SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 35, 23 September 1871, Page 10

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

arrived September. 15, Wellington, s.s., 261 tons, Kennedy, from’ Lyttelton and Otago. Passengers— Saloon : Messrs Miilar, Graff, Millar. Second cabin: Mr and Mrs Thomas, Mrs Moxham, Mr Toms, Messrs Walter, Barr, Yule, Stephen. 17, Taranaki, s s., 299 tons, E. Wheeler, from Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Manukau, with a number of saloon passengers, and 250 Chinese for Otago. _ 17, Luna, p.s., 200 tons, Fairchild, from Auckland, Tauranga, and Napier. Passengers —Mrs Vogel and family, Mrs Price and family. 17, Wanganui, s.s , 164 tons, Linklater, from Wanganui. 19, H.M.S. Basilisk, Captain Moresby, from Nelson. 20, Claud Hamilton, s.s., 529 ton, Clarke, from Melbourne via Hokitika. Passengers — Messrs Lowes, W. P. Cowrie, Williamson, Mies Scott, Mrs W. P. Cowic, Mr and Mrs Wilson and three children, Mr Baker, Mr Solomon, Mr Port, a number of passengers for the South ; total, 17 cabin and 62 steerage. 20, Glimpse, ketch, 38 tons, Croucher, from Motueka. 21, Dawn, cutter, 21 tons, Craig, from Manawatu. SAILED. 15, Annie Melhuish, barque, 344 tons, Capfc. Williams, for Newcastle, N.S.W. 15, Chanticleer, brig, 194 tons, Phillips, for Hobart Town, in ballast. 16, Esther, brigantine, 54 tons, Campbell, for the East Coast. 17, Taranaki, s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, for Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, with 250 Chinamen. 19, Wanganui, s.s., 164 tons, Linklater, for Wanganui. Passengers—Mrs Aiknian,. Mrs M'Michael, Mrs Brown, Messrs Williams, Davidson, Turner, Harper, Burr, Knowles, Graside. 19, Luna, p.s., Fairchild, for Nelson. 20, Ruby, schooner, 24 tons, Frazer, for Kaikouras. - 21, Claud Hamilton, s.s., Clark, for Lyttelton. Passengers Bishop Moran, Messrs Robert Rhodes, Harker, Clayton, R. Currie, Mathieson, Stuart, Currie, Coote.

The three-masted schooner Lady Bird left Wellington on Wednesday evening, at seven o’clock, on her voyage to Newcastle, with the wind S.E. Worked out as far as Barrett’s reef, the vessel working well. In making the last board across to Barrett’s reef she missed stays, and, as the wind was baffling, leg go the anchor. The anchor, however, did not hold, and she drove down on to the south end of the reef, and bumped heavily. The Captain got the boats out, but in doing so the longboat filled, but was righted again, and the six passengers (two of whom were fema'es) were got on board. The Captain then started foi the pilot station for assistance, and Mr Holmes and his crew proceeded to the vessel, and met the boat with the passengers on board all safe. The wind freshened and the sea rising, it was thought prudent to get all the luggage and valuables out of the vessel. These were transferred to the pilot boat, and she returned to the pilot station, leaving no one on board. As the vessel was bumping heavily and leaking a great deal, it was thought probable that she would become a wreck. After the pilot boat had landed the luggage, &c., she returned to the Lady Bird, in company with the ship’s boat, and on getting on board Mr Holmes thought it possible to get the vessel off. He gave orders to set the foretopsail and foresail to work her through the rocks, and also sent a man below to plug the holes in the vessel’s sides. After considerable difficulty the holes were partially stopped, and the tide rising she moved ahead and cleared the rocks. She was then headed for Wellington, and succeeded in arriving alongside the breastwork, where she will undergo repairs. While the Lady Bird was on the rocks, a quantity of luggage w’as landed on the rocks and left in charge of two of the crew ; they were landed at the pilot station on Thursday morning. On receipt of the news Mr Dransfield immediately sent a boat to bring the passengers to town. Great praise is due to Mr Holmes (pilot) and his crew for the timely assistance rendered, and also to the master of the Lady Bird for his coolness under the unfortunate circumstances. The ship Mehta, Captain Grant, from Wellington, arrived at Gravesend on the 21st June.

The ship Electra, Captain Sellars, sailed from London for this port on the 13th July. She is now out 67 days, and may therefore be shortly expected. The ship England, Captain Harrington, is on the berth for Wellington, and is advertised to leave London on the 30th July.

The brig Kentucky, from San Francisco for the Navigator Islands, foundered in a hurricane near the Fiji Islands ; crew drowned. Master’s report of the British Monarch, at Gravesend, June 18, from Melbourne. On May 14, boarded the water-logged brig Southern Cross, and found her totally abandoned ; her lower mast and bowsprit were gone. She had apparently been a considerable time drifting about, as her sides were thickly crusted with barnacles. Lat 51 N, 17 W, was in company with 125 homeward-bound vessels.

