Contract to employ Captain Fassenden Chase to sail the General Butler to Melbourne

London: Houlder Brothers & Co., 1865. Fine. A standard form entitled "Charter-Party" with manuscript additions and exclusions dated November 30, 1865 between Houlder Brothers & Co. Line of Clipper Packets and Captain Fassenden Chase to sail the freighter vessel General Butler to Port Phillip, Australia from London. Specifies in handwriting "Ship not to come under Passenger Act." and '... the use and hire of the said Vessel, in respect of the said Voyage, is hereby agreed to be at the sum of Three thousand one hundred fifty seven Pounds...' Houlder Brothers & Co. as a shipping line was formed in 1856 and operated until 1987. Captain Fassenden Chase [1829-1914] was from a mariner family dating back to 1639 and started his own seaman career in 1846. He saw action in the Civil War; and captained the General Butler from 1865 to 1872. His voyages took him to Melbourne, Callao, Guanape, Chincha Islands, Antwerp, Queenstown and Cardiff. Chase handled trade primarily in guano and cotton during his command of ship General Butler. Beige paper, 9 5/8x 13 5/8", with purple duty stamp at bottom right (six pence), 1 vertical, 3 horizontal original fold lines, some pencil markings on text, very clean and bright.