Bully Martin was a great personality amongst sailing ship skippers. He was a driver of the old type, and stories referring to Bully Forbes are often mixed up with those referring to Bully Martin. He nevertheless was such a consummate seaman that in 45 years’ service as master he never cost the underwriters a penny, and only lost a couple of men, one through a fall from aloft and one from being washed overboard. He is said to have hated passengers. He served his time in Allan’s beautiful little Transatlantic sailing ships—his first ship being the _Caledonia_, a full-rigged ship carrying royals and stunsails though only of 390 tons. She was commanded by Captain Wylie, who was afterwards marine superintendent of the Allan Line. After passing for mate, he obtained the berth in the 900-ton iron ship _Shandon_, which was fitted with patent reefing gear for topgallant sails, topsails and courses. She made three voyages a season to Montreal and in the winter ran to the Southern States for cotton. After four years as mate, he obtained command of the _Edendale_, belonging to the same owners, Messrs. W. Kidston & Son, of Glasgow. His next command was the _Lord Clyde_, which he left for the _Clan Ranald_. He commanded her for two or three voyages and then went to Watson Bros., commanding the _Ben Venue_, _Ben Voirlich_ and _Ben Cruachan_ in turn, after which he returned to the Loch Line, and after having the _Loch Ness_ and _Loch Long_, commanded the _Loch Broom_ until he retired from the sea in 1907, the very year, curiously enough, that Messrs. Aitken & Lilburn sold his first ship in their employ.
On 22nd February, 1907, the _Loch Rannoch_ left Melbourne under Captain Morrison with the usual cargo of wool, hides and tallow for Hull, at which port she arrived on 8th June, 106 days out. After discharging she returned to Glasgow, and was then sold to the Norwegians. In November, 1910, she was again sold to the Germans, and has since been broken up.
The _Ben Nevis_ after making her maiden voyage under charter to Aitken & Lilburn became one of Watson’s passenger ships to Australia. On 14th July, 1897, when bound to Dunedin from Glasgow, she unexpectedly appeared in Hobson’s Bay, having put in to repair damages which had taken place 12 days before in the Southern Ocean. It appeared that she had been swept from stem to stern by a tremendous wave; two of the crew had been taken overboard along with everything movable on the main deck; besides which the break of the poop had been burst in and the interior so gutted that her officers had nothing but the clothes they stood up in. The repairs cost £3000.