THE CITY OF DUNEDIN.

Evening Post, Issue 108, 14 June 1865, Page 2

THE CITY OF DUNEDIN.

The reported safety of the City of Dunedin, and her alleged arrival, in- a disabled state, in Waikouaiti Bay, caused general and intense excitement in Port Chalmers on Thursday evenin£. Several of the persons on 1 oard that vessel had. friet.ds at the port, and ilhtc were, nerhip*, no seafaring men better known, or more eener.il favourites, in tin- township than were Captain Boyd and his officers. As soon, therefore, as the report was mado, (here was a general gathering of people in the streets and at the usual meeting places, where the truth ef the story was eagerly debated. As received in the port, it was to the effect that the vessel had got disabled during a gale in thn Straits, had been blown to sea, had for seven days been unable to make headway, and had at last made a landfall at Waikouaiti, crinpled, but with ali on botml safe, finch, in • fE.ct, was the story told by Mr. Devine, driver of Cobb's coach, to Messrs. Dodson and Bravshaw, of Port Chalmers, as they were driving from Dunedin ; and it wa« repeated, after a daution as to the danger of allowing any false rumour to get abroad. On the information being given in Port Gha'mcrs, ifc was considered 'that no tmn would be so regardless of the feelings of friends as to endeavour to perpetrate a hoax, and, as the story was discussed, there seemed to be a possibility and even a probability, of such having been the chapter of accidents with which the steamer had met. With this feeling, and with the prevailing sympathy for Captain Boyd and Ids crew, tlwe was at once a strong desire to have the matter set at rest. The steamer ffra. Mislcin was about to start, and it was resolved by her owner and Captain Hepburn to run into Waikouaiti Bay, so as to satisfy themselves and those in Northern ports as to the facts. There being ' no moans of communicating to town, in consequence of the telegraph" office there being closed unusually early, it was subsequently resolved, at a meeting of gentlemen in the Provii cial Hotel, that, whether the report were true or falsa, it was a simple act of duty to ascertain if the vessel were at Waikouaiti and if assistance were needed. Captain Sp^nce volunteered to start with the steamer Gol !e l Agp, but it was considered that the steamer Samson might be more practically useful, and Mr. Smith, as one of the owners of the vessel, was waited upon. He readily agreed to give the use of the vessel, and himsell joined she parry who agreed to go round, consisting of O;.p aina M'Kictnon and Lowden, Captain Motis, captain and engineers of the steamer, and a number of other inhabitants. Xha Btate of feeling was o'herwise shown by the storeke >pers providing quantities of a ores on tlio chance that snob might be required. Though' s ill dubious as to the report the party started, and at midnight arrived at Waikouaiti. As the night was clear, they were not long kept in doubt as to the presence of the City of Dunedin, She was nowhere visible, but there was still a hope that she might be in some of the bays to the northward. Detrrmined to be satisfied, the whistle was blown as a signal to the settlement ashore, and the steamer's boat was manned and pulled to the river's mouth. At the same time a whalehoat from the shore came off, and tho statement of her crew satisfied those on board thattheie were no grounds for the report which lmd been made and unfortunately no opportunity tor the exercise of their praiseworthy sympathies. A collection was made among the party for the boatmen ; the steamers head was directed for Port Chalmers, and she retnrned at an early hour in the morning, all on board being only .too sorry that they lmd not the opportunity of assisting friends whose f.ite had been, and still was, so piiitifully uncertain. In legard to our insertion of the rumour in yesterday's i*sue, we should say that we received the telegram at a late hour, ami there was no means of telegraphing back tor further particulars. The fact that the people of Port Chalmers considered the report sufficiently reliable to induce them to despatch a steamer to the spot, finally decided us to give the telegram insertion. — otago Daily Times.