Mr. T. B. Walker’s long connection with the Tasmanian trade began in 1851-2 when he despatched the brig _Arnon_, of 338 tons register, to Launceston. She was commanded by Captain Benjamin Fowler, a brother-in-law of Mr. Walker’s; she arrived out of season and lay in port for some months waiting for the following season’s wool, during which time Captain Fowler married a daughter of Captain William Nielley (late 40th Regiment), of Rostella, East Tamar, Launceston, and by so doing set an example which was followed by quite a number of Walker’s skippers and officers. To name only a few, I may mention Captain Barwood, who succeeded Fowler in the _Arnon_ and is, I believe, still living in Tasmania; Captain Wittingham, who was lost in the _Lanoma_; Captain Smith, of the _Westbury_; and Captain Brown, of the _Corinth_. To return to the _Arnon_, on her return trip besides wool, she carried the mails and a large shipment of gold. On his arrival home Captain Fowler transferred to Walker’s new barque, the _Henry Reed_, of 495 tons, and finally commanded the _Alfred Hawley_, another new barque of 420 tons. Captain Fowler retired early from the sea and settled down in his native town, Scarborough, where he took a great interest in municipal and local affairs, becoming in turn Alderman and Mayor, and lived to a good old age, being greatly respected and esteemed by his fellow townsmen. In the early sixties Walker kept three ships in the Launceston trade, the _Durnstan_, _Fugitive_ and first _Westbury_, all small wooden barques. He also had ships in the Queensland trade; most of his ships were built by Pile, of Sunderland, as the following list of his later ships will show:— +-------+--------------+-------------+-------+---------------------+ | Date | Ship. | Description.| Tons. | Builders. | | Built.| | | | | +-------+--------------+-------------+-------+---------------------+ | 1863 | _Arab Steed_ | wood barque | 635 | Pile, of Sunderland.| | 1866 | _Araunah_ | „ „ | 448 | Gardner „ | | 1867 | _Westbury_ | iron „ | 493 | Pile „ | | 1868 | _Decapolis_ | „ „ | 632 | „ „ | | 1869 | _Berean_ | comp. „ | 526 | „ „ | | 1870 | _Corinth_ | „ „ | 614 | „ „ | | 1873 | _Barossa_ | iron ship | 968 | „ „ | | 1876 | _Lanoma_ | „ barque | 665 | Austin „ | +-------+-------------+--------------+-------+---------------------+ The Beautiful Little “Berean.”