-Cimitar)1188210·035·022·7Samuelson, Hull1868Turakina(ex-City of Perth)1189232·535·422·2Connell, Glasgow„Waimea(ex-Dorette)848194·331·719·0Goddefrog, Hamburg„Mataura(ex-Dunfillan)853199·433·320·3Aitken, Glasgow1873Rakaia1022210·234·019·2Blumer, Sunderland1874Waikato1021210·534·119·2Blumer, Sunderland„Waimate(ex-Hindostan)1124219·735·120·7Blumer, Sunderland„Waitangi1128222·035·120·8Blumer, Sunderland1875Hurunui1012204·134·220·0Palmers Co., Newcastle„Orari1011204·134·220·0Palmers Co., Newcastle„Otaki1014204·134·220·0Palmers Co., Newcastle„Waipa1017204·134·220·0Palmers Co., Newcastle„Wairoa1015204·132·220·0Palmers Co., Newcastle1876Opawa1076215·234·020·4Stephen, Glasgow„Piako1075215·334·020·5Stephen, Glasgow1877Wanganui1077215·334·020·4Stephen, Glasgow
Pareora(ex-White Eagle)
At Glasgow
Waitara
Reid, Glasgow
Rangitiki(ex-Cimitar)
Samuelson, Hull
Turakina(ex-City of Perth)
Connell, Glasgow
Waimea(ex-Dorette)
Goddefrog, Hamburg
Mataura(ex-Dunfillan)
Aitken, Glasgow
Rakaia
Blumer, Sunderland
Waikato
Blumer, Sunderland
Waimate(ex-Hindostan)
Blumer, Sunderland
Waitangi
Blumer, Sunderland
Hurunui
Palmers Co., Newcastle
Orari
Palmers Co., Newcastle
Otaki
Palmers Co., Newcastle
Waipa
Palmers Co., Newcastle
Wairoa
Palmers Co., Newcastle
Opawa
Stephen, Glasgow
Piako
Stephen, Glasgow
Wanganui
Stephen, Glasgow
ThePareorawas broken up in 1889.
TheWaitaracame to her end by colliding with theHurunuiin the English Channel on 22nd June, 1883.
TheRangitikiwas sold to the Norwegians and renamedDalston. She was resold in 1909 for £1500 and went to New Caledonia as a hulk.
TheWaimeawas sold to the Norwegians and wrecked on the South African Coast in 1902.
TheMataurabrought the first cargo of frozen meat from New Zealand, arriving on 26th September, 1882, being fitted with Haslam’s patent dry air refrigerator. She was then rigged as a barque. She was eventually sold to the Norwegians and renamedAlida. On 24th August, 1900, she was dismasted in the Pacific and abandoned.
TheRaikaiaalso went to the Norwegians and wasrenamedMarie. She was again sold, to Boston shipowners, for 4850 dollars, and is once more sailing the seas under her old name.
TheWaikatowas sold to the Germans and her name changed toJ. C. Pfluger. They sold her in 1900 to Californian owners, who sailed her out of Frisco rigged as a barquentine. She is now a hulk disguised under the name ofCoronado.
TheWaimate, from noon on 26th November to noon 27th November, in 1881, covered 354 miles in the 23½-hour day running the easting down in lat. 47° S. In the p.m. the sea was smooth and the wind gradually freshening, Captain Mosey who was making his first voyage in the ship, hung on to his main royal until the first watch, the wind being on the port quarter. By daybreak the wind was dead aft with bright sunshine and a clear sky, but with a very big sea running.
Her best week’s run was from the 27th November to 3rd December, being 1807 miles.
Waimatewas a skysail yarder, and with the wind abaft the beam could be made to travel, but she was nothing extraordinary with the yards on the backstays.
She was once in company with Shaw, Savill’sMarlboroughoff the Snares. With the wind free she had the best of it, but as soon as they hauled up to stand along the New Zealand Coast theMarlboroughpassed her without any trouble.
Two years laterWaimate, with Captain Mosey still in command, ran from Lyttelton to the Scillies in 71 days. She was sold by the N.Z.S. Co. to the Russians and renamedValkyrian. She went missing in 1899.
Waitangiis still afloat flying Norwegian colours under the name ofAgda.
Hurunuiis also, I believe, still afloat under the Russian flag, her name beingHermes.
Orariwas sold to the Italians in 1906 and converted into a hulk in 1909.
Otakiis famous for her wonderful run home in 1877. She left Port Chalmers with Captain J. F. Millman in command at 4 p.m. on 11th March; was becalmed for four days off the New Zealand Coast; was then 22 days to the Horn; reached the Lizard 63 days out from her departure, and docked in London 69 days out. During this passage she only had eight hours of head winds.Otakiwas nothing special in the way of sailing and never made more than 10 knots, so her passage must really be put down to amazing good luck. She was bought by the Germans and renamedDr. Siegert, being wrecked in 1896.
