SHIPPING.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 320, 22 June 1875, Page 2

SHIPPING.

PORT OF LYTTELTON.

ARRIVED. June 22—Wellington, s.s., 262 tons, Carey, from Dunedin. Passengers —saloon ; Mr and Mrs Quinan, Messrs Lumsden, Keith, Monaghan, Harris, Gibb, Moore, and one for North. Steerage -Messrs Jelly and Walker, and 13 for North. . June 22—Augusta, brigantine, 138 tons, Pullman, from Napier. . June 22—Unity, schooner, 44 tons, Irvine, from Havelock. CLEARED. June 22—Omaha, brigantine, 132 tons, Meiklcjohn, for Auckland, June 22—Huon Belle, ketch, 42 tons, Currie, fer Timaru. The N.Z.S, Co.’s s.s. Wellington arrived in harbor at 1.45 p.m. from Dunedin. She sails for Northern ports to-morrow. The brigantine Augusta arrived this morning from Napier. ARRIVAL OF THE HAWEA. [From the “ Otago Daily Times," June 12.] The signal made yesterday morning of a steamer to the southward was intuitively, as it were, regarded as the harbinger of the expected Hawea, the first of the new vessels built to the order of the Union Steam Shipping Company. And so it proved, lor very shortly afterwards the steamer herself hove in sight between the Heads, and her name not being in the Commercial Code, was spelled by signal. She soon steamed inside, was boarded by the officials, and passed as clean, and in due tune moored alongside the Railway Pier. Iree comments were made upon her appearance as she steamed up the harbor, the general verdict being that she was the right kind of boat for the interprovincial service, and an enlarged edition of the steamer Bruce. Her plumb stern, good shear, and somewhat full lines led to this conclusion, which was fully borne out by the arrangement of her deck appointments when she was inspected afterwards. Considered as a locally-owned vessel, the Hawea is an Immense credit to the port she hails Irom, and is, without question, vastly superior to any steamer hailing trom the colony of New Zealand. Built by Messrs Denny Bros, ot Dumbarton, her construction, associated with the name of that well-known firm, is sufficiently guaranteed as thorough in every particular and of the best material. She is of iron throughout, heavily plated, and admirably appointed, and is a roomy, comfortable boat, combining all the latest improvements eflccted in modern steamboat building. As regards size she heads the list of New Zealand steamers, her registered tonnage being 461, and her dimensions as follows Length, 215 ft; beam, 27ft; depth of hold, 14ft. She has a full poop and topgallant forecastle, with a two-thirds hurricane deck between; gangways leading across the main hatch from the poop to the hurricane deck, and from the latter to the forecastle by the fore hatch. Her boats, four in number, are stowed on the hurricane deck, in swinging davits, and the deck is also the bridge, with the steering apparatus forward; and abaft that the captain’s house, and abaft that again is tiie engineroom skylight. On the forecastle deck, a roomy space, are the usual apartments and one of Napier’s patent windlasses, workable either by steam or hand, and a capstan, also workable by steam, is Just forwards of it. The poop is a noble deck, 80ft Ion"' over all, and has a central house 26ft long by 9ft 4in wide. Itls equally dividedinto two compartments, the after one being a smoking room—so termed—elegantly and comfortably fitted up, with velvet covered settees, tables, &c. A handsome silverplated lamp depends from thr centre, and a timepiece is fixed in the after end. The sides of the apartment are panelled in satin wood and teak, with gilt mouldings and demi-entablatures. Although associated with smoking, the room can be converted into a commodious sleeping apartment with berths for eight sleepers. The other half of the house, the saloon companion, is one of the most commodious we ever passed through. Its sides are finished off precisely similar to those of the smoking room, and a large and handsome lamp swings over the staircase. At the fore end of the house Is a gentleman’s lavatory, and the room where the signal flags are kept. As we are so far aft we may as well visit the saloon. It is entered from above down a broad safe flight ot stairs leading from forward aft straight, and not winding, as is the rule In most steamers. At the bottom of the stairs is a slight bulkhead with a sliding centre, which, v, hen shut, is a handsome mirror lacing the main saloon, and when open is an aperture through which the whole length of the saloon Is visible from