However we kept everything on her. On the second day after everything had been set, about 11 a.m., we sighted a ship ahead of us; by 2 p.m. we were up alongside of her. She was a New York full-rigged ship from the Tyne for California. The American captain asked us where we were bound from and where bound to. The whole of his crew came and looked at us, and her master cried to our captain that we were the prettiest sight he had ever seen. Our ship was going fully 17 knots when we passed her, and in three hours we had left her completely out of sight. I have been in many ships in my time, but never one to equal her for speed. She was built by Connell, on the Clyde, and she was certainly that firm’s masterpiece. She was iron, and one of the most beautiful models you could look at in the water. The _Thermopylae_ was the largest of the China clippers. She was 948 tons, but the _City_ was 1189 tons. She was a far more powerful ship. I have been in many cracks, but I never saw anything that could look at her in a strong breeze, and as for running in a heavy gale she would run before the heaviest gale that ever blew. [Illustration: “TURAKINA” _ex_ “CITY OF PERTH.” _Photo by De Maus, Port Chalmers._] [Illustration: “OTAKI” becalmed. _Lent by F. G. Layton._] And he goes on to give the following week’s work from the N.E. trades to Sandy Hook. Left Calcutta, 16th January, 1872, for New York. Arrived at New York on 5th April, 1872. Below are the position and runs in nautical miles. 29th March, 1872, position at noon, lat. 28° 01′ N., long. 30° 00′ W. 30th March, 1872, position at noon, lat. 30° 40′ N., long. 35° 56′ W. distance 298. 31st March, 1872, position at noon, lat. 32° 14′ N., long. 41° 44′ W. distance 300. 1st April, 1872, position at noon, lat. 33° 55′ N., long. 48° 35′ W. distance 363. 2nd April, 1872, position at noon, lat. 35° 30′ N., long. 55° 39′ W. distance 350. 3rd April, 1872, position at noon, lat. 36° 51′ N., long. 62° 36′ W. distance 350. 4th April, 1872, position at noon, lat. 38° 40′ N., long. 69° 10′ W. distance 345. 5th April, 1872, position at noon, lat. 40° 29′ N., long. 73° 58′ W. distance 342. Time 170 hours. Nautical miles 2348. I do not agree with all his distances, but anyhow it is a wonderful week’s work and probably the quickest run into New York from 28° N., 30° W., ever made by a sailing ship. During the seventies Messrs. George Smith & Sons generally sent one or two of their fastest ships out to Australia for a wool cargo home; and in 1873, 1874 and 1875 _City of Perth_ went out to Melbourne and loaded wool home. Her outward passages ran to over 80 days, but in 1874 Captain Beckett made the fine run of 81 days to the Thames.