SHIPPING.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 592, 12 May 1876, Page 2

SHIPPING.

PORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVED. May 12—Ladybird, s.s., 286 tons, Evans, from Port Chalmers.SAILED. May 12—Agnes Donald, schooner, 62 tons, M'Cabe, for Poverty Bay, The schooner Garibaldi arrived at Hokitika on May 7tb, from Lyttelton. She will load a cargo of timber for this port. The fine barque E. J. Spence, Captain J. IT. Gill. arrived in harbor yesterday morning, and anchored at 11 am. She comes from Newcastle with a cargo of coals, for Mr H. Hawkins, after discharging which, she loads a cargo of grain for Melbourne for the same gentleman. Captain Gill reports leaving Newcastle on April 29th, and carrying moderate S W and S winds until making Cape Egmont, winch ■was sighted on the 6th ; thence had baffling winds and calms until making the lighthouse at the heads on Wednesday night, arriving as above. The &. J. Spence is a first-class iron barque, carrying 750 tons coal on a draught of 15ft 9in, and is a splendid vessel in good trim; a real poor man's vessel. A London telegram, dated March 16th, informs us—" The ship Great Britain having encountered terrible weather, became water-logged. On the 3rd March the captain's two sons died of privation. The captain and thirteen men took to a boat, and suffered terribly from hunger. Three of the men died. The survivors were forced to eat portions of the remains of their dead comrades to keep them from starving. On the 11th of March they were rescued, in the last stage of emaciation." The telegram does not state what port the ship was bound for, nor whereabouts the men were picked up. Four hundred wind-bound vessels left the river Mersey, England, on Sunday, March 10th, including one hundred and ninety-three bound from Liverpool to foreign ports. The spectacle was unprecedented. The vessels formed a procession, sometimes ten abreast, and occupied two hours in passing out to sea. ARRIVAL OF THE S.S. QUEENSLAND. Since the establishment of the Torres Straits mail service, the directors of the E. and A.M.S. Company have left nothing undone to contribute to its efficiency, and the new steimers, which have been built expressly lor the work, have amply fulfilled the expectations of the company, and what is also of some consequence, have gained the favourable opinion of the travelling public. Three of the largest steamers of the fleet—fhe Bowen, the Brisbane, and the Singapore—have already vfsited this port, and were admired very much, not only as handsome models and finished specimens of marine architecture, but also for the plan of their passenger accommodation, and the great attention paid to details, insuring the maximum of comfort to wagers. The Queensland, which arrived last right, is the fourth and last of the large steamers recently constructed for the service, and the conditions which have been so favourably noticed on board of her precursors, are in equal force on board the new comer. The internal arrangements of the Queensland differ in some respects however from those of the steamers already named, for while the saloons of those vessels are amidships, that of the Queensland is aft. It is a splendid apartment, richly and elegantly fitted up and furnished, and contains berthing accommodation for fifty passengers. The cabins are unusually large and airy, and well-ventilated, and comfort even in trivial matters has been made a primary consideration. There is also a cabin fnr second class travellers, in which there is excellent provision for comfort and convenience, and as the steamers of the service are largely concerned in the Chinese passenger trade, ample space has been reserved forward in the steerage for Mongolian emigrants. On this trip the Queensland conveyed some 550 Chinese from Hong Kong, and before leavin r they expressed their great satisfaction with the steamer and their treatment on board. The Queensland is Clyde built, and the following are her dimensions:—Length, 332 ft; beam, 36ft 6in; and depth of hold, 25ft; her register being 2500 tons. She is fitted with magnificent engines, and I heir great, power will enable her to compete with the fastest steamers afloat, and as proof of this it may be mentioned that she made the run up from the Heads to the bay yesterday in two hours and five minutes. She is rigged as a three-masted schooner, and is supplied with patent steam-steer-ing apparatus, so that she is very easily handled. The following details regarding the steamer arc from the "Sydney Morning Herald" of the 25th inst:— "The Queensland is truly a splendid ship, and cannot fail to become popular in whatever service she is engaged. She is replete with not only conveniences, but luxuries which were ne\er dreamt of by the travellers of a past