During the early years of the Colony Shaw, Savill and P. Henderson had practically all the carrying trade in their hands. Occasionally an outsider took a load of emigrants out to New Zealand, such as the White Star liner _Chariot of Fame_, but the big Liverpool emigrant ships were really too big for the small volume of trade at that time. However, as both emigration to and trade with New Zealand increased, it was felt that the service of ships could well be improved, and at last in 1873, with this object in view, a number of merchants and run holders in the Colony decided to go in for shipowning and managing, and formed themselves into a company under the style of the New Zealand Shipping Company. Full of enthusiasm, push and go, the promoters of the N.Z.S. Co. were determined from the first to have a line worthy to class with the Blackwall frigates of Green & Wigram. They had, of course, a great deal to learn, and mistakes were made but never repeated; and so great was their energy that in the first three years of their existence they chartered and despatched no less than 150 ships, carrying 28,675 passengers to the Colony. And before the company was ten years old it owned 16 up-to-date iron clippers, most of which had been built specially for them. From the start the N.Z.S. Co. proceeded on generous lines, their ships being always well found, well manned and most liberally kept up. Their officers, also, considered themselves the aristocrats of the trade and rather looked down on the more economical Shaw, Savill and Albion clippers, whom they nicknamed the “Starvation Stars,” in allusion to the stars in their house-flag, which by the way is the proper New Zealand flag which Queen Victoria presented to the Maoris. The ships built for the N.Z.S. Co. were none of them specially fast; they aimed chiefly at safety and comfort for their passengers. All these ships were built of iron, the finest and fastest of the fleet being the beautiful little _Turakina_, which originally belonged to George Smith of the well-known City Line, being then called the _City_ _of Perth_, I shall deal with her in more detail presently.