Punjaub

A paddle steamer built of Malabar teak in 1854 by Cursetjee Rustomjee at the Bombay Dockyard to the design of Oliver Lang. Dimensions 250'×39'6"×25' and tonnage 1745 NRT. The forecastle was 57 ft long and the poop was 66 ft. Equipped with two steam engines of 700 hp. Armed with ten 8 inch 68 pound guns.

Built under roof according to Lloyd's Register Shipping.

1854 April 21: Launched at the Bombay Dockyard, for the Indian Marine of the East India Company. Assigned the Official British Reg. No. 47422 and signal VNMJ.
1855: Participated in the bombardment and capture of Bushire during the Persian War.
1862: Sailed to London together with the paddle steamer Assaye to be converted into screw-steamers.
1862: Sold to John Willis and Sons, London, together with the Assaye for £ 44.000. The latter ship was later sold for £ 40.000, while the Punjaub was converted to sailing ship and was renamed The Tweed. The engines which had been taken out were sold for £ 12.000.
1863-1877: In command of Captain William Stuart late from the same owner's Lammermuir.
1863: Sailed from London to Bombay in 77 days. Brought out and laid the Persian Gulf Telegraph cable together with the Assaye and the Cospatrick.
1863: Refitted at Bombay as a passenger ship and subsequently brought home the Seaforth Highlanders in 78 days.
1873 September 6 - November 18: Sailed from Lizard Point to Melbourne in 73 days.
1874 February 3 - April 27: Sailed from Melbourne to London in 83 days with a cargo of wool.
1874 June 16 - September 3: Sailed from Gravesend to Port Chalmers in 79 days or 74 days land to land.
1875 January 11 - April 7: Sailed from Port Jackson to the Lizard Point in 86 days with a cargo of wool.
1875 June 12 - September 11: Sailed from London to Sydney in 82 days.
1875 December 10 - February 17: Sailed from Sydney to Dungeness in 69 days with a cargo of wool.
1876 May 2 - July 28: Sailed from Lizard Point to Sydney in 87 days.
1877: Captain Byce, the former mate, replaced Captain Stuart who took command of the new ship Loch Etive.
1878 January 8 - March 31: Sailed from St Catherine's Point to Sydney in 81 days.
1880-1885: In command of Captain J.M. Whyte late of the Blackadder.
1880 May 12 - July 29: Sailed from London to Sydney in 78 days, or 75 days from the Lizard Point. The best day's run was 362 miles between the 8th and 9th of July.
1880 October 1 - December 28: Sailed from Sydney to London in 88 days with a cargo of wool.
1882: Lost the jib-boom, fore top-mast, foreyard, main topgallant mast and main topsail yards in the South Indian Ocean on voyage to Australia. Sailed 240 miles the following day under mainsail and mizzen mast sails only.
1884 November 4 - February 14: Sailed from Sydney to London in 102 days with a cargo of wool.
1885-1888: In command of Captain Moore, late of the same owner's Cutty Sark.
1885 December 7 - March 25: Sailed from Sydney to London in 108 days with a cargo of wool. The Illawarra which left Sydney on the same day arrived in London four days ahead of The Tweed.
1888 July 18: Dismasted off Algoa Bay on voyage from China to New York. Towed into Port Elizabeth by the steam ship Venice. The damages were subsequently considered too severe to be repaired and she was condemned and broken out.

Lubbock says that her frames and timber were used for the roof of a church in Port Elizabeth.

It has also been stated that John Willis ordered her lines to be taken off and used in the design of first the clipper ship Cutty Sark and later the clipper ships Blackadder and Halloween.

References:

Clipper ships, general references.
Lubbock, Basil: The Romance of the Clipper Ships. Hennel Locke, Lonfon, 1948.

Updated 1998-09-03 by Lars Bruzelius

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