The Clarenee, from Melbourne for London, whilst laying to off St. Helena, May 31, was in colliision with the Lothair, from Japan, and had her port rail, two stanchions, and after boat davit boom broken, poop hand-rail injured, and sustained other damages. Captain Underwood, of the Alhambra, reported having seen a wreck near Cape Farewell, on his passage from Nelson last week. He reported that the wreck was a ketchrigged vessel, was four miles east of Cape

Farewell, lying on a sand beach, quite dry, spars all standing, and sails bent, painted black, with red ribbon, bulwarks gone, hull apparently broken, size about forty tons. He saw no signal, nor anyone near. The “ West Coast Times” says the only vessel answering the above description, known at Hokitika, would bo the Angelina. The following is the full decision of the Court in the inquiry at Westport respecting the collision between the steamers Murray and Charles Edward :—ft was of opinion that that damage to the Murray was caused by the p.s. Charles Edward steaming astern to get off a bank at the bar on which she was aground, and not stopping her engines in sufficient time to avoid a collision with the Murray, which was then lying aground in the channel. It considered that blame was attributable to Captain Thomas Holmes in the following respects : —lst. For attempting to leave the river whilst the Murray was lying aground in the channel in dangerous proximity to the course adopted by him. 2nd. For want of sufficient care when getting his vessel off the ground to avoid a collision with the Murray. 3rd. For proceeding at once to sea after the collision, without making any inquiry as to the damage done, or any offer of assistance. We are further of opinion that, considering there was no reason to suppose from the situation of the Murray that she was in any particular danger or stood in urgent need of assistance, the neglect on the part of the master of the Charles Edward to make inquiries or to offer assistance, although censurable, does not require that the power of cancelling or suspending any certificate should be exercised in the present case. We are also of opinion that no ground has been shown for the suggestion made during the inquiry that the collision was intentional or malicious on the part of the master of the p.s. Charles Edwards. An accident occurred to H.M.S. Basilisk on Saturday evening, which, however serious it might have proved, fortunately resulted in nothing worse than an alarm to the captain, considerable inconvenience to the officers and crew, and a great disappointment to the watermen and intending visitors. A little after 8 o’clock the officer on watch was etaited by the snapping of the cable, immediately follovred by the drifting of the ship with the tide, which was then flowing, towards a neighboring mudbank, on which in a few minutes she grounded. Steam was got up with all possible speed, but before the engines could be set to w r ork the tide had commenced to ebb, the result being that the vessel had to repose for the night on her unaccustomed bed, fortunately a very soft one, and at high water yesterday morning she was without much difficulty once more got afloat. We had an opportunity yesterday of inspecting the treacherous link of the cable, the breaking of which was the cause of the accident, and the most inexperienced eye could detect that it must for some time have been in a defective state, as the centre part only of the iron presented that bright sparkling appearance possessed by metal which has not been exposed to the action of the atmosphoi e. It is extremely fortunate that the cable should have parted in so calm and smooth a port as that of Nelson, as, had the accident occurred in a harbor with a more rocky bottom, and exposed to the boisterous weather which is customary in some of the other New Zealand ports, it might have resulted in the loss of the ship.—“ Nelson Mail.” The intimation of the loss of the clipper ship Lucibelle at Starbuck Island, which was reported by telegram from Sydney, a few days ago, is now confirmed by the arrival at Melbourne of the chief officer, Mr J. Schwartz, in the brigantine Mary, which left Starbuck on July 23. The Lucibelle, it will be recollected, left Melbourne about the end of March for Starbuck Island, with plant and gear for working the guano deposits on that island. Mr Schwartz states that on her voyage there she called at Curtis and Macaulay Islands, in the Kermody Group, and afterwards at Dueie Island and the Caroline Islands, looking for guano, and finally arrived at her destination on May 22, where she landed Mr Arundel, the representative of the firm of Messrs Moulder Brothers of London. The ship was kept under sail just off the island all that day, there being a strong current running. Through the night, however, the wind died away, and the ship, about 6ix o’clock on the following morning, drifted ashore. In less than six hours’ time she was a total wreck, and there was very little else of her visible but the nightheads and sternpost. Captain Gearey and Mrs Gearey and the crew were all saved, but the whole of the cargo went with the ship. Captain Geary and a portion of the crew went home in the Glendower, and the remainder in the Empress, which sailed for England on July 1. It was understood that an inquiry would be held in London into the causes of the wreck of the Queen of the Thames. The following extract from a letter received from Mr J. E. Stead, formerly stationmaster at Castlemaine, and who were pssenger to England by the steamer, shows that the investigation has not been proceeded with: —“I received a subpeena to appear before the Board of Trade on the 15th of June, and in compliance with that I went to London to give evidence in re wreck of the Queen of the Thames. However, when I got there the inquiry was closed, the board feeling a difficulty in proceeding to adjudicate on a matter which had already been inquired into.” . , The following, among other alterations ana changes in Messrs Green’s fleet of Blackwell liners, are reported as accomplished or in contemplation. After above 16 years’ serviee in this trade, and about 19 years in the Blackwall line, the clipper ship ship Swiftsure has passed by sale to new owners. Captain Stacpoole, who commanded the good ship during her lust five voyages to Melbourne, and is almost as well-known to the travelling Public, has been promoted to the command ot the

