Arrival of Wild Deer
Otago Daily Times, Friday, May 10, 1872

The ship that arrived off the Heads on Wednesday morning proved to be the clipper Wild Deer, with a large and valuable cargo, and 32 passengers. On it being known that a ship was in the offing, the p.s. Geelong at once proceeded down but on getting outside she observed nothing. However, after a spin to the north-east for three-quarters of an hour, she decried the ship, which was at least 22 miles off the Heads, proceeding on and took her in tow, arriving close to the Heads at 7 p.m., when the vessel, in charge of Mr Pilot Kelly, was brought up for the night. At five o'clock yesterday morning she was again got under weight towed to port, and anchored in a convenient berth close to the jetty. Her voyage has been a fine weather one; in fact, too fine to make anything like a fast passage.
The following account of it is culled from her log:- Left the Tail of the Bank, Greenock, at 2 a.m. on the 9th of February  and took her final departure from off Tory Island at 10 p.m. same day. Had light S. W. and variable winds to Madeira, thence light N.E. Trades to lat. 1 N. The Equator was crossed in long. 24 W. on the 9th March, and doldrums met with till 5 S., when she picked up the S. E. Trades, which prevailed till reaching 23 S., when light wind variables then set in. Passed the meridian, of Greenwich on the 3rd April, in lat 40 S,; and the Cape on the 8th. The same weather continued to passing Kerguelen's Land, then strong westerly breezes sprang up and continued during the remainder of the passage, during which she was reefed down for one night only. Her casting was run down between the parallels of 47 and 48 S. The Snares were sighted at 5 a.m. on the 7th, the Nuggets light at 9 p.m., and Dunedin lights were observed at 11 p.m. same day, when the rattling breeze from the S. W. which had thus far favoured her, died away to a calm, followed by light variable airs to arrival. The passengers have all enjoyed good health throughout the passage, and on arrival presented Captain Whitson with a testimonial, thanking him and his officers for the kind treatment received by them throughout the pleasant voyage.
The Wild Deer's passengers were brought to Dunedin by the noon trip of the Harbour Company's steamer Peninsula.