SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 22, 24 June 1871, Page 10

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

ARRIVED June. 16, Rangatira, s.s., 175 tons, Renner, from the South. Passengers: Saloon—Mrs Caulton Mrs Cockburn, Rev. E. Knowles, Messrs. Waterhouse and Hewitt, nine in the steerage j one saloon and two steerage for the North. 16, Hevershain, barque, 468 tons, Yule, from Newcastle. . . 17, Ladybird, schooner, 303 tons, Quinlan, from Newcastle. 17 Shepherdess, schooner, 40 tons, (lathercole, from Kikirangi. 18, Taranaki, b.s., 298 tons, Wheeler, from Lyttelton. Passengers; Cabin—Mr Mendelsohn, and four in the steerage. 18, Huon Belle, ketch, 42 tons, Saunders, from Rangitikei. . , 19, Wanganui, s.s., 165 tons, Linklater, trom Wanganui. Passengers: Saloon—Messrs Parsons, Cad, Cameron, Aitken, Maguire, Braithwaite, and six in the steerage. 19, Shepherdess, schooner, 38 tons, Grathercole, from Kikirangi. 20, Lord Ashley, s.s., 206 tons, Andrews, from Napier and Auckland. Passengeis. C a bin—Mr Domett, Sergeant Shirley, and Constable Jones. 20, Wellington, s.s., 261 tons, Kennedy, from Napier and Auckland. Passengers: Cabin—Hon. G. Tollemache, Messrs Allen, Myers, Malmsley, Russell, Lyme, and four for the South. 21, Falcon, schooner, 37 tons, Morrison, from Wairau. . 21, Ahuriri, s.s., 131 tons, Carey, from the North. ' Passengers : Saloon —Messrs Hood, Sinclair, Gilbert, Hirst, Murray. 22, Gothenburg, s.s., 449 tons, Pearce, from Melbourne via the South. Passengers : Cabin —Messrs Billiard, Haughton, Carleton, Grace, Bunny, Smith, Oakley, Adair, North, Eord ; 1 for Nelson, 5 for Hokitika, 5 for Melbourne, and 1 for Greymouth. 22, Rangitoto, s.s., 448 tons, Mackie, from Melbourne via Wbst Coast. Passengers: Cabin—Messrs Statter, Lucas, Mackie, Baxter, Bayley, Staren, and servant; 7 m the steerage. SAILED.

16, Taranaki, s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, for the South. Passengers : Saloon —Messrs Kelly, Malmslev, Reid, and Whittem. 16, Ealcon, ketch, 37 tons, Morrison, for Blenheim. 16, Amateur, ketch, 25 tons, Norgrove, for Patea. _ • 19, Taranaki, s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, for Nelson and Manukau. Passengers : Saloon— Messrs Jackson, Worsp, and Brown. 19, Rangatira, s.s., 175 tons, Renner, for Napier. Passengers: Saloon —Mr and Mrs Gannaway, Messrs Smith, Stokes, and servant, and five in the steerage. 21, Wanganui, s.s., 165 tons, Linklater, for Lyttelton. Passengers : Saloon—Mr Braithwaite, and one in the steerage. 21, Lord Ashley, 296 tons, Andrews, for Lyttelton. 21, Wellington, s.s., 261 tons, Kennedy, for the South. Passengers : Saloon —Mrs and Master Saunders, Messrs Knowles, Colonel Haultain, Bullen, and Revell. 22, Lochlee, schooner, 247 tons, Boig, for Newcastle.

22, Huon Belle, ketch, 42 tons, Saunders, for Patea. 22, Gothenburg, s.s., 449 tons, Pearce, for Melbourne via West Coast., Passengers: Saloon —Messrs Duncan, M‘Donald, Hill, Campbell, Lowman, Miss Comptain, Mrs Smith, Master Hair.

The Flying Squadron, under Rear-Admiral Beauchamp Seymour, C. 8., is to be at Bermuda early in May. The Galatea, Captain his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived at Monte Yideo on March 12. Mr Reed, the late Chief Constructor of the British Navy, it is said, has just received and accepted an official invitation to visit the dockyards and arsenals of Russia. The regulations for the formation of a seamen pensioners’ reserve have been received at Chatham from the Admiralty. All petty officers and seamen under 45 years of age will bo allowed to join now ; but after March, 1872, only seamen, gunners, and trained men will be entered. The men will be called out every alternate year for thirty days’ drill at sea, or st Portsmouth, Portland, Devonport, or any other place that may be specified. A double launch took place at Chatham Dockyard on March 25. They were the Scourge and the Snake, iron gunboats. Their dimensions are : —Length between perpendiculars, 85 feet; extreme breadth, 26 feet If inches ; burthen in tons, 244. They have no armor plating, and the iron with which they are built is not more than fin. thick in any part. Each vessel will carry one of the 18 ton guns, so that they will be able to cope with iron-clad vessels, and be at a considerable advantage ; for while able to fire at a long range, so small a portion of the vessel will be above water that a very small object will be in view of the enemy. The sides of the vessels are only about two feet above the water, with bulwarks above two feet high. The gun will be at the head of the vessel; it will be completely under cover when being loaded, and will only be lifted to be fired. The engines will give a great amount of speed, and the small draught will enable the vessels to ascend very shallow rivers. The German Lloyds agents for Cardiff reports that the Marquis of Bute, the proprietor of the Cardiff Docks, has refunded the dock dues paid for all German ships detained in that port since the commencement of the war. Several of our country’s vessels have received a sum equivalent to the whole cost of laying by. The owners of these last wish herewith to express their most sincere thanks to his lordship for his noble and disinterested behaviour towards them.

