SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 54, 3 February 1872, Page 10

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

ARRIVED. 26, Esther, brigantine, 46 tons, Campbell, from Castle Point. . c 27, Falcon, ketch, 37 tons, Morrison, from 28, Alarm, ketch, 15 tonß, Callow, from Annie Melhuish, barque, 344 tons, from Newcastle. 28 Wanganui, s.s., 165 tons, Lmklater, from’ Lvttolton and Port Chalmers. Passencers—26 excursionists. 30, Go-Ahead, s.s., 84 tons, Doile, from Wanganui. Passengers Mrs Curtis and child, Mr and Mrs Read and child, Mrs Holdsworth. T , 30. Alhambra, s.s.. 496 tons, Underwood, from'Melbourne via the South. Passengers— Messrs Watt, Cockburn, Patchell, Misses Hargraves (2), Mrs Cockburn, five for Melbourne, one for Nelson, one for Hokitika, two in the steerage. . , 30, Rangitoto, s.s., 449 tons, Maclue, from Melbourne via the West Coast. Passengers —Mr G. W. Harvey, Mrs Staples, Mrs Humphreys, Mrs Greenwood, Mr Gibbons, Mr Luckie, Dr and Mrs Hector, Hiss Sealy, Miss Scully, and seven in the steerage. 30 Phcebe, s.s., 416 tons, Worsp, from Auckland and Napier. Passengers Mrs Drake, Mrs Morrow, Mr Monro, Mr Asher, Master Tanner, Master Stock, Messrs Ching, Meek, Thorpe, Montgomery, Carter ; eight saloon and one steerage passenger for the South. ~ 1, Luna, p.s, 196 tons, Fairchild, from Die Pelorus and Queen Charlotte’s Sounds. Passen<*erg —His Excellency and Lady Bowen, the” Misses. Bowen (3), and his Excellency’s suite.

SAILED. 28, Taranaki, s.s., 299 tons, Wheeler, for Lyttelton and Port Chalmers. Passengers— Mr Logan, Mrs Back, Miss M'Donald, Mrs Norris, Miss M'Donald, Mr and Mrs Chappell, Mr Strachan, Mr Holmes. 26, St Kilda, s.s., 91 tons, Flowerday, for Wanganui. Passenger —Mr Turner. 29, Wanganui, s.s., 165 tons, .Linklater, for Wanganui. Passengers—24 excursionists. 80, Enterprise, brigantine, 84 tons, Gathercole, for the East Coast. 30, Alhambra, s.s., 496 tons, Underwood, for Melbourne via West Coast. Passengers— James Furness, Captain Lovett and servant, Captain Lindsay, Messrs Hole (2), Messrs Collins (2). . „ t .. 30, Esther, brigantine, 46 tons, Campbell, for Pahau. 30, Glimpse, cutter, 38 tons, Crouchev, for East. Coast. 30, Falcon, ketch, 37 tons, Morrison, for Wairau. 31, Alert, ketch, 22 tons, Scott, for Pioton. 31, Phcebe, s s, 416 tons, Worsp, for Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Manakau. Passengers —Messrs Edmeads, Thorpe, Inwood, Bromley, and Master King; Mrs Bromley, Mrs and Matter Ariel, and three in the steerage. 31, Ruby, schooner, 24 tons, Eraser, for Kaikonra. 1, Rangitoto, s.s., 449 tons, Mackie, for Lyttelton, Port Chalmers, Bluff, and Melbourne. Passengers —Messrs Travers, Robinson, Cain, Stowes (2), Wilson, Monteith, Harper, Morgan, Huntley, Lennox, Walden, M'Leod, Wood, Master Clayton, Master Poulton, Mrs and Miss Travers, Mrs A. and Mrs D. Cameron, Miss Smith. 1, Go-Ahead, s.s., 84 tons, Doile, for Manawatu.