the stairs. Doors on each side of it lead into the saloon. Thus the saloon is divided into two parts, of which the smaller is right under the com’ paniou. On the starboard side of it is the ladies’ cabin, a commodious, elegantly fitted up apartment, having accommodation for eight occu- ’ pants. Abaft it are offices. On the port side of the staircase is another ladies’ ;abin, smaller, but equal in all other respects to the larger, the furniture being covered with crimson velvet, whilst the couches, cushions, &c, are of the Hottest, It opens into a lavatory and oflice. Abaft the latter is a gentleman’s bathroom. Forwards of the smaller cabin, but more amidships, is the pantry, very commodious and conveniently arranged, with a steam press on one side, where courses, dishes, and plates can be kept warm—no trilling consideration at sea and in cold weather. A display of very handsome platedware was visible in a glass fronted recess. From the forward part of the chief cabin we passed into the main apartment— a noble room, 54ft 4in long by lilt 2in wide. All that skill and taste could devise in the way of elegance and comlort was lavished upon it. Handsome mahogany tables, with crimson velvetcovered settees on either side, run down the centre, and the settees are so constructed as to be readily converted into sleeping berths. A Hue of swing trays, Intersected by half a dozen handsome paraffin lamps, silver-plated, depend from the ceiling above. At the forward end is a magnificent sideboard, surmounted by the mirror above mentioned and another lamp. The sides of this beautiful apartment are iu bird’s-eye maple, teak, and satinwood, with mahogany fretwork, gilt and fluted pilasters, surmounted by elaborately carved and gilt entablatures. Blue and gold moulding, exquisitely designed, surmounts the panelling. The recess aft, formed by the overhang of the stern, is capacious, and turned to good account. A semicircular settee is in front of it, and at the sides are lockers, devoted to a variety of purposes. One of these contains a small but judiciously selected library. A great mauy beds could be made up on a pinch upon the transom. The ordinary sleeping accommodation of the saloon is found In five cabins of a side, each containing two berths and a sofa, with appliances for increasing the number of berths to four, excepting in the case of the two after cabins. There is thus sleeping accommodation for thirty-six people, and when the transom and settees are utilised, halt as many more can be “ shaken down” comfortably lor the night. The side cabins are 6ft Sin square, by 7it 7in high, that of course being the height of the saloon. They are most comfortably fitted up in every respect Iu fact, taking the Hawea’s saloon right through, its equal is not to be found in any boat that trades here. Much ingenuity ' has been applied to it, to wit, the lower part of the settees are lockers, iu which bedding, table furniture, &c, are stowed. She has a comfortable foi e cabin, constructed to accommodate from twenty to thirtypersons,with pantry,offices,&c,extra,attached. The officers of the ship are berthed on deck. The .chief engineer and chief officer, the fore side of the poop; the second and third officers in a forward house; whilst the captain, as we before stated, lias his quarters on the bridge. Mr Bannatyne, tormerly of the steamer Maori, is chief engineer, with Mr Brown second, and Mr Cameron third. Mr Conway, who was here many years ago iu the ship Cecilia, is chief officer. We thank both these gentlemen for their ready courtesy in exhibiting and explaining. We made a tour of the engine-room with Mr Bannatyne, and had the pleasure of inspecting one of the most complete and effective compound engines that ever found its way aboard a vessel. It was built by Messrs Denny and Co, of Dumbarton, and comprises two cylinders, the high pressure one 35in diameter, and the low preseure coin; length of stroke, 3ft: nominal power, 165 horse; and Indicated power 90u. The engine is simple, and yet complete as possible. A notable feature about It is a patent governor, by Weir and Co, ot Glasgow, which Mr Bannatyne avers is one of the best he had ever tried. The main shaft is iu three sections, of which the crank shaft is 10-Jin in diameter, the intermediate shaft lOin, and the propeller shaft lOJin. The shaft passes from the engine to the stern pipe through a watertight tunnel communicating with the engine-room by a water-tight door. The object of this tunnel is to preserve the steamer from danger in the event of her stern pipe leaking. The tunnel Is easily traversable from end to end. The propeller is fourbladed and 12ft diameter, witli a variable pitch, lor by a peculiar adaptation of fhe blades to the boss the pitch can be varied from l6lt 3iu to 18ft 6)n. A boiler ot six furnaces, three in each .end, supplies

