The _Sir Walter Raleigh_, commanded by Captain W. Purvis, was a very well-known and regular wool clipper of the type of _Romanoff_. I do not think she was quite in the first flight, but she was never very far behind, and in 1880 she shared with _Ben Voirlich_ the distinction of making the best outward run of the year.
The following extracts are from _Patriarch’s_ log, when homeward bound in 1878, 79 days out from Sydney.
Feb. 8.—18° 41′ N., long. 38° 55′ W.—Spoke the _Sir Walter Raleigh_, Melbourne to London, 77 days out.
Feb. 9.—_Sir Walter Raleigh_ still in company.
Feb. 11.—_Sir Walter Raleigh_ dead to windward.
Feb. 12 to 16.—_Sir Walter Raleigh_ still in company.
In the end _Patriarch_ got home a day ahead, _Sir Walter Raleigh_ making the best passage by a day. _Sir Walter Raleigh_ was probably faster in light and moderate winds than in strong, as I can find no very big runs to her credit.
On the 10th November, 1888, she left Sydney for London, wool-laden, and was wrecked near Boulogne on 29th January, 1889, when only 80 days out and almost in sight of home. Five of her crew were drowned. It was a tragic end to what promised to be the best wool passage of her career.
These two 1200-ton sister ships from Thomson’s yard, though fine wholesome ships, were not considered quite as fast as the earlier “Lochs,” though each of them put up a 75-day passage to Melbourne, _Loch Fyne_ on her second voyage in 1877-8, and the _Loch Long_ in 1884.
The _Loch Fyne_ left Lyttelton, N.Z., on 4th May, 1883, under Captain T. H. Martin, with 15,000 bags of wheat bound for the Channel for orders and never arrived.
In January, 1903, _Loch Long_ arrived in Hobson’s Bay from Glasgow, commanded by Captain Strachan. From Melbourne she was sent to New Caledonia to load nickel ore. She sailed on 29th April, but failed to arrive. Portions of wreckage, however, were washed up on the Chatham Islands, which made it only too certain that she had struck on the rocks and gone down with all hands.
“Aristides”—The Aberdeen White Star Flagship.
In March, 1876, Messrs. Hood launched the beautiful passenger clipper _Aristides_, the largest of all Thompson’s sailing ships. Captain R. Kemball of _Thermopylae_ fame, the commodore of the Aberdeen White Star fleet, was given command of her, and she became the firm’s flagship.