The “Orient” delivers her Carpenter’s Chest to the “Lammermuir” in Mid-Ocean.
In 1872 the _Orient_ was diagonally sheathed, and Captain Mitchell took command of her.
In 1873 the _Orient_ was just about to leave London for Adelaide, when old John Willis, with his frock-coat flying open and his white hat on the back of his head, came aboard and said to Captain Mitchell: “The carpenter of my _Lammermuir_ has left his tool chest and tools behind; will you take them out to Adelaide and deliver them to him.”
“No,” replied Captain Mitchell, who was a skipper of the good old sort, “but I will take them and deliver them before I reach the line.”
The _Lammermuir_ had sailed some 10 days before on the 12th of September to be exact. Old John Willis immediately offered to bet Captain Mitchell £5 that he would not be as good as his word. The bet was accepted and the _Orient_ sailed on 28th September. In 5° N. a ship was sighted ahead and overhauled. It turned out to be the _Lammermuir_. Signals were exchanged, and a boat put over with the chest on board, and the _Lammermuir’s_ carpenter duly received his tools as Captain Mitchell had promised. The two ships then parted company and the _Orient_ eventually arrived at Adelaide on the 16th December, 79 days out, the _Lammermuir_ arriving six days later.
It was a great triumph, and the apprentices of the _Orient_ composed a pumping chanty to the tune of “Marching through Georgia” to commemorate it, the first verse of which ran as follows:—
The _Lammermuir_ left London, boys, A fortnight’s start she’d got, She was bound to Adelaide, Her passage to be short, But the _Orient_ overhauled her Before halfway she’d got As we were sailing to Australia.
In 1879 the _Orient_ was sold to Cox Bros., of Waterford, and she was still afloat quite recently as a coal hulk at Gibraltar.
In 1855 Hall, of Aberdeen, built the little _Heather Bell_ for Brown & Co., from whom the Orient Line bought her. Her measurements were:—
Registered tonnage 479 tons. Length 155 feet. Beam 28.5 „ Depth 17.5 „
She was not one of the South Australian traders, however, but ran regularly to Sydney and Melbourne. She made herself famous by a wonderful run home from Melbourne under Captain William Harmsworth. She left Port Phillip Heads on 15th October, 1856, with a strong easterly wind and took the route down the West Coast of Tasmania. In spite of five days of easterly gales, she made the passage to the Horn in 26 days. The record for this run was made by the _Lightning_ in 1854, being 19 days. _Heather Bell_ ran from the Horn to the line in 21 days. This was a record, and considered such a remarkable performance that it was pricked off on old South Atlantic charts. And so far as I know, it has only been twice beaten, once by the _Cutty Sark_ and once by the _Thomas Stephens_. _Heather_ _Bell_ made the land at Start Point 20 days from the line, thus making a passage of 67 days. Her best 24-hour run was 330 miles, and her best week’s work was 1885 miles. Of course she had great luck with her winds, but, even so, she proved herself a very speedy little ship.