SHIPPING SUMMARY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5734, 15 August 1879, Page 7

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

ARRI VED.

July 18. —Rotorua, s.s., 57(3 tons, Carey, from Melbourne, via Hob&rton and Southern ports. D, Mills, agent. July 21. —Fanny Thornton, ketch, 80 tons, Stephens, from Clarence River. Master, agent. July 22. Sophia R, Luhrs, barque, G 44 tons. Paton, from Newcastle. Williams, agent. G. M. Tucker, barque, 450 tons, from Newcastle. ■Williams, agent. July 23.— Wakatipu. s.s., 1153 tons, Wheeler, from Sydney. D. Mills, agent. . July 24.— Arawata, s.s., 622 tons, Sinclair, from Melbourne via the South. D. Mills, agent. August 1. -Albion, s.s., 591 tons, Garrard, from Melbourne via Hobarton and Southern ports. D. Mills, agent. . , t, ~ August 2.—Bcemah, barque, 903 tons, Prideaux, from London. Levin and Co., agents August 7. —Ringarooma, s.s., G 23 tons, Chatneld, from Melbourne and Hobarton via Southern ports. D. Mills, agent. Robin Hood, brig, 297 tons. Hill, from Newcastle. Williams, agent. Adodsx o.—Loch Cree, barque, 701 tons, Jones, from London. N.Z.S. Co., agents. Austcalind. barque, 429 tons, Oliver, from Newcastle. Williams, agent.

SAILED July 18.—Tararua, s.s., 563 tons, Muir, from Melbourne, via the South. D» Mills, agent, Rotorua, s.s., 576 tons, Carey, for Sydney via the Fast Coast. D. Mills, agent. July 20.—City of Madras, ship, 999 tons, Houston, for Portland, Oregon. Malay, barque, 328 tons, Croll, for Newcastle. Williams, agent. , . - July 28.— Arawata, s.s., 522 tons, Sinclair, for Melbourne via the South. D. Mills, agent. July 31.—G. M. Tucker, barque, 579 tons, Forster, for Newcastle. Williams, agent. August I.—Sophia R. Luhrs, barque, 664 tons, Paton, for Newcastle. Williams, agent. August 4. —Albion, s.s., 591 tons, Garrard, for Melbourne and Hobarton, via the South. Mills, August 5. —Wakatipu, s.s., 1158 tons, Wheeler, for Sydney. D. Mills, agent. August 11.—Ringarooma, s.s., 623 tons, Chatneld, for Melbourne via Southern ports. D. Mills, agent.

BY 2ELEGJIAPR . AUCKLAND, July 29. The Malay has arrived from San Francisco. July 30. The whaleshlp Horatio has arrived at Russell, and reportshaving taken 200 barrels sperm since she was here six weeks ago. She also lost the head of a large whale from alongside. Experienced heavy weather. LYTTELTON, July IsArrived : Thurso, 38 days from Mauritius, with 300 tons of sugar for Lyttelton, and 300 tons for Dunedin ; Hawarden Castle, ship, Shaw, Saviila, and Co., 105 days out from London, with 43passengers on board. _ , 1A July 19, The passengers by the Hawarden Castle arrived last night, all well. The passage was prolonged by bad weather. Running down an easting, on the 21st June, at night, in a gale, Alfred Williams, an able seaman, was washed off the poop and drowned. July 26. Arrived : N. Z. S. Company’s ship Orari, 92 days from Plymouth, with 288 and 11 saloon passengers, all well. Nearly all the immigrants are nominated, their destinations being Canterbury. Wellington, Nelson, Westland, Hawke’s Bay, and New Plymouth. Dochra, barquo, 101 days out from Glasgow. A youth named O’Connor, ordinary seaman, was lost overboard. Of four Clydesdale horses shipped, two died on the passage. The Merope, ship, 84 days from London, has also arrived. August 1. Arrived : Lurline, 93 days from London, with general cargo *, no passengers. ° August 13. The Owake, 20 days from Manukau to Dunedin, put in for repairs to her rudder, and also for provisions, to enable her to proceed on her voyage. TIMARU, July 29. The Clan Campbell has sailed for Liverpool with 11,000 sacks of grain. PORT CHALMERS, July 19. The ship Electra, from London, is at the Heads. Sailed ; Albion Company’s ship Westland, with a full cargo of grain, wool, meats, tallow, and eleven passengers, for London. August 4

Arrived ; Napier, ship, from London, with Government immigrants, equal to 278 statute adults. The passage occupied 90 days. August 9. Sailed ; Xloutenback, for San Francisco. August 12. Sailed : Millwall, ship, for Victoria, In ballast.