The Colonial Government paddle steamer Luna, Captain Fairchild, left here on Wednesday, the 25th ultimo, at midnight, with his Excellency the Governor, Lady Bowen, family, and suite. The steamer arrived at Picton on the evening of the 26th, having called at several places in Queen Charlotte s Sound. The following day his Excellency the Governor and Lady Bowen landed at Picton, held a levee at the Court-house at noon, and were entertained by the citizens at luncheon at the Provincial Hotel, at one o’clock. At two o’clock the Governor, Lady Bowen, and Captain Maehell drove in a carriage to Blenheim, where they remained all night, and returned on Saturday, at noon, to Picton, proceeding at once on board the Luna. The Luna, having steam up, proceeded down Queen Charlotte’s Sound, calling at several places, and anchoring in Ship Cove for the night. Next day (Sunday) the Luna got under weigh at about 5 p.m., aud sailed tor the Pelorus Sound, arriviug there at 8 p.m., and again anchored for the night. On Monday (29tli), at 9 a.m., she steamed away for Havelock, and arrived there at 2 p.m. At 4 p.m. the Governor and Lady Bowen landed, and were entertained at a luncheon by the Town Board. At 6 p.m. his Excellency and Lady Bowen returned to the Luna, and at 10 o’clock the same night the Luna steamed down the Sound, aud anchored lor the night at One-Tree Point. Next day the Governor and Lady Bowen landed at several places in the Sound, and the principal part of the day •was occupied in fishing. In the evening the Luna steamed into Guard’s Bay, and anchored in Lewis’s Cove for the night. On Wednesday (31st.) the Luna proceeded to Port Underwood. The Governor and Lady Bowen landed at several places in the port, and spent the remainder of the day in fishing. On Thursday, at 2 a.m., the Luna left Port Underwood for Wellington, and arrived here as above. Experienced beautiful weather during the whole of the trip, and his Excelleriey and Lady Bowen express themselves as well pleased with the warm reception they received from the inhabitants at the different places at which they called, and enjoyed the trip exceedingly. The Luna left at 6 o’clock yesterday morning for the Buller, with the Hon Mr Fox. From the West Coast the Luna proceeds to Wanganui,

We understand* that the Nevada was not expected to arrive at Auckland until the Ist instant, and therefore will not be due here until Sunday next. She will sail for the South shortly after arrival with the Southern portion of the San Francisco Mail. The “Newcastle Chronicle” was kindly favored by Captain Blanche, of the Kadina, with a view of a late invention of his, which, for simplicity, utility, and convenience of appliance to the purpose intended is unsurpassable. It seems that for some time past Captain Blanche has been studying the question of ships meeting at sea, and instigated by the necessity of providing some cheap and easily understood method, whereby the relative position of ships at night time might be by their lights more clearly ascertained, and the officer of the deck enabled to see, at a glance, whether he had better stand on,, staiboard or port his helm so as to avoid all danger of collision, has produced this apparatus. It consists of a circular wooden tablet of a diameter of about nine inches, painted white, with, in the centre, a miniature compass card on which the hull of a vessel is made to revolve, and over which again is an arrow, intended as a wind indicator. At some distance from this centre card, and opposite the cardinal points and each radius of fortyfive degrees, lie other similar cards —each with its model of a hull revolving on a pivot on its centre. To apply the dial, it is only necessary to lay the centre vessel to her course, the vane, or indicator, in the direction of the wind, and it is at once evident that any vessel on the port or starboard bow, and the one ahead, can only approach in a certain direction, in which they are placed on their respective cards. The centre vessel’s course can then be laid so os to avoid all chance of a meeting between her and any other. The dial cannot°be spoiled by exposure, can be bung up on deck near the binnacle, can be referred to in the roughest weather, and can be made by the veriest tyro of a carpenter. Several of the leading nautical authorities of our port, having inspected it, have pronounced the dial to be a most useful and ingenious invention, and it is, wo believe, intended to forward it to Captain Hixson for his approval. The “ Otago Daily Times” says :—We had the pleasure the other day of recording that the Otago graving dock liad been duly delivered over” to the dock trustees, and was ready for any vessels that might desire to avail themselves of its advantages. We understand that active steps are being taken to supply such appliances for conveniently docking vessels as are still required. Arrangements have been made for laying down moorings and buoys off the entrance to the dock, and the work will be proceeded with as soon us the gang of prisoners now at Black Jacks Point have finished the work upon which they are engaged. Bye-laws of the dock will, we are informed, be republished in the Provincial Government Gazette, and steps will be taken to circulate them as widely as possible. Captain Boy- 1 , commanding the Excellent, gunnery establishment at Portsmouth, has recently been engaged in making some experiments with the Comet and B'azer class of twin screw gunboats, to ascertain the comparative amount of roll the little vessels would have when steaming through a beam sea with their 18-ton gun raised on its platform, arcl with the gun and its platform lowered into the recess built to receive it in the vessel’s hold. With the gun and platform raised for action the roll on the vessels was found to be long and deep. With the gun and its platform lowered into the vessel’s hold the roll was found to be short and quick. The color adopted for painting these gun vessels .is a .French gray. Of 245 tons only, and with twin-screw engines of twenty-eight (relative) horse-power, the strong argument, in favor of this tiny flotilla is the 18-ton rifled gun eacli of them carries, and the handiness under steam given them by the reversible action of their screws. On the other hand, a strong argument against any increase upon the present number of such vessels may be founded upon the fact that a 12-pounder shell from any ordinary steam-cutter or launch striking their hulls, and bursting in board, must inevitably sink them, big gun and all. The “ West Coast Times” states, upon the authority of Mr John White, that the Australian Steam Navigation Company have given up, for the present, the idea of re-opening steam communication between Sydney and the southern ports of New Zealand. The Company desire to enter upon this trade, and will do so the moment a reasonable amount of encouragement offers; but at present the inducement is insufficient to justify the Company in incurring the large expense involved in placing one of their first-class steamers on the line.

