SHIPPING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5068, 21 June 1877, Page 2

SHIPPING.

PORT OF WKLLINUTON. Hiull Wateh.—o,2o a.m.; 1.1 r M ARRIVED. June 20.—Kiwi, s.s., 133 tons. Dicker, from the East Coast. Passenger—Saloon : Mr. Millar. Levin and Co., agents. Dunedin, schooner, from Oamaru. Canterbury, schooner. SAILED. ~ , Jc.hk 20. Aurora, schooner, 50 tons, Komeril, for East Const. I'earce, agent. Wanaka. s s., 270 tons, McGillivray, for Auckland, via the JCast Coast. Passengers—Saloon : Miss Sinclair, Messrs. Ormond and Silver. Levin and to,, Bg EnKlo Wine, lirigantinc, 175 tons. Blake, for Guam. Passenger-Cabin : Mrs. Blake. TlirubuU and Co., "«""•• IMPORTS. [A tpeciid charge in matte for consignees' names m sertetl in this columii.]. : J G. Coleson. from Lyttelton : 152 sacks potatoes, ! 3SO do wheat, 72 do barley, 53 do carrots, 335 do oats, 4 cases. MX POUTS. Ruby, for Kaikoura: 8 qr-cases gunpowder, u hfchests tea. 1 case bacon, 2 do confectionery, 1 do coffee, 4 bags rice, 1 cask vinegar, 7 cases oilmen s stores, 1 pkg paper, 1 case drapery. 000 palings. ■EXPEOTBI) AP.IIIVAI.S. SouTIIKKS Ports.— Taranaki. 22nd : Taupo. -Otli. NoIITHMIN FollTS:— Wellington, 22nd; llawea, New York.—Ocean Chief, early, Elsinorc. early. Melkoubne, via tub West CoAVr._Alb.on, 22m1. Meluouune. via the South—lamrua, this day. Sydney, via Auckland axd Last coast.— Eotorua. DE . pAnT|JnB3 . Melbovbse and Hobaiiton via the South.— Albion. 22nd. .London.- Chaiuliere. early. . Northern Ports.—Taranaki, 23rd : Taupo, 27th. Southern I'nu'W.—Wellington, 22u<l; Eotorua, 23rd; Hawea, 2Sth. Nelson. Westi'OßT. Greymouth, and Hokitika. —Kennedy, 22nd. Napier and Poverty Bay.—Eangatira, early. Sydney, via Napier and Auckland.—Eotorua, July i- . , Sydney.—Wakatipu. this day. Wanganui.—Stormbird, this day ; Manawatn, this CASTLEroiNT and NAriEE.—Kiwi, this day. BY TBLBQIIAPH. LYTTELTON-, Wednesday. Arrived : Premier, barque, after a passage of 113 days from London. She comes chartered by Slmw. Savill, and Co., and brings a full general cargo and 17 passengers. . Sailed : Tararua, for the North at 0 p.m tipu for the North. Passengers for WellingtonMessrs. Watson, Wylie, Williams, and G. Talbot T_, for Kaikoura ami Wellington.—Piako, ship, for London. AUCKLAND, Wednesday. Sailed : Eotorua. at 5 p.m. Passengers for Wellington—Messrs. McKerrow, Allison, and McAluter. The s.s. Wellington, duo on the 10th, has not made the Manukau yet. The s.s. Taranaki sails South tomorrow. Up to 5 pim. yesterday the weather indications showed probability of a gale from northward and westward. We understand that the steamship Easby is likely to proceed direct to Port Chalmers from Sydney, ■which place she left on the Kith L.stant, without, as heretofore, calling here The brigautiue Eagle Wing left yesterday morning. She cleared at the Customs here for Guam : but her destination is supposed to be an island in Torres Strait, to load with guano. The steamship Wakatipu is expected to sail from here for Sydney this afternoon. s The wreckage found near Charleston leaves scarcely any doubt now but that it is portions of the schooner Kaikoura, from Kaikoura. bound to Greymouth. Slio left Kaikoura on the sth instant with a cargo.of. produce, and no doubt meeting with the recent severe westerly gale, has been driven ashore and dashed to pieces. The Kaikoura hailed from this port, and was ■ a new vessel, having been built at Auckland of kauri timber some seventeen months ago. She was commanded by Captain J. Anderson, and the crew consisted of two single men named respectively Samuel Hamilton and James Leonards ; and it is greatly to be feared that all have perished. Captain Anderson has a wife and four chi Wren in Wellington. The Kaikoura was a vessel of 31 tons register, owned by C iptain Davidson, of Kaikoura. She was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company for £6OO, and was valued at £3OO. The cargo was also insured in the same office for £2OO. The s.s. Wanaka sailed for Auckland, via the East Coast, at 11.30 a.m. yesterday. The schooner Aurora sailed for the East Coast yesterday, and brought up in Worser Bay. The s.s, Kiwi, from the East Coast, arrived in harbor yesternay afternoon at 3.30 o'clock. She left Napier at 1 p.m. on Monday last, with a strong westerly gale, which lasted till 5 o'clock same evening, when it suddenly chopped round to the southward. and blew hard, accompanied with very vivid lightning and thick rain. The steamer kept at it, and at 1) o'clock neit morning was off Castlepoint, where the wind moderated. It however increased again at 1 p.m., and she had to run back to Castlepoint for shelter. Left again at 10 p.m., and rounded Cape Palliser at 9 a.m. yesterday. Thence experienced strong N.W. wind, continuing till arrival. Eeports passing the steamer Eangatira at 7.45 a.m. yesterday off Cape Palliser. The Kiwi came down from Napier in charge of Mr. Dicker, her chief officer, as Captain Campbell has been detained in Napier by some Court case. The Kiwi will sail for Castlepoint and Napier The schooner Spray resumed her voyage for Lyttelton yesterday forenoon. The Luna will sail for West Coast ports at 11 a.m. to-day. FINDING OP THE BRtG STAR OF THE MERSEY. To find a vessel without a soul on board, to take her to the nearest port, and then claim her as his lawful prize, must indeed be a great as well as a rare event in the life of a sea captain; and such an occurrence has happened, for Captain Bascand, of the steamer Luna, found the derelict brig Star of the Mersey, and towed her into our harbor last night. When the news that Captain Euxton, of the schooner Spray, had seen a brig- in Waitui Bay, apparently abandoned, became known, it was wondered why some of our enterprising steamship owners did not at once despatch one of their vessels that were in port at the time to secure the prize immediately. Even a race was anticipated between the rival companies' vessels for the scene of the abandoned brig. However, none of them seemed to be commissioned to find the prize, and the steamers left at their advertised time, the Luna, if anything, before it; but if she was to secure the Star of the Mersey the fates were against her, for after Heaving the wharf, a line, through the carelessness of a sailor, fouled with one of the paddles, and a delay of three hours occurred. After the Luna had passed Cape Terawiti, on her way to Westport, she kept close in shore of the Middle Island, and when Cape Lambert was passed her head was kept into Waitui Bay. The night was intensely dark, and no one except the mate knew why the captain was keeping so close to shore. She visited all the little bays, mid poked her nose into every corner, going all the time quite slow. Shortly before daylight (about 0 o'clock) she headed out of the bay, and when close to Point the outlines of avessel were seen and the prize, the brig Star of the Mersey whs right ahead. " Full speed ahead " was the order then given to the engineer of the Luna, and so "n she arrived close to the brig, which was hailed; but no answer coming, the steamer ran alongside her, and Captain Bascand immediately boarded her. Not a soul could be found on board, and the only living thing was a cat. The vessel was riding with two anchors down in 10 fathoms of water. On deck and in the cabin all appeared as if she had been left in a hurry. In the galley a duff and some meat were iu the pot boiled, and in the cabin and forecastle everything was upsidedown. Oilskins and old clothes hung about, and the captain's sextant and chart were left behind. The vessel was well supplied with provisions, and was in good condition. Two feet of water were found in the hold, and pumped out. When they tried to hoist the anchors it was found that the cables—of which there were about sixty fathoms out —were fouled. It took them till 11 a.m. before the anchors were weighed, and then the Luna commenced to tow her prize towards