SPIRIT OF THE ACE

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 3, 4 January 1936, Page 23

SPIRIT OF THE ACE

Of the British clippers of the late fifties, who first traded to Australia and later crossed to China to load tea, many stayed in the front of the battle for a few seasons and then dropped into the ranks of the has-beens, says an Australian shipping paper. Of such was the Sunderland-built "Spirit of the Age." This ship first traded to Australia, the passage then being just as congested as the homeward one from China later. A story is told of some ten or a do^sen prime British shellbacks who were looking round the West India docks for a ship when they came upon a crack Yankee clipper, displaying a large notice board in her rigging, on which were painted the words, "This ship'will be in Australia before any other." Whilst they were gazing at this early specimen of American advertising the captain of the "Spirit of the Age" came up to them and pointed at the Yankee skysign and asked with some show of passion: "How can you stand that, and you Britishers?" "Well, it is a bit cheeky," replied their spokesman, "but how can we help it?" "That's what I've come to you for," replied the captain of the "Spirit of the Age": "You want a berth, don't you? I have all my crew on board already, and a good crowd, too; but come with me as a sort of extra watch and I'll see if we can't bustle the bounce out of that Yankee." The men did ship with him, with the result .that the "Spirit of the Age," after being driven night and day, made the passage to Sydney in seventy-three days and beat the boastful American, who was about three times her size, by a day and a half. The Yankee signboard was a specimen of the shrewd business qualities shown by early American captains.