Serica
Books
- Ninety-Nine Days The Great Tea Race of 1866 and the End of the Clipper Era · Liszt Think
In May 1866, five clippers departed Foochow within three days, chasing a lucrative premium for the first new-season tea to reach London.
- The Premium and the Min River…eay, was known for pushing his ship hard. Taeping, owned by Alexander Rodger, had won in 1865 and would carry the hopes of her owner again. Serica, under Captain George Innes, had the reputation of a fast and reliable vessel. Fiery Cross, owned by Thomas Harrison, had won the premium t…
- The Logbook’s First Page…tains impatient for the tea chests to come down from the hills. Keay could not see his rivals yet, but he knew where they were. Taeping and Serica had dropped their pilots within twenty minutes of each other that same morning. Fiery Cross had sailed the previous day, May 29. Taitsing w…
- Tea, Salt, and Men…ning. The captain’s reputation was his capital. John Keay of Ariel had a reputation. So did Donald MacKinnon of Taeping and George Innes of Serica. They were known as men who could drive a ship hard without breaking her or her crew. The sailors who signed with them knew what to expect.…