steam to the engine. It wighs about 42 tons, and is 1 7ft sin long, by a mean diameter of 12ft Biu. Orders from the pilot or officer of the deck are ti ansmitted to the engine-room by one of Chadburne’s instruments—an ingenious and effect! re affair—consisting of the usual dial, witli the centre indicator and another working on the outer edge of the circumference of the dial. The latter jis the deck telegraph, whilst the centre one is worked from below in response to the deck commands. Thus the officer in charge is instantly made aware whether his order lias been heard and understood. Two donkey engines are attached to the boiler, and on the main deck are two steam winches— one at the main hatch, the other at the fore hatch: the latter works the windlass as well. As the Hawea brought no cargo out, having room only for coal, we arc unable to estimate her carrying capacity ; but we may observe that she had 660 tons of coal on board when she left St Vincent, thus her capacity is good. As our readers are aware, the Hawea is commanded by Captain Wheeler, late of the Taranaki, a genial and popular commander and most skilful seaman. The Hawea is not the tirst steamer brought out by him from England. The magnificent Kaikoura, one of the old Panama Company’s boats, was commmded by him on her outward trip. We were pleased to welcome him back, after a very short absence—only four months and twenty days having elapsed since Captain Wheeler left Port Chalmers, en route to Britain, to take charge of the Hawea. He was ready with a joke (and we must say it was a most abominable pun) before the steamer was fast to the wharf. Taking off hi s Scotch cap, the jovial skipper shouted to his friends on the pier, “ How’s Hawea?” thereby skilfully blending the timehonored Scotch salutation with the name of his vessel. We thank him for the report of the passage out. The latter was uneventful, and commenced on April 6th, when the Hawea left Greenock, and at nightfall came to in Ramsey Bay. Left again next morning, and proceeded down the Channel under full steam; cleared the land on the 9th, and had fine weather .and moderate winds right through the edge of the N.E. trade belt, when a short S W. gale was encountered. On the 16th the N.E. trade was picked up in lat 23, and two days later the Hawea ran info St Vincent, one of the He Verde Islands, and coaled. She lay there till the 20th, then put to sea; lost the trade in odeg north, and crossed the Equator on the 26th. Next day the S.E. trades found her, and thence she carried S.E. winds right through to the Cape. As she was showing a great deal of side by that time, so much of her coal having gone up the smoke stack, Captain Wheeler called at Cape Town to procure a few tons of ballast for the fore-hold. He ran in on the morning of the 11th May, shipped 30 tons of stone, and left the same evening. The run across the Southern Ocean was marked by splendid weather and moderate winds from S.W. to N. W. It was made nearly on aright line on the 44th paiallel, about. The Leuwin was passed on May 3lst; the south end of Tasmania, June 6th ; and at midnight of Wednesday last, the New Zealand coast being not far distant, the steamer was hove-to for a few hours, as the weather was very thick. At daylight of Thursday she made the S.W. Cape ; passed the Solander at noon. Dog Island at 6 p.m., the Nuggets at 11.30 p.m., and at 11 a.ra. yesterday arrived at the Heads, and at the pier at noon. As the coal had to be economised during the passage, her travelling capabilities could not be put to the test. Her best day’s work was about 265 miles. She consumed at the rate of about 9| tons of coal per diem, and upon that consumption a speed of 9.J knots could be kept up. But upon the maximum consumption of 12 tons it is calculated that she will travel 12 knots per hour, and, indeed, approached that rate whilst running from the Solander to Cape Saunders. However, she has done very well. Her maiden trip occupied 66 days from Glasgow, all stoppages included, but her absolute running time was only 62 days. We may observe that the Hawea is brigantine rigged, with double topsail yards, but no top-gallant sail.