A Clipper Tale

It is a credit that “The Clipper Race” chose Oban to host the last stopover of this round the world test of skill and endurance. Dunollie Castle’s commanding position has seen many different vessels pass into the bay.

In their truest form clippers were 19th century merchant ships, increasingly built to streamlined designs, maximising large sail areas to aid speed on long trade routes. Throughout the 1800’s design improvements were continual as other barques, brigs and schooners took on similar characteristics as these fast trade ships.  In the mid 1800’s wealthy private owners with a thirst for speed and racing were the dawn of the America’s cup.

Ethics of the Far East Opium trade in the late 1830’s was very much in the press discussing the latest confrontations with the Chinese Qing dynasty. Tea and Opium were already the fastest growing trade commodities between India, China and Britain. European merchants had been selling opium into the coastal river basins of China, but the Chinese increasingly demanded their goods were exchanged for silver. The situation became untenable for the East India Co to operate legally when new Chinese laws seized and destroyed incoming opium cargoes. Such actions would later become recognized as the 1st Opium war.

In the Dunollie archive a letter survives from these times. Naval Captain John MacDougall (25th Clan Chief) had been struggling with his finances during an extended period of half pay from the Navy. Building a new Dunollie house along with the expense of educating six sons and helping to launch their careers severely tested his resolve. His neighbour Donald Campbell wrote to him in December 1839 with a surefire opportunity to make a “large fortune in very few years” if John would “join me in smuggling opium to China”:

My dear MacDougall

            I am as you say in no sort of hurry about the reference as to the damage at Airds, but it may be as well to have it settled when you have an opportunity of meeting with Fasnaclioch.

            If you want to make a large fortune in a very few years I can put you in a certain way of doing to join me in smuggling opium to China – A friend of mine Colonel Greville whom you may have met in Spain, sails next month for India in his new big yacht the Anonyma of 450 tons, 14 twenty four pounders and a long gun, with a crew of fifty men and in short the finest brig that ever was launched. When she gets to India she throws off her character as a yacht and off for China with opium and I calculate will run from a wallop the whole Chinese navy in case of need. Seriously the speculation is one which barring accidents must succeed – and I wish very much that you would join me in endeavouring to raise the wind for just such another craft and let us be off for the Celestine empire. The opium trade amounting to near six millions a year is now thrown open, because the East India Co in whose hands it has hitherto been, cannot from their position carry it on in defiance of the Chinese laws – and see what chance there is in the way I speak of with a fast powerful vessel that the Chinese can neither catch nor fight. It is said that Lord Dundonald is the man who finds the funds for Greville. If we were out there with such and the vessel we could seize upon an island on the Chinese coast and make it a sort of headquarters for ourselves in Co with Grevilles vessel. Let me hear what you think of all this –

            I go down to Brighton tomorrow where we remain till next week when we go to Dover where I have taken a house for a short time. I mean to pick up a little in the way of sailing a lugger which they perfectly understand at Dover and will sail; regularly all next month with the fisherman –

            My wife and youngsters are all well as I do hope yours are –

                                    Believe me

                                                Most truly yours

                                                         Donald Campbell

P.S. Keep the opium spec quiet my direction after the Ist January will be “Esplanade Dover”

It appears Donald’s acquaintance Colonel Greville was building a 450 ton yacht, Anonyma; “the finest brig that ever was launched” for running the India to China trade.  In his letter Campbell suggests how they could outrun the Chinese Navy if they too could acquire a fast vessel. Campbell warned John to keep the details to himself but reply with his thoughts on the scheme.

It is unfortunate we do not have John’s reply; but there is no evidence he became involved in any such schemes. A few years later Capt. MacDougall led a joint punitive operation to China with steam corvettes probing and overpowering the Canton river forts. Throughout his career John would also see a great period of change in the Royal Navy as warships adapted to steam power. He took great interest in design changes and was involved in various sea trials and as Admiralty Superintendent at Southampton he would see many different sail and steam combinations. Here at Dunollie Museum we store a lithographic sail/steam diagram of a warship and store many of John’s possessions, letters, uniforms and charts. Awarded for distinguished service he retired as a Vice Admiral still patriotically volunteering his services into old age.

Written by: Martin Petrie, Volunteer and Trustee.