Book excerpt: The story of the clipper ship Clontarf: In her short career the Clontarf made only two journeys to New Zealand between 1858-1860; introducing just under 800 emigrants to Canterbury. But before she slipped beneath the North Atlantic ocean she carried with her the unfortunate infamy of accumulating the worst human fatality from illness alone in a single voyage. Using shipboard diaries, official documentation, shipping lists and the combined information from the descendants of Clontarf passengers themselves, this is an informative and in-depth record of the ship and her journeys.