Maritime Record.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1713, 9 August 1862, Page 3

Maritime Record.

TIiJJ Whalbrs.—The barque Minerva, 291 tons, New Bedford, Penniman, 20 months out, with 1100 barrels sperm, arrived at Russell on the 30th ulto. The brig Prince Edward, 175 tons, Mongonui, Kelly, arrived at Mongonui the same day with 300 barrels sperm-Reports as follows:—Spoke. May 20th, Waterwitch, barque, Hobart Town, with 250 barrels sperm. June Bth, Three Brothers, Ship, 384 tons, Swain, Nantucket, with 700 barrels sperm. June 9th, Two Brothers, barque, 288 tons, New Bedford, Davis, with 1400 barrels sperm. June 20th, Eugenia, barque, 356 tons, New Bedford. Hamblin, with 570 barrels sperm, June 27th, Eliza, barque, 366 torn, New Bedford, Devoll, with 450 barrels sperm. June 30th, Aladdin, barque, Hobart Town, 5 months out, with 11 tons sperm. July Bth, Marion, barque, 328 tons, New Bedford, Pierce, had taken 1 large whale since leaving Russel on the 10th April last. ..... Fike on Board the Kino op Itait.—This vessel, whichi leit Melbourne on the 3rd of February, bad a narrow escape from being destroyed by tire (luring the voyage to England, llie following particulars of the occurrence are communicated in a private letter, which appears in the Melbourne Herald of the 12th instant:—" On the 15tb February, a fire broke eut in the cargo, which had been smelling very much from the time of sailing, and the air from the bold getting hotter, especially after a severe gale we bail when off New Zealand. There were two ventilators forward and two aft, as the after-hatch was kept open. Two days before the fire a windsall was put down to drive the foul air out. Abont ten o'clock the air from the hatchway was observed to get hotter, and the chief mate went down. About eleven o'clock smoke appeared, and in half-anhour the cabins and saloon were filled. All hands set to work, and alter cutting about forty holes in the deck, and pouring water down in buckets (the hose of the forcaslle pump not being long enough, nor the pump of sufficient power) for about eight hours, and following up where the deck was hottest, (lame was fount coming out of a hole in the house on deck (close to the oil and paint lockers), and in a quarter of an hour (it being now nearly dark), all smoke had disappeared and we were fortunate enough to master it for the time. There were about seventy souls on board-twenty-nine saloon passengers, of whom six wert females, and seventeen children, so that there were only s k adults, of whom one was an invalid. Every one behaved well, except one sailor, who got drunk. One female(««■• »» JM of the passengers) behaved nobly, filling bi.ck.-ts, and handing them a one. The head steward, the third mate, and the took went down into the lower store aft to obtain provtoioni to^ the event of our being compelled lo take to the boat.,, andwere nearly suffocated; they were taken out insensible, and I hough they recovered in a short time, they were very weak forimi time Afterward. There was a lot of greasy wool on board, and wlTether this, or the oil dripping through the seams on the wool, and the friction of the vessel caused it to ignite, it i hard to sav. There is not a doubt, had the fire not been got under, and wJhad been compelled to take to the boats, every soul on board must have perished, as we were 1600 miles from New Zealand with contrary wind., and a heavy sea on mile, from the Chatham Islands (which I believe is a naritn "ck ; Va paraiso was 3420 miles. We (the adult passeng era wereold off in wa.che,, and bad to assist in poorlngl*"*'*™ every three or four hours, a. from the qiunmyofwater already poured down it might again cause Ignition. Wehad to do Urn until we eot to Valparaiso, which we -leered for, keeping wei fa , Ito north 80 that we might make some of the islands and get uto tLTrack of vesiels in the event of anything farther occurring We were again alarmed on Friday night 28th February, about haJf-pMi nine, by the cry of fire. The man who was oourint vva er down at the time said he .aw fire, but no one else find I think it might be the glance of the lantern down the hole; liere was no .moke. The oil tanks were removed to.he Iter., s that they might be thrown overboard should anything ocodr There was a great deal of steam in the cabins from tic water noued down. We arrived at Valparaiso on 17th March, b.,vve P revtry nearly on a shoal of rocks about 30 miles south of lr It wJaboul nine o'clock, during a heavy fog. and but for he officer on deck (we wore all at breakfast) bearing the surge bea tIDBOn t1 em, and turning the course of the ship, we would hive been rlLhl in them ; so that we escaped one danger but to ,"„ another The hatches were opened on the 18th, but no fin was found There was a great heat and steam. A great deal S thTdamp wool i. put into a bulk, and the rest Is being token ihore n arse boats. There was no appearance ot fire, but in 0 e one Place where the flame, were seen and where several Me? of wool were burned to cinders, and the beams and deck •iJirlv burned tbrongh. We did not see a single vessel until two I\l.VuZ Hrr vii C here. The latitude and longitude at the BSs£?llSr(7S February) was 51-sou... 152-20 west.JiUlboume Aryus.