Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Some notable sailings from the docks . . .

'Cutty Sark' - 'The Hell-Ship Voyage' - An interesting story from this era was that of the famous tea clipper 'Cutty Sark' left London in ballast on 6th May 1880 and arrived at Penarth Dock on the 24th May. [325] She was loaded with coal at tip No. 9 destined for the American Navy Department’s Pacific Fleet at Yokohama.

On arrival at Penarth five of the crew jumped ship due to the despotic first mate Sidney Smith. Captain James Smith Wallace (1853-1880) struggled to sign-on a crew but eventually a mix of English, Danes, Greeks, an Italian and three Negro crew members were enlisted for the voyage.

The 'Cutty Sark' was cleared for sailing to Anjer with a cargo of 1,096 tons of coal (S. D. Jenkins) on the 5th June. [325] Storms raged inside and outside the ship and Smith continually vented his temper upon the Negro crew members and in particular, one John Francis. Captain Wallace, pistol in hand threatened to shoot anyone who interfered. Later an order to Francis from Smith was ignored and he rushed Francis who had a capstan bar in his hand. Smith gained control of the bar and smashed Francis over the head. He never regained consciousness and died three days later.

The crew mutinied and Smith was confined to his cabin. Upon arrival at Anjer (Indonesia), Captain Wallace smuggled Smith onto an American vessel the “Colorado” but when the crew found out they refused to work ; some had to be constrained in irons! Wallace set sail bound for Yokohama with just the apprentices and petty officers as crew but Wallace realised his career was over and that his actions were indefensible. Four days later Wallace stepped up onto the taff-rail at the stern and jumped. The crew launched a boat but a number of sharks were swimming around furiously in the area where Wallace was last seen!

Two years later Smith, using an alias, was recognised, taken into custody, tried and convicted of the manslaughter of Francis and sentenced to seven years hard labour. An eyewitness account of the voyage from the National Maritime Museum's website commences : "My name is Charles Sankey and I’ve just got off Cutty Sark in New York. What a voyage! I’ve been at sea for nearly two years and I’m still not home." [123]