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All Hands 2020-1 (UK Spring) P a g e 21

Due to the S.W. monsoon the ship followed a parallel course to the African west coast until she caught the offshore
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winds on the 5 August, and she went about on a new course W.S.W., crossing the Line at dawn of the 11 at 23°
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W Long., 28 days from the Lizard.
The wind, which had been extremely weak the past fortnight, now began to blow more regularly, and under a press
of canvas the lofty ship split the seas at an average daily run of 300 miles in the S.E. Trades.
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Romping her way on the S.W. course, a smoke was sighted on the horizon the morning of 18 August, and a few
hours later Captain Miethe made it out to be the British steamer Newfield, which came near enough to exchange
signals. The position was 21° S. by 36° W. when, on board the Potosi, they learned that the great war was on. It
is easy to imagine what this meant on board a ship – most of her crew being of an age of military duty.
Consequently there was a great excitement with as much differing opinions as there were minds. But discipline is
a wonderful thing aboard a German ship, and the master’s mind was set on the course down south, and that settled
it.

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Following a parallel course at about 300 miles off the Brazilian shore, the Potosi sighted a sail ahead on the 22
of August, which proved to be the German Gustav 54 days out from Port Talbot, bound for Mejillones, Chile. The
Potosi went on, gradually approaching the Argentine coast, with a view to taking advantage of the strong offshore
winds, all the while keeping a sharp lookout for suspected British cruisers. At the time, the Potosi was not fitted
with wireless, so that, she could not listen in to the talkative Morse signals that crossed the spaces. On the
29 August she came to within 30 miles of the shore of Argentina, and coasters running into Bahia Blanca actually
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reported having seen a big five-masted ship racing south under a press of sails.
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On the 1 September the Potosi once again came within 40 miles of the coast, this time off Pt. Desire, and thence
proceeded true south at 10 knots, midway between the South American continent and the Falkland Islands. Soon
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she had Staten Island on the port bow in the early morning of September 4 , and passing through Le Marie Strait,
had Cape Horn abeam a couple of hours later.
This proved a risky corner, as Captain Miethe had not the slightest desire of being reported by passing steamers
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to British cruisers on patrol duty, so the ship went on, her course still south reaching 50°S. Lat. on the 6 .
With a shift of wind and menaced by the proximity of ice, Captain Miethe put her bows to the N.W., but soon
again was compelled to put about to the S.W. giving the land and the track of eastbound steamers from Australia
a healthy wide sea-room. Now the Potosi described a large circle towards the north until she met the German
Adolf Vinnen the 13 of September, reporting “All well”, and she could square away to the north. The Adolf
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Vinnen signalled that she was, then, 84 days out from Hamburg, to Santa Rosalia.
On reaching Lat 54° S. by 54° W., Captain Miethe again changed his course, this time to the N.E., and came off
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Pt. Tumbes, Talcahauno, at midnight the 21 September. Presently the Potosi’s anchors, were made ready to let
go and, after, careful navigation and unremitting vigilance, the mighty five-master fell in with the land and took
her pilot, letting go her ground tackle in the friendly harbour of Valparaiso, September 23 1914.
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Captain Miethe had brought her safe to port once more, through the dangers inherent to the route, and, what was
worse, through the line of ever-so-watchful cruisers, indefatigable on the lookout.

Despite abnormal conditions the voyage was accomplished in pretty good time, to wit:
Passage Days Duration
From Hamburg to Lizard 10
Lizard to the Equator 28

Equator to 50° S Atlantic 22
50° S. Atlantic to 50° S. 12
50° S Pacific to Valparaiso 9
Total from Hamburg to Valparaiso 81

Sad days were in store for the good ship and her master. Four years fast to her ground tackle, her bottom literally
a mass of barnacles, choritos (mussels) and eel grass, spoiled her chances, and at the end of the war the once proud
ship lost her flag, her name, and her master. She was finally sold by the French, who got her by way of repatriation,
to the Chilean firm of Gonzallez, Soffia & Co., who changed her name to Flora, re-fitted her, and sent her away
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with a cargo of nitrate arriving in Hamburg March 30 1925, 110 days out.