White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900
The Wild Deer
The Wild Deer.
China Tea Clipper—Story of Her Wreck.
A Fo'c'sle Group On The Wild Deer.
Sails For New Zealand.
In 1871 the Wild Deer was diverted to New Zealand. She maintained her reputation as a fast sailer, and completed ten voyages to Port Chalmers. When starting on her eleventh voyage in 1883 from Glasgow she was wrecked off Cloughey, County Down, the mishap being due to the ship missing stays.
Ship Ashore.
Mr. T. Leitch, now residing at Bays-water, Auckland, was a passenger by the ship on this occasion, and has kindly supplied the following details of the disaster: "the Wild Deer, Captain Kerr, page 119 was chartered by the New Zealand Government to take out some 300 immigrants and a few other passengers to Port Chalmers. On January 12 we were towed down the Clyde, the pilot leaving us well past 'Paddy's Milestone.' A stiff breeze was blowing, and with most of the sails set good speed was being made, the night being clear and a starlit sky. I, with others, had just turned in about 11 p.m., when we heard a strange and alarming sound like 'bur-er-er, thud, thud, thud,' and a voice shouted down the companion, 'Do you young fellows down there know that the ship is ashore?' The vessel then gave a sudden quiver and commenced to settle. A rush was made for the deck. On looking over the ship's side we saw reefs a short distance away and large pieces of timber from the hull floating around. The vessel had now a good list, and altogether the position seemed desperate, with little hope of anyone being saved. Rockets and flare lights were sent up, but to no purpose, the sea being too rough to allow the coastguards to put off in their boats.
The Rescue.
"The vessel was quivering," says Mr. Leitch, "and everyone feared the final plunge would be made into the many fathoms of water between the peaks of rock all along the dangerous coast of North Ireland. One of the officers cried out, 'Well, boys, what is to be done, are you going to take in sail?' The men all went off with a will to the orders given, and immediately they had completed the work the main mast went crash, snapping off at the deck, tearing the bulwarks away, the lot falling into the sea. This appeared to steady the ship, as the yards rested on the reef. We passed a long weary night, and being midwinter there was no daylight till 8 a.m. All were thankful to see land, and the coastguard boats approaching the ship. The women and children were the first taken off, and the sea moderating, as many of the ship's boats as were available, landed the crew.
"The other passengers were then all safely landed and all were thankful for their almost miraculous deliverance from a watery grave. We landed at a small fishing village named Cloughey, County Down. Over 300 persons were billeted on the generous hospitality of the residents. The Presbyterian Church and Manse was thrown open and all the cottagers played their part in supplying food and shelter. Meanwhile arrangements were made to take us overland to Belfast. For this purpose all the jaunting cars for miles around were requisitioned, and the shipwrecked people, over 300, in their various garbs, presented a curious sight driving along the country roads of Ireland. Arriving at Newtownards we were taken by train to Belfast, thence by steamer to Glasgow, arriving there just one week from the day we went on board. The emigrants were lodged there until another ship was ready—the Caroline, a vessel of 1,515 tons, Captain Hardy."
the Caroline sailed from Greenock on February 19, and finally left Scilly on the 27th. She made a good run to the equator, and landed her passengers safely at Port Chalmers on May 23 after an uneventful passage. After the wreck a few of the passengers, including Mr. Leitch, transferred to other ships, Mr. Leitch coming out in the Union Company's steamer Waihora on her first voyage. The following year, 1884, he came to Auckland and several other passengers by the Caroline are also now residing in that city.
the Wild Deer on all occasions sailed from Glasgow. Below are the dates of her sailings and of her arrivals at Port Chalmers.
To Port Chalmers. | |||
Sailed. | Arrived. | Captain. | Days. |
---|---|---|---|
Mar. 23 | June 21, '71 | Cameron | 89 |
Feb. 9 | May 9, '72 | Whitson | 88 |
*Jan. 22 | May 1, '73 | Whitson | 99 |
Dec. 10, '73 | Mar. 5, '74 | Cowan | 84 |
Oct. 31, '74 | Jan. 20, '75 | Malcolm | 81 |
Nov. 4, '75 | Feb. 10, '76 | Malcolm | 98 |
Dec. 29, '76 | Mar. 29, '77 | Fullerton | 90 |
Dec. 31, '78 | Apr. 2, '79 | Kilgour | 92 |
Land to land | 88 | ||
July 15 | Oct. 15, '80 | Kerr | 92 |
Land to land | 85 | ||
June 8 | Sep. 18, '81 | Kerr | 100 |
Land to land | 89 | ||
April 20 | July 7, '82 | Kerr | 77 |
* the Wild Deer sailed originally from the Clyde on December 21, 1872, and met with a succession of heavy easterly gales in the Thames, and sprung the rudder stock. This necessitated the vessel putting back to the Clyde to repair the damage. After repairs were effected she made another start on January 22, and met with very light winds and calms, followed by S.E. and S. winds, and later N. and N.E. winds, forcing the ship down to lat. 50 degrees, long 155E.