PORT OF AUCKLAND.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 758, 20 July 1853, Page 3

PORT OF AUCKLAND.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. ARRIVALS. July 16—Frances, 20 tons, James, from Mahurangi, with 35 tons firewood. DEPARTURES. July 18—Moa, brig, 236 tons, Captain Bowden, for Sydney. Passengers—Hon. Stuart Wortley, Dr. Plumley, Dr. Geddes. R.N., Mr. and Mrs. Nash, Mr. David Graham, Mr. Cooper, Mr, Ackford, Mr. Wbitehouse, Mr. and Mrs. Burrows, and two children, Mr. Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Ilatigan, Mr, and Mrs. Bell, Messrs. H. Mason, T. Tobin, J. Quinn, G. Burke.—W. S. Grabame, agent. July 16—Emily, 10 tons, Mair, from Wangarei, with 1000 bricks, 1 keg vinegar, 3 bags flour, 3 kegs spirits, 3 cwt. iron, 2 cases, 1 bale drapery, and a quantity of sundries. July It— Mary Ann. 25 tons, Makana, for the Bay of Plenty, with 3 bales calico prints, 1 bale blankets. July 16—Dolphin, 41 tons, Campbell, for the East Coast. July 16—Frances, 20 tons, James for Mahurangi. July 18—Sisters, 40 tons, Marks, for Ahipara.—C. BavU, agent. July 18—Boyd, 16 tons, Mclntosh, for Wangaroa, with | chest tea, 1 box soap, £ dozen spades, I box sundries, 6 sides leather. July 19 —Marmora, 135 tons, Captain Kelly, for Sydney. Passengers—Messrs. W. Henderson, Y. Dyer, G. Duke, F. Rosser.—J. Salmon & Co. July 19—Mary Ira, 17 tons, G. Simpkins, for Coromandel, in ballast. EXPOETS —FOREIGN. Per Marmora, for Sydney :—40,000 feet timber, 65 tons potatoes. THE FINALE OF THE AUSTRALIAN. This unfortunate steamer, after making two attempts has given up the voyage in despair. The Times ol March 17th, after mentioning that she was then on her return passage from Plymouth to London, gives the following summary of her miserable attempts, and the pertinent remarks, which we extract:— 44 Well, the Australian has again put back, after we know not how many attempt* to get clear of the British shores. She is already expected in Australia, and we have to announce that she has just sailed from Plymouth, on her return to the port of London, having given up the voyage in despair. If there were not important mercantile interests, and a considerable amount of human life at stake, we should be disposed to smile at the repeated attempts ot the Australian to prosecure her distant voyage. But we cannot loose sight of the imminent danger in which so many human beings have been repeatedly placed by the cupidity or ignorance of a trading company. VVe cannot forget that the postal communication between the mother country and the most important of her colonies bee n effectually interrupted by the breach of their contract by the Australian Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company. It is high time that contract should be rescinded, on the ground of non-fulfilment on the part of the contractors, unless very satisfactory evidence is forthcoming of an intention to carry out its terms, not only in appearance, but in fact. The directors of this Company are trifling with the public patience and with the Government. It is time the affair should be seriously examined, for the inconvenience resulting to the mercantile interest from the noa-delivery of the tnails is of a very grevious kind. Hitherto we have only dwelt upon the minor point of postal communication ; but what if the Australian had gone down on this her last excursion, or on any of her previous trips'! This is no vain supposition. On former occasions we have laid before our readers the Particulars of her voyages. It is not therefore neces--8:lry to nfar to it further at present. We only add that eventually the passengers did reach Plymouth in this crazy craft by a miracle of good fortune, ond it is now cur duty to announce that the Royal mail-steamer Australian, which is now expected in Sydney, has just •Mled from Plymouth for the port of Loudon, having

siven up all id< a of prosecuting her voyage, and that she may be looked for here in a few days, if she does not founder by tbe way. The complaints of the passengers against the directors of tbe company are manifold in other respects. They complain of discomfort of every kind. Tbe company, moreover, filled tbe ship with freight, and forwarded the luggage of the passengers by another ship ; they have refused to find accommodation for the passengers on shore during the time of their detention, and appear in every manner to have postponed their interest and comfort to other considerations. Tbe passenger traffic, however—now that these poor people are safe on shore—is a very secondary consideration. What of the mails ? W'hat of the vast amount of treasure which is consigned home by these ships? We do but represent the unanimous voice of the public when we call upon the Government not to loose a day in considering the relations at present existing between the various departments of Administration and tbe Australian Steam Navigation Company, with a view to rescinding the contract, unless its obligations be accurately performed. Here is the Australian come back to us (without going to Sydney at all), and the Melbourne, which should now have been here in her place, has just started from Sydney on her return voyage—if that. The Sydney, which has just arrived, has accomplished the run in 102 days !!! The whole thing is too bad. The Australian Steamship. —Yesterday morning the Australian steamship was towed into the eastern basin of the East Indian Docks. Blackwall, to be cleared, and for the purpose of undergoing a thorough repair, by order of the Government inspectors. A great number of persons went on board of her durin r the day. The ill-fated vessel brought back a largquantity of property belonging to the passengers, an 1 a cargo of various kinds of merchandize. This vessel, which has a splendid appearance, will be repaired by Messrs. Ditchburn and Mare, the extensive shipbuilders, of the Orchard-house, Blackwall.— Tims, 24th Maicb. The Australian Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company. —ln the reports of the proceedings of the House of Commons of date 21st March, we notice the following xeraarks on this subject:—Sir J. Packington begged to ask whether the Government had any control over the Australian Mail Steam Packet Company, in virtue of their contract to carry the mails, and, if s >, whether it was intended to exercise it i —Sir J. Graham was sorry to say that the service of the Australian Mail Packet Company, under their contract, was most unsatisfactory. Tho terms of the contract into whi: the company bad entered empowered the Government to inflict penalties for the non-performance of tbe service stipulated, and both the late and present Government had not failed to enforce the penalties whenever it appeared equitable to do so. The present Cover iment had called on the Company to pay penalties in more than one case for the non-fulfilment of their contract. Tbe contract itself had been submitted to a committee of the Government over which the postmastergeneral presided, and as soon as it is reported, he would inform his right bon. friend and the house what course the Government would take on the subject. Large orders have been received by the recent arrivals from Australia, and shipments continue also to be made by speculators on this side; but misgivings, arising from the probability of over stocked markets, aie becoming manifest.— Times City Article. Tub Chusan Steamer. —Thin steamer, which left Sydney December 28tb, Melbourne January 3rd, ami Adelaide January 16th, succeeded in delivering her mails at Ceylon in time for the Himlostan steamer, bound to Suez, in connection with the Overland Mail, which reached England on the loth March. New Guano Island.— We learn from Captain Sin clair, of the Helena, of Liverpool, that during bis pas sage he discovered an island not laid down on any chart. He informed us it is about five miles long, an 1 one and a half miles broad. He lowered his boat, and went ashore, where he staid sometime. The island is covered with guano, about eight feet deep, samples of which he has brought with him. He informed us that an American captain was the first one who discovered it, but could not find it again. Captain Sinclair would not give the time, latitude, or longitude of the newly discovered guano bed.— Alta California, April 7. The Australasian League has changed hands, having been purchased from Captain Norris by Mr. Marsden, for the sum of £ISOO cash.— Sydney Empire.