The ship City of Madras sailed for Portland, Oregon, in ballast, on July 20. The ship Pleione was towed round to the Patent Slip on August 12th for cleaning and painting. She will be ballasted while on the slip, and may be expected to sail for Newcastle at tho end of this week. _ . The New Zealand Shipping Company’s ship Waimate. Captain Peek, sailed from Lyttelton for London on Saturday, July 19th, with a cargo valued at £39,000. As the ship is in excellent order and One sailing trim, she may be expected to make a good run home. The steamer Penguin, purchased in Glasgow recently by the Union Steamship Company to replace the Taupe, arrived at Hobarton on August 10, and loft for Port Chalmers during the evening. She will take up her running on the coast at once, and may he expected hero on the 21st instant. The following is an extract from a letter from tho harbormaster at Hokitika to the secretary of the Marine Department:— I “The bar at Hokitika is now closed up. The Charles Edward, which only draws 6ft. of water, has been detained for a week. There are three outlets from the river, and the season being a remarkably dry one, the stream of the Hokitika is nearly dried up, and I fear that some time must elapse before we may expect the bar to be open to navigation.' 1 , . , ' ' A sad accident happened during the passage of the Dochra, from Glasgow to Lyttelton, namely, the loss of an ordinary seaman named W. Connor. The accident happened on the night of June 25 In 44.30 south, and 53 east. No one knows hows how the unfortunate lad fell overboard, as the first thing 3"en of him was in the water. Captain Spalding was in the cabin at tlie time, and hearing the cry “ Man overboard” went on deck, and had the ship rounded to at once. A couple of lifebuoys were thrown him. and the captain called out to him to know if he had hold of one of them, and ho answered “no.” In the meantime a boat was lowered, and pulled off to rescue the lad, but nothing could be seen of him. After remaining away for nearly half an hour, the boat relumed to the vessel, which was laid on her course again. The weather was flue at the time, though a wetnortherly breeze was A very favorable notice of tho Union Steamship Company of New Zealand appears in tho Sydney Evening News, which says : Company, which possesses the finest fleet of steamers in the southern hemisphere, so far as naval architecture and size are concerned, deserves every credit for tlie performances of their vessels, which invariably encounter at this time of the year some fearful weather off the iron-bound coast of Maoiiland, and it is always a pleasing duty to be able to record successful voyages, which not only reflects tho highest credit on steamers employed in the trade, and the able conduct of tlie trustworthy commanders and officers employed by the company, but affords proof to the travelling public that almost absolute safety is guaranteed them on tho voyage. The Union Steamship Company’s vessels have gained a special name for safety and comfort with the travelling public, and their steamers are always well patronised by passengers to and from New Zealand, especially the Wakatipu, a magnificent steamer of 1798 tons, with a horse power of 1250. To those who are not acquainted with the Union Company’s fine fleet it may not be amiss to say that the Wakatipu, although a really splendid steamer, fitted up with every luxury, her steerage being far superior to many saloons of coasting steamers, is only one of a fleet of 18 steamers, all superbly finished, of immense strength and horse-power." The following Is the report of the Harbormaster, Captain Thomson, relative to the stranding of the ship Benares at Port Chalmers“ I regret exceedingly to have to report, for the information of the Harbor Board, the grounding of the ship Benares on the bar at the Heads yesterday afternoon when proceeding to sea. The vessel remained on the bar until the morning tide, striking heavily all the time. In tlie meantime I secured the services of the steamer Waitaki to assist the Koputai. As it happened, however, the ship floated off with the Koputai's power alone, Captain Edie waiting by the Waitaki until he saw the Benares out of danger. As the vessel had strained herself very much, and was leaking, I ordered her to bo taken back to the anchorage at Port Chalmers, which was done. I had ordered the ship to sea and proceeded with her myself, Mr. Pilot Paton being in charge. The tide was very high, and there being a roll in the n rth she was headed for the south channel, in which I look soundings during the afternoon, and found not less than 22ft. on the last quarter flood, and when fairly in such channel the ship was dragging the giound a very lilllo; and without tho pilot's order cr knowledge the tug was stopped. The ship of course stopped also. By this time the ebb-tide had made down, and the vessel being all afloat abaft it caught her on the starboard quarter and very soon sent her broadside on to the bar. At this time, without the pilot’s order or knowledge, the tow-rope was let go from the tug, the pilot and myself being under the impression that the tug had been going ahead all the time, and that the rope had parted. The ship at this time was all afloat, drifting helplessly on to the shallowest part of the bar. Tho master of the tug says ha received the order first to stop and then to let go the tow-rope. I can only say that no such orders were given by any person on board of tho Benares ; that every man was at his station, very orderly and quiet, and obeyed the pilot promptly, who alone gave orders in navigating the vessel; and lam convinced that it the tug had steamed steadily ahead the ship would have gone out all right, and that the casualty was attributable to th» stoppage of the tug and letting go the tow-rope.—l am. &o„ William Thomson, Harbormaster."

