The Asterope.

the Asterope proved herself a most consistent sailer in the eleven voyages she made to New Zealand between 1861 and 1872. For her size—only 600 tons—she sailed remarkably well and seldom encountered the gales usually experienced by many other ships. On all occasions it will be seen from her records she left London in the summer months, and always arrived at the several ports during September or October.

the Asterope, however, ran into bad weather on her last two passages out. In 1871, when bound for Lyttelton, she sailed from London on June 22, and had a fair run until August 17, when a heavy gale sprang up. The ship was hove-to under main topsail and foretopmast staysail when a very heavy sea struck her on the starboard bow, starting the topgallant fo'castle deck all over, and doing much damage on deck by carrying away everything movable. Ten days later another heavy gale with tremendous seas running clean over the ship, fore and aft, was met with, and continued for several days. On September 2 the gale increased in fury, during which a sea struck the vessel and broke in the front of the poop, filling the cabin with water, breaking all the fittings and damaging all the stores—a great quantity of the water going down the lazarette. The upper and lower foretopsails were split to pieces, and matters looked serious. Fortunately the weather moderated the next day, and the Asterope had a favourable run to the Snares, and completed the voyage under a hundred days.

the Asterope met with further severe weather on her voyage out to Nelson the following year and suffered much damage. She had a run of unfavourable winds during the first three weeks. After passing the Meridian of Greenwich, on August 29, 64 days from the docks, in latitude 38deg 26min S., the Asterope encountered a very heavy gale, causing a terrific sea, which filled the decks fore and aft, and carried away a large quantity of the bulwarks on both sides, and also washed away everything movable on deck. The gale continued for 48 hours, during which more of the bulwarks were carried away.

The passages made to New Zealand by the Asterope were:—