This was a great pity for she made a splendid run home from the Straits of Sunda, arriving in the Thames in January, only 68 days from Anjer, but 152 from Shanghai. In 1868 her wings were cut, 3 feet being taken off her lower masts. She was then handed over to a Captain Smith; unfortunately Smith was a regular old woman, but she was fortunate in getting Duncan as mate. This man had served in _Ariel_ and _Titania_ as chief officer, and was one of the best mates in the China trade, being specially noted for his skilful handling of sails in bad weather. _Wild Deer_ got away from London at the end of March, and left Shanghai with a tea cargo towards the end of July, a week behind one of Skinner’s beautiful little ships, the _Douglas Castle_. In spite of Duncan’s remonstrances, Captain Smith, who was frightened of the Caspar Straits, determined to go east about; but the _Wild Deer_ had so good a start south through the Formosa Channel that old Smith plucked up his courage and held on for Gaspar. The very first day after he had changed his mind, _Wild Deer_ ran into the S.W. monsoon and had to be braced sharp up. The following morning about daybreak a ship crossed her bows on the other tack. This proved to be the _Douglas Castle_, and the two ships were in company all the way to Gaspar, except whilst passing Tamberlan Islands, which _Wild Deer_ went east of, and the _Douglas_ west. The ships were evidently very well matched in light winds, but the _Wild Deer_ was handicapped by the want of courage in her skipper. The night before the Straits were made it was clear moonlight, the sea dead smooth and there was a nice little breeze blowing; both ships were close-hauled on the port tack, with _Wild Deer_ about a quarter of a mile to windward, neither ship gaining an inch. Then at the change of the watch at midnight, old Smith backed his mainyard, clewed up his light sails and waited for morning, but young Captain McRitchie of the _Douglas Castle_, a far smarter man and the real sort of skipper for a tea clipper, held on, with the result that when the _Wild Deer_ filled away again at daylight the _Douglas Castle_ had a lead of several miles. Soon after sun up another ship was observed getting under weigh close to Billiton, where she had evidently anchored for the night; this proved to be the _Peter Denny_ from Foochow—another of Patrick Henderson’s ships. All three ships now had a fine trial of strength in the beat through Gaspar Straits. In this windward work the _Peter Denny_ showed up best, being by far the quickest ship at going about, but she was commanded by a very smart sailorman, Captain George Adams, who had everything arranged for quick working, whilst old Smith was specially slow at getting the _Wild Deer_ round—he was generally late with his commands and always hauled his mainsail up, though Captain Cobb always used to work his mainsail in tacking.