Arrival OF THE STEAMER CITY OF MELBOURNE WITH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN MAILS.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1688, 16 July 1875, Page 3

Arrival OF THE STEAMER CITY OF MELBOURNE WITH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN MAILS.

The s.s. City of Melbourne arrived in harbour this afternoon. UP TRIP. After receiving our passengers, their luggage, etc., and the English mails, started from the wharf at Auckland on the 14th M»y, after a detection of three houre, and then'proceed on our voysge, the wind being from the North, and blowing pretty fresh for the first three days, then moderating down asweneared the tropics. At; 7 p.m. on the evening of the 19th, sighted the s.s. Mikado, and, at midnight, passed the Island of TntuiJa (cne of the Navigator group), the weather continuing throughout fine, but the wind keeping persistently ahead, as if nailed at RE. Crossed the line on the 23rd, 9| days from Auckland, in long. 165 deg. 50 mm. west, the ttmpeiature during the whole voyage never exceeding 84 deg. At 11 p.ri the same night (the 23rd) a steerage passenger named John Barkins, of Melbourne, died from disease of the heart and dropsy. Having passed the Equator, continued onr northerly course, but with leas success than before, for the wind kept well in the N.E., and weather worse, for at times it blew a fresh gale with rain and a high confused sea, through which the City of Melbourne ploughed her way, and arrived at Honolulu on the morning of the 29th May 15 days from Auckland, when after receiving cargo &c, left again the same night and steamed against strong N.E. trade?, which after getting to the Northward of the tropics veered round to E and S.E. at times blowing very fresh with high sea, and as we neared the coast encountered the usual fogs, bnt finally arrived at San Francisco wharf on the evtning of the 6th of June, at 6 p.m., making the whole voyage from Sydney in 29 dayß 3| hours, and 90 hours under contract time. ' ' town trip. The City of Melbourne, after receiving on board the English Mail for the Southern colonies and her living freight of tragic, vocal and instrumental talent, left San Francisco wharf at 1130 a.m. 21st June (or 22nd, colonial time), amid the cheers and hurrahs of hundreds of spectators, wishing bon voyage to their numerous friends and admirers. At 30 minutes p.m. the ship cleared the Beads, and at once plunged into a heavy head sea with a strong westerly wind, caueing a vast change upon the scene and the faces of her illustrious passengers to what they were an hour previous, and the little vessel, as she dashed through it, sent the spray masthead high, baptising, without respect to persons, her newly-made nautical acquaintances; but each day drew ncr nearer towards the sunny tropics,making the weather both finer and warmer, and as she ran down the trades, everything assumed a. more cheerful aßpect, for her artistic crew came basking in the sun, looking none the woree for theFroughbut honest hand that the mighty Neptune had laid upon them at the owet of the voyage. All their trouble being now forgotten, they watched with eager eyes each day's distance, as it was posted up, thinking of Honolulu and its tropical fruit; at which place, after a run of eight days, we arrived at noon, June 30, Sydney time, where we coaled, leaving at 3 a.m. <Jnly Ist (the s.s. Macgregor had not arrived up to the time of the Melbourne's sailing), the weather being light and nne until we reached the 6th north parallel, when it became squally and showery, with calms and variables to the Equator, which was crossed on the 6th inatanb in longitude wo 201 west, after which we had one day's c»lm with heavy rain ; the wind then settled "IatSS.E. and south (nearly ahead), and increasing to a fresh gale with very high head sea. The island of Tutuilia was passed °a the 9th, at 6 p.m., the gale still continuing to blow ahead with great Jtrength, and the sea so high throughout the passage that after passing the southard °V.r tlle end!y Group the engines were obliged to be eased, bringing the vessel's speed down to about 17^ knots per hour, this lasting for four days until reaching the Great •earner which waß passed at 9.15 am. on tne 16th, and the harbour of Auckland entered at 1.30 p.m. the same day. This exceptional long continuance of bad weather 5f s caused two days delay in arrival of the •Miglisb. Mail, which has occupied twentyrour days one hour in its transit from San -trancisco. r Passengers :—For Auckland : Saloon-J. goldsmith, J. Hayhuut, Captain Jarvis, R. "teel, Mr Honeywood and 7 in the steerage, fcalooa (for Sydney): Madame Ristori, Miss faton Miss Gech, Madame Gech, Miss £ar» Boyer, Miss C. Rossignoli, Mile de o I amal, Misß V. Cosatfi, M'me de Stefani, Madame Mozzidolf, Miss Ballam, Madame «aje roni) and childj M adaai de Mtirßka an( j maid, Mrs Booker, Misß E. Melvile and maid, Mr E. Hestzky, Mon. Eiatoria, Mon. Wiaton (jan), Mrs Uttley, Mons Majeroni, £A. Prinde, M. Bellise, M. de Andria, L. A rß^' B- S°U>tle> M- Maiber, G. Glech, tv •' »P' Venuil, M... Piddga, C. octugg!, m. Moriani, M. Molifi, M. Verdi, *■ i'endgord, J. Mears, E. Ellia, Mr Booker, §t Ppard) couot Nugent, D. de Viva, hrtJV aw ™? D». T. Titus, {C. Pratt, S. Stockr Jo^MONTß^ela, A . Mildmay, E. M. Long, ymb steerage. •&/?* indebted to Mr Donovan, third MZITa T re P°rt of passage, and for files of ww dates of Saa Francisco papers.

, Per Guy of Melbourne from San Franolf, C o : b0X ' 4 boXef! > T- and S- Morrin ; packages for Sydney.—Jno. Reid, agent. J J '