Readers will remember the somewhat sensational circumstances of the wreck of the Corypheus, tea ship, from China, upon Ailu, an island of the Marshall’s Group, and the long, adventurous voyage of the captain and a few men in an open boat, first making a landing-place at Rockhampton. They reported that there was another boat with several others of the crew, and commanded by the mate, which had tried to s*eer in the same direction, but had been lost sight of. Up to the present time nothing had been heard of this missing boat, but a telegram in our issue to-day states that news from San Francisco reports that this boat and its crew had reached Shanghai.—Melbourne “Argus.” The cause of some vessels foundering has at times been a matter of conjecture, but a singular cii-cumstance which occurred during the passage of the Planter from Newcastle serves to illustrate how a vessel may be lost in an apparently most unaccountable manner. The account is taken from the “ South Australian Advertiser —After the barque had been a few dajs at sea it was found she had sprung a leak, and seeing no very heavy weather had occurred, it was very strange that as hour after hour passed it was neces-

f sary to have recourse to the pumps. On the i third day one of the seamen in the forecastle distinctly heard the water a rill from some position near his berth. The carpenter at once went to work, and succeeded in so far removing the ceiling or inner skin of the vessel as to discover a rat’s hole was the cause of the leak. The rat had been obstructed by a timber, and instead ol eating through it, the animal had chosen a position for its hole in a line with a seam between two planks. This process had so far thinned the wood that the oakum had given inwards —hence the leakage, which was partially stayed ; but on arrival the master was induced to charter a steamer in order to immediately proceed into harbor. On October 20th, about 4 a.m., the Columbus, in ballast, Captain Geddes, master and owner, of Silloth, ran ashore on a dangerous point between Seascale and Sellafield. It appears that at daylight the crew, it: order to give timely warning to the inhabitants of the perilous position of their vessel, threw a bottle overboard, which floated in with the tide, containing the name of the distressed vessel, and giving instructions to telegraph to Silloth and Whitehaven us to the position of the vessel. The rocket apparatus was immediately despatched to the latter place on receipt of the news, but on their arrival the crew had gained the shore under the following circumstances :—About half-past eleven o clock in the morning a gentleman residing in the neighborhood was taking his usual morning walk, accompanied by his favorite Newfoundland dog, and seeing the perilous position of the crew, her urged the sagacious animal into the water. The dog immediately took to the water, and on nearing the vessel the captain threw out a line, which the dog seized in his mouth, and returned to its master. The line wa9 secured, and the crew, four in number, were saved.

The French Government has given orders for surveys to be made for the construction of large steamers for the service between Calais qnd Dover. These steamers are to carry thirty railway carriages, and the transit is to be made in one hour and ten minutes. M. Dupuy de Lome is entrusted with the preparation of the plans of a water station, which will be situated two kilometres out of Calais harbor. The depth of water here will be sufficient to receive vessels of the largest tonnage and the enormous transport steamers. A branch of the Northern Railway, at present terminating in the maritime station, will be prolonged to the new water station, and thus the railway carriages will bo placed on the deck of the steamers.