Museum anp Art NoTES 101

To those who knew some of those splendid ships it is well nigh impossible to
speak or write of them without indulging in superlatives, for nothing ever conceived
in the brain or constructed by the hand of man could excel the strength and beauty
combined in a clipper ship. Graceful as a sea-bird in flight, sweeping along the
Trades, or, stripped to fighting trim, emerging scarred but victorious from days, weeks
even, of battling the combined hosts of Neptune and Boreas in forcing a winter
passage round the Horn.

Lowell, giving the Lion’s tail a bit of a twist, wrote:
“Ah, when dear Cousin Bull laments that you can’t make a poem,
Take him on board a clipper ship, young Jonathan, and show him
A work of Art, that in its grace and grandeur may compare
With anything that any race has fashioned anywhere.”

Such was Thermopylae—a work of Art, and, as well, one more member of an
ever-growing fleet of ships with which old John Bull was demonstrating to young
Jonathan that he was not too old to take a lesson or give one. That was close on to
three-quarters of a century ago, and John is a bit older and greyer now but still able
to show a fair turn of speed.

In Thermopylae everything that her designer could conceive which would com-
bine strength with utility in a fine-lined hull was executed by the skilful hands of her
builders. In their enthusiasm they crowned her main-truck with a model of a crowing
cock, gilded that it might be the easier seen. On her eager bows they bolted a figure
representing Leonidas, “the fastest human” of his day. All this seemed rather boastful
in an untried ship and serves to show how keen was the rivalry then existing for
supremacy at sea in the merchant service. But right well did the vessel justify the
confidence of those responsible for her being, smashing records from the start.

Thermopylae was designed by Bernard Weymouth, a naval architect and secretary
of Lloyds’ Register. She was built in Hood’s yard at Aberdeen for George Thomp-
son’s Aberdeen White Star Line, an old-established firm with a line of fine ships. She
was launched on August 18, 1868; was 948 tons register; 212 feet in length; 36 feet
beam; 20 feet 9 inches in depth, and was of composite construction. Capt. Kemball,
who had been master of the tea clipper Yangtze, was given command and had her
until 1877, when he was transferred to the firm’s new ship Aristides.

Leaving Aberdeen in ballast Thermopylae went to London, where she loaded for
Melbourne. Sailing from Gravesend on the morning of November 7, she arrived at
Melbourne on January 9, 63 days out, but only 60 from pilot to pilot, a record never
beaten in sail. In nine days she had made runs of over 300 knots, the best 330.
From Melbourne she went to Newcastle, N.S.W., and loaded for Shanghai. This
run was made in 28 days—another record. From Shanghai she went to Foochow, to
make her debut in the tea trade. Here were assembled many of the fastest ships of
the day, veterans of many races, and it may be certain that in view of the newcomer’s
maiden performances she was the subject of much discussion and conjectures as to
her future behaviour.

Unfortunately, by the time of the new clipper’s appearance on the scene the cus-
tom of giving a bonus for the first of the season’s tea landed in London had been
abandoned, so that neither she nor the Cutty Sark, built that year, had a chance to
match their speed in a race with the title-holders,