generation. In each stateroom, which is larger than those of many bigger vessels, there is an electric communication with the steward and stewardess, an unlimited supply of excellent water for drinking or washing, a sofa, berths which should satisfy the most fastidious, and numerous appliances, which though small, tend immensely to make life on shipboard pleasant. The saloon, into which the staterooms open, is beautifully appointed, and capable of dining from sixty to seventy persons. Ic d water is continually 'on tap' near the bar, and the fine pierglass which spans the bottom of the saloon is lowered during meal times, affording direct communication with the steward's pantry. The engineering arrangements admirably illustrate the progress that is making in those improvements which go so much to lessen the inevitable discomforts of a long voyage. From stem to stern the ship is supplied with fresh water. There are ballast tanks which can contain 250 tons. The pumping engines can discharge 100 toas of water per hour—a priceless boon in case of leakage or damageto the hull in times of emergency. In addition, the Queensland is fitted up with Uownton's pumps, that may be worked either by hand or steam. Should fire break out, five powerful jets of steam extinguishers can be at once turned into any compartment. All the steam winches and gear return the waste steam to a common condenser, from which comes fresh water for the ordinary purposes of the ship, or which, if necessary, returns the supply to the boilers. Steam is also applicable for the cooking galleys, and it is scarcely necessary to add that the steering gear and windlass are worked by the same all-potent motive J>ower. The boats, which comprise two magnificent ifeboats and a couple of costly steam launches, are provided with the best known lowering apparatus, by which all danger of upsetting during lowering —one of the most common as well as fatal defects —should be entirely removed. She can carry fortyfour first-class and sixty-six second class passengers, and has good accommodation for 510 coolies, which may be strained to take 700 people." The command of the Queensland has been given to Captain Robert Craig, formerly of the s.s. Legis lator, one ot the steamers chartered for the Torres Straits Mail Service on its inauguration, and it may be mentioned that the Queensland partakes very much of the chaiacterof the Legislator, only she is much larger. The following is the account of the voyage from Hong Kong to Melbourne. Left Hong Kong on the 25th ultimo, at 3 p.m, after having embarked 550 Chinese steerage passengers, and proceeded to Singapore, arriving there on the morning of the 31st. Left Singapore on the 3rd inst, proceeded through Khio and Carniata Straits, and at noon on the 6th passed the island ot Sopodie and entered Flores Sea, steaming along the northern side of Lombok and Sombarva, and Flores. On the oth passed Timor Island, and entered Araf ura Sea, the S.E. monsoon, which had previously been a gentle breeze, increasing to a fresh gale, which continued till nearing the Australian coast. At midnight of 12th anchored outside Booby Island, and ou 13th proceeded through Torres Straits, arriving at Somerset at 2 p.m. Left again same evening, and on the 15th anchored off Cooktown, fresh S.E. trade winds all throughout. Inside Barrier Reef passed schooner 10 at anchor oil Sunday Island, and s.s. Claud Hamilton bound N. off Haggerstoue Island. After landing mails and 150 passengers, left Cooktown on 16th, and anchored oil Townsville at 10 a.m on thel7th. Left at 9 a.m. and arrived at Bowen on the lwth.at half-past 7 a.m., and sailed at 1 p.m. same day, passed Duke of Edinburgh (s), bound S, in Whitsunday Passage, at 0 p.m., and arrived in Kcpple Bay at 1 p.m. on the loth, strong head winds throughout; half-past 8 p.m, weighed anchor and proceeded. 20th, 1 a.m—Passed Lady Elliott's Island, and at noon Sandy Cape West. 21st—Pilot boarded at Cape Moreton at 7 a.m, and anchored in Moreton Bay at 0 a.m; fine clear weather and light winds from S.E. 22nd, 8 p.m- Weighed anchor, and at a quarter to 6 p.m cleared Cape Moref on; 23rd, parsed North Solitary at twenty minutes to 8 a.m, and Sugar-loaf Point at half-past 9 p.m; and entered Sydney Heads at 8 a.m of the 24th. Noon, 20th, rounded Sydney Heads, blowing a violent squall from the southward, which continued as far as Jervis Bay. Passed Cape St George atlOp.m; moderate weather thence to Wilson's Promontory, which was passed at 2 a.m yesterday, Then met a westerl/ fresh gale and high chopping sea, which continued till arriving off Port Phillip Heads at 3 p.m. The Queenslander will make all haste with the discharge of her cargo of tea, rice, &c, for this port, and will leave again for Sydney on Monday,—"Argue," April 2yth.