Waipawent to the Norwegians in her old age, and I believe she is still afloat under the name ofMunter.
Wairoawas bought by the Russians and renamedWinnipeg. She went missing in 1907 whilst bound from Pensacola to Buenos Ayres.
OpawaandPiakowere two beautiful little ships. In 1877Opawawent from the London Docks to New Zealand and home again with wool in 6 months 9 days. And in 1893 she made the passage New Zealand to Liverpool in 83 days. She was still afloat in quite recent years under the name ofAquilaand Norwegian colours. The sister shipPiakowent missing in 1900 on a passage from Melbourne to the Cape, being then German owned.
TheWanganui, last ship built for the firm, was still afloat when the war started as the Norwegian barqueBlenheim.
Ihave left theTurakinato the last, as she deserves a longer notice, being one of the most beautiful little iron ships that ever left the ways. She was built of extra thick plates and launched in May, 1868, for Smith’s famous City Line to Calcutta.
The following interesting account of her in her early days appeared in theNautical Magazinein 1917:—
I sailed in this vessel when she was three years old, under Captain Beckett, a native of Saltcoats, Firth of Clyde. Captain Beckett would have no foreigners or negroes sail with him, either as officers or sailors, and he was one of the most upright and good-living men I ever sailed under, and I went to sea first in 1858. His policy was the same for the men as for the cabin, with plenty of good food, no allowance, sufficient without waste, and plenty of work to keep the scurvy out of the bones, as the sailors said.We left the Clyde at latter end of September, 1871, with a general cargo for Calcutta. We soon got out of the St. George’s Channel, and got all the studding sail gear rigged ready for the first favourable wind, and that occurred in lat. 43° N., long. 14° 15′ W. We then set topgallant, royal, topmast, and square lower stunsails, watersails, ringtail and ringtail watersail, Jamie Green and save-alls every place where a sail could be set; wind N.W. but gradually increasing to a gale.However we kept everything on her. On the second day after everything had been set, about 11 a.m., we sighted a ship ahead of us; by 2 p.m. we were up alongside of her. She was a New York full-rigged ship from the Tyne for California.The American captain asked us where we were bound from and where bound to. The whole of his crew came and looked at us, and her master cried to our captain that we were the prettiest sight he had ever seen. Our ship was going fully 17 knots when we passed her, and in three hours we had left her completely out of sight.I have been in many ships in my time, but never one to equal her for speed. She was built by Connell, on the Clyde, and she was certainly that firm’s masterpiece. She was iron, and one of the most beautiful models you could look at in the water. TheThermopylaewas the largest of the China clippers. She was 948 tons, but theCitywas 1189 tons. She was a far more powerful ship. I have been in many cracks, but I never saw anything that could look at her in a strong breeze, and as for running in a heavy gale she would run before the heaviest gale that ever blew.
I sailed in this vessel when she was three years old, under Captain Beckett, a native of Saltcoats, Firth of Clyde. Captain Beckett would have no foreigners or negroes sail with him, either as officers or sailors, and he was one of the most upright and good-living men I ever sailed under, and I went to sea first in 1858. His policy was the same for the men as for the cabin, with plenty of good food, no allowance, sufficient without waste, and plenty of work to keep the scurvy out of the bones, as the sailors said.
We left the Clyde at latter end of September, 1871, with a general cargo for Calcutta. We soon got out of the St. George’s Channel, and got all the studding sail gear rigged ready for the first favourable wind, and that occurred in lat. 43° N., long. 14° 15′ W. We then set topgallant, royal, topmast, and square lower stunsails, watersails, ringtail and ringtail watersail, Jamie Green and save-alls every place where a sail could be set; wind N.W. but gradually increasing to a gale.
However we kept everything on her. On the second day after everything had been set, about 11 a.m., we sighted a ship ahead of us; by 2 p.m. we were up alongside of her. She was a New York full-rigged ship from the Tyne for California.
The American captain asked us where we were bound from and where bound to. The whole of his crew came and looked at us, and her master cried to our captain that we were the prettiest sight he had ever seen. Our ship was going fully 17 knots when we passed her, and in three hours we had left her completely out of sight.
I have been in many ships in my time, but never one to equal her for speed. She was built by Connell, on the Clyde, and she was certainly that firm’s masterpiece. She was iron, and one of the most beautiful models you could look at in the water. TheThermopylaewas the largest of the China clippers. She was 948 tons, but theCitywas 1189 tons. She was a far more powerful ship. I have been in many cracks, but I never saw anything that could look at her in a strong breeze, and as for running in a heavy gale she would run before the heaviest gale that ever blew.