FOUNDERING OF THE SCHOONER ARTHUR WAKEFIELD. The schooner Arthur Wakefield, from Lyttelton to New Plymouth, laden with grain, foundered off Opunake at S 30 p.m. on- Saturday, July 19th. The crew escaped in a boat which floated off the vessels deck. The crew were without food or water, and only partially clothed. Being afraid of the natives, they pulled to New Plymouth, and armved there after twenty-four hours’ privation and toil in a heavy sea at 8.30 on Sunday night. The boat upset in the surf, but all hands were saved. ARRIVAL OF THE BARQUE BEEMAH FROM LONDON. The barqne Beemah, which was signalled on the morning of August 2nd, was harbor during the evening. ' She is a fine iron clipper barqfie of about 950 tons register, and speaking a new vessel, this being the third voyage, her maiden trip being to Iquique in 1877, when she was knocked about in the tidal wave, which committed such havoc with the shipping, sinking one barque and doing other damage. The Beemah is one of Shaw and Savill’s chartered vessels, and is under the command of Captain Prideaux, who is a stranger to this port. She has a large general cargo, consigned to Levin and Co., and arrived in harbor in first-rate order, everything clean and neat, especially the quarters of the second class passengers. The voyage was a very uneventful one, principally fine weather being experienced. She has a number of saloon and second class passengers, who appeared to be in excellent health, and all bear testimony to the kindness and courtesy of Captain Prideaux. We believe it is their intention to present the captain with an address, prior to severing their connection with the vessel which has been theii home for so long a period. The Beemah has made the fastest passage this season, being onlv 94 days from the docks, and S 7 from Graveseed. beating the Loch Creo, which left about a week before her. One birth occurred during the voyage. She left the London docks on April 29, at 5 p.m. Gravesend on the 30th, and had fine weather through the Channel. Passed Scilly Islands on the 3rd May ; sighte I Madeira on th*» 9ih, when she picked up the nortlx-east trades, averaging about ISO miles per day till the 18th, when she lost them. Experienced light airs and calms till crossing the Equator, ou Sunday, March 25, 25 days out. Picked up the south-east

trades a little north of the Line ; lost them on the Ist June in 21dcg. south. Experienced light airs and calms ti'l sighting Tristan d’Acunha. 43 days out. Passed the meridian of Greenwich on the 17th June, Light variable winds till rounding the Cape, on the 23rd, 54 days oiit from Home. For several days had strong westerly winds, averaging 230 miles per day, thence strong fair wind, carried her as far as the latitude "f Cape Leuwin, in 4Cdeg. S., on ICth July. Had light E. winds for about a week, and from thence strong southerly wind, dropping light till about 150 miles off the New Zealand coast. Had light airs to the 27th, when she experienced a gale from the S h., veering to E.S.E., which continued for two days. Sighted Cape Egraont on the evening of the 29th; had squally south-east wind standing across Cloudy Bay, when she could only set the lower topsails. Beat through the Strait against a light south-easter a - d took the pilot on, board about seven miles outside the Heads at 9 a.m. on the morning of August 2nd. When abreast of Barrett's Reef was taken in tow by the steamer Moa, which brought her alongside of the wharf about 6 o’clock in the evening. The following is a list of her passengers; —Saloon —John Ormond, Mrs. Ormond, and J. B. Richardson. Second Cabin—Arthur Woodman, Alice Woodman, Ada Cleghorn, R. Pringle, Charles and Thos. Brown. Steerage—Stephen Hobbs, George Frame, Thomas Beadnell, Sarah Beadnell. Mary Beadnell, Charles C. Beadnell, Reginald Beadnell, Leona* d Beadnell, Richard Green, John Burns, Thomas Forrest, James Hamilton, A. G. Toomer, Patrick Dooney, Mary Dooney, Robert Allen, James Davies, Thomas Fuller, Mrs. Amy Fuller, John Fuller, Amy Fuller, William Geiling, Elizabeth Gelling, Herbert Gelling, Bessie Ceiling, and George Geