A vessel I have had a good many inquiries about was the ship Excelsior, 683 tons, which made five passages to Auckland. Originally a fast China tea clipper, she was chartered in 1859 by Shaw Savill and Company for the New Zealand trade. Her first voyage was to Auckland, where she arrived on March 16, 1859, 105 days out, in command of Captain Faithful. She came to Auckland again in 1868 in command of Captain Inglis, leaving London Docks on May 17. On this voyage she met with very stormy weather just before reaching the Cape of Good Hope, and had to put into Table Bay with a damaged rudder and a fair amount of damage aloft, which took 24 days to repair. As an instance of the difficulties of repairing damage in such a port in those days it is interesting to note that the iron lower strap on the stern post that had been split was replaced by a diver 18 feet below the surface of the water, and, seeing that it weighed 250 pounds, it was no mean feat. The latter part of the voyage made up for the dusting the ship got in the earlier stages, and she carried her top-gallant sails to the Leeuwin, averaging 250 miles a day, her best run being 317 miles in 24 hours. Three other voyages were made to Auckland, Captain J. Lees being in command. On the first of the three she left Gravesend June 8, 1869, arriving at Auckland September 9 after a fine weather passage of 93 days; on the second she left Gravesend May 1, 1870, and arrived at Auckland August 3, 94 days out; and on her last voyage she left Gravesend April 1, 1871 and arrived at Auckland July 7, 96 days out, the above all being anchor to anchor runs. She was then converted to barque rig.

the Excelsior also made two voyages to Wellington. She sailed from London under Captain Wood on May 10,, and arrived on September 18, 1868, after a lengthy passage of 131 days, 21 days of which she was detained in the Channel with a continuance of heavy south-west gales, and thence to the Line very light contrary winds prevailed. She was off Cape Farewell on September 12. Captain Irving sailed the ship on her second voyage to Wellington. She left the docks on March 26, 1872, and again experienced heavy gales in the English Channel, during which she lost a large portion of her bulwarks and had to throw overboard deck cargo comprising 50 cases of acid. She arrived at Wellington on July 9, 105 days out.

the Excelsior arrived at Napier from Wellington on November 16, 1872, and after taking on board a cargo consisting of 2799 bales wool and 21 casks tallow sailed for London on December 26. During the stay of the ship at Napier Captain Irving, who was in command, died at Port Ahuriri, and he was succeeded by his brother, who at the time was chief officer of the ship.

Mr. P. Reynolds, of Whangarei, a son of the late Mr. R. S. Reynolds, who was first town clerk of Parnell when that suburb had its own local authority before joining the city, came out to Auckland in the Excelsior on her 1870 trip. While in Auckland Harbour she caught fire—always a dreaded danger in the sailing ship days—but blaze was got under before any serious damage was done. Mr. Reynolds recalls an incident that gives point to some of the stories that are told of the rough and tumble characters that used to be found among the sailors of half a century back. The chief officer and the boatswain of the Excelsior had quarrelled on the voyage out, and the feud came to a head in a fight on deck the second night after the vessel arrived in the Waitemata. The Customs officer aboard the ship saw that things were looking ugly, and while the men were struggling he whipped the boatswain's knife out of the sheath in the man's belt. The boatswain at last got the officer down on the deck, then felt for his knife, and but for the foresight of the Customs man there would have been blood spilt. The night Signal for "Police wanted"—two vertical lights in the rigging—was hoisted, and within 20 minutes the police boat was alongside. The pugnacious boatswain was taken ashore, and during the ship's stay in port he sojourned in gaol, being put aboard again just before she sailed.