Mainmast—deck to truck 130.6 feet. Lower mast—deck to cap 64 „ Doubling 13.6 „ Topmast 46 „ Doubling 8 „ Topgallant mast 25 „ Royal mast 17 „ Mainyard 75 „ Topsail yard 61 „ Topgallant yard 46 „ Royal yard 34 „ _Wild Deer_ was taken from the stocks by Captain George Cobb, a well-known racing skipper in the China tea trade who had previously commanded the _Robin Hood_. Her complement consisted of 3 mates, 3 apprentices, carpenter, sailmaker and bosun, 16 A.B.’s and 3 ordinary seamen, it being intended to ship 4 more A.B.’s in China in the event of her getting into the race home with the cracks. On her maiden passage she lost her foremast in the North Atlantic, owing to the want of angle irons, as _Titania_ did a few years later, and this lost _Wild Deer_ her chance of loading the first teas of the season. She had to put into Lisbon to refit, and came out of the Tagus with a very mixed sail plan; on the foremast she had an old-fashioned single topsail with three rows of reef points, on the main double topsails and on the mizen her original Cunningham’s patent single topsail. Her first two tea passages from Shanghai were good average runs, but nothing remarkable, her best work being 72 days from Anjer in 1865. In 1866 she left London on 16th April and arrived at Shanghai on 29th July, 104 days out. Again she did not succeed in getting away with the first ships, but leaving Shanghai on 10th September she made Portland on Christmas Day. A fine S.S.W. breeze was blowing and _Wild Deer_ was romping along under all plain sail and starboard fore topmast stunsail, when the American schooner yacht, _Henrietta_, the winner of the first ocean yacht race, hauled out from the land and, closing on the clipper, hoisted her colours and asked her name. The late Gordon Bennett, her owner, was on board the yacht, and evidently wished to try her paces against the tea ship, as the _Henrietta_ held on in company with _Wild Deer_ for an hour or two, then bore away for the Needles. On this passage whilst crossing the Indian Ocean in the S.E. trades, _Wild Deer_ made three consecutive 24-hour runs of 312, 312 and 327 miles. On the outward passage in 1867, Captain Cobb had to be landed ill at Anjer and died shortly afterwards. His place was taken by a Hollander skipper. The Dutchman took _Wild Deer_ on to Shanghai and loaded tea, then leaving Shanghai in August he took the Eastern Passage, but when he had cleared Dampier Straits took it into his head to alter his course for Anjer. This absolutely spoilt _Wild Deer’s_ chance of a quick passage, as she had to thread her way up the Java Sea through a succession of light airs and calms, and actually took 84 days to Anjer.