Cargo was jettisoned to bring the ship on an even keel, and at last she was got away on her course. The next difficulty was making a landfall without a reliable compass, as only an old compass which had not been adjusted was available, both the steering and standard compasses having gone overboard. In spite of a large allowance made for his defective compass, Captain Bowling found himself nearly ashore amongst the Scilly Isles. Again his fine seamanship saved the vessel, and on the 18th December he brought her safely into Queenstown, 113 days out from Sydney. Orders were received here to proceed to Glasgow, but the crew came aft and refused to proceed in the crippled ship; upon which she was towed round to the Clyde and was docked in Princes Dock, Govan, on Christmas Eve. After she had been repaired and refitted at a cost of £1000, Shaw, Savill sold the splendid old ship to the Norwegians, who renamed her the _Varg_. She sailed for Christiania in 1905, with coal ballast, and was never seen again after clearing the Tail of the Bank. The _Auckland_, after a long and successful career with many fine passages to her credit, was sold to S. O. Stray, of Norway, in 1904, but soon disappeared from the Register. The _Nelson’s_ finest sailing feat was in 1875, when she ran from Otago Heads to the Horn in 19 days. She was still afloat in 1914 at the outbreak of the war, sailing as a barque under the Chilean flag, and must often have had a chance of trying her sailing powers against the old tea clipper, _Lothair_, which was also still afloat on the West Coast of South America. “Wellington” and Captain Cowan. I cannot pronounce an opinion as to which was the fastest of these six beautiful Duncan sisters, but the _Wellington_ probably has the best average. She was taken from the stocks by Captain D. Cowan, of Peterhead, and under his able guidance was a most consistent passage-maker. Captain Cowan, like Captain Bowling, of _Invercargill_, was a magnificent seaman of the old sailing ship type, the survivors of which grow fewer, alas, every day. He served his time in the Peterhead whale fishery. Then about 1862 he joined Patrick Henderson’s as third officer of the _Pladda_, a slow but comfortable old wooden packet, which carried 400 emigrants to Port Chalmers. His next vessel was the _Vicksburgh_. Again after one New Zealand voyage he was transferred, this time with promotion to mate, to the _Jane Henderson_, in which he made three voyages to Rangoon, on the last of which, about 1867, he went in command. His second voyage as a skipper was in the _Helenslee_ with passengers to Port Chalmers. This ship was sold in New Zealand, and Captain Cowan travelled home as a passenger. He next had _Margaret Galbraith_ for two voyages, then the composite clipper _Wild Deer_, which he left in order to take over the _Wellington_.