SHIPPING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4561, 2 November 1875, Page 2

SHIPPING.

PORT OF WELLINGTON. High Water.—6.4l A.jr.; 7.0 r.M. ARRIVED. November I.—A barque and a schooner. IMPORTS Manawatu, from Wanganni: 34 bales wool, Krull and Co. Phoebe, from Northern ports: 2 cases, Smith ; 2 do, Vennell; 1 do. Waters; 1 do. Naden ; 230 bars iron, Mills; 1 case, Gibson ; 50 sacks malt, Mace and Co.; 16 bales wool, Johnston and Co. Dido, from Blenheim: 64 bales flax, 28 do wool, 2 do skins, 4 kegs. Aurora, from Lyttelton : SO bags flour, 50 sacks do, 30 sacks sharps, 100 do oats, 46 do grass seed, E. Pearce; 50 sacks flour, 300 bags do. Levin and Co.; 40 bales chaff. Tonks. Hannah Barratt, fiom Lyttelton: 4 cases, 2 poles, 2 platforms, Turnbull and Co. ; 300 bags flour (1001bs.), 200 501 b. bags do, Mclntyre. "Wellington, from Auckland: 1 box, Clayton : 3 cases, A. C. Force; 30 gunnies. Krull ; 2 casks, Allan : 41 pkgs, J. Joseph and Co. ; 5S tons drain pipes, Duncan. Also a quantity of timber for N.Z.S.S. Co. Kiwi, from Napier; 1 box. Union Bank; 155 bales wool. Levin and Co. Oreti, from Oamaru : 300 bags oats, Thomas. Easby, from Dunedln; 1 pel. Secretary of Customs. Eangatira, from Napier: 1 case, Sir D. McLean ; 1 pcL A. C. Force; 27 wheelbarrows, 7 handcarts, ilcKirdy; 30 bales wool; 1 do skins, Johnston and Co. Rose of Eden, from Pelorus Sound: 21,000 feet timber. Otago, from Melbourne: 2 pkgs, Fawcett: 5 cases, Pflcher; 25 casks, o"Shea ; 6 cases, Order; 6 qr-casks, Stevenson and Stuart; 4 boxes, 2 cases, Order; 2 cases. Bishop; 46 cases, Nathan and Co.; 11 boxes, Ijyon and Blair; 93 cases fruit. Order; 5 cases, Bank of Australasia; 1 pkg, Dickson. Waikato, from Lyttelton : 3000 sacks wheat, 400 do flour. EXPECTED ARRIVALS. London.—Howrah, St. Leonards, Rakaia, Otaki. Pleiades. Avalanche, and Commissary. N ew York via. Dunedin. —Frances Lewey, brigantine, early. New York via Adelaide.—Canny Scot, barque, early. Melbourne, via The Bluff. —Alhambra, s.s , 10th inst. Duif edin.—Harriet Armitage, barque, early. Northern Ports.—Taupo, s.s., oth inst. Southern Ports.—Ladybird, s.s., this day. Nelson.—Chile, ship. PROJECTED DEPARTURES London.—Halcione, ship, early in November; Howrah, ship, January next. Melbourne via Southern Ports. —Otago, s.s., this dav. Sydney (Direct).—Easby. s.s., this day. Kewcastle.—Kinfauns Castle, ship, 2nd November; Neptune, brig, and Australind, barque, 4th November. Northers Ports—Ladvbird, s.s., this day. "Wanganui.—Stormbird, s.s., and Manawatu, p.s., this day. Southern Pbrts. -Otago, s.s. this day ; Phcebe, S.S., this day. Castle Point and Napier.—Rangatira, s.s., this day; Kiwi, s.s., this day. Lyttelton.—Waikato, ship. BY TELEGRAPH. PORT CHALMERS, Monday. Aerived: Otago, ship, from London, after a smart passage of 84 days. She passed immense Quantities of ice. On the 2Sth ultimo she passed a quantity of wreckage, apparently the lighter spars of a sliip. She brings five passengers and 600 (?) tons of cargo. LYTTELTON, Monday. Sailed: Coq da Village, for Newcastle. Ladyturd, s.s., for AVellington. Passengers—Mr. and Mrs. Cribb and two children, Mr. and Mrs. Pascoe, Misses Carter, Spiner, StanwelL Hyman, Mrs. Dalhoy and four children, Mrs. Austin, Messrs. Clayton, Sawell, Crawford, Barke, Overton, Hunter, Marks, Brigoff, Isaacs, Lewis, and Vickery.

WEATHER YESTERDAY.—S p.m. Auckland.—29s9—S.W., fresh; fine. Castle Poixt.—2932 —S.S. W. gale; gloomy. Heavy sea. "Weixtnqtox.—29s2—S."W. gale ; gloomy. Hokitika. good. Westport.—29s3—S.S.E., light; fine. Sea very smooth. Timarc—29'64—S.W., fresh; gloomy. Consider-Oamaru.—297o-S.S.E., fresh ; cloudy. Considerable S.E. swell. Bluff.—29'73—S.E., fresh; fine. Barometer generally rising slowly ; fresh S.W. gale at Lyttelton and Kaikonra during afternoon, with breaking south-easterly sea at the latter place.

