SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 31, 26 August 1871, Page 10

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

ARRIVED August. 19, Falcon, letch, 37 tons, Morrison, from “foTvods, p.», 2240 tons, Bletbam, from Naniirarld Auckland. Passengers: CobinJ°d J KoßO S n"HonM : fohamberiain, MXC ffcSonel Kenny, MX 0., Hon h/tt P . Messrs T. Henderson, Or. i*- wooa, Stod Fenton, M.G.A.’s;Mrs Chamber- ,• . Messrs Fox, Henderson, Dees, Carathers, Whitaker Maxwell, Pairama Edwards Bash, Constable, London, Duoghter, Will.ams, “a'rLunrp-f 200'tone, from Ca 20 e ,L0r7 Aihley, s.s„ 296 tons Andrews SmytMea SSK Mo rear), Rev Father Maloney ; 8 for other P °2o,’Go-a-Head, 104 tons, Doile, from RanM “ 2 rKtaUi, s.s., 299 tons, E. Wheeler, from Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and M anukau. Passengers: Cabin—Mrs Wrigg, Mrs Carleton, Captain Handley, Dr Clark, Mrs Haycock Mrs Newman, Miss Natlian, Captain Hutton, Messrs Allan, Dyer, Coates, Wilkins, Mautell, W arren, Bell, Moody, Jobberns, Coalshurst, John Ah Tong, Whittem, 21, Thames, cutter, 17 tons, Lambert, from W 2lf a Alarm, ketch, 15 tons, Callow, from Gothenburg, 459 tons, Pearce, from Melbourne via Southern ports. Passengers : Cabin—Mr and Mrs Briscoe, Messrs Gudgeon, Reid, Hislop, Bathgate, Salt, Neill, F. Mills, J. Thomas, R. Mackay, J. Louett, R. Somner, L. Keenan, J. Glenn, M. Paxton, J. Farrar, J. Coombs, J. Moss, James, Mis 9 Railton, Masters Clayton and Prendergasb 24, Halcione, ship, 800 tons, Bishop from London. Passengers: Cabm-For Wellington—Dr Bulmer, Mrs Bulmer, Mr Jacob. For Nelson and Taranaki—Major Atkinson, Mrs Atkinson and 3 children, Master Hulford, Rev Mr and Mrs Parkin, Miss Bishop, Mr St. Paul. Second cabin and steerage: For Wellington-Mr and Ms Holmes and 2 sons, Mr Wilson, Mr Gawith, Mr and Mrs Overton, Miss Smith, Mr and Mrs Haggart and 2 children, C. Deal, T. Di ake, Ellen Reynolds, Ashley B - ur]tei '\^ ol '^} SOn —Mr and Mrs Barclay, Mr and Mrs Oldham and 6 children, Mr Elder, Mr A. Sweeney, Mr and Mrs Main and 2 children, Mrs -Tanner and son. For Canterbury—Mr and Mis Redfern and 6 children. For Picton Mr Bowser, Miss Flynn. For Hawke s BayMarion Mercer, Janet Stewart, Maggie Lome, Catherine M'Cormick, Elizabeth Ogilvie. Margaret Rough, Margaret Milne, Sarah Younger, Susannah, Hannah, and Jessie Rix, Eliza Cutl - bertson, Mr and Mrs Matheson and 4 chil dren, Margaret M'Lenuan, Margaret Coates Helen Nichol, Mr and Mrs M‘Kenzie and 8 children, Mr and Mrs Campbell and infant, C. Hay, Mrs M'Lennan and 4 children, E. M'Millen, T. B. F. Keast. For New Plymouth —James Coad. Levin & Co, agents. SAILED. 19 Wellington, s.s., 261 tons, Kennedy, for the North. Passengers: Cabin—Mrs Muster and child, Mr and Mrs Domett, Messrs Williamson, Munro, Saunders, Hirst, and 3 natives; 13 steerage. 21, Ocean Wave, three masted schooner, 118 tons, Griffiths, for Picton. . 21, Falcon, schooner, 37 tons, Morrison, for Wairau. „ ~ 21, Go-a-Head, 84 tons, s.s., Doile, for Ashley, s.s., 296 tons, Andrews, for Napier. Passengers: Cabin—Mrs Carkeek, Messrs Sayce and Bell. 21, Nevada, p.s., 2146 tons, Bletben, for Lyttelton and Otago. Passengers : Cabin— Messrs Colquhon, Grant, Ritchie, Gaw (2). 21, XXX, ketch, 45 tonß, Fisk, for Wairau. 22 Loch Lee, three-masted schooner, 247 tons,’Boig, for Newcastle, N.S.W., in ballast. 22, Heversham, barque, 500 tons, Yule, for Newcastle, N.S.W. 22, Taranaki, s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, for Lyttelton and Otago. Passengers : Cabin— Messrs A. Levi, H. Powell, Forrest, Brooks, Reynolds, Boig. , T 22, Luna, p. 8., 209 tons, Fairchild, for Napier. Passengers—l 6 Armed Constabulary. 23, Gothenburg, 459 tons, Pierce, for Melbourne via Nelson and the West Coast- Passengers: Cabin—Mr and Mrs MTntosb, Messrs Syme, Wrigley, Handy, James, and Renall.