By way of Panama, there is news from Punta Arenas of a terrible tragedy near that place. The captain of the British ship Alexandrine and a boat’s crew went ashore and came in conflict with the Indians, who murdered them; the Indians then put off in canoes for the vessel, but those on board were alarmed by the yells of the natives, and made sail, and saved themselves and ship. The body of the captain was found, with two wounds, and the legß cut off. There were no traces of his companions. An English war steamer is expected to go to the scene of the tragedy to chastise the Indians. The p.s. Nebraska, Captain I. Harding, left Auckland at 9.30 a.ra. on June Ist, with strong head winds along the coast; after leaving the North Cape of New Zealand the wind increased to a gale, with heavy sea; the last two days of the voyage fine weather was experienced, arriving in Sydney at 8.30 p.m. on June sth, 4 days 11 hours out from Auckland The Hero arrived in Newcastle next morning at 6 a.m., after a passage 5 days 13£ hours, reporting a heavy gale off the North Cape. Hauled into the Circular Quay next afternoon, and began coaling and discharging freight. Between eight and nine o’clock the ship was crowded with visitors; such excitement has not been seen in Sydney since the first visit of the Galatea. On the 9th finished coaling 1100 tons, shipped freight and 20 passengers, and left at 2.30 a.m. on the 10th, arriving in Auckland shortly after 1 o’clock this day. On June 12th passed the Alice Cameron with strong fair wind ; on June 13th passed a brig, supposed to be the Union. —Auckland “ Evening News,” June 15. News has been received in Sydney of the wreck of the schooner Emma Paterson, while on her passage from Noumea, New Caledonia, to Lifu, New Hebrides. The schooner was a small one of 69 tons, commanded by Captain Edger. The vessel left Sydney on the 2nd of April last, with cargo for New Caledonia and missionary stores, shipped by the Rev. J. PSunderland for mission stations at the New Hebrides. The vessel arrived safely at New Caledonia, and discharged her cargo, and sailed on the 25th April, but put into Debois Bay, south end of New Caledonia. In beating out of the bay the schooner missed stays, and went on shore on a coral reef. The crew, numbering four hands, determined to abandon the vessel, and Captain Edger ordered the mate to leave with them in the whaleboat to procure some assistance at Noumea. They are all supposed to have perished, but their fate is involved in some mystery. The boat was picked up on the Blh May, at. Noumea, by one of the pilots, full of water. There was a human hand and two feet in her, which were identified by Captain Edger as the remains of the mate. The coasting schooner Bronzewing sighted the wreck of the schooner, and took off Captain Edger, and landed him at Noumea on the 9th. The wreck was purchased by Mr Prcsh, for the sum of £l2O, and there is every probability of the vessel being got off. Messrs Messrs M‘Meckan, Blackwood, & Co, of Melbourne, were the owners, and had the hull insured in a Melbourne office. —“ Herald,” June 7th.

An English paper says that the yachting season of May is likely to be a good one, and a good yachting season means something more than the thorough enjoyment of 2000 yachtowners —it means the direct employment of some 6000 seamen, and the indirect employment of many hundreds of others, besides giving occupation to numbers of almost every trade. It cannot, then, be wondered at that about this time of the year the prospects of the coming yachting season are annually anxiously discussed in the ports where the trade is principally derived from the building and equipping of yachts. Almost every harbor round the coast of Great Britain and Ireland contains some yachts now laid up, their masts covered with white lead and tallow, and the hulls of the vessels looking like so many chrysalis ; but at Cowes and Gasport there are forests of yachts’ masts, and hundreds of vessels in their chrysalis-like, stage. From all we can learn, the season of 1871 is likely to be one of the most exciting and brilliant on record; exciting it must be, from the fact that new vessels are building to beat those which proved the fastest in their respective classes last year; thus _we have the Livonia (J. Ashbury, Esq) coming out to beat the American yacht Sappho ; a schooner for Colonel Markham, to do battle with the Flying Cloud ; and the Alcyone (Col. Sir Wm. Topham) to contest for the honors of the fastest 10-ton cutter with the Muriel. These new vessels will have to prove themselves fast indeed before they beat the successful yachts of 1870. It is rumored that some American yachts will again visit England during the summer, but the event of the year will be the visit of the Livonia to. America. The result of the vessel’s races with the champion American yachts will be looked forward to with the utmost anxiety, but we have little fear as regards that result, and look upon the success of the Livonia as almost certain. WRECK OF THE QUEEN OF THE THAMES. By the arrival of the new steamer Mailland, from England via the Cape of Good Hope, we have news from the latter place of the wreck, on the night of the 17th March, near Cape L’Agulbas, about 200 miles from Cape Town, of the fine steamer Queen of the Thames, which left Melbourne for London on the 18tli February, and had on board the Hon. Charles Cowper, Mrs Cowper, and many other Australian colonists. The vessel ran on shore in fine weather and smooth water, so that fortunately no lives were lost at the time the vessel struck ; but afterwards, in attempting to land some of the luggage and valuables, Mr Cox, the purser, and three others of the crew los-t their lives by the capsizing of the boats. The cause of the loss of this fine steamer, on her return to England, after having made one of the quickest voyages out that was ever accom-

