THE AUSTRALIA.

Evening Star, Issue 4148, 13 June 1876, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIA.

The following' letter, from a gentleman well-known in Dunedin, has been handed to us for publication

T . . S.s. Australia, off Anckltnd. it may interest some of your rentiers to have a tow jia-iicu'ars of this Imat after having such Renous complaints against the Colima from passesgora advising thoir friends to avoid her at any rate. Too Geelong to >lt 113 out to the Heads, but coaVi not get alongside, consequently we Lad to go in ti whaleboat. It was small and leaky. I was one of rim first I on/', and they wanted us to mount a ladder hanging straight down from the atom of tec vessel into the sea. A sailor might do it fnu the ineffectual attempts of three people, by waich one nearly slipped into the sea. made them take ua to the side of the vessel. There was a good deal of unnecessary delay, and at last we got alongaide. A_ ladder of the (time description had to he mounted, ami the roll of the sea rondo it almost impossible to do so without practice. By this lime the boat hod a good eight inches of water in her. ami rocking about, wet from the seat downwards, ■a 03 any thing but ploosant. 1 believed all ruv troubles were ended when onco on deck, hut fo , r Inggago had been in tho bottom of tho boat, and I had scarcely a dry thing to ray name. This sorted thing should ho avoided in tbfi future, rhe Australia is a most complete boat, and from the captain down everyone teems to do his utmost to make people comfortablo. Passengers should always pick out their cabin when a • tho agents. I failed to get my tick' t. uumuercfl, uud in eonsequcuce have been movi.d aboil , but it is no fault of those-on hoard, iho purser, Mr Lloyd, and the chief steward, Mr M Coatel, deserve commendation for • their great courtesy to all,' doing all they can to make each individual passenger at home. ..raving the Heads at 6 p m, wo made Lyttelton at II ft.na. on June Ist. Those who had business to transact had tiara to go ay to Christchurch, tad wa

left at 5 p.m., making a flnornn to Wellington. We left Wellington on Friday, at. 8 p.m., and the Arawata was previously preparing to race us ont. She did so and passed na splendidly. I don’t know when 1 saw a prettier sight. Her speed and general cut stamp her as quite large enough for out coastal trade. 1 think we had not got up quite enough steam to test our speed. On Set urday, at Napier, mails and passengers only were taken aboard, and the chief incidents of interest were the wreck of a steamer on the bar, quite In eight, and the landing of some very choice breeds .of sheep. So far we have every reason to anticipate a pleasant voyage, good living, water, and a flue ship. Nrsi.