THE CLIPPER BARQUE MERMAID, Captain Smith, recently arrived, made the passage from Canton to New York in 87 days. The telegraph, when she arrived, reported Capt. Forbes as her commander, instead, no doubt of stating that she had Forbes's rig. This rig is working its way slowly into favor with ship-owners, and when its advantages are known, it will soon be universally adopted. It is the proper rig for large clippers, and such we know is the opinion of many others, and among them, Mr. McKay, who would have applied it to his large ship, if he had sailed her on his own account; but he built her for sale, and had to humor the public prejudice, by adhering to the old rig. The Mermaid, the most beautiful vessel of her size, we ever saw, has tested it in a voyage around the world, and like other vessels with it, has sailed with less men, than if she had been rigged in the usual style.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius.

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Copyright © 1997 Lars Bruzelius.