SEA SERPENT’s maiden voyage from New York was on January 11, 1851 bound for San Francisco, round Cape Horn. From “Frisco” she crossed the Pacific to Hong Kong, loaded teas at Wampoa, returning west to New York and off again to “Frisco.” She continued this round the world trade with occasional stops at Honolulu until 1859 when she was sent to Foochow, 30 miles up the Min River to load tea for London. Although it was unusual for an American vessel to be involved in any almost exclusively British trade, the SEA SERPENT holds the distinction of being the only American vessel to win this “Tea Race.” Her time from crossing the bar of the Min River to London was only 130 days during the height of the adverse monsoons. She beat the FIERY CROSS by 9 days, the CREST OF THE WAVE by 17 days, and ZIBA by 4 days. These are the British tea clippers shown surrounding her at anchor, drying their sails and being loaded with tea at the famous Pagoda Anchorage of Foochow before their return “race” to London.