To sail and the sail-trained seaman more than to any other cause do we owe our nation’s greatness. By sail were our homesteads kept safe from the enemy; by sail were our new coasts charted; sail took the adventurous pioneers to the new land, and sail brought home the products of these new lands to the Old Country and made her the Market of the World. This book is an attempt to preserve in written form what the fading memory is fast forgetting—the Glorious History of the Sailing Ship. As o’er the moon, fast fly the amber veils, For one dear hour let’s fling the knots behind, And hear again, thro’ cordage and thro’ sails, The vigour of the voices of the wind. They’re gone, the Clyde-built darlings, like a dream, Regrets are vain, and sighs shall not avail, Yet, mid the clatter and the rush of steam, How strangely memory veers again to sail! APPENDIX APPENDIX A. _Extracts from “Lightning Gazette,” 1855-1857._ SECOND VOYAGE.—LIVERPOOL TO MELBOURNE. =Saturday, 6th January, 1855.=—At 8 a.m. the anchor was weighed and the _Lightning_ with two steamers ahead proceeded down the Mersey. The morning was cold with a small drizzling rain, the wind being contrary. The steam tender, on leaving with passengers for the shore, came in contact with our main brace and carried away her funnel. The start was anything but a cheerful one; nevertheless, with the aid of two powerful tugs, we progressed at the rate of 7 to 8 knots and at 6 p.m. passed the Skerries Lighthouse. =Sunday, 7th January.=—During the night we were nearly run into by a large American clipper, the _Dreadnought_, of New York; she being on the port tack, it was her duty to give way, but true to her name or with the independence of her nation, she held her course disdaining to turn aside; our captain with praiseworthy prudence put his ship about and thus avoided a collision. =Monday, 8th January.=—Lat. 52° 14′ N., long. 6° 12′ W. Wind S.W. The night being very dark, we came in contact with a ship on the opposite tack. We saw and hailed, but the stranger evidently did not keep a good look-out and came straight upon us, striking our ship on the starboard bow. All was hubbub and confusion in a moment. The ships were speedily parted and fortunately without doing any damage to us worth mentioning. The stranger did not escape so well, having her jibboom carried away and her bowsprit sprung, as appeared to us in the dark. =12th January.=—Lat. 46° 55′ N., long. 10° 41′ W. Wind S.E. Distance 269 miles. About 8 p.m. an alarm of fire was given and great excitement prevailed throughout the ship. This danger was caused by a drunken woman in the second cabin, who set fire to her bonnet; it was soon extinguished and the woman put in irons and confined in the “black hole” for the night as a warning.