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White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900

Queen Of The Deep

Queen Of The Deep.

the Queen of the Deep, a fine ship of 1257 tons, was when launched at St. John's, New Brunswick, in 1863, given the name of Our Pearl. Her first voyage was to Liverpool, where she was purchased by Messrs. Rylands, Seddon and Co., who had the name changed to the Queen of the Deep. On February 14, 1864, she sailed from London for Auckland with many saloon and second-class passengers; also 130 Government immigrants. She cleared the Channel two days after leaving the Downs, and then experienced a succession of calms and light winds. The south-east trades also proved indifferent, being light and baffling. Owing to these unfavourable circumstances she was 61 days out when she crossed the meridian of the Cape. In running down her easting she encountered some strong gales, which again impeded her progress, but from Cape Leeuwin she made a good run across to the Three Kings, which were sighted on June 12, and two days later she dropped anchor at Auckland, the passage having occupied 117 days from the Downs.

The ship had a narrow escape of going ashore off Teneriffe. She was standing close in shore when the wind dropped suddenly, and the vessel, being becalmed, was carried almost ashore by the tide. All the ship's boats were launched and succeeded in towing her out of danger.

The ship came out in command of Captain French. Among the saloon passengers arriving by the Queen of the Deep were Captains Clark and Halstead, of the 57th Regiment; Captains Brett and Lieut. Blythe, of the 43rd Regiment, at the time stationed in Auckland. Owing to many of the officers of the 43rd having been killed in the war, the two junior lieutenants were immediately promoted to fill vacancies in the commissioned ranks. Two other saloon passengers were civil engineers. One was Mr. Rotter, who erected the Tiritiri lighthouse, and the second was Mr. Aylmer, who erected a lighthouse at Mana Island, off Wellington. the Queen of the Deep sailed from Auckland for Callao, and did not return to New Zealand.