Steerage Conditions in 1844 3 Discovery of Gold in Australia 5 Melbourne and its Shipping in 1851-2 6 First Gold Cargoes Home 10 Great Rush to the Gold Regions in 1852 11 Maury’s Improvements on Old Route to the Colonies 13 Early Fast Passages Outward 14 Rules and Customs aboard the _Eagle_ in 1853 15 Liverpool Shipowners in the Australian Trade 22 James Baines, of the Black Ball Line 23 The _Marco Polo_ 26 Captain James Nicol Forbes 29 _Marco Polo’s_ First Voyage to Australia 32 _Marco Polo’s_ Second Voyage to Australia 36 After Life of _Marco Polo_ 40 Most Notable Clippers of 1853 41 _Ben Nevis_ 42 The _Star of the East_ 42 The _Miles Barton_ 43 The _Guiding Star_ 44 The _Indian Queen_ 44 The Famous _Sovereign of the Seas_ 48 Best Outward Passages for 1853-4, Anchorage to Anchorage 52 1854—The Year of the Big Ships 52 Extraordinary 24-hour Runs 57 The _Lightning_ 60 The _Red Jacket_ 62 Race across the Atlantic between _Lightning_ and _Red Jacket_ 63 _Red Jacket’s_ First Voyage to Australia 66 The _Lightning’s_ First Voyage to Australia 71 _Champion of the Seas_ 73 The _James Baines_ 77 Record Voyage of _James Baines_ to Australia 81 The _Donald Mackay_ 83 _Blue Jacket_, _White Star_, and _Shalimar_ 85 The Wreck of the _Schomberg_ 87 Best Outward Passages—Liverpool to Melbourne, 1854-5 90 1855-1857—Captain Anthony Enright and the _Lightning_ 91 Best Homeward Passages, 1855-6 103 Best Outward Passages, 1855-6, Liverpool to Melbourne 104 _James Baines_ Overdue 105 _James Baines_, _Champion of the Seas_, and _Lightning_ race out to India with Troops in the Time of the Mutiny 110 Burning of the _James Baines_ 112