The ship Halcione, Capt. Bishop, from London, arrived in port on Thursday at 5.30 p.m. Captain Bishop reports having, left London on May 31st, and Deal on June Ist. Had fine weather in the English Channel, and cleared it on June 4th. Fresh breezes and moderate weather were experienced in passing through the Trades. Crossed the equator on June 27th. In the meridian of the Cape July 21st. Passed Tasmania August 11th. Made the land off Mount Cook August 20th. Spoke the schooner 10, from Melbourne to Greymouth, and obtained from her fresh vegetables, and requested to be reported. Passed Cape Farewell at 2.20 p.m. on Wednesday (23rd mst). Arrived off the pilot station at 8 a.m. yesterday morning. Had occasional strong breezes, but no heavy gales, during the voyage, and arrived with all well on board, and reports no casualties during the voyage. On arrival, Captain Bishop was presented by the passengers with the following complimentary address to himself and his officers: “ '^ 0 o ? a Po^V l Thomas Bishop.— Halcione, August 24,1871. —Dear Sir,— We, the undersigned passengers

by your ship, are desirous before we part, of expressing to you our best thanks for the efforts you have made during the voyage for our comfort and amusement. We have marked with great satisfaction the able and conciliatory way in which you have maintained the good discipline and quiet order so observable during the whole of the voyage. We also wish to express our best thanks to Mr Wright, Mr Beck, and the crew for the pleasant manner in which they have done their duty. We hope that Mr Wright will soon obtain, with your help, the promotion he deserves, and that in the number and success of his voyages to New Zealand he may be no mean rival of his present able and esteemed commander. We much regret that Mrs Bishop was unable to accompany you on this voyage, but trust you w.iU receive good accounts of her and your fam Jy very shortly. With every wish for your continued happiness and prosperity, we are, &c., A trial was made on Tuesday afternoon, to test the qualities of Mr Douglas’ newly-in-vented apparatus for lowering boats, and we are pleased to say that the trial proved very satisfactory indeed. The Taranaki left the wharf about 3 o’clock, and, taking a sweep round the harbor, came up again abreast of the wharf, and whilst going at the rate ot fully seven knots an hour, the boat was lowered into the water. There was a large number of persons on the wharf to witness the operation, and they all expressed themselves pleased at the satisfactory manner it was performed. It is a decided improvement on the old way of lowering boats, and will no doubt be generally adopted by all sea-going vessels. The U.S., N.Z , and A.M.S.S. Company s s s Nevada, Captain Bletben, left Honolulu on the 30th July, connecting there with the the s s. Ajax from San Francisco, July 20tn, with passengers, mail, and general cargo for New Zealand and Australian ports. She arrived at Auckland on the 16th, at 3.30 p.m. ; left Auckland at 6 a.m. on the 18th ; arrived at Napier at 9.30 p.m. on the 19th ; left at 11 p.m. for Wellington, and arrived here at b p.m. on Sunday. SUPPOSED TRAGEDY AT SEA. The “Natal Colonist” of June 20 says:— Our extra, published on Saturday evening, stated that the R.M.S. Natal, Captain Diver, had fallen in with the abandoned North-Ger-man schooner Thomas Nickerson, which she had towed into Algoa Bay. We have since gathered the following particulars respecting the derelict vessel:—She was seen at anchor on Thursday, the Bth inst, off Gouritz Point, some 30 miles on the Cape side of Mossel Bay with three flags flying from different parts of the vessel. This was sufficient to excite cunositv and steaming nearer it was soon apparent either that the ship had been abandoned or that something was amiss. Captain Diver then directed the third officer to take a boat and go on board. This was done, and an examination of the vessel showed that the starboard bulwarks had been staved in by the sea ; that pistols and cutlasses were lying about the deck; that what was supposed to be the mark of a pool of blood was seen near the foremast ; and that the captain’s cabin as well as the ship’s stores seemed to have been hurriedly ransacked. These signs, as we l as an entry in German in the log-book, dated 7th June,to the effect that the men had refused to go farther, and insisted that the captain should make for the nearest port, seem to favor the idea that the crew had mutinied, and that violence, if not blood, had followed. The vessel could not have been long abandoned, as some still warm coffee was found in a kettle on the galley fire place. The vessel is reported as in sound condition and well provisioned, and full of cargo to the hatches. An examination ot her papers showed she was from Cronstradt, and bound to Yokohama with stores for the Russian navy. Her cargo is supposed to be a valuable one, and the amount of salvage due to the Natal will be something considerable. The “Port Elizabeth Telegraph adds:— The deck, we are told, was in a state of great disorder, and there had evidently been a very severe scrimmage, if not a fearful tragedy, on board. Upon the deck were several clots ot blood, and some death-dealing instruments were lying about. The cabins had the appearance of having been ransacked, and the chronometers and ship’s papers are missing. By a telegram published in another part ot to-day’s issue it will be seen that some of the crew of the Thomas Nickerson have turned up at Mossel Bay. They state that the captain and six of the crew were drowned, and that six were saved. But what possible business they could have for landing where they did, or what excuse they can make for abandoning the vessel, are mysteries which no one here can penetrate. The general impression is that a fearful tragedy has been committed on ooard the vessel.