SHIPPING.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 772, 11 December 1876, Page 2

SHIPPING.

POUT OF LYTTELTON. Weather Report : Dec 11—8 a.m., wind S.W, strong breeze ; weather, rainy. Barometer, 29.60; thermometer, 49. High Water : To-morrow—Morning, 00.38; night 1.01. ARRIVED. Dec 10—Sea Spray, brig, 296 tons, Walters, from BlutF. . Dec 11—Alhambra, s.s, 497 tons, Mmr, from Melbourne, via North. Passengers ~ saloon : From Melbourne, Mr Grant. From Coast: Messrs Gurymith, Foy, Parkinson, Boase, Dobson, Mr and Mrs Parsons, 6in steerage. CLEARED. Dec 11 -Prince Alfred, barquentine, 161 tons, Schenkel, for Bluff, in ballast. Dec 11—Taranaki, s.s, 299 tons, Andrews, for Northern Ports. . Dec 11—Alhambra, s.s, 497 tons, Muir, for Melbourne via Bluff. Dec 11—Courier, ketch, 31 tons, Sinclair, for Pigeon Bay. The s.s. Alhambra arrived this morning at 7 a.m. She sails South this afternoon. YESTERI>AY>B. ARRIVED. Dec 10—Sarah and Mary, brigantine. 164 tons, Stephens, from Hokitika. Langdown, agent. Deo 10—Australian Sovereign, 353 tons, Burch, from Newcastle. CW, Turner, agent. Dec 10-Taranaki, s.s, 299 tons, Andrews, from Port Chalmers. Mileß, Hassal and Co, agents. Passengers—Mesdames Sheppard, Jerrames, Adams, James, Cameron, Monson,Messrs Sheppard, Grant, Jago, Carr, Adams, Camera's, Price, Greigg, Jackson, Monson, Thompson, McEachern, Smith, Sutherland, Lowthain, Bayliss, Neill, Hogg, Ballans, Eonald, James, Ash, Beaver, Eobs, 9 iu steerage, and 15 for North. SAILED. Dec 9—Easby, s.s. 969 tons. Kennedy, for Port Chalmers. Royse, Stead and Co, agents. Dec 9-Beautiful Star, s.s, 146 tons, Berniche, for Dunedin. Miles, Hassal and Co, agents. Dec 9—Tui, s.s, 61 tons, Bonner, for Kaikouras. P. Cunningham and Co, agents. Passengers-Mr and Mrs Smith. Dec 10—Elizabeth Conway, schooner, 45 tons, Ware, for Pelorus Sound, in ballast. Master, agent. Dec 10—Hannah Barrett, schooner, 57 tons, Benner, for Pelorus Sound, in ballast. Master, agent. The barque Australian Sovereign was signalled last evening. She left Newcastle Nov 23rd. A brig waß coming up the harbor last evening, supposed to be the Star of the Mersey, from Newcastle. The Sarah and Mary, brigantine, Capt Stephens, from Hokitika, arrived in harbor yesterday morning. Left on the 2nd inst, and experienced N. winds to Cook's Straits, thence to Cape Campbell light westerly; here they changed to S.E, and continued so till arrival at 6 a.m. on above date; passed Cape Campbell on Friday, and Kaikouras on the following day; saw the Lady Don on Thursday off Sandy Point, bound from Hokitika to this port. The s.B Tul, Capt Bonner, reports leaving Lyttelton at 10 p.m on Thursday, called at Gore's Bay at daylight next day, and theAmuri Bluff at 1 a.m; was unable to work cargo off there owing to heavy sea, and went on to the Kaikouras, dropping anchor at 9 a m ; took on board 113 bales of wool, and left at 6 p.m, reaching port at 7 a.m on Saturday. The Tui sailed on her regular trip to Kaikoura, Wellington, and Foxton on Saturday evening at 6.30 p.m. The s.s. Easby, Captain Kennedy, from Sydney and Wellington, arrired in harbor at 9 a.m on Saturday, reports leaving S)dney on November 30th, and having bad weather with strong southerly gales for the first two days, the vessel being hove to for fifteen hours. This was succeeded by moderate weather for the remainder of the run across, Wellington being reached at 6 p.m on Wednesday last. There she discharged 650 tons ot coal, 158 tons general cargo, and sailed for this port at 12.30 p.m on Friday, arriving as above, and anchoring off the breakwater. After discharging some 40 tons of general cargo for this port, the Easby sailed for Port Chalmers at 4.30 p.m. We thank Captain Kennedy for report. The ketch Edith Reid left Hokitika on Friday, December Ist, with light northerly weather as far as the Steeples, thence N.E. for two days. Passed Cape Farewell on Tuesday evening, and the Brothers at noon on Wednesday, with light