Argonautica only defended by birds. They fight off the birds and then chance upon four survivors of a shipwreck. These are the four sons of the exiled Greek hero, Phrixus, and they are also grandsons of Aetes, king of Colchis. Jason welcomes them as god-sent allies in his quest for the Golden Fleece. Approaching Colchis, the Argonauts see the eagle of Zeus flying to and from the Caucasus mountains, where it feeds on the liver of Prometheus. It glides through the air as large as another ship, disturbing the Argo's sails as it passes overhead. Soon after, the heroes enter the
Golden Fleece (clipper) with an average time of 117 days. She made 12 passages from New York to San Francisco, with an average time of 125 days. Other ports of call included Manila, Cebu, Honolulu, Yokohama, Callao, Liverpool, and Queenstown. In 1868, "Golden Fleece" made a 44-day passage from San Francisco to Hong Kong, arriving three days before "White Swallow", a clipper known for her speed. "White Swallow" had left the Golden Gate with a two-day head start. In 1860, the two clippers "Golden State" and "Golden Fleece" left New York on the same day. Despite taking different routes in the Atlantic section