THE SHIP DUNEDIN.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1655, 8 June 1875, Page 2

THE SHIP DUNEDIN.

The magniPcmt iron clipper pssenger ship Dunedin, now alongside the Queen-street wharf, has finished discharging her London cargo to-day, and a good opportunity will be afforded during the next four or five days before she leaves for Dunein for our local ship-builders and the general public to inspect her and get the latest wrinkles in naval arcbitecture Captain Whiison is glad to see visitors on board, and will be happy to give any information required To give some idea of the extensive transactions of Messrs Patrick Henderson and C_t. to whom the Dunedin belongs, it may be mentioned that eight shins of tha same description as tt_e Dunedin wore ordered last year by the firm The Dunedin is 230 feet long on the keel, and nearly 250 feet overall; 36 feet in her extreme breadth, and 21 featldeep from the tap of the floor. She was launched in March last year from the building yard of .Robert Duncan and Co, Port ' .asgow: wis put together under special survey, and classed 100 Al at Lloyds. Her daught of water unloaded is extremely light for a vessel of 1250 tons, being only 7 feet lOin foi ward »nd9feet 3in aft. Loaded she draws from 15 feet to 16 feet. Looked at as tha sits upon the water, che Dunedin gives one the idea of a powerful fast sailing ship ; her lines being shauely, and her spars well-proportioned and well-placed If any fault can be found with her, it U that she is rather narrow in proportion to her length. Her beautiful conformation below, h.we.er; remove's'a_fy disadvantage from this cause, and we ur derstand she is very stiff in a seaway. In a strong bretze she will exceed 15 knots and in the leg of her last (and first) voyaere—to Otago —will be found a record of her running 310 miles per day for sever .1 day 3tr gather. In her general outfit and passenger accommodation, the JDunedin has hardly been uurpassei by any ship seen in oar waters The Milt'ades is a far prettier model; the Hydaspei has more accommodation ; the delivery of th<_ Loch Awe is more perfect, and thus < onducive to faster S-i.dng: but for share, accommodation, and speed combined, the f uneclin well sustains the reputation of Messrs Henderson's vessels in bfing t c most completely appointed sailing paefcets afloat We have not space to go into minute derails, so it must be sufficient to mention a few of the internal f.atires which _nake the Dunedin worthy of inspection First in point of importance is her noble poop, 80 feet long. affording a magnificent promenade, above and giving cabin accommodation for 28 fir3t-class and 20 se-.ond-class passengers. The saloon is a soacioua and handsome apartment, worthy of the ship. The panelling Is of a bird's-eye maple, with mouldings of rosewood and walnut, a combinafcion : whhm 13 very effective, and at the * _.ame--_irrfe "Uncommon. The pilasters are tastefully ornamented, and a gilt cornice makes a pretty "topping 'to the whole. The ventilation of the state-rooms, which are of large size and supplied with every convenience;'has been well ■tudied, the air _<„_£ let in br interstices between the panels, which are arranged for the purpose in a very ingenious and novel way. (We uaderstand that some of our shipbuilders have already noticed this peculiarity with a view to introducing it in tht_r vessels) The second-class cabins are immediately for'ard of the saloon : close to them are the officers' compartments, stewards' room, and bath rooms. The captain's apartment, on the starboard side as usual, is beautifully furnished, and forms one of two splendid Btern cabins. On the main deck the objects most worthy of notice are the .condenser and the house. The' condenser is capable of distilling 1,100 gallons wat»r daily. The engine connected with it is Of unusually great power, and Is also used for working cargo, driving the windlass, hoisting the topsails, and In effect for working the ship in any way that may be required. There are two patent winches, one over the main-hatch, and another over the fore-batch. The windlass is one-of the latest and can be worked by a boy, the machinery is so simple and perfect. The house .on. deck..contains the cookinggalley, bake-house, immigrants' hospital,.'patty officers' and apprentices' lodgings. The cookinggallery is well worth inspection : it is lined with iron, well ventilated, spacious, and furnished with apparatus for supplying the daily wants.of 1,000 passengers. This is one of the' most noteworthy features of the ship. The forecastle is on deck, and is of ample dimensions for the large crew.1" Going below the fine ,'tweendecks at once strike us.. They.. are over 7ft.-high,- and ventilated by means of frequent side ports, and by six ventilators from the upper deck Everything has been obviously designed to meet the latest requirements of the Board of Trade for the comfort and health of emigrants The lower masts are of iron. Those of the Dunedin are used for purposesr quite unknown a few years ago. That is they supply ventilation to the lower hold, and act as store-rooms for the stu'nsail booms and other' spare spars. The mainyard is 80ft. long, and weighs about 6 tons : with, the other lower yards, it is of rolled steel. The mainmast- is 150 ft. 'high. The stat fang and * .running f?ear being all according 1 to' Lloyds' requirements, does not'call for further remarl;. Throughout the ship everything, from the brass rails of-'the poop-stairs to the boats, is. finished off in a manner which betokens that no expense has been spared "by..the owners. A visit to the Dabedih will well repay the time spent in looking over her

