ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 144, 16 December 1846, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator.

Sir. — In your last publication there appeared a correspondence which took place between the Hatbour Master at New Plymouth, and Mr. Cooke and other settlers there, respecting "reports" from Wellington, occasioned by the loss of anchor and chain by the barque Madrat on her late visit to that place, and which vre feel ourselves called upon to notice. On that occasion, vre believe, the Captain did decline the services of the party acting as pilot, being himself acquainted with Cook's Strait, atwell as there being no law at present in this colony requiring any one to take a pilot unless; he thinks proper, which case is of course well known to Underwriters; and we may state that an objection to the payment of general average was made by a certain consignee on the ground

of the alleged fault of Captain Rilberry in refusing a pilot, and th» party took legal advice on the point, but neither he nor his adviser could hiske out a case against the ship, and he therefore paid his proportion of average — Lloyd's agent here having been satisfied on the point from the documents submitted to him for inspection—among these, along with the Captain's protests, a letter from Mr. Webster the Harbour Master of New Plymouth, certifying to the effect that the Captain was obliged by stress of weather to put to sea for the safety of the ship and cargo, without being able to land all the goods for that place, and that he had anchored in a proper part of the roadstead. • dn thus.taking the proper precautions for the • security of the ship and cargo, Captain Hilberry was obliged (it coming on to blow fresh from N. W.) to slip an anchor and 45 fathoms chain, but which he left buoyed and may yet be recovered for the benefit of whom it may concern. The gentlemen of New Plymouth need not be alarmed that the character of their roadstead will suffer unduly from' this circumstance. Underwriters at Lloyd's and others interested, are no doubt properly informed by their Agents here of its nature and character, either for good or v evil, and are not usually/influenced by anonymous reports such as appears to have caused the present caution. We annex Copy of Certificate by W. Fitzherbert, Esq., Lloyd's Agent here, appended to the Captain's protest of the matter in question, and regret not to have a a copy of Mr. Webster's letter. We are, Your Obedient Servants, Bethune & Hunter, Agents barque Madras. Wellington, 14th December, 1846. (Copy.) This is to certify, that I have this day been called updn by Captain Hilberry of the barque Madras, to examine the protest entered into and extended by him at this port, and that I have carefully compared the same with the log book of the said vessel, and found the same to correspond in all essential particulars. And I further certify that I have also perused a letter from the Harbour Master at New Plymouth, confirming the particulars set forth in the above documents. (Signed) William Fitzherbert. v Lloyd's Agent for Wellington, New Zealand, and the coast adjacent. Wellington, New Zealand. 24th. Sept., 1846. Protest signed by Captain Hilberry. Isaac James Burgess, Chief Mate. Alexander Kinnear, Carpenter.