_Donald Mackay_ was said to have the heaviest mainmast out of Liverpool. It was a built mast of pitch-pine, heavily banded with iron, weighing close on 20 tons. She was, of course, a three-decker; and as a figure-head she had a Highlander dressed in the tartan of the Mackays. In design she took after the _Champion of the Seas_, being not so sharp-ended as the _Lightning_ or _James Baines_. Captain Warner left the _Sovereign of the Seas_ to take her, and superintended her fitting out. Leaving Boston on 21st February, 1855, she made Cape Clear only 12 days out. On 27th February her log records:—“First part a strong gale from N.W.; middle part blowing a hurricane from W.N.W., ship scudding under topsails and foresail at the rate of 18 knots; latter part still blowing from W.N.W. with heavy hail squalls and very high sea running.” Under these conditions she made a run of 421 miles in the 24 hours. She made the Fastnet Rock on 6th March, distant one mile, it blowing a gale from S.E. to E.N.E., her run for the day being 299 miles. But in the Channel her passage was spoilt by strong easterly winds, and she did not receive her pilot off Point Lynas until Saturday, the 10th. Donald Mackay himself came over in the ship, and on his arrival expressed himself highly satisfied with her. She was at once put on the berth, for Melbourne, but did not leave Liverpool until 6th June, and thus had a light weather passage south, being spoken on 14th July in 12° S., 38 days out. She arrived in Port Phillip on 26th August, 81 days out. She left Melbourne again on 3rd October, arriving in Liverpool on 28th December, 1855, 86 days out, and bringing 104,000 ounces of gold consigned to the Bank of France. [Illustration: “WHITE STAR.” _From an old lithograph._ ] _Donald Mackay’s_ times on the Australian run, though never very remarkable, were very consistent, her average for six consecutive outward passages being 83 days. And I find her making a passage out to Hobson’s Bay in 1867 in 84 days. She once took 1000 troops from Portsmouth to Mauritius in 70 days. “Blue Jacket,” “White Star” and “Shalimar.” Three other magnificent ships were built on the other side of the Atlantic for the Liverpool-Melbourne emigrant trade in 1854. These were the _Blue Jacket_, _White Star_ and _Shalimar_. The _Blue Jacket_ came from the well-known yard of R. E. Jackson in East Boston, the other two ships being Nova Scotian built. The _Blue Jacket_ arrived in the Mersey on 20th October, 1854, having made the run from Boston, land to land, in 12 days 10 hours; the _Shalimar_ arrived about the same time, and the _White Star_ reached Liverpool on 1st December, 15 days out from St. John’s in spite of strong head winds. She was timber laden and drawing 22½ feet of water. The _Blue Jacket_ on her arrival was bought by James John Frost, of London, and put on the berth for Melbourne as one of the Fox Line of packets, the other two being owned by the White Star Line.