Shannon, said to be one of the finest passenger ships afloat. This vessel is placed in the Melbourne trade, and is expected to enter her first appearance in these waters about the 20th October. Following the handsome and already favorite frigate ship Newcastle, now at the Sandrige pier, will bo another Blackwall representative, called the Lord Warren, after the late Duke of Wellington. This ship is due about the 20th inst, and comes with a high reputation as an East India passenger ship. She is commanded by Captain Smith, late of the Wellesley. There is a movement among the shareholders of the Wanganui Steam Navigation Company, with a view of asking the directors to purchase the St. Kilda, as a supplementary boat to the Wanganui. The proposal, says the “ Chronicle,” appears to bo one that would tend materially to strengthen and improve the position of the Company, if the St Kilda can be obtained upon fair and reasonable terms. We learn from Westport that the steamer Lyttelton met with an accident there, by coming foul of the anchor of the schooner Canterbury in the river. The Lyttelton had a hole in her which leaked considerably since the accident, and she would likely have to be detained in the lagoon there for some days to get the leakage temporarily repaired. Notwithstanding the loss of the Queen of the Thames, there is an endeavor on the part of some people at home to get up a similarly sized ocean-going line of steamers for Australia.

On June 29 a feat was accomplished, which, as a successful act of daring, equals anything that hardihood ever prompted man to. The tiny craft, the City of Ragusa, registered tonnage 1 ton 17 cwt, after having crossed the Atlantic in thirty-six days, and having gallantly braved the perils of the most tempestuous weather, arrived in safety, and anchored in Queenstown harbor. From the beginning to the end of the passage the captain saw the sun rise and set only once, and during the remaining days the weather was too thick to permit him to make observations. During all the trials Heyter (the “ crew”) behaved in a most patient and manly spirit, never complaining, and the bravery of the two men seemed to be emulated by the extraordinary endurance of a splendid brindled-bull terrier which bore all the sufferings of the long journey with as much fortitude as his fellowvoyagers. The barque Premier (recently wrecked at Oamaru) has been tilted over by the contractors to enable them to more completely effect the repairs necessary before getting her off. In the first attempt, the mainmast was broken off about fifteen feet from the deck, and the purchase had to be shifted lower down the mast and connected with the foremast. The attempt will be made next spring tide to get her off, as by that time all the, arrangements will be complete. Strong bulk heads have been erected fore and aft amid the vessel, and a platform being built across the bottom of the middle compartment, all being well caulked, will make a watertight chamber of sufficient capacity to give the required buoyancy to the vessel when she is gob off. The contractors are now pretty sanguine of success. The vessel shows little change in her outward appearance, but is, of course, much strained. The brig Hindu has gone ashore again, and is likely to become a total wreck. It was known in town on Monday that the vessel had been hove off into a sufficient deapth of water to float her, and that the steamer Beautiful Star had been engaged to tow her round into the New River in the course of the afternoon. Before that time arrived the weather became overcast, and the captain of the Star put back to the Bluff. In the meantime those on board the Hindu, having seen the steamer’s smoke (at noon), kept everything in readiness for towing off. By 3.30 p.m. the sea rose, and the chain cable parted, letting the vessel ground again. As darkness set in the position of those on board became critical; for even at low water there were some seven feet of water around the vessel, and a heavy surf running. Towards midnight the crew resolved to attempt landing in their boat, and, fortunately succeeded in doing so. Once on shore they managed to light a fire, by which they remained until the next morning, when they saw that the vessel’s decks had been swept by the sea. Portions of the deck-house in which they had been living bestrewed the beach.—“ Southland News,” September 6.

During the passage of the Kent, which has arrived in Melbourne, a most painful incident occurred, Mr Arthur Collett, one of the midshipmen, falling overboard on the morning of the 11th July, and being drowned. At the time the vessel was in lat. 41 deg S, and long 11 deg 41 min W. She was running before a heavy gale under reefed mainsail and lower topsails, and on account of the tremendous sea and the very thick weather, it was found impossible to do anything for the rescue of the unfortunate young man. The Cerberus, ironclad, having been put into fighting trim, has made her trial trips down Hobson’s Bay. On the first occasion there was a heavy sea on, and she proved herself perfectly fit for her destined duty—viz, the defence of the Bay. The turrets worked well and smoothly, and competent judges assert that the vessel in every way comes up to the eulogiums that have been passed upon her. The Cerberus is at present stationed in Corio Bay, and is an object of attraction to tlie people of Geelong and the neighboring localities.

The “ Sydney Morning Herald” is informed by Mr Moore, agent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, that the Bangalore and Nubia will replace the Avoca and Geelong on the line between Galle and Sydney, the Bangalore bringing the next mail. It was at first intended to employ the Ceylon and Pera on this service, but some delay would have attended their preparation. These ships have large passenger accommodation and great speed.