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

The Wild Deer

page 118

The Wild Deer.

China Tea Clipper—Story of Her Wreck.

the Wild Deer, a ship of 1,016 tons, built at Glasgow in 1863 for the Albion Shipping Co., was considered one of the fastest of the China tea clippers. Mr. Basil Lubbock, who tells a most interesting story of these famous vessels, says that the Wild Deer seldom had a chance under the man who was placed in charge, the skipper, Captain Smith, having no courage. On one occasion, however, the Wild Deer left Shanghai a week behind the Douglas Castle. Mr. Lubbock says: "Captain Smith, who was frightened of the Gaspar
A Fo'c'sle Group On The Wild Deer.

A Fo'c'sle Group On The Wild Deer.

Straits, determined to go east about, but the Wild Deer had so good a start south through the Formosa Channel that old Smith plucked up his courage and held on for Gaspar. The very first day after he had changed his mind the Wild Deer ran into the S.W. monsoon and had to be braced hard up. The following morning the Douglas Castle crossed her bows on the port tack and the two ships were in company all the way to Gaspar, except whilst passing Tamberlan Islands, which Wild Deer went east of and the Douglas west. The ships were evidently well matched in light winds." At this stage another ship showed up, the Peter Denny from Foo Chow. The three ships were frequently in company, and a good race resulted home. the Wild Deer found a head wind in the mouth of the Channel, but later a slashing S.W. breeze came up and she was first to arrive at Gravesend, but as she was making fast to her buoy the Douglas Castle appeared, with the Peter Denny close astern.

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.