Cape Shipping 1829 including Conch under Cobern

The schooner Conch was making regular sailings carrying colonial produce and passengers between Algoa Bay and Table Bay, and other ports, before William Bell took over her command. Here she is under another master, Cobern, variously given as 'J' and 'T' but probably the same person. Extract from SACA 31 Dec 1829.

Ships in Algoa Bay in the 1820s, by Thomas Baines

Cape Shipping 19 November 1828 including Cobern commanding Conch

Conch is noted as then under command of 'J' (should be 'T') Cobern, agent J Smith (later to be William Bell's agent). The schooner had been on a regular run to Mossel Bay and was arriving back in Table Bay on 19 November with a cargo of colonial produce. 

Cape Shipping May 1830 Conch under Cobern, Flamingo under Scorey

This report from the South African Commercial Advertiser shows the Conch arriving at Table Bay under command of Cobern - with the Captain's wife on board as passenger, from Algoa Bay on 15 May. The date of departure from Algoa Bay is given as 29 May which must be an error unless the Conch was into time travel.
The Flamingo date of departure is also dubious, unless like Cobern he was travelling backwards. Interestingly the latter vessel is commanded by Scorey (note error - his initial should be J not F) - who would later become a relative, by marriage, of Captain Bell. There was an intriguing group of Cape mariners operating in coastal waters at this period, all linked either by agent or by personal ties and of course acquainted with one another. A small world which Bell would soon join.

                             Table Bay and shipping: Thomas Bowler (South African Sketches)

Cape shipping: Conch and W Bell Nov 1837

A snippet from the Grahamstown Journal November 1837 shows W Bell in command of the Conch, and sailing between Table Bay and Algoa Bay, carrying passengers as well as cargo. From this year Bell and Conch were firmly riveted together. It would be five years before the big events of 1842 at Port Natal completely changed Bell's life.

                             Circle of Thomas Bowler, Table Bay Shipping 1835-39

Cape Shipping, Conch and death of Captain Masson 1827

South African Commercial Advertiser 10 March 1827 announces the death of Captain Telemachus Musson 'late of the Schooner Conch' aged 37 years. This was ten years prior to the start of regular sailings of the Conch under Captain William Bell. What happened to young Captain Musson we don't know, but the Conch was busily employed in Cape coastal waters under a variety of masters before Bell took command.

   

                Table Bay with Shipping (school of Bowler)

Mariners: Caithness and the Flying Dragon 1

At the beginning of 1854, the year which saw the wreck of over thirty ships including the Sea Gull (Captain Caithness) during a gale in Table Bay, talk of a wonderful new clipper ship was making headlines in the British and Colonial press.

In a column headed ‘English Clippers versus American Clippers’, one report read:

We have been much gratified by the inspection of the clipper Flying Dragon, built by Mr Pile, of [Monkwearmouth] Sunderland. Her tonnage is 780 old measurement and 674 new. She has been built especially to compete with the Yankee clippers. Her length over all is 199 feet and her beam 34 feet. The Flying Dragon made the run from the Wear to the Thames in the short space of twenty-eight hours and, judging from this specimen of her performances, we shall be much surprised if she do [sic] not make one of the most rapid passages to Australia on record. She has everything necessary to make her go. Her build is on the most improved principles. She is neatly and well rigged, with no  unnecessary top-hamper; and, moreover, she is commanded by a smart officer, Captain James George Carter, who, on his last voyage from China, was successful in saving the lives of the crew of the barque Titania which was lost … in the China seas …*

A heroic Captain and a clipper of marvellous modern design couldn’t fail to excite widespread interest. The career of the Flying Dragon would be closely watched by the general public as well as by the maritime community at the Cape, who could hope for a good look at the ship when she called at Table Bay on her Australia run.

No-one could have predicted that the Flying Dragon, true to her name, would soon be breathing fire and smoke and trailing disaster in her wake.

The Sunderland Clipper Barque Flying Dragon
Illustrated London News 4 Nov 1854

 * The Courier, Hobart, Tasmania 4 January 1854, copied from the London Morning Herald's report.