The opium clippers / by Basil Lubbock.

  • Lubbock, Basil, 1876-1944.
Date:
1933
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The opium clippers / by Basil Lubbock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    grand repair, for it is a fact that a loose, leaky, working ship sails faster than a tight bound-up one. Other return passages to Calcutta worthy of note during the late summer and autumn of 1838 were the following: Clipper Captain Left China Ai rived Singapore Arrived Calcutta Days. out Water witch Reynell June 10 July 6 July 23 43 Rob Roy .. McKinnon June 20 July 25 Aug. 10 51 Syed Khan Ovenstone July 1 Aug. 22 Sept. 11 72 Sylph Vial] Aug. 20 Sept. 20 Oct. 18 59 Allalevie .. Clark Oct. 9 Oct. 22 Nov. 13 35 Red Rover Wright Oct. 27 Nov. 11 Dec. 3 37 Ariel Warden Nov. 14 Nov. 22 Dec. 16 32 Cowasjee Family Stavers Nov. 22 Dec. 3 Dec. 27 35 WaterwitcJi Reynell Dec. 4 Dec. 13 Dec. 29 25 Ann Grey Nov. 30 Dec. 8 Dec. 29 29 It is very noticeable how the times vary with the seasons of the monsoons, the favourable monsoon making a difference of quite 20 days on the passage. The New Clippers of 1838. A number of new clippers appeared in 1838, the most notable of which were the tiny barque Nymph, and the brigantine Poppy. Many fast vessels adventured into the opium trade for a season or two and then wandered off into other trades. They were generally ships which were owned by their captains. Of such was the Allalevie; another was the fast barque Will Watch (Captain Bristow), and one constantly finds vessels advertised to load opium in the shipping columns of the papers of Calcutta, Bombay and Singapore, which are seldom afterwards mentioned. Here is such an advertisement, dated August 28, 1838, in the Englishman: For Singapore and China, under engagement to sail before the holidays, the fast sailing new clipper-built ship Chelydra (Captain Davis Small), 350 tons. For freight of opium or passage, having splendid accommodations, apply to Fergusson Brothers & Co. A clipper was launched at Kidderpore on September 25, 1838, which almost immediately went missing. This was the Syren