Shipping News.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 680, 14 May 1859, Page 4

Shipping News.

arrived. , May 11, s.s. White Swan, 198 tons, Cellem, from Otago via Akaroa. Passengers from Otago—Messrs. Blanche, Blacker, Drew and Wilson. From Akaroa —Mrs. Westenra and 2 children, Mrs. Scarbrough, Mrs. Aylmer, Mrs. Stringer, Messrs. Armstrong, Gibbs, Etevenaux, Parker and Painti. May 12, brig Spray, 148 tons, Scott, from Timaru.. May 13, schooner Canterbury, 37 tons, Bowton, from Wellington, with 2 passengers and general miscellaneous cargo. SAILED. May 12, schooner Mary Louisa, 30 tons, Toohig, for Chalky Bay, in ballast. . Passengers, Messrs. Francis and Young. Same day, s.s. White Swan, 198 tons, Cellem, for Wellington. Passengers: Messrs. Blanche, Blacker, Drewe. Armstrong, M'Mullen, Stewart, Chamberlayne, "Buchanan, and 2 in the steerage., Ma}' 13, schooner Palinurus, 15 tons, Wilson, for Akaroa. IMPORTS. In the White Swan; shipped at Otagoj 2 chests, M'ltae; 1 board, Bishop of Chistchurch; 1 case stationery, Maberley; 48 bags grass seed, 4 tons. potatoes, 1-|. tons flour, Order. Shipped at" Akaroa: 114 Cheeses, 8 coils rope, Order. In^.the Spray, E. A. Hargreaves, agent; 50 bales wool," E. A. Hargreaves; 30 bales wool, 1 cask tallow, Cookson, Bowler & Co. ; 19 bales wool, Gould and Miles; 39 bales wool, Miles, Kington and Co. EXPORTS. In the White Swan; part original cargo from Otago and Akaroa. In the Palinnrua, F. N. Campbell & Co., agents; 1' set harness, 1 case, 3 bags oats, 4 boxes, 1 cradle, 423^ bushels wheat, 39 do. oats, 21 cwt. potatoes, E. 3". Jones.

The Spray has returned from Tiniaru, with the last wool of the season from that district. Leaving this port with the remarkable quantity of cargo which we mentioned, she met some severe weather, but arrived at Timaru safely, where she lay four days in perfect safety. Captain Scott endeavoured to lay hold.of the inner moorings, the shackle of which had been broken on a previous visit, but without success, though Mr. Woollcombe and others . assisted with every means in thenpower. The Spray returned to port from Timaru in one day.

The White Swan has paid us her last trip but one as a Government boat: the. next is to be her last. Her loss, if she is entirely taken off, will be felt by those who knew the merits of her accomodations as a passenger boat, and on this part of the coast particularly in the stoppage of the communication maintained by her between this port and Akaroa, where she has made it a habit to call, with profit to. herself, and great advantage to that port, on her way backwards and forwards between this place and Otago.

The announcement made above of the sailing of the Mary Louisa for Chalky Bay, with Messrs. Francis and Young, is in some sort an announcement of an expedition undertaken by those gentlemen to explore the West Coast of this island with the help ,;'f a vessel. We know none of the particulars of the enterprise, beyond what the place to which the vessel's head is first turned (if indeed that be a a hand fide announcement) may indicate. Chalky Bay is near the most south-western extremity of thislsland, and to the north-east (inland) lie the unexplored districts of the Otago province. We wish the enterprise the success it deserves.

English Mails.—The ' Melbourne Argus 'of the Kith April says—"The February mails, duo on the 7tli inst., are not looked for until the close of the montli. It is not very improbable, however, that we may vecaive those of February and March together on or about the 7th of May, the date on which the latter will become due. The service is now altogegether in the hands of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, of'which much is expected. Steam in New Zealand.—ln a paragraph treating of the postal contract and the steam service

generally, the 'New Zealunder' makes the following I observations, which contain a great denl more than1; the truth. ' The writer has no doubt found out by j this time the errors in his information:: but it may ] chatice also that we may find out that part of his ' information is true; and if so, it is important;--." As , for the Prince Alfred, according to advertisement in ; the 'Sydney Herald'of the 19th March, she was going into the Southern, cattle trade, in competition with the screw steamship Armenian of 1000 tons, also advertised at the same date. Wo imagined the Prince Alfred to be one of the Royal New Zealand Mail ships, especially Hound by contract as such. It is clear that, in common with most others, we have been entirely misinformed. The mania for steam, which a year or two since was so prevalent in Auckland, appears to have been transferred to the South.'v Treating of this, an experienced and practical correspondent who styles himself "An Old Stager," writes—"New Zealand.is quickly becoming the Lazaretto of the decayed steamers of Australia. Goodness forbid that you should be called upon to chronicle some terrific-explosion;, but the chance is.far from a remote one. I could name.you a few Australian invalids one of which has not had her boilers blown off for t^ie last six.months. Now, taking this for the fact, which I know it to. be, I think it calls in the strongest of-all terms for the appointment here, as elsewhere, of a competent inspector of steam boats, much more as < a matter of regard to the safety of the travelling public than as an act.of justice to boats and their owners that are competent to stand every authorised .test." The hint is a very proper one; and the system acted upon in England and Australia ought not to be disregarded here."— New Zealander, April 9. . „ ;

11. M. brig-sloop Elk, 12 guns, Commander-Cam-pion, arrived in harbour on Thursday afternoon; She is from Melbourne last, having sailed on the 18th ult., previous to the arrival of . the January mail. As our readers are already fully aware, the Elk has been for some time past (since her arrival from China) employed, .along with the Victorian steam-sloop Victoria—jn fruitless search of the missing Sappho, which we feel firmly persuaded was not wrecked but capsized in a squall. The Elk is a smart, sightly'craft, and, like every well ordered cruiser that wears a British pennant, is worthy, of inspection. She is one of a very numerous but very unprofitable family, their names being Fantome, Acorn, Albatross, Arab v the lost Sappho—and legion-ships with bottoms formed after'the letter V, which roll like thunder in a storm, and when they do sail, perform the part of waterspouts to perfection. They are a class which never ought .to-have been constructed, and which, with the improved experience of the day, ought long since to have ceased to be commissioned. These remarks are, of course, not levelled at the Elk, which is a remaakably good specimen of her class, in a high state of order, such as reflects the greatest credit to. her captain, officers, and ship's company, but against the perpetuation of a style of man-qf-war v/hich finds few if any counterparts in foreign fleets, and which ought long since to have been expelled the British Navy. The Elk is likely to remain amongst us, after which she will proceed to Wellington. She is in beautiful order, and, though a sister ship, we give her the-preference to the Eautorne.— New Zealander, April 9.