+------------------------+-----------+--------------+ | Measurements | _Salamis_ | _Thermopylae_| | of | Iron Ship |Composite Ship| +------------------------+-----------+--------------+ |Registered tonnage net | 1079 tons.| 948 tons. | |Registered tonnage gross| 1130 „ | 991 „ | |Registered tonnage | | | | under deck | 1021 „ | 927 „ | |Length |221.6 feet.| 212 feet. | |Breadth | 36 „ | 36 „ | |Depth | 21.7 „ | 20.9 „ | |Depth moulded | 23.7 „ | 23.2 „ | +------------------------+-----------+--------------+ In _Salamis_, Thompson’s were determined to have an out and out racer, and she was not fitted for passengers, her raised quarterdeck being only 48 feet long as against _Thermopylae’s_ 61 feet. She had a tremendous sail plan and of course spread a full suit of stunsails and other flying kites. The following spar measurements show that she set even more canvas than _Thermopylae_, her mainyard being a foot longer, and the other yards in proportion:— SPAR PLAN OF _SALAMIS_. +---------------------------+----------+ |Mainmast—deck to truck | 150 feet | |Main lower mast | 66 „ | |Main topmast | 52 „ | |Main topgallant mast | 34 „ | |Main royal mast | 23 „ | |Main masthead | 2 „ | |Main lower doublings | 15 „ | |Main topmast doublings | 12 „ | |Mainyard | 81 „ | |Main lower topsail yard | 72 „ | |Main upper topsail yard | 64 „ | |Main lower topgallant yard | 57 „ | |Main upper topgallant yard | 49 „ | |Main royal yard | 37 „ | |Jibboom | 66 „ | +---------------------------+----------+ Messrs. Thompson, when they gave Hood the order for _Salamis_, intended her for the same round as _Thermopylae_—out to Melbourne with general cargo, then across to China and home again with tea. But by 1875 the steamers had got a firm hold on the tea trade, and the clippers were either being driven away into other trades or had to content themselves with loading at a cut rate in the N.E. monsoon; and practically only _Cutty Sark_ and _Thermopylae_ were still given a chance to load the new teas. This was not a bright outlook for a newcomer with her reputation all to make, and the only time _Salamis_ loaded a tea cargo home was on her second voyage when she came home from Hong Kong in 110 days. In 1878 she made another attempt to get a tea cargo home, but freights were specially bad this year, and she was withdrawn from the berth at Shanghai, and finally came home with wool from Port Phillip. [Illustration: “SALAMIS.” _Photo lent by F. G. Layton._]