The wharves have been unusually busy during the past few days, and as an instance of the trade of the port it may be mentioned that the following vessels are now lying alongside the wharf, either discharging or taking in cargo:—Ships—Border Chief, 1011 tons; Halcione, 843 tons; Hersckel, 743 tons, Kinfauns Castle, 799 tons. Barques—Malay, 325 tons ; Jessica, 545 tons: Australind, 4SI tons. Brigs—Neptune, 297 tons; Britain's Pride, 179 tons. Steamers —Easby, 969 tons; Otago, 640 tons; Phcebe, 416 tons; Wellington, 264 tons ; Rangatira, 218 tons; Kiwi, 133 tons; Luna, 199 tons; Manawatu, 120 tons. Schooners — Ruby, 24 tons; Aurora, 52 tons; Saucy Lass, 23 tons; Dido, 38 tons. A barque came into harbor yesterday forenoon nearly under bare poles. We could see no other canvas set but a small piece of her jib, and lower foretopsail clewed up, and imagine her to be the Harriet Armitage, Captain Mailler, from Dunedin, but can assign no reason for her bringing up where she has, as Captain Mailler is no stranger to this port. A brigantine is also at anchor not far from the Hatt. She must certainly have dragged her anchors to be where she is, or a stranger run in for shelter. She has the appearance of being the Omaha, bound to Kaipara, from Lyttelton. Owing to the inclemency of the weather the sailing of the several steamers advertised for leaving yesterday have been postponed till to-day. The Waikato, ship, which arrived here on Sunday morning from Lyttelton, has cleared at the Customs for the same port—evidently on a man-of-war cruise, " there and back again." The s.s Stormbird, which left Wanganui two hours after the Manawatu, has not yet put in an appearance. The southerly weather rnav .Wr»J»t«i»»«i_w, and she m« J—u>ai snelter under Mana Island, —as~ve learn from Captain Evans, of the Manawatu, that he got round Terawiti just in time before the worst came on. As will be seen from our advertising columns, the steamers Wellington and Taupo are both laid on for Canterbury Races—the former on the sth, and the latter on the 6th. The Kinfauns Castle has not yet hauled from the wharf. She will leave for Newcastle when the weather moderates. The 6-s. Napier, from Foxton, due here yesterday, we expect has taken shelter under Mana Island or Kapiti. The s.s. Wellington, we learn, has to go on the slip to have her bottom cleaned and painted and a new fan shipped. We may then expect something out of her. She leaves on the sth for the races at Canterbury. It may be interesting to many of our readers, especially those interested in shipping and yachting matters, to learn that Captain Ratsey, R.N.R., master and owner of the brig Britain's Pride, is a brother of the celebrated yacht builder of that name, at West Cowes, Isle of Wight; and who in conjunction with his brother designed and laid down the celebrated yacht Cambria, and sailed the vessel across from Queenstown to New York against the American yacht Dauntless, beating the American by eighteen hours. Captain Ratsey was presented by Mr. Ashbury, M.P. for Brighton and owner of the Cambria, with a handsome souvenir in the shape of a gold watch. We have also heard that he has been written for to take charge of one of the racing yachts at Cowes, and has sold the brig in consequence of proceeding to England via Melbourne. We wish him every success. It has also come under our notice that Captain Ratsey has been requested to lay down the lines of a racing yacht of 20 tons of the same class as the Vanguard (the fastest cutter in the world), for a gentleman in this port, and to be built here. The Cambria is not the only one Captain Ratsey has sailed, but has won many of the races of the Royal Yacht Squadron. We may mention one, the Emperor Napoleon's Cup of 500 guineas, from the Nab Light to Cherbourg Harbor, when the combined fleets of England and France, with the two sovereigns (Victoria and Napoleon), witnessed the termination of the race. The Julia, the winning yacht, luffed between the Austerlitz, French line of battle ship, and the Brittannia, English three-decker, the two sovereigns, with the Empress Eugenie and family, being on board the latter ship, and was loudly cheered by both the men-of-war. Captain Ratsey also holds medals from the Humane Society, the Shipwrecked Mariners Society, and was the instigation of the Albert medal being instituted, for saving the lives of the passengers and crew of the American ship Christianna, from London to New York, in 1806 (about twenty miles from where the London foundered), to the number of sixty-one souls, viz., twenty-five women, eighteen children, and eighteen men. A PLAGUE-STRICKEN SHIP. The ship Bremen, Captain Leslie, which left Liverpool on February 6, arrived in San Francisco on the 17th August, after 192 days* passage. Her crew consisted, at the time of sailing, of fifty blacks. The officers were white men. Twelve persons died dnring the voyage, and on arrival twenty-two were down with the scurvy. She could not enter the harbor on account of the helplessness of the hands, and a fresh crew had to be despatched to work her into port. The Bremen was designed as a steamer, and for some years sailed between Bremen and New York. Eventually she was sold to E. Bates and Sons, of Liverpool, and by them converted into a sailing ship. A Call reporter paid a visit to the Bremen on arrival, of which he relates the following particulars :—Qaptain Leslie, who must have been harassed to distraction by the difficulties of fetching port under such extraordinary circumstances, was in a communicative mood, and answered all questions with alacrity and a desire to explain. The owners of the ship are among those assailed by Mr. Pllmsoll as unscrupulous moneymakers, who neither care whether their ships swim or sink, provided they are able to grab the insurance. At the time the Bremen sailed crews were difficult to obtain, and colored men were shipped —fifty of them. The whites on board comprised the captain, three officers, the carpenter, steward, and sailmaker, and two stowaways. A few days after leaving Liverpool, one of the men died of pulmonary consumption. Before reaching the Horn, scurvy developed itself in nnmistakeable symptoms among a number of the crew, and off the Horn the disease had reduced the crew so much that a temporary shelter was rigged on deck, and five or six men were employed in active duty, with the others resting below, and some of them detailed for relief on call. _ When the ship got into warm latitudes, the reaction from the cold weather of the Horn was violent, and, as the captain expresses it "the colored men dropped off like sunflowers." The last of the twelve who died was dropped overboard in

