NELSON.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 265, 15 May 1865, Page 3

NELSON.

We have our file* per s.s. Egmont, to the 6th inst. The Colonist of the sth inst gives the actual debt of the Nelson province to bo £19,65617s 6d. The Examiner of the 6th inst says The Titania brought no news of moment from the Hokitika yesterday. Our correspondent’s letter wo expect to get by the Wallaby to-day. tile steamer New Zealand had not arrived from Melbourne when the Titania left. The steamer .Eleanor, which arrived last evening from the Grey, reports that the diggers on that river are doing well. LOSS OF THE BASQUE SUCCESS OK THE WAI2IEA SAKOS. From the Nelson Examiner, of May 6, we take the following:— About six o'clock on Thursday morning last, a barque was seen from the pilot station to be on shore on the Waimea sands, distance about three miles from the entrance to the harbor. Her head was to the N.W., and she had set her close-reefed topsails, and her fore-topmast staysail. The pilots, Mr Cross and Mr Lowe proceeded in their boat to the stranded vessel, which they boarded with great difficulty, as the sea was breaking heavily over her. On gaining her deck, they found the ship was abandoned, and that the long boat was gone. The crew of the pilot boat succeeded to clew and far] the topsails, and and a man was sent to look out for the ship’s boat. Shortly afterwards, Captain Laverty and his crew returned to their ship in a boat belonging to the brig Yarra, which had , been obtained from that vessel, then in the outer anchorage, but the se* waf running so high that ha was signalled not to attempt to e jme dh boird; Frdm Ga'plain Laverty’s slatements, written and verbal, ws are atda to give the folio wing particular*

of the loss of the vessel:—The Sncm-s, a barque of 287, tom register, lelVNeWcastle on the 23rd of Aprih with 440 tans of coal, for Wellington. She experienced very severe weather in her passage up to Sunday last, and-could get no observation*. On Monday, May 1, the weather became moderate and Hue, and Captain Laverty found himself in lat. 39 deg. 28 min. S., long. 16J deg. 51 min. E., with the wind from the N.W. On Tuesday the weather again became tliick.but he sighted Cape Farewell bearing E. by N., the wild light and variable. On Wednesday morning at eight o'clock, Cape Farewell bore E.S.E, distant about lan miles, the wind strong and weather haxy. At eight p m., strong squalls and thick weather with no land in sight; shaped a course as was supposed, through Cock Strait, but in reality down Blind Bay. Curing the early part of’the night the wind freshened up to a heavy galo from the north we«fe At one o’clock on Thursday morning, shortened sail, and, observing a light wore the ship several times. At two o’elock. carried away wheel stanchion, which caused the vessel to labor and ship heavy seas, and while putting on the relieving tackle, the vessel paid Off and struck the ground. As the sea broke heavily over the vessel, the long boat was with difficulty launched, and the captain and crew, ten altogether, abandoned the vessel, leaving everything behind them, and pulled fortbe liglit which Captain Laverty supposed to be the lighthouse on Wellington Head. Fortunately the wind now moderated considerably. Getting abreast of the lightoine. Captain Laverty for the first time discovered his mistake, and as he could not land through the Mirf on the Boulder Bank, he steered his boat towards one of the brigs lying in the outer roadstead which he was now able to discern ns da* light was breaking, and he accordingly boarded th-‘ brig Varra. A survey was held on ihe Success on Thursday, by the Harbor Master, Air Cross, Iho pilot Air Lowe, and Captains Heard and Foekcn, of the brigs Ann and Maria, and Yarra, when she was condemned. On inspecting the vessel, it was found that the rudder was gone, her stern post started, bulwarks carried away fore and aft, and that she was full of water.

It may seem somewhat strands that Captain Larerty should have mistaken Blind Bay fur Cook Strait, but the occurence is not u.ifrcqu.-iii, when vesels encounter baffling and thick weather at the mouth of theSlrait. It has happened that ressela Imre sailed ten or twenty miles down Blind Bay, believing themselves to be in Cook's Strait, but this is the first ocension that a vessel ever reached the bottom of the Bay before discovering the error. The strength of the gale and (he excessive thickness of the weather explain the whole occurrence, although, had Captain Larerty been in Blind Bay before, he would have disco vered hia real position when he sighted our light and would have then anchored, and saved Ids ship.