SHIPPING
955
Perhaps readers connected with the shipping of Hongkong will be interested to learn that on June 29, 1866, the new steamer Agamemnon, the first of the line established by Mr. Alfred Holt between Liverpool and China, arrived in Hongkong. She was consigned to Messrs. Birley & Co., her agents.
The Agamemnon was one of three screw steamers built in the Clyde for this service, her sister ships being the Ajax and Achilles.
She had accommodation for 40 cabin passengers, and made the passage from Liverpool to Hongkong in 69 days. The Agamemnon must also have carried sail, for we are told that on her first voyage to the Far East, she steamed nearly the whole distance from port to port.
The Agamemnon departed on July 5, for Saigon.
The Ajax, the second of Mr. Holt's new line of steamers arrived in Hongkong on September 9, 1866. She is described as being a large, substantially built steamer of 1,670 tons register and 350 horse-power (nominal) and was the work, both ship and engines, of Messrs. Scott of Greenock. Her steering apparatus was described as being "quite a sight", and her coal-stowing capabilities something extraordinary, having carried from Liverpool 1,759 tons of coal, sufficient to last her from that port to Shanghai, and back again to Mauritius. She made the passage to Hongkong from Liverpool in 71 days, this being two days more than that taken earlier in the same year by her sister ship, the Agamemnon.
And now as to whalers. The old records show that American whalers were, in the early days of the Colony, in the habit of putting into Hongkong harbour to refit. Indeed, so pleased were the owners with the facilities afforded and the resources available here, that for many years they repeated the visits in increasing numbers.
From December, 1850, to March, 1851, fifteen such vessels arrived, laden with oil, of which a considerable portion was shipped to London. During the following season, 37 whalers arrived, with over 616,000 gallons of oil.
It is interesting in this connexion to note that a novel sport was provided in February, 1863, by the appearance in Hongkong harbour of a stray whale. It was chased by a crowd of amateur whalers, with improvised harpoons, and pursued far out to sea, but made good its escape.
The appearance of whales in these waters is nothing unusual, though the slaughter of these huge sea animals within the past fifty years has left fewer to venture so far outside their usual grounds, and a whale close off Hongkong nowadays would be a rare occurrence.
*Birthing*.- "Mention of the dredgers St. Enoch and Canton River in your paper's Twenty-five Years Ago" is a reminder that so far the shipping history of the Colony hasn't had adequate treatment. Some of the old hands could entertain us with tales of old ships. The St. Enoch all know. The Canton River was, I think, the craft which sank in the (1906?) typhoon and which Admiral Sir Percy Scott hauled upright by harnessing a battleship to her. The dredge subsequently was sold to Australia, and foundered a couple of years ago with loss of life, on a trip from Sydney to Tasmania.
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SHIPPING
955
#
Perhaps readers connected with the shipping of Hongkong will be interested to learn that on June 29, 1866, the new steamer Agamemnon, the first of the line established by Mr. Alfred Holt between Liverpol and China, arrived in Hongkong. She was consigned to Messrs. Birley & Co., her agents.
The Agamemnon was one of three screw steamers built in the Clyde for this service, her sister ships being the Ajax and Achi lles.
She had accommodation for 40 cabin passengers, and made the passage from Liverpool to Hongkong. in 69 days. The Agamemnon must also have carried sall, for we are told that on her first voyage to the Far East, she steamed nearly the whole distance from port to port.
The Agamemnon departed on July 5, for Saigon.
The Ajax, the second of Mr. Holt's new line of steamers arrived in Hongkong on September 9, 1866. She is described as being a large, substantially built steamer of 1,670 tons register snd 350 horse-power (nominal) and was the work, both ship and engines, of Messrs. Scott of Greenook. Her steering apps ratus was described as being "quite a sight", and her coal-stowing capabilities something extraordinary, having carried from Liverpool 1,759 tons of coal, sufficient to last her from that port to Shanghai, and back again to Mauritius. She made the passage to hongkong from Liverpool in 71 days, this being two days mor e than that taken earlier in the same year by her sister ship, the Agamemnon.
And now as to whalers. The old recorda show that American whalers were, in the early days of the Colony, in the habit of putting into Hongkong harbour to refit. Indeed, so pleased were the oners with the facilities afforded and the resources available here, that for many years they repeated the visits in increasing
From December, 1850, to March, 1851, fifteen such vessels arrived, laden with oil, of which a considerable portion was shipped to London. During the following season, 37 whelers arrived, with over 616,000 gallons of oil..
It is interesting in this connexion to note that a novel sport was provided in February, 1863, by the appearance in Hongkong Zerbour of a stray whale. It was obased by a crowd of amateur whalers, with improvised harpoons, and pursued far out to sea, but made good its escape.
The appearance of whales in these waters is nothing unusual, though the slaughter of these huge sea animals within the pest fifty years has left fewer to venture so far outside their usual Ereas, and a whale close off Hongkong nowadays would be a rare
occurrence.
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*Bindihi*.- "Mention of the dredgers St. Enoch and Canton River in your paper's Twenty-five Years Ago" is a reminder that so far the shipping history of the Colony hasn't had adequate treatment Some of the old hands could entertain us with tales of old ships. The St. Enoch all know. The Canton River wes, I think, the craft which sank in the (19067) typhoon and which Admiral Sir Percy Scott hauled upright by harnessing a battleship to her. The dredge sub- sequently was sold to Australia, and foundered a couple of years ago with loss of life, on a trip from Sydney to Tasmania."
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