Wellington. The mate and four of the crew of the Luna were placed on board the brig, and a fair wind favored them through the Strait; but there was a heavy tido rip at Terawiti, and the speed had to be slackened to relieve the strain on the towline. They arrived off the Heads at six o'clock last evening. There was a very strong breeze blcwing through the entrance, and it was half-past eight o'clock I,'efore they rounded Halswell Point. The Luna, after dropping her prize at Pipitea Point, came up to the breastwork. All hands on board tho Luna worked with a will to secure the brig, and no doubt they will bo well rewarded by the remunerative price paid to salvors. As to how the vessel came to 'be abandoned we glean the following from Nelson papers:—"lt appears that the brig Star of the Mersey, 255 ton 3 register, Captain John Studholme Hodgson, owned by 11. Sehvyn Smith, of Christchurch, bound from Port Lyttelton to Newcastle, left the heads at 1 o'clock on Sun'lay, the 10th inst. She was compelled to run into Guard P,ay for shelter, and when off Motongara missed stays owing to the wind baffling her, consequently, there being no room to wear, had to anchor in an unfavorable position. They next got out the boat, kedge, and lines ready for warping her out when the tide turned; but the wind increased so much that it was.deemed useless to attempt it, so she was allowed to hang with thirty fathoms of chain, hoping that before morning the wind would abate; but it increased steadily all night until 3 a.m. next day. the 10th instant, when it blew a strong gale from the N. W. Let go the second anchor, and gave her forty-five fathoms on one, and thirty on the other. At 0 a.m. it was blowing so heavy, with terrific squalls, that sixty fathoms of chain were payed out, and a new coir spring was put on the port chain, and secured to the liitts and mainmast. The ship at this time plunging into tho sea had dragged within six fathoms of the rock. The longboat was then got out in case of life being in danger, it still blowing terrifically, with squalls of rain accompanied with thunder and lightning. About!)a.m. the crew, numbering nine, came aft and a-ked permission to pack up their clothes and get them on deck, as they expected the ship would have to be abandoned. At 10 a.m. the gale was still raging furiously, when the crew came aft and stated that they considered their lives in danger by stopping by the vessel any longer. Consulted with Hugh Thomas, chief officer, and William Gorman, boatswain, and they likewise being of tho aamo opinion, thought it necessary to leave the ship; when all hands were ordered into the boats, tho captain and seven men taking the longboat, and the chief officer the gig. Mado for Tetcranga, and intended going to the ship again if she rode out the gale. On the way we sighted the steamer Murray coming in for shelter, bound from Wellington to Nelson. Hailed her and went on board and saw Captain Conway. Eclated to him tho position of the vessel, and agreed with him to stop by the ship or twenty-four hours. Mado two unsuccessful

attempts to get alongside with the steamer, but it was found it would be only endangering the lives or all on board to make any further attempt until the gale abated. Anchored in shelter on Guard Bank, expecting to get the vessel oil' next morning tSumlay). but towards 11 p.m. on Saturday tho gale increased to a hurricane, with very heavy sea, and when morning broke not a sign of tho brig could be seen Steamed toward the island, but could not see a ve-t>ge of her, and it was evident that she must have parted her chains and capsized. The brig was last s«en» o'clock on Saturday night tailing right onto the rocks, the wind being N.W and W.N.W all night. The Murray then proceeded on her voyage to Nelson, as Captain Conway considered it useless stopping any longer All that was saved belonging to the ship was two boats, and the captain succeeded in saving his chronometer and a suit of clothes.