northerly weather, which held to the Kaikouras, then shifted to the S.W., blowing from that quarter for eight hours, thence N.E. to arrival in harbor 01 Friday evening. The schooner brings a cargo ct timber for Mr T, H. Kerr, which she discharges at Peacock's Whari The schooner Lady Don left for this port whet the Edith Reid left, and the Sarah and Mary, urigantine, expected to leave on the next tide. The steamship Beautiful Star returned from her trip to the Coast on aturday morning. She reports leaving here on November 30th, and having moderate weather round the Coast to arrival off Hokitika on Sunday, December 3rd, there the weather proved too bad for the steamer to cross the bar, so she lay outside until Monday morning, and proceeded on to Greymouth, crossing the bar there at noon. Discharged cargo and took on board a load of Grey coal, leaving at 2 p.m on Wednesday. Northerly weather prevailed round the Coast, the Star arriving iu harbor at 12.30 a.m on Saturday, and mooring at the No 2 wharf. She Bailed for South at 3.20 p.m on Saturday. THE S.S. TARANAKI. The s.s. Taranaki, Captain Andrew, arrived in harbor last evening at 5 p.m. She reports leaving Port Chalmers at 6.30p.m. on Saturday and having a strong N.E. wind up the coast as far as the Long Look-out, thence S.W. to arrival. She brings about 130 tons of cargo for this port, We are glad to welcome as purser our old friend, Mr Edmiston. The following account of her is from the Otago "Daily Times":—This smart little steamer is again at head quarters, having arrived on Monday morning from Wellington, where, as will be remembered, she sojourned for a spell to receive a new engine and boiler, and undergo sundry improvements and a general overhaul. The anticipations of substantial improvement which induced the outlay upon her have been fully realised. The Taranaki, ever a smart boat, is now smarter than ever, and very much handier and more convenient. She is smarter by an additional 5-horse to her Sower, the new engine being 95 h.p. as against 90 .p. of the old one. She is handier, inasmuch that the ordinary steering apparatus is fixed upon the bridge, an immense improvement upon the old plan of a wheel aft. At the same time the after steering gear is still in position for use in emergency. The greater convenience of the Taranaki is manifested in a variety of ways. Firstly, she has been fitted with the beautiful little patent windlass which once did duty on board the poor Bruce, and, en passant, we may remark that the Bruce's wheel adorns the bridge of her more fortunate sister. Then, again, the donkey engine, that was once so much in the way on the main deck, has been relegated to the stoke hole, where it is just asuseful, and out of the way. The engine-room skylight.that once opened on the main deck, has been carried through the bridge deck, and is not only more sightly there, but promotes ventilation. The iron compartment on the main deck inclosing the upper parts of the stoke hole and engine room, also contains a new galley, fitted with a new cooking range, supplied by Mr E. Mills, of Wellington. Last, but not least, a handsome house, 24ft by 9ft, has been erected on the quarter deck, and is subdivided into three compartments, of which the after is a snug smoking room, elegantly fitted up; the centre is the companion way to the saloon by a broad, safe, and central flight of stairs, and the forward compartment is the captain's state room, very comfortably furnished, but rather Bmall. Fitting the Taranaki with a new engine and boiler necessitated the removal of large sections of her bridge and main decks, and the section of the main deck thus removed was replaced by new wood — kauri—whilst the bridge was re-laid throughout with new planking, and the quarter-deck was sheathed all over with 2in kauri planking. On eacli side of the space on the main deck under the bridge deck the officers' cabins are as they : were of yore, only that they have been repainted and decorated, and made moi e comfortable. The same may be said of the foe-cabin accommodation and the quarters forthe crew. How "inch the sa'oon lias betn improved by -up ali< ration of" the position oi! its stairc.'ie appv >ach, »' by h judicious alteration <>* colouring, it. to be recognised at 1 glance. The fltstiruasc is ttstU from forwards aft, and aa ftfjey

