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<\/p>\nUnfortunately for those who arrived in San Francisco seeking their fortune, there was little more than gold dust left. As for the ships that took them, it became the custom for these clippers to continue sailing across the Pacific to pick up tea from China for Boston, New York or London.<\/p>\n
The number of sailing ships produced in Britain continued to outstrip steamships: by 1870, steamships represented just over 40 per cent of the total tonnage. In the eyes of many shipowners, steamships were still no match for the fabled clippers on long distance bulk cargo runs. The fuel bills remained high, and they required more crew and often expensive machinery repairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There were also not enough refuelling stations around the world. It was partly this point which inspired Brunel\u2019s next ship, the Great Eastern, which\u00a0was a mammoth.<\/p>\n
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Photograph of the Great Eastern prior to launch. Its builder John Scott Russell is seen in the right (H1698<\/a>)<\/p>\n Launched in 1858 with a gross tonnage of 18,914 tons and capable of carrying 4,000 passengers, the Great Eastern could travel to Australia and back without needing to stop to take on more coal.<\/p>\n However, the ship proved to be well ahead of its time, requiring far too many crew to enable it to compete in a growing transatlantic market. Eventually the Great Eastern\u00a0found employ in laying telegraphic cables across the Atlantic and Arabian seas<\/a>, but it was not the success Brunel hoped it would be.<\/p>\n Cutty Sark and the end of the Age of Sail<\/p>\n Ship owner and engineer Alfred Holt ushered in a new era for steamers with his new \u2018compound engine\u2019 design. The engine, which had been used in Lancashire textile mills for the previous ten years, allowed steam to be expanded in two or more stages. Steam was driven by two pistons, producing more power at less cost, claiming a fuel saving of up to 40 per cent compared to single-expansion engines.<\/p>\n Holt\u2019s first three ships, Agamemnon, Ajax and Achilles, were ordered in 1865, destined for the busy China tea trade. While a clipper ship could manage the voyage from China in around 90 days, Holt\u2019s ships could do the same in just 65 days \u2013 and could also carry three quarters more cargo.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n But what really sealed the demise of clippers was the Suez Canal, which opened in 1869.<\/p>\n ![\"Historic](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20827.jpg.webp\")
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