The Memnon was the first clipper ship to arrive in San Francisco after the Gold Rush, and the only clipper to arrive in San Francisco before 1850. Built in 1848, she made record passages to San Francisco and to China, and sailed in the first clipper race around Cape Horn.

"The only clipper ship to make the voyage to San Francisco prior to 1850 was the Memnon, under Captain George Gordon, which arrived there July 28, 1849 after a record passage of one hundred and twenty days from New York."

Cutler lists this passage as 122 days, leaving New York April 11, 1849 under Capt. J.R. Gordon, and arriving in San Francisco on August 28, 1849.

"Era of the Clipper Ships" lists the captain's name as Joseph R. Gordon, and puts the voyage at 123 days, noting a mutiny en route:

"Gordon had it in his mind to set the record with this voyage around the Horn and was driving his new crew hard, and soon had a mutiny with "all hands refusing duty." Belaying pins and hand spikes were soon flying, and the Memnon was forced to put into Montevideo, where Gordon discharged the troublemakers. He took on a new crew before proceeding on the Memnon's record breaking voyage of 123 sailing days from Sandy Hook, arriving in San Francisco Bay on August 28, 1849."

"In 1852 there were in commission the clipper ships Surprise, Celestial, Sea Witch, Samuel Russell, Staghound, George E. Webster, and barks Race Horse and Memnon, all of which had made the passage from New York to San Francisco in from ninety to one hundred and twenty days, the average steamer time being one hundred and fifty."

"Memnon's record 120 day passage was broken again two years later by the Flying Cloud, which made her famous day’s run of 374 miles on that trip, arriving in San Francisco after 89 days, 21 hours."

The Memnon was a sharp, heavily sparred clipper much like the Sea Witch. She was designed by John Willis Griffiths at the Smith & Dimon yard in New York.