The beautiful clipper Merope was built in 1870 for the Shaw, Savill Co., and after completing eighteen voyages to New Zealand was destroyed by fire when Homeward bound from Lyttelton in 1890. She was a full-rigged ship of 1050 tons until early in the eighties, when she was rigged as a barque.

the Merope sailed mostly from London Docks, but on several occasions departed from Glasgow.

When the ship was launched in 1870, Captain Henry Rose was placed in command and on the passage out the following year he made a sensational run to Lyttelton. the Merope left Gravesend on the 9th June, and was off Start

the Merope Anchored At Gravesend.

Point on the 12th. The Equator was crossed on the 15th July, and the meridian of the Cape on the 24th of the same month. Tasmania was reached on the 17th August, and Stewart's Island on the 20th. Five days later the ship anchored in Lyttelton Harbour at 2 a.m.—the passage having occupied only 76 days from London, and 69 from land to land. The following year, 1872, Captain Rose brought the ship out in 85 days to Lyttelton.

In 1890 the Merope, after discharging a portion of her outward cargo at Dunedin, proceeded to Wellington, where she loaded for London, taking on board a cargo consisting of 654 bales wool, 197 casks tallow, 2000 bales of flax, etc.

She was then under the command of Captain Thomas. She left Wellington on April 11, and had a good run until within two miles of the Western Islands, when the cargo fired spontaneously. Every effort was made to subdue the fire but it gained a rapid hold upon the ship, and being caught by the wind, soon spread beyond the possibility of subduing it. Captain Thomas and the crew stood by the ship until it was dangerous to remain any longer, when they abandoned the vessel and launched two of their boats, the others being destroyed by fire. When they left the ship nothing could be done to save her from complete destruction. The flames by this time had taken complete possession and had burned away the fore and main-mast, a portion of the mizzen-mast being the only spar standing.

The crew was rescued in the first instance by the American ship Servia on June 27th, and later seven of the crew were transferred to the American ship W. F. Babcock, bound from San Francisco to Liverpool, and landed at Queenstown on July 12th. Captain Thomas and the remainder of the crew landed at Deal on the 15th July. They were in a destitute state and were temporarily received by the Chaplain to the Downs and were sent on to London the same evening.

Captain Rose's Career.

Captain Rose, who made the fast passage to Lyttelton in the Merope in 1871, commenced his career in the New Zealand trade by bringing out the ship Mermaid, of the white Star line to Auckland in 1861. This was his second voyage as Commander. He continued to run the Mermaid to Lyttelton until 1869, When he arrived Home the white Star Company was in difficulties. Captain Rose was then offered, and accepted, the command of the Merope (Shaw Savill Line). He made three voyages in this ship, and then joined the New Zealand Shipping Company, in which he purchased an

Captain Rose.

interest and brought out their first new ship Rakaia, sailing from London early in the year 1874 and arriving at Lyttelton on April 25th. When he got back to London the company's Waimate was ready, and he took command of her for the voyage to Lyttelton arriving there on January 25th, 1875, thus completing two passages in a little over twelve months. Making a fast run home he sailed from Londan again and was back at Lyttelton on the Waikato in October, 1875. While in the colony Captain Rose was offered and accepted the position of Marine Superintendent for the company. At a dinner aboard the Waimate to celebrate his retirement, Dr. Donald the health officer at Lyttelton for many years, said he had been looking over the records and found that during the many years Captain Rose had commanded ship in the Canterbury trade he had brought out a greater number of passengers to Lyttelton than any other captain, and with less sickness and fewer deaths.

Great Changes.

In the following year the directors of the company appointed Captain Rose manager of the newly-opened branch office at Wellington. He took over on August 1, 1874, and held the appointment until 1898 when he retired. During the 24 years Captain Rose was in charge of the Wellington office he saw great strides made in the company's affairs, including the change over from sail to steam. Still more remarkable were the changes that took place afloat between the year 1874, when he made his first voyage on the old barque Orestes, and the year 1898 when he retired from active service, after half a century among ships and shipping, 27 years of which were spent at sea.

Captain Rose died in London in his 79th year. One of his daughters married Mr. C. V. Houghton, who recently retired from the management of the Auckland branch of the N.Z. Shipping Co.

Following is the record of the Merope's passages to New Zealand:—