FRIDAY, 29th December, 1871.—Lat. by acc. 45° 21′ S., long. 129° 7′ E. Courses N.E., E.N.E., E. by S., N.N.W., N.E. Winds variable, calm, N.W., west. A.M., light variable airs, thick foggy weather. Watch hauling up cable. 10 a.m., strong breeze, dull cloudy weather, logging 12 knots. 3.30 p.m., strong gale, handed topgallant sails. 4 p.m., gale still increasing, handed upper topsails, courses and jib. Brought ship to the wind under lower topsails. Heavy sea running; decks completely flooded. 8.30 p.m., wind veering into S.W. Wore ship off before the wind. 10 p.m., set foresail and upper fore topsails, logging 10 knots. On Saturday, 30th December, the gale still continued and the log book records:— Lat. by acc. 43° 57′ S., long. 134° 27′ E. Courses N.E., N.E ½ N. Winds W.S.W. A.M., strong gale, high sea. Shipping a quantity of water over all, logging 13 knots. 4 a.m., set upper main and mizen topsails. 7 a.m., set topgallant sails, weather moderating, logging 12 knots. 10 a.m., heavy sea. Decks at times completely flooded. P.M., strong gale and heavy sea. Shipping a quantity of water over all, logging 13 knots. 10 p.m., gale increasing. Handed fore and mizen topgallant sails, logging 14 knots. 10.30 p.m., handed main topgallant and mizen topsail. Midnight, strong gale and high sea; have logged 14 knots during last six hours. On Tuesday, 2nd January, 1872, Cape Otway bore north, distant 2 leagues; at 7 a.m. the pilot came on board and took charge, and at 1 p.m. the _Thomas Stephens_ came to anchor in Hobson’s Bay, 66 days out from her Channel pilot. From Melbourne she went across to Calcutta in 45 days, with walers on board, and loaded jute home, the usual round of first-class ships in the seventies. During her long and successful career she usually loaded outwards to Melbourne or Sydney; but in 1879 on her twelfth voyage she went out to Otago, and on her thirteenth left Liverpool on 29th April and arrived at Rangoon on 21st July, 83 days out. In 1881 she went out to San Francisco in 124 days from Holyhead, and coming home to Falmouth in 98 days. Except for an occasional run to Frisco, Calcutta or Rangoon, she was kept regularly in the Sydney trade during the eighties and nineties. The following is a list of her best sailing records:— 16 knots for 16 successive hours, 10th December, 1871, in 44° 48′ S., 28° 7′ E. 1000 miles in 70 hours. 16 days (the record) from Cape Horn to the line, under Captain Robertson. 1870 Liverpool to Hobson’s Bay; Sept. 9 to Nov. 21 73 days 1871-2 London to Hobson’s Bay; Oct. 26 to Jan. 2 68 days 1872 Melbourne to Calcutta; Feb. 1 to March 17 45 days 1872-3 Lizard to Hobson’s Bay; Dec. 4 to Feb. 11 69 days 1873 Ushant to Hobson’s Bay; Sept. 3 to Nov. 8 66 days 1874-5 Lizard to Hobson’s Bay; Nov. 22 to Jan. 31 70 days 1876 Lizard to Hobson’s Bay; Aug. 7 to Oct. 24 78 days