The Famous “Sovereign of the Seas.” My notes on the emigrant ships sailing from Liverpool in 1853 would not be complete without some mention of the celebrated American clipper _Sovereign of the Seas_. This ship was built by Donald Mackay for the American Swallowtail Line and at the time of her launch, June, 1852, was hailed as the largest merchant ship in the world, her measurements being:— Length of keel 245 feet. Length between perpendiculars 258 „ Length over all 265 „ Beam 44 „ Depth 23 „ Tonnage (American Register) 2421 tons. Her lower masts from deck to cap were:— Foremast 89 feet; mainmast 93 feet; mizen 82 feet. Her lower yards measured in length:— Foreyard 80 feet; mainyard 90 feet; crossjack yard 70 feet. And her topsail yards:— Fore topsail yard 63 feet; main 70 feet; mizen 56 feet. She spread 12,000 yards of canvas in her working suit. On her maiden voyage she carried a crew of 105 men and boys, including 2 bosuns, 2 carpenters, 2 sailmakers, 3 stewards, 2 cooks, 80 A.B.’s and 10 boys before the mast. She was commanded by Donald Mackay’s younger brother, Captain Lauchlan Mackay, one of the best known skippers in the United States. Loading 2950 tons of cargo and receiving 84,000 dollars freight, she sailed from New York for San Francisco on 4th August, 1852; and considering the season of the year, she made a wonderful run south, crossing the equator in 25 days and reaching 50° S. in 48 days. [Illustration: “SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS.”] She was nine days making the passage of the Horn from 50° S. to 50° S.; but shortly after rounding the Horn she carried away her fore and main topmasts and sprang her foreyard. Captain Mackay, however, kept the seas and refitted his ship in 14 days, during the whole of which time he is said to have remained on deck, snatching what little sleep he allowed himself in a deck chair. The _Sovereign of the Seas_ in spite of this mishap arrived in San Francisco only 103 days out, and this was considered the best passage ever made at such an unfavourable season of the year. From San Francisco she went across to Honolulu in ballast and there loaded a cargo of sperm oil; it being the custom of American whalers to call in there and leave their oil for transhipment so as to clear their holds for a fresh catch. The _Sovereign of the Seas_ left Honolulu on 13th February, 1853, for New York, and once again made a most remarkable passage in spite of a sprung fore topmast, jury fore topgallant mast and a weak crew—no doubt a large number of her original crew deserted in San Francisco in the hope of reaching the gold diggings, but more probably only to be shanghaied on some homeward bounder. Like all Mackay’s wonderful creations, the _Sovereign of the Seas_ was at her best in the roaring forties, and on the run to the Horn she made 3144 miles in 10 days, her best 24-hour runs being:—