The _La Hogue_, by the way, was built by Pile, of Sunderland, and measured 1331 tons, being one of the largest frigate-built ships ever launched.
Devitt & Moore kept her in the Sydney trade, and so popular was she with the Australians that they would wait weeks and often months on purpose to sail in her.
In 1866, Laing, of Sunderland, launched the equally well-known and popular frigate-built liner _Parramatta_, of 1521 tons, for Devitt & Moore’s Sydney passenger trade. These two ships do not properly come within the scope of this book and I shall give a more detailed account of them in the next book of this series, which will deal specially with these frigate-built Blackwallers.
Few shipowners can escape scot-free from disaster, and the firm’s greatest loss was when their new ship, the _Queen of the Thames_, considered by many to be the finest ship that ever left the London River, was lost off the Cape on her first homeward bound passage from Melbourne.
With _La Hogue_ and _Parramatta_ in the Sydney trade and _Sobraon_ in the Melbourne trade, the house-flag was well known throughout Victoria and New South Wales. Nor was it less well known in South Australia; indeed Devitt & Moore’s ships were amongst the pioneers in the passenger and wool trade of Adelaide.
“City of Adelaide” and “South Australian.”
In the Adelaide trade, the beautiful little composite ships of Devitt & Moore rivalled those of the Orient and Elder Lines. Of these little clippers the best known passenger ships were the _City of Adelaide_ and _South Australian_.
The _City of Adelaide_ was launched in 1864 from Pile’s yard, her measurements being:—
Registered tonnage 791 tons. Length 176.8 feet. Breadth 33.2 „ Depth 18.8 „
She was a very fast little ship with a 65-day run from London to Adelaide to her credit.
The _South Australian_ came out in 1868, also from Pile’s yard, and measured:—
Registered tonnage 1040 tons. Length 201 feet. Breadth 36 „ Depth 20.1 „
She had a poop 80 ft. long, and was classed 17 years A1. Though not as fast a ship as the smaller _City of Adelaide_, she was a very fine sea boat with very comfortable accommodation for first and second class passengers.
She was commanded by Captain David Bruce, who with his three sons was very well known in the Adelaide trade. Old David Bruce was one of the good old breed of sea dog—a sturdy, weather-beaten, grey-whiskered Scot. He always dressed in black broadcloth, topped by a straw hat and puggaree. He possessed a merry wit—also a lame leg, which had been crushed by a run-away cask during a storm. His three sons served their time under him, and the commands of the _City of Adelaide_ and _South Australian_ seem to have been taken in turn by each member of the Bruce family.