WRECK AT WAIKOUAITI.

North Otago Times, Volume II, Issue 29, 8 September 1864, Page 2

WRECK AT WAIKOUAITI.

The heavy gole of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was very seveiely felt here, and two or three vessels riding in the Bay weie driven ashore by the strong easterly swell. On Monday evening, about 5 p m., the Andrew and Maria parted rrom her anchor, driving broadside on to tho surf. Shoitly afterwards, she was capsized, the master being washed overboaid, but was forbunate enougli <o reach the shore by swimming through the heavy rollers. After a brief period, the boat lighted, and was driven up on the beach. On Tuesday morning, at daylight, all the cargo was taken out of her, found much damaged by salt water. Tho succeeding tide washed her up to high-water loark, where she now lies, with holes in her bottom Hardly wa3 tho cargo out of the Andrew and Maria when it was obseived from the spit that tho Undine was uheering about very much, and it was feared thot she ulio had pai ted her cable. .SIjp managed to lnng on till mid-day, when Captain Taylor, finding that the vessel was dragging, hove up her anchor, and endeavored to beat out of the Bay. The heavy sea, however, prevented her sails di awing steadily ; and every bea tho wing her nearer the beach, it soon became apparent that the Undine was only likely to follow the fate of tho Andrew and Maim. Thiee heavy seas now broke over the vessel, carrying away the wheel, aad forcing the crew to take to the rigging, where they remained, only coming on deck occasionally to work the vessel. C.iptain Taylor, finding all hope of saving the vessel gone, lowered all his head sail, keeping only his mainsail feet, let go his anchor in the breakers, and so endeavored to keep her bow* on the sea, in which he succeeded admirably. She nowiodo over oveiy sea, only a little spiay breaking over her now. The mainsail being still Bet, canted the vessel's head towards the river, and as the tide sets in that duection, she was not long ic readier smoother water, where the crew were saved by mean^ of the whaleboat, the vessol's anchors preventing her from duvmg high up Had Captain Tavlor not aucceele I in turning Ins vessel s head towards the spit, the sp;i would have driven her down into the bight of the Bay, where, in all piobabihty, she would have bioken up and all hand-i have been di owned — as no boat could have lfai-hed htr th-re. At low water, the cargo was taken out of her, and she now lies in safety in the river, very Iittlo thf woisp, the chief damage done being that her bu wirk* caned awai, dec cs swept, *ind sevei.il bolts started. It 11 hop^.l that before tho week is out, the U dino will kail for Wunrdin. The Midlothian bucceeded in reaching the river, with the loss of both auchois and chains. J

Of vessels which had previously arrived fiom horn", •and disehaiged cargoes, the following sailed during August :— Lastern Cinef, for Shanghai, August 4 ; Paria, for Newcastle, August 5 ; Vicksburg, for Point do Galle, August 1.5 ; and P 0 E , for Newcastle, August 15. D iring her sUy in Port Chalmers, the last mentioned ve-i-jfl chingod owieis, having been publifly Bold by Me^rs "VVnsht, Robertson aud Co , for £2,200, to residents of the Port , and 19 now undei command of one of her owners, CapUi'i M Farlane, by whom the City of DunHin was bi ought out. The a.s, Omx> arrived on Sunday morning at her anchorage in Port C'halmors Sho him oxperinnced a veiy iough passage ftoin Melbourne. ( She amverl at Nelson on the 17th ult ; at Picton, on the 23rd ; at Wellington, fame day, at j p.m. On leaving Wellington, she encountered sach weather as in seldom seen on the Now Zealand coast Arnvcd at Port f'ooper on the 31st ; left on the 2nd inst, and arrived at Otago Heads at 11 p m on the 3rd. Bringo a general cargo, and 22 j)a»faengers. The » s. Lady Bird arrived at Port Chalmers on the 11th iiwt., «at noon, having left Auckland on the '2did. Exjjfrieuced very severe weather.