BARQUE CHAUDIERE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 39, 14 February 1877, Page 2

BARQUE CHAUDIERE.

r .This vessel, reported by us as being signalled wjien. we went to press yesterday afternoon, arrived off the lighthouse shortly afterwards, and was towed into harbor by the Kennedy this morning. She is under the command of Captafa Pitfield, and has made a fair ru.i out of 109 days, beating her previous performances to this port. The Chaudiere has met with some bad weather on the passage out, especially" after sighting the New Zealand coast, as will be seen from the report below. TJhe Jtug Koputaki, which is coming out for the. Union Company, was sighted on the passage, arid' Captain Pitfield informs us that she was making but slow progress, the Chaudiere soon running her out of sight. We are indebted to the chief officer, Mr Marshall, for the following extract from the log book: Chaudiere left the East India Dock on Oct. 27, passing Gavesend the same day, and proceeding straight out to sea. Discharged the pilot at Start Point on Oct. 30, and took final departure from the land. A stretch was then made across to Maderia, with easterly winds, sighting that island on Nov. 9; here a succession of gales were met with, the vessel being hove-to several times, she shipping great quantities of water, and straining and lurching heavily. The gales were accompanied with heavy thunder and vivid lightning, the barometer being very low. For the safety of the ship a case of acid, which was on deck, had to be thrown overboard. These gales continued nntil sightiug the Canary Isles, shortly after • passing which the N.B. Trades were picked + up, carrying the vessel across the Equator, which was crossed on Nov. 30, in lat 8 miles N., long 28 degs W.; caught the N.E. Trades in 7 deg N., which were light, but began to freshen in 7 degs South. Fine weather was experienced to the Cape of Good Hope, cross- . . ing the meridian of Greenwich on Dec. 23, in lat 41 South; strong fair winds, occasionally heavy, carried the vessel along at a good .; pace right through the Southern Ocean; Tasmania was passed on January 28, and light winds brought the vessel to Rocks Point, which was sighted on February 3.

Here heavy gales, varying from N.E. to S.E. . were experienced, the vessel being put under the lower topsails; several seas broke on board, carrying away part of the bulwarks, one plank of the "sheathing, and several sheets of . copper. The gales lasted up to Sunday, when fine weather came again, the Chaudiere rounding Cape Farewell the same evening, and arriving here as above. The longest distance logged iri one day was 256 miles. Spoke the barque Kelso, bound for Singapore, from Sunderland, off the Canary Isles on December 1 0, and kept company with her for three days. Signalled the tug Koputaki, bound from Glasgow for Otago, on December 14.