George Thompson’s second iron ship was the beautiful _Miltiades_, for many years a favourite ship in the Melbourne trade. Like the _Patriarch_, she was built for the emigrant trade, and in the Australian papers was spoken of as “that mammoth clipper,” though to modern eyes she would look quite small and one of the daintiest of ships. Unlike _Patriarch_ she was a very wet ship, especially when running in heavy weather, but she was just as fast as the _Patriarch_, if not faster—indeed taking her average, both outward and homeward, I do not think that any ship can beat her record for an iron ship except the little _Salamis_.
Captain Perrett took her from the stocks and had her until 1885, when Captain Harry Ayling assumed command. On her first voyage she carried stunsails, but when she got home the booms were sent down and never used again.
Her best outward passage was made in 1873, being 70 days dock to dock, 63 days pilot to pilot. She left London on 5th May, dropped her pilot off the Start on 12th May. Had very light winds to the equator, crossed the line on 6th June in 27° 30′ W., crossed the meridian of the Cape on 24th June in 44° S. On 24th, 25th and 26th June she ran 305, 310, and 345 miles. Crossed the meridian of Cape Leeuwin on 9th July, and was off the Otway on 14th July, only 20 days from the Cape, finally anchored in Hobson’s Bay on the 15th; just 39 days from the equator. On this passage her decks were lumbered up with sheep pens, and one can well imagine what an unpleasant time those sheep must have had when she was running her easting down.
In 1874 _Miltiades_ was diverted from Melbourne to Wellington. Emigration to New Zealand was booming and many extra ships had to be taken up; for instance the _La Hogue_ took 443 emigrants to Wellington, the fine iron Calcutta clipper _Ballochmyle_ took 484 to Canterbury and the _Rooparell_ 361 to Auckland.
The change was very near being the end of _Miltiades_, for she missed stays whilst beating up to Wellington and slid on to a reef. Captain Perrett immediately fired his signal guns and sent up a rocket to attract attention. Luckily for him the inter-colonial steamer had just rounded the North Heads bound in and at once went to his assistance, and after one or two failures managed to get the _Miltiades_ off. It was not until many years later that the _Miltiades_ was again seen in Maoriland, but in the early nineties she made the following fine runs home:—