Victory (1847 ship) facts for kids

The ship Victory was built in 1847 in Sunderland, England. It was first owned by Willis, Gunn and Co, then later by Wilson and Cook. This sailing ship, called a barque, weighed about 578 tons. The Victory brought some of the first immigrants from England to Dunedin, New Zealand, in July 1848. It also visited Wellington, New Zealand, in August 1848.

A Difficult Journey to New Zealand

The Victory set sail from Deal, England, on March 6, 1848. Among the passengers heading to Wellington was Charles Borlase, who later became an early mayor of Wellington. The ship's captain was William Lennox Mullens.

The Victory first arrived at Port Chalmers in New Zealand on July 8, 1848. After that, it sailed to Wellington, arriving on August 16, 1848. This long journey took 163 days. The ship then continued its voyage to Sydney, Australia, in September or October.

Trouble on Board

This journey to New Zealand was full of events. A passenger named Mr. L. Langland kept a diary of the trip. The ship left Gravesend on March 3 and soon faced bad weather. It had to shelter at Cowes for ten days.

The captain's relationship with his crew became very difficult. A seaman named Robinson was well-liked by the crew and passengers. He was also a very skilled sailor. The captain, however, was a quiet person who kept to himself.

Just before the ship reached the Bay of Biscay, the crew refused an unfair order from the captain. Robinson helped them. The captain could not get the passengers to support him, so he gave in. From then on, Robinson often took charge when the weather was rough. The captain had little to do with running the ship during these times.

When the ship arrived in Dunedin, Robinson was arrested. He was charged with assault. He and three other crew members were put in prison for a short time. They were later released and joined the crew of a whaling ship that was visiting.

The Sad End of Captain Mullens

Captain Mullens met a tragic end. In 1851, the Victory was hired to carry Chinese workers, known as coolies, from Cumsingmoon to Callao, Peru. The ship left China on December 6, 1851. It had more than 350 people on board, along with general goods. The ship usually carried only about 100 travelers, so the conditions for these workers would have been very crowded and difficult.

Mistreatment of coolie workers was common back then. Also, revolts by these workers were happening more often around the time of this voyage.

A Dangerous Voyage

On December 10, 1851, in the South China Sea, a group of workers took control of the ship. They were led by a person named Ah-mang. During this event, Captain Mullens, the Second Mate James Aransono, the cook Edward Bailey, and a seaman named Henry Watt were killed. The rest of the crew had their weapons taken away.

The Chief Mate, William Vagg, survived. The workers forced him to steer the ship. He first sailed towards Point Kamao in Vietnam. But when they found the area was empty, the workers told him to sail to another place called Koon Chin. That was too hard, so he was forced to steer for Pulo Ubi island. This island was about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Point Kamao. They anchored there. At that time, Pulo Ubi and Point Kamao were considered part of Cambodia.

About 50 workers left the ship at Pulo Ubi. They destroyed the ship's papers and logbooks. They also took most of the ship's cargo. The ship then sailed to another island east of Pulo Ubi, where the rest of the workers left.

During the voyage, fights broke out among the workers. Some even tried to set the ship on fire. Several people were killed, including Ah-mang. Some were thrown overboard while still alive. The remaining crew tried to escape a couple of times, but they were not successful. After all the workers left, Chief Mate Vagg sailed the ship to Singapore. He arrived there around January 29, 1852.

Later, thirty of the workers from the Victory were found at Kamao. They were captured and sent to Pulo Ubi. The rest were reported to be in Hoonding, Cambodia. It was rumored that the king might banish them. Newspapers in Singapore reported that naval ships would visit these places on their way to China. These ships left Singapore on March 17.

Other Journeys of the Victory

The Victory made many other voyages.

Voyages to Australia

Two brothers, William and Alexander Sloane, sailed to Australia on the Victory. They left England on April 3, 1849, and arrived in Melbourne on July 19. William later became a senior partner in a company in Melbourne. Alexander became a pioneer in the Riverina area, owning large farms. A place called Sloane in New South Wales is named after him.

The Victory, with Captain Mullens, also arrived at Stanley in the Falkland Islands on October 8, 1849. It came from London, England, carrying 134 people, including families, and a cargo of houses. The Victory left Stanley on November 27, 1849.

The ship was in Australia again on February 28, 1853. It sailed for London via Bombay with Captain W. Vagg. On May 24, 1855, the ship, under Captain Slaphins, was back in Sydney. It had sailed from Southampton on February 6 with more immigrants.

Voyages to New Zealand

The Victory returned to Auckland, New Zealand, on February 1, 1851, again with Captain Mullens. It then went to Wellington on March 22, 1851, having left London on October 4, 1850, after stopping in Sydney.

The Victory continued sailing to New Zealand in the late 1850s and early 1860s. It brought immigrants to Lyttelton in May 1859 and again in 1860. It also brought people to Dunedin from Glasgow in 1861, under Captain Stevens. On June 17, 1859, on its return trip, it sailed from Lyttelton to London, stopping in Batavia. On October 13, 1863, under Captain Gregory, it brought immigrants from Lancashire to Timaru and other places. The ship's owner had changed by this time.

The final fate of the ship Victory is not known.

Other Ships Named Victory

At least five other ships named Victory existed at the same time as this ship. They also sailed in the same waters:

• A 600-ton sailing ship Victory was in Singapore in January 1852.
• A 785-ton Victory, built in 1855, was 164 feet 6 inches (50.1 meters) long. It sailed between Liverpool and Australia.
• A 595-ton Victory, built in 1860, was 146 feet (44.5 meters) long. It sailed between Sunderland and Australia.
• A steam ship Victory of 501 tons, under Captain Toogood, ran aground on a beach near Dunedin in 1861. This beach is now called Victory Beach. This ship sailed between Australia and New Zealand.
• An 1119-ton iron ship Victory, built in Glasgow in 1863, was 205 feet (62.5 meters) long. It made its first voyage to Port Chalmers.