plished, is involved in much uncertainty. Captain Macdonald, her commander and part owner, attributes his misfortune to currents and disarrangement of the compasses, having led him to suppose that he was at a safe distance from shore at the time the ship struck.

We gather the following particulars from Cape papers—the “Standard” and “Argus”:— Monday, March 22.

The Queen of the Thames struck on Kilp strand on Saturday morning, at half-past 1. Her passengers and crew were all landed safely, with the exception of four who were drowned, amongst them being the purser. The vessel is a complete wreck, and lies with her back broken.

Mr Moore, one of the owners, and who was a passenger bv the steamer, arrived in town yesterday morning. He states that the steamer went on shore at twenty-eight minutes past one o’clock on Saturday morning. The weather at the time was moderately fine. Mr Moore gives the following account of the disaster : —All went well with the vessel on the passage, and on the 26th day out South Africa was first sighted. After that, however, she was kept off again. On the night of the 17th March the vessel was considered to be some distance from land, and was going along at a spanking rate under steam and sail. At 1.20 a.m. on the 18th she was felt to strike heavily, and on account of the rate at which she was going, all attempts to back her off proved fruitless. The passengers and crew, most of whom were in their beds at the time of the ship striking, were soon up on deck, but as there was not much sea on at the time, and the weather fine, it was determined to remain on board the wreck until daylight. The boats, however, were all got in readiness. As day began to dawn it was found that the ship had beached herself on a low sandy spit, about fifteen miles to the eastward of Struy’s Point. At daylight the boats were all got out, and after making several trips the whole of the passengers and crew, in all about 300 souls, were safely landed on the beach. As the day wore on the sea began to rise, so that all communication with the wreck was stayed. During the morning several of the inhabitants arrived on the beach, and did all they could in rendering assistance. The vessel still holds together, although her back is broken, and her engines are rising up, the tide rising and falling inside her hold. There is not the least prospect of her being got off again, as she is firmly embedded in the sand. Several attempts were made to get on board the wreck, but on account of the heavy sea, which stove in several of the boats, they proved unsuccessful. When last on board, there was nine feet of water in the vessel’s hold, and she remained quite fast. The cargo consists of 2,500 bales wool, 12,000 bags copper ore, a large quantity of preserved meats, and £7,000 worth of gold dust. The passengers are all on their way to Bredasdorp. All the passengers arrived safely in Cape Town a few. days afterwards, and were forwarded to England on the 4th of April, by the steamship Briton. Their presence in Capo Town, under the unfortunate circumstances in which they were placed, appears to have excited much sympathy, and on their embarking in the Briton, the Cape “ Argus” says : “ The number of passengers by the Briton was unprecedentedly large, somewhere about one hundred and forty, more than half of them being Australians from the wreck of the Queen of the Thames. Of course special cabins had to be fitted up amidships and forward to give this additional amount of accommodation, but all seemed satisfied with the arrrangements made. The special excitement of the scene was, of course, due to the presence of so many of the Australians, all of whom were in the most excellent spirits, and speaking of the pleasure they had enjoyed at the Cape, and tho warm hospitality they had met in the most appreciative fashion —indeed, more than one of them requested us expressely to state this publicly on their behalf.” A Court was afterwards held by the Acting Resident Magistrate of Cape Town into the circumstances connected with the wreck of the steamer Queen of the Thames ; Sir Thos. Maclear, and Lieut. Archdeacon, of H.M.S. Sirius, as assessors. Mr Fairbridge appeared on behalf of Captain M'Donald, who objected to the competency of the Court, and relused to answer any questions. Some of the passengers were examined, and the Court adjourned sine die. Most of the passengers were taken by the steamer Briton. Passages were provided for them by Mr Moore, one of the owners, who was a passenger. The cargo was being discharged on the 13th of April in very fair condition, and if the weather held up it was believed the vessel would be got off. If so, her purchasers will have made a good thing of it. The passengers subscribed £6O for the officers and crew.