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Mystery (lugger)
Encyclopedia
Mystery was a Mount's Bay
lugger
which made a voyage to Australia
in 1854/55. Her passage to Cape Town
was so fast that she was commissioned to take mail from there to Australia.
decided to try their luck in finding gold
in Australia
. As they were all shareholders in the boat, it was suggested that Mystery be sold to cover their passage to Australia
, but the captain, Richard Nicholls said that he would take them to Australia in Mystery.
The boat was prepared for the long sea voyage by covering the hull in zinc
, and adding decking fore and aft. They left Newlyn
or Penzance
(sources vary) on 18 November 1854, passing Madeira
on 25 November and San Antonio on 3 December. After this, Mystery encountered some bad weather, and her jib split. The Equator
was crossed on 15 December. Trinidad
was passed on 23 December and on 26 December communication was made with the brig
Callao, which was bound for Liverpool
. A letter was entrusted to her captain giving details of their journey so far. The Cape of Good Hope
was sighted on 17 January, and Cape Town
was reached the next day, after a journey of 60 days. The Harbour Master thought that Mystery was a local boat and did not board her until the crew beached the boat with ease.
Five days were spent at Cape Town repairing Mystery and replenishing supplies. They had made such good time to Cape Town that the Royal Mail
commissioned them to take post on to Australia. For the first few days out of Cape Town the weather was bad, but Mystery was unscathed. Further gales were encountered on 18 and 23 February and 3 March. Cape Northumberland was sighted on 9 March and Mystery reached Melbourne
on 14 March 1855 after a journey of 11800 nautical miles (21,853.6 km). Mystery remained in Australia, where she was used as a pilot cutter. On 26 March 1869, she was wrecked in Keppel Bay
, Rockhampton, Queensland
. All crew were saved.
built a new boat, based on Mystery with the intention of recreating the journey. The replica is named Spirit of Mystery
. The Spirit of Mystery sailed from Newlyn on 20 October 2008. She arrived in Cape Town
on 25 December 2008. Spirit of Mystery arrived in Melbourne on 9 March 2009.
Mount's Bay
Mount's Bay is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to Gwennap Head on the eastern side of the Land's End peninsula. Towards the middle of the bay is St Michael's Mount...
lugger
Lugger
A lugger is a class of boats, widely used as traditional fishing boats, particularly off the coasts of France, Scotland and England. It is a small sailing vessel with lugsails set on two or more masts and perhaps lug topsails.-Defining the rig:...
which made a voyage to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1854/55. Her passage to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
was so fast that she was commissioned to take mail from there to Australia.
History
Mystery was a Mount's Bay lugger used for fishing inshore waters. In 1854, seven CornishmenCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
decided to try their luck in finding gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in Australia
Australian gold rushes
The Australian gold rush started in 1851 when prospector Edward Hammond Hargraves claimed the discovery of payable gold near Bathurst, New South Wales, at a site Edward Hargraves called Ophir.Eight months later, gold was found in Victoria...
. As they were all shareholders in the boat, it was suggested that Mystery be sold to cover their passage to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, but the captain, Richard Nicholls said that he would take them to Australia in Mystery.
The boat was prepared for the long sea voyage by covering the hull in zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, and adding decking fore and aft. They left Newlyn
Newlyn
Newlyn is a town and fishing port in southwest Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Newlyn forms a conurbation with the neighbouring town of Penzance and is part of Penzance civil parish...
or Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
(sources vary) on 18 November 1854, passing Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
on 25 November and San Antonio on 3 December. After this, Mystery encountered some bad weather, and her jib split. The Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
was crossed on 15 December. Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
was passed on 23 December and on 26 December communication was made with the brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Callao, which was bound for Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. A letter was entrusted to her captain giving details of their journey so far. The Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
was sighted on 17 January, and Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
was reached the next day, after a journey of 60 days. The Harbour Master thought that Mystery was a local boat and did not board her until the crew beached the boat with ease.
Five days were spent at Cape Town repairing Mystery and replenishing supplies. They had made such good time to Cape Town that the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
commissioned them to take post on to Australia. For the first few days out of Cape Town the weather was bad, but Mystery was unscathed. Further gales were encountered on 18 and 23 February and 3 March. Cape Northumberland was sighted on 9 March and Mystery reached Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 14 March 1855 after a journey of 11800 nautical miles (21,853.6 km). Mystery remained in Australia, where she was used as a pilot cutter. On 26 March 1869, she was wrecked in Keppel Bay
Keppel Bay
Keppel Bay is a broad bay in Central Queensland, Australia at the mouth of the Fitzroy River. Cape Keppel is at the Eastern end of the bay.The bay and the nearby Keppel Islands were named by Captain Cook when he was there on 27 May 1770, after Admiral Augustus Keppel of the British Royal...
, Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. All crew were saved.
Crew
The crew who made the voyage were Richard Badcock, William Badcock, Charles Boase, Job Kelynack, Lewis Lewis, Philip Curnow Matthews and Richard Nicholls (captain). Two of the crew, Lewis and Matthews settled in Australia. The other five returned home.Replica
In 2008, yachtsman Pete GossPete Goss
Pete Goss, MBE is a British yachtsman who has clocked up at sea.A former Royal Marine, he is famous for his pioneering project Team Philips. He received a Legion d'Honneur for saving fellow sailor Raphaël Dinelli in the 1996 Vendée Globe solo around the world yacht race...
built a new boat, based on Mystery with the intention of recreating the journey. The replica is named Spirit of Mystery
Spirit of Mystery
Spirit of Mystery is a replica of the Mount's Bay lugger Mystery which made a voyage to Australia and back in 1854/55. In 1854 a discussion in the Star Inn in Newlyn led seven fishermen to set sail in the hope of finding their fortunes...
. The Spirit of Mystery sailed from Newlyn on 20 October 2008. She arrived in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on 25 December 2008. Spirit of Mystery arrived in Melbourne on 9 March 2009.