After this the _Patriarch_ was one of the most regular ships in the Sydney trade. She was never much over 80 days going out, and though she never repeated her maiden performance coming home her passages were most consistent and she only twice ran into three figures in over 20 passages from Sydney. In 1897-8 the good old ship sailed her last voyage under the Red Ensign—a round of London, Sydney, Newcastle, N.S.W., Manila and home in 13 months. On his arrival Captain Mark Breach was horrified to find that his beloved ship had been sold to the Norwegians for a paltry £3150, and on 1st November, 1898, he hauled down the celebrated house-flag and handed her over to her new owners. For another 14 years she washed about the seas, unkempt, bare of paint and forgotten. Of her passages in this condition, I have picked out a couple at random:— 1908 Monte Video to Port Victoria (Make) 64 days. 1910 Bantjar (Java) to Delegoa Bay 57 days. On Christmas Day, 1911, she left Algoa Bay for a Gulf port, and on 23rd February, 1912, got ashore on Cape Corrientes, south of the River Plate, and became a total loss. The “Thomas Stephens.” The _Thomas Stephens_ was one of the best known ships of her day. When she came out she was considered the most up-to-date and perfectly appointed passenger sailing ship ever built on the Mersey. She was intended for the old Black Ball Line, but never actually sailed under the famous flag, but sailed as one of the London Line of Australian Packets (Bethell & Co.). She was owned by Thomas Stephens & Sons, of London. Captain Richards, the well-known commander of the _Donald Mackay_, superintended her building and fitting out and eventually left the _Donald Mackay_ to command her. The _Thomas Stephens_ soon proved herself one of the fastest iron ships afloat, and a very successful ship financially. She was beautifully sparred, crossing three skysail yards, and was a very lofty ship—one of the tallest ships, indeed, that ever sailed either from the Mersey or the Thames; and she carried all her stunsails well into the eighties. At first she was fitted with single topgallant yards, but followed the fashion for double topgallant yards before she had been afloat many years. She was launched in July, 1869, and left Liverpool on 24th September, with a full passenger list for Melbourne, arriving out on 15th December in 82 days. [Illustration: “THOMAS STEPHENS.” _From a painting by F. B. Spencer; lent by Messrs. Thomas Stephens & Sons._] On her second voyage she left Liverpool on 9th September, 1870, and anchored in Hobson’s Bay on 21st November, 73 days, port to port. After this she always sailed from London as one of the London Line of Packets, along with her great rival _The Tweed_. And for her third voyage, I find the following advertisement in the _Times_ of 5th October, 1871. MELBOURNE-LONDON LINE OF PACKETS. THOMAS STEPHENS.