way on the starboard side leads forwards to the steward's pantry, whilst a short turn round on the port side leads into the ladies* cabin. Tin latter, as well as the saloon, has been absolutely re-nttedand re-furnishod ; all the upholstery is new, and the old horsehair cushions have been replaced by cushions, &c, covered with red Utrecht velvet. The skylight of the ladies' cabin waß once very much in the way on the port side of the quarter-deck, and in its place is a longitudinal slit iu The deck, just within the edge of the deck hou*e, and in the side of the house are a couple of sliding windows, which admit light and, when lifted, air to the cabin below. We mentioned an alteration of colouring in the saloon. Large green jalousied pannellings, bordered with smaller pannelling of birds' eye maple and rosewood mouldings, constitute the style of partition between the salle a manger and the sleeping berths, whilst overhead the ceilings and sklights are painted white, picked out with gold. The most important feature of the Taranaki's improvements is, of course, comprised in her new engine and boiler. The former, a splendid surface condensing compound, was built by Messrs Blackwood and Gordon, of Glasgow, is 95 horse-power, the l.p. cylinder being 46in diameter, the h.p. cylinder 27in, and the length of stroke 2ft Sin. It is an admirable piece of mechanism, and the boiler that supplies it with steam is quite in keeping with it, for it is quite new, and was built by the same firm. It is a circular high pressure, 9ft 6in long, 12ft 6in diameter, and fired from three furnaces, each 3ft 3iu diameter. When put together it weighed 25 tons, and was so lifted into the steamer. It is far and away the largest boiler ever so handled in this colony. The improvements in connection with the machinery were made under the immediate supervision of Mr Pollock, who, when he was the premier and consulting engineer of the late New Zealand Shipping Company, prepared plans and specifications of the new boiler and engine, and they have dene him a great deal of credit. He is now the Taranaki's engineer, and there are but few on this side of the Line to excel him in his profession. During the Taranaki's stay in Wellington Mr Anderson, her chief officer, was in charge, and under his superintendence nhe received a new mainmast, and newfoietopsail yard, and was partly rerigged with new wire Wire netting round the bulwark stanchions of the quarterdeok has been substituted for the old hempen stuff. All was hurry and drive during last week to prepare the Taranaki for a start for the South on Saturday, and consequently a few unimportant details have to be finished off here. Saturday night found her ready for sea and in charge of her chief officer, whom we hope soon to hail a step higher, for he deserves no less. She left Wellington at 6 p.m. As she approached the Heads the steamer Eangatira from the Bast Coast was met, and the two eased steam, whilst a few passengers were transhipped to the Taranaki. At 7 p.m the latter cleared the Headß, passed Pompey's Pillar at noon Sunday, ind the weather coming in densely thick the engine was slowed down at 2 a.m yesterday: at 4 a.m the Taranaki was off the Heads; waited an hour for the weather to clear, and then stood in, and reached the Port Railway Pier at 5.45 a.m, nearly twenty-four hours, including stoppage,from wharf to wharf. This, considering that the engine being new of necessity worked a little stiffly, was excellent time, and good earnest of high class performance hereafter. The Taranaki will leave for the North on Saturday next.