I must now turn to the ships themselves, and, taking them in order of date, will begin with that famous veteran the _Darling Downs_.
She was one of that numerous fleet of ships, the converted from steam to sail, about which one could make a largish book without much trouble. And she was one of the most successful of the lot. She was built as far back as 1852 and sailed under the flag of the General Screw Steamship Company, as the _Calcutta_, an auxiliary steamer with a 300 horse-power engine. Like nearly all early steamship businesses the General Screw S.S. Co. did not remain solvent very long, their ships were sold and were promptly converted into sailing ships, and in many cases renamed.
As a sailing ship, the _Darling Downs_ was a very favourite passenger ship to Sydney. Like all converted steamers she was a very fast sailer, and made very good and regular passages. After a prosperous career as a Sydney trader, she was finally run into and sunk off the Nore in 1887.
These two early iron ships were both exceedingly fast and made many a good passage to the Colonies. _City of Agra_ once landed her passengers in Melbourne when only 65 days out from the Tuskar; on another occasion she passed Port Phillip Heads on her way to Queensland, when 63 days out; and she made the run out to Lyttelton, New Zealand, in 71 days.
In 1881, when commanded by Captain Young, she left Gravesend on 25th May, took her departure from the Lizard on the 29th, and crossed the equator on 17th June in 27° W., 19 days from soundings. Between the N.E. and S.E. trades, she had very squally variables and lost her fore topgallant mast. She crossed the meridian of the Cape on 11th July and ran her easting down in 39° and 40° S., making a very steady average, as her best run was only 270 miles, and she crossed the Leeuwin meridian on 30th July, signalled the Otway on 5th August and arrived in Hobson’s Bay the following day, only 69 days out from the Lizard.
_Sam Mendel_ is known for her 68-day run from London to Port Chalmers in 1876. On another occasion, whilst racing one of the “Cities” to New Zealand, she lost her foremast, and I have a photograph of her as she appeared under jury rig.
The _City of Agra_ was wrecked on Cape Sable on the 31st March, 1907, when on a passage from New York to Bridgewater. The _Sam Mendel_, after being twice sold and twice renamed, the first time _Charlonus_ and secondly _Hannah_, was at last condemned and broken up in June, 1909. Thus it will be seen that _City of Agra_ was afloat 47 years and _Sam Mendel_ 48 years, which speaks volumes for the good workmanship of their builders.