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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 210, 3 September 1880, Page 2

The Taiaroa sailed for Picton, Wellington, and Lyttelton at 4*30 p.m. yesterday. The Murray arrived here from the Wr si Coast last evening, and sailß at 4 o'clock this afternoon for Karamea and West Coast ports. The Charles Edward leaves Westport tonight, and should arrive here to morrow evening. The Wakatu arrived from Wangnnui this morning with a cargo of live shock. She sails for Wanganui and Wellington this afternoon. The Eichard and Mary has loaded with oal from the Niagara. She sails for Wanganui as soon as the weather changes. The Wanaka left Port Chalmers at 130 p.m. on Monday, and arrived at Lyttt lton at 7 a.m. on Tuesday; moved northwards at . 7 p.m., and reached Wellington at 2 p.m. on Wednesday ; sailed at noon yesterday, arriving at Picton at 530 p.m.; left at 9 pan., and arrived here at 6 a.m. to-day. She sails for Taranaki and Manukau at 5 p.m. The screw steam tug Plucky, which is intended for service at Port Chalmers, in conjunction with the Koputai, arrived at that port under canvas on Friday last, after a passage of 120 days from Dumbarton. She is reported to be a handsome little vessel, built of steel at the yards of Messrs Denny and Co., of Dumbarton, her dimensions being—length, 90 feet; breadth, 18 feet; depth of hold, 8 feet. The Plucky is fitted with a pair of direct acting inverted cylinder engines. The diameter of her low-pressure cylinder is 17 inches, and that of the highpressure 30 inches, and the length of the stroke 24 inches, while her nominal horsepower is 40. The N.Z. Loan & Mercantile's Circular of 15th July says :— The N.Z. Shipping Company has despatched the following vessels since the date of our last San Francisco Circular : — 25th June — Waikato, for Auckland, 93 passengers 28th — Lurline, for Otago, 30 passengers ; 2nd July— Waitangi, for Canterbury, 65 passengers; 10th— Eakaia, for Wellington, 63 passengers. Aud will despatch : — l 9th July— Fernglen, for Auckland ; 20th— Waipa, for Otago; 30fch— Opawa for Canterbury ; Wairpa, for Wellington ; 2nd August — Wanganui, for Auckland. A Venturesome Voyage. — On the evening of Friday, the 25th June, th(rJ sailed into Aberdeen harbor a decked yawl, sailed by an English gentleman named Beaumont, who had made the voyage alone from Norway. He left Christiansand at 3 a.m. on Sunday, the 20th, his boat measuring only IB£ft keel and 25ft over all, in length. The. weather was calm at starting, and continued moderate throughout the voyage. On the 23rd the yawl waa surrounded by a large school of young whales, " uuder the charge of an adult." Their gambols were too near the boat . to be pleasant, as they tumbled about close to it, and dived beneath it, barely clearing its keel, until its occupant, every moment expected that his craft would be Stove in or capsized. At length, tiring of their play, the whales swam off, greatly to, Mr Beaumont's relief. Having four sails to! look after,]the lonely navigator required, toj use his own words, "to look smart about it."j His provisioning was ample, and was con-; ducted on strictly total abstinence principles.' ■Each' night he managed to get about five ; hours' sleep, during which he turned the boat, tip into the wind. Only two vessels were : met with, and Mr Beaumont declares hej could have beaten both of them if they had; not taken a " mean advantage" of him by; passing him while he slept. Altogether, thej voyage seems to have been pretty (much a : pleasure trip, though it.would have been far, otherwise if the North Sea had maintained; its unpleasant reputation for storm aud fog. !