During the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 a large number of British and American merchant ships were chartered by the British Government to carry troops to India, and among others the _James Baines_, _Champion of the Seas_, and _Lightning_. The _James Baines_ sailed from Portsmouth for Calcutta on August 8th, with the Ninety-seventh Regiment on board, and the _Illustrated London News_, in a notice of her departure, remarked: “Previous to her starting she was honored by a visit of Her Majesty, who highly eulogized the vessel and is said to have declared that she was not aware that so splendid a merchant ship belonged to her dominions.” The _Champion of the Seas_ sailed from Portsmouth on the same day, also bound for Calcutta with troops, and the race between these clippers was close and exciting. Nine days out they fell in [Illustration: The “James Baines”] with the steamship _Oneida_ homeward bound, and the _Illustrated London News_, again mentioning the _James Baines_, said: “When met by the _Oneida_, on the 17th of August, on her way to Calcutta with troops, she presented a most magnificent appearance, having in addition to her ordinary canvas, studdingsails, skysails, and moonsail, set and drawing, in all thirty-four sails, a perfect cloud of canvas: the troops all well, and cheering lustily as the vessels passed each other. The sister ship, the _Champion of the Seas_, was not far astern, both vessels making great headway.” These two ships arrived off the mouth of the Hooghly together, each 101 days from Portsmouth, and the finish of this race was talked about by the Calcutta pilots for a good many years: how these splendid clippers raced in from sea almost side by side, with a fresh three-skysail, scupper breeze, the regimental bands on board of both ships playing national airs, while the soldiers were cheering and wild with the joy and excitement of seeing land once more. The _Lightning_ sailed at a more favorable season, and made the passage from Portsmouth to the Hooghly in 87 days, beating the entire fleet of sailing transports, including those fitted with auxiliary screw propellers. Of the large number of ships bought or chartered in the United States for the Australian trade by British ship-owners at this period, those mentioned, with the _Red Rover_, _Comet_, _Tornado_, _Sierra Nevada_, and _Invincible_, each with a record of less than 75 days from Liverpool or London to Melbourne, the _Belle of the Sea_, 64 days from London to Melbourne, and _North Wind_, 67 days from London to Sydney, N. S. W., were the most celebrated.