THE
CANTELL FAMILY
from
LONDON
to
NEW ZEALAND

The Bombay was a full-rigged ship of 937 tons, and flying the Shaw Savill flag. She was under the command of Captain 0. Sellars, a fine old gentleman and a skillful sailor.
She sailed from London to Auckland on November 26, 1864, and met with strong westerly gales, again sheltering at North Foreland. She lifted her anchor once more on November 30, but immediately ran into bad weather, and did not leave the Lizard Light until December 8, twelve days after weighing anchor at Gravesend. The Bombay then had a fairly good run until ten days before reaching Auckland. When she was struck by a squall from the south east, which carried away the bowsprit, the fore topmast with several yards, and the main topgallant mast and royal mast were sprung. A number of sails were blown from the yards, and altogether there was a pretty mess aloft. With considerable labour the wreckage was cut away, all speed being used, as it was feared that the heavy spars, with their attached iron work, would chafe a hole in the wooden sides of the ship.

The next day the gale increased until it was blowing a hurricane. Nothing could be set except the upper topsail, and that was lowered down on top of the lower topsail yard. Early in the day the ship gave a sudden lurch in a more than usually severe squall, and to crown the misfortunes of the crew and passengers, there were 400 of the latter on board, the main mast went by the board and the mizzen mast was sprung. It was at first feared that the mizzen would follow the main mast, but eventually it was saved. Naturally this was a most anxious time for the passengers and crew. The ship was rolling fearfully, and the work of clearing the wreckage was terribly hard and dangerous. Later the starboard quarter boat was blown from the aft davit, and had to be cut away to prevent it doing further damage.

In spite of the buffeting the Bombay had received she was still keeping remarkably tight. During the night the ship lay hove to with a tarpaulin in the mizzen rigging, all her canvas having been blown to ribbons, and all hands were hard at work straightening things as far as they could. In the morning the carpenter set about setting up some sort of a jury-rig, and many of the passengers lent a hand where they could. At half-past seven the welcome sight of another ship appeared over the horizon. She proved to be the Circular Saw liner Constance, from Sydney, and her skipper (Captain Elliott) at once offered to give the derelict a tow. A line was passed and the tow commenced. Fortunately the breeze held in the right direction, and the strange pair a barque and a sadly disabled ship, they made steady progress. By the time the Three Kings were reached the Bombay people had succeeded in rigging up jury gear, and they were able to get some sail on their vessel. They were in great luck, for the next day HMS. Curacao hailed in sight, and Commodore Wiseman, taking the "lame duck" in tow, brought her safely into Auckland Harbour. There are, no doubt, many of the passengers and their descendants still living in the Dominion, who will recall the anxious days experienced during this terrible storm. The voyage took 112 days.

The passenger list contained. Charles CANTELL, his wife Susannah, his son Charles.

"They Came By Sea"
The Centenary of "Bombay" 1865-1965
Transcribed in Auckland New Zealand by Ted WILDY on September24, 1995.

THE BOMBAY HILLS

It is not generally known that the vessel "Bombay" gave the name of Bombay to the settlement situated about 29 miles south of Auckland. Most of the early settlers in this district came out from England by the Bombay on her first voyage to Auckland in 1863. The Bombay seldom had a fair chance when trading to New Zealand of showing what she was capable of doing, as on nearly all the voyages out she had the ill-luck to strike furious storms, either in the Channel or later.
The Bombay was a full-rigged ship of 937 tons, and flying the Shaw Savill flag.
On the four voyages she made to the colony she was under the command of Captain G. Sellars.