The Hermione.

A Shaw, Savill and Albion ship that was expected to do better than was ever got out of her was the Hermione, a full-rigger who was well-known in Auckland and other ports in the eighties and nineties—but especially in Auckland, to which port she made eight voyages. She was a handsome craft of 1120 tons and was turned out by the Hall shipyards at Aberdeen during the same year that the company's other classically-named ship, the Pleione, was launched. Her sailing capabilities were somewhat disappointing, or perhaps one

The Hermione.

should say they were not so good as the builders expected. Probably the best 24-hour run she ever logged was 269 miles, which she did in 1897 when bound for Wellington. It was on that voyage that after sighting Cape Farewell she was knocking about Cook Straits for seventeen days, being kept out of port by exceptionally heavy gales.

The second appearance of the Hermione at Auckland was in 1882, and Mr. A. Totman, who passed away a few months ago, and was a passenger by her on that occasion, sent me a few particulars of the voyage. She left Gravesend on May 4 with 126 passengers on board, including assisted immigrants from England, Ireland, and Scotland. With the exception of a heavy gale, during which she lost several sails, the Hermione had a good passage. The morning before she reached Auckland the ship had a narrow escape from running aground, and when wearing ship one of the crew was knocked overboard, but was promptly picked up by one of the ship's own boats.

Captain Canese reported that on July 16, 1895, when the ship was bound for Nelson, she became lighted on all mastheads and yardarms with the light often seen on very dark nights, when suddenly something burst in the heavens with a report like a detonator and six balls of fire were seen falling from above, some landing near the ship's side. This was followed by a terrific storm when oil was used with marvelous effect.

Like so many of the old colonial ships the Hermione was "sold foreign" when steam came in. She was bought by an Italian firm and renamed the Mantova. She was broken up at Genoa as late aspage 143 the year immediately before the outbreak of the Great War.

the Hermione's record of passages reads:—