The _Coonatto’s_ measurements were—Length 160 ft. 2 in.; beam 29 ft.; depth 18 ft. 7 in. She was an out and out clipper with very fine lines, but like most of Bilbe’s ships—very wet. However this may in part be put down to the hard-driving of her skipper, Begg, a Highlander, who never spared her and made some very smart passages out and home. Her best run to the Semaphore Lightship was 66 days, and she once did a 70-day passage out after broaching to off St. Paul’s Island and losing both helmsmen and the wheel itself overboard. This famous little ship stranded on Beachy Head in 1876.
[Illustration: “PEKINA” and “COONATTO,” at Port Adelaide, 1867.]
[Illustration: “JOHN DUTHIE,” at Circular Quay, Sydney.]
The _Darra_ also went out to Adelaide in under 70 days, on which occasion her captain wrote home that she “dived off the Cape and came up to blow off the Leeuwin.”
Probably the fastest of the six was the fine passenger clipper _Yatala_, which the redoubtable Captain Legoe left the _Murray_ to command. The record from London to Adelaide, pilot to pilot, 65 days, was shared by the _Yatala_ and Devitt & Moore’s clipper _City of Adelaide_ until the famous _Torrens_ beat it.
Unfortunately, _Yatala_ came to an early end, and the following are the times of her outward passages during her short existence:—
+------+----------------+-------------------+-----------+ | Date.| Left Plymouth | Arrived Adelaide. | Days Out | +------+----------------+-------------------+-----------+ | 1865 | Aug. 4 | Oct. 27 | 84 | | 1866 | „ 2 | „ 14 | 73 | | 1867 | „ 10 | „ 15 | 66 | | 1868 | July 9 | Sept. 24 | 77 | | 1869 | Aug. 7 | Oct. 23 | 77 | | 1870 | „ 11 | „ 26 | 76 | | 1871 | July 6 | „ 2 | 88 | +------+----------------+-------------------+-----------+
On 18th December, 1871, _Yatala_ left Adelaide in company with the Elder Line clipper, _Beltana_, which she led to the Horn by a day. The _Beltana_ arrived safely after a tedious light weather run from the line, but the _Yatala_ got ashore near Cape Gris-Nez on 27th March, 1872, when almost in sight of home. Her wool cargo was nearly all saved, but the ship herself became a total loss.
Of the other Orient composites, the _Goolwa_ disappeared from the Register in 1880, but _Borealis_ and _Argonaut_ lasted some years longer.