The U.S. ship GARRICK was built at New York, by Brown & Bell, in 1836. 895 tons, 157 ft 6 in x 35 ft 4 in x 21 ft (length x beam x depth of hold). She served in the Dramatic Line of sailing packets between New York and Liverpool from 1837 to 1853, then in James Foster, Jr's Liverpool "line" until 1856. The GARRICK was the fastest packet of her generation, and during her packet line career her average westbound passage was 32 days, her shortest being 18 days, her longest 54 days.

Source: Robert Greenhalgh Albion, Square-Riggers on Schedule; The New York Sailing Packets to England, France, and the Cotton Ports (Princeton: Princeton University, pp. 280-281.

The Bremen bark GAUß [GAUSS] was built at Vegesack/Grohn by Johann Lange, for the Bremen firm of N. Gloystein Söhne, and was launched on 11 April 1857. 279 Commerzlasten / 641 tons; 44 x 10,2 x 5,4 meters (length x beam x depth of hold). Under her master, Heinrich Wieting, she was employed for many years in the freight and passenger service between Bremerhaven and North America.

On 18 April 1866, the Wochenschrift für Vegesack und Umgegend printed the following report of a particularly long passage from Bremerhaven to New York:

Die Bremer Bark GAUß, Wieting, von Bremen in New York angekommen, hatte sehr stümisches Wetter den größten Theil der Reise; war drei Wochen in der Nordsee und 30 Tage vor Fair Island unterwegs.

In April 1866, the GAUß was purchased by the Bremen firm of Everhard C. Delius. Wieting, however, remained in command until his death in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1868. The Wochenschrift für Vegesack und Umgegend for 9 December 1868 published the following report of Wieting's passing:

Capitain Wieting vom Schiffe GAUß ist laut einer in Bremerhaven eingetroffenen Depesche in Charleston gestorben. Diese Nachricht wird Manchen schmerzlichen berühren, denn wohl selten gab es einen Capitain, der im Kreise aller derer, die ihn kannten, hier sowohl wie jenseits des Oceans sich einer größeren Popularität erfreute.

On 29 March 1869, the GAUß was purchased by the Bremen firm of Joh. Fr. Arens (5/8) and Johann Jacob Bornemann (3/8). On 16 March 1877, these sold the vessel to W. Petersen, of Holmestrand, Norway, who renamed her NEPTUN, and from whom she passed, in the same year, to Pettersen & Holst, and others. From 1887 onwards, the records give the owner of the NEPTUN as Brödr. Bjærtness, Holmestrand, and from 1891, Ole T. Bjærtness, also of Holmestrand; in 1898, the vessel passed to Andreas Hannestad, of Fredrikstad. First master of the NEPTUN, ex GAUß, under the Norwegian flag was Hans Johannesen, who was succeeded in 1891 by Axel Steen, and in 1898 by C. A. Hansen.

On 6 March 1894, the 46-year-old bark NEPTUN, ex GAUß, J. Hansen, master, bound from Dröbak for Geestemünde with a cargo of ice, was abandoned at sea in a sinking condition, the crew being rescued by the German steamer HEPPENS.

Source: Peter-Michael Pawlik, Von der Weser in die Welt; Die Geschichte der Segelschiffe von Weser und Lesum und ihrer Bauwerften 1770 bis 1893, Schriften des Deutschen Schiffahrtsmuseums, Bd. 33 (Hamburg: Kabel, c1993), pp. 232-233, no. 236.