sight of port. Another fortnight at sea and the mortality might have been doubled, as only two of the colored men were able to keep their legs on deck. The vessel was well provisioned. There was not only the ordinary amount of beef and pork salted, but a plentiful supply of canned vegetables and Australian mutton and anti-scorbutics. The mutton up to the time of reaching the Horn was served twice a month, and in rounding the Horn twice a week, thereafter three or four times a week. Limejuice was given in triple doses, and it lasted well throughout the voyage. Captain Leslie says he is skilled in ship medicine, and is utterly at a loss to account for the prevalence of scurvy, unless it be that the crew before beingshipped had come off a long voyage, and were thus peculiarly susceptible to attack. His log shows that a number of them refused to take limejuice, and persisted in the refusal at the penalty of death. Despite the length of the voyage, the provisions lasted In sufficiency for all with the exception of the flour, and as a consequence of this the supply was reduced by one-fourth. The men who were sick had a proper change in their rations—rice, sago, preserved potatoes, oatmeal, and other vegetable diet being served to them regularly, together with ™ e «;- cines, of which latter the supply ran short. As death after death occurred, the crew were greatly scared, and seemed to have a premonition that few of them would outlive the voyage. The funeral service was read by the captain with appropriate solemnity in every instance, all the crew being mustered aft, and at the conclusion the body was dropped overboard shrouded in blankets and bedding. During the latter part of the voyage it became difficult in the extreme to navigate the vessel and to take advantage of the winds. The white men aboard were all of the crew the captain could rely upon, and these were all enfeebled by extra work and want of sleep. Had the captain put in to Valparaiso, and selected a fresh crew, he would probably have saved the lives of a number of his men and brought his vessel quicker into port; but this is a matter of judgment, and in such cases no man should be censurable, although his discretion may be questioned. It is somewhat remarkable that until within a few days from port none of the white I men or white boys showed symptoms of scurvy. Capt. Leslie attributes this circumstance to superior physique, as from himself downward the same food was given to aU. On the 18th Mr. fc Lane Booker, the English Consul, telegraphed to the British Orovernment a brief account of the state in which the vessel arrived, and asked permission to hold a court of inquiry in the case. An answer was received ordering a thorough investigation into the whole matter and toTeport as soon as possible to the Home Government. The investigation was begun on the 2Jth August, and revealed a horrible state of facts as to the sufferings of the crew during the voyage. It was concluded on the Ist of September, and the Court found that Captain Leslie had treated his men well and the sick with great kindness; it was not found that he or the owners of the ship failed 'to comply with the law or the regulations of the Board of Trade, but did not take on board such a quantity of fresh meat and vegetables as would have enabled the ship to make her voyage with no more than the ordinary sickness to be expected from a crew such as composed that of the Bremen, and less than ordinarily supplied to ships of her class bound on a long voyage. In considering the point as to whether the ship should have been taken into an intermediate port, the Court found .that between the Bth and 27th of July the master failed to exercise the discretionary power vested in him with sound judgment. With Honolulu to leeward, within six or seven days run with the trade winds, in that position he should certainly, if not in the interest of the owners, in that of the crew, have shaped his course for that port. The costs of this inquiry are to be borne by the owners of the ship. Captain Leslie's certificate was returned to him.