We are informed!that as soon as the barque Albion returns from Sydney she is to bs sent by the A.S.P. . Co. to Levufca, where she is to be used as a floating' store. Great "inconvenience itid serious delays h»ve been experienced by the Company's boats hi herto on aocount of there being no" wharf or proper .store- tot depositing cargo, for or from shipment at that port. Claims for damage from tils cause have frequently resulted and done much tointerfere With the harmony of business transactions between:the Company and the Fijiaus. ;' When the Albion arrives Jn this port, ■he will be divided into two pacts -one, for receiving and one for'-discharging cargo. *; It is calculated that at least three days detention will be saved, while the increased security to cargo against bad,weather and accident will^be very valuable. .

Several incorrect statements having -appeared aa to the tonnage and dimensions of the new - steamer purchased by the_ A.S.P. Company, we append the correct particulars," TheXl.wellyn is_ .crew steamer on the compound principle, of 293 'tons' register, and about 461 i tops burden i-fler. -length-Is 161 feet. 8 in, and her extra me breadth 24 feet. 'She is quite a new' vessel, having only been launched a few months from Mort's yard at Sydney, where she was built.' We understand, that to increase- her passenger trade accommodation, which is at present^omewhat scanty, the A H, P. Company intsnd as soon as, she arrives expending £500 in building, a spar deefct throughout, her whole length.. The!steamer will cpst. between .£12,000 and -.13 OOOV'tli- "former proprlet >r, "Mr Hughes, taking part payment in shares of the .Company. The (Llewellyn is rigged as a three-mastad schooier, and has three separate holds. The ship Caller Ou aud the • brigantine Nightingale, and the schoooner Look Out having finished discharging their explosive- materials have come up the harbour and taken berths at the QiieM-s'tree't' wjiarfiThe Ciller Ou is sdongside the'easte-ri 6-tef T." l" <

The Dolly Varden cutter, on her' way taßunedin, bas b _en severely-mauled by the '.late gales. She put into Napler*ir_ep*lr_t&_'#)£ lstjirisl The three-masted schooner Pairjie- arrived ...at Launceston on the 21st May, a'ter'a"'i.assage of 27, days She was to load at once with' bark Tor Ilyttclton, 'whence she will come oa to Auckland. The Prince Alfred, barquentine, begins loading for Auckland at Lyttelton to-morrow.

The s.s. St. Kild» left the Manukau yesterday afternoon for Wanganui. She took a general cargo and several passengers. The ketch Clematis, which has been trading down South for some months, is to come up to Napier in a few days.

A notice to consignees of the Look Out appears today in our advertising columns.

The schooner Clyde left this morning for Wangarei with nine passengers and a general cargo.