Maritime Record.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1726, 24 September 1862, Page 3

Maritime Record.

Pni.vcE Alfred: —It is said, upon good authority, that the screw steam ship Racoon, was about to be commissioned to carry his Royal Highness Prince Alfred, on his cruise thiough the Australian coliniesand New Zealand. The Racoon is a full powered, ten knot, steamer of 4(H) horse power, 1467. tons and 22 guns. She is a frigate built ship, though called a corvette, mounting but her two pivot guns fore and aft on her spar deck. She was built in 1857, and it said to be one of the finest vesl 0 { her class: — Thw f/tfrg Star Line:—A friend in Sydney, connected wtth this lit, writes to us this. *' Vou will see the Shalimar, Blue Jacket, and Chariot of Kame advertised for Auckland ; but as they come (if at all) via Melbourne, I question whether or not theiewill be any inducement to proceed on, except it be in the hope of getting troops. Mermaid arrived home in 75 days, Avalanche in fd> odd."

Prkskntatiox of the Victoria Cnoss to Seamkv.—The Victoria Cross was, on Wednesday, presented in Her Majesty's name by Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, K.C.8., to Wiliiam Odgers, captain's coxwain of the Cambridge gunnery ship at Devonport, for an act of valour performed in New Zealand ibout two years since, whilst captain's coxwain of the Niger, 13, Captain Peter Cracroft. The presentation took place on Mount Wise, when the crew of the Cambridge, under arms, with a field battery of four guns, four companies of boys fom the Impregnable, and a battalion of marines were present, and a large concourse of spectators to witness the interesting cerfmony. The substantial addition to this reward of courage was this—that any warrant officer, seaman, soldier, or marine was entitled for life thereafter to X'iO sterling per annum; and as two years and a quarter had elapsed since Odgers was named for this distinction, he would now receive an order on th« paymaster for £2 10s. The Admiral then affixed the riband and cross to the breast of Odgers, between two other medals for service. Odgers desired the Admiral, in an under tone, to convey to the Queen his deep sense of the honour conferred upon him. He requested also that "it should be distinctly stated that " there were many men as good as himself present at the storming of the pah; but (hat it happened to be his good fortune to get in first." The Admiral, in conclusion, requested three cheers.for the Queen, which was loyally responded to. Three cheers were then given for Odgers, and the proceedings terminated.— U.S. Gazette, July2ti. H.M.S.S. Harrier, 17 guns, in command of Captain Sir Malcolm MacGregor, Barf., sailed from the Manukau foi Wellington on Sunday morning. ComrnanderFrancis W.Sullivan, appointed to her, arriving that same evening from England, via Sydney. The Harrier, we understand, may be expected here about the sth proximo. It will, we are confident, afford much pleasure to our readers to learn that Captain Cracroft (Niger) arrived in England in June, greatly improved in health and spirit?, after a tour through Spain and France. Captain Loriug, C 8., has been appointed Captain Superintendent of Perrbroke Dockyard. Commander Blake has been called into active service, but we have been unable to learn the name of the ship to which he kas been appointed. Commander Francis Hume (Bilk, Iris, and Cordelia) has been appointed Commander on board the iron-plated post ship Resistance of 1H guns, 3710 tons, and GOO horse power. The Inter-Colonial Royal Mail Steam Company's new ship Claude Hamilton, then 106 days at sea, had not reacked Sydney at the date of the Lord Ashley's departure. She was built at Newcastle during the present year, is classed Al at Lloyd's for nine years, measures (M tons, is of 100 auxiliary horse power, and has four water tight bulkheads. Our Auckland clipper Alice Cameron, Capt. Barron, arrived in port on Monday afternoon, about 21 hours after the steam •hip Lord Ashley, and after an excellent passage of seven days from Sydney. She now flies the new code of signal lettered T. NT. C. P., which, being a blank even in the official list of 1883, proved to be quite a little mv»tery to the inquisitive. An error, which we lose no time in rectifying, was committed >n our report of the ship Hanover. It was stated that she was boarded by Mr. Burgess, pilot, near llangitoto reef; whereas the truth of the matter stands thus:—Towards 5 p.m., the Hanover was about to bring up for the night in the bight abreast the Wade, when the chief officer, who was aloft, dencrled the pilot cutter off llangitoto; the Hanover consequently did not anchor but was brought into harbour the same evening. The cutter Will Watch, arrived from the islands on Sunday "hh a cargo of fruits and other produce which will be brought lo the hammer this morning. The smart little steamer Tasmanian Maid is now in full "ctn-ity, doing her work to the admiration and satisfaction of every one. This day Rhe proceeds on an excursion to Howick. And on Thursday at 7 a.m. she starts for Coromandel to return the Bame day, thereby affording those who may feel disposed an excellent opportunity of paying a flying visit to th# diggings, of which, hour by hour, the accounts become more »nd more surprising, leading to a conviction that before the summer wanes Coromandel will have achieved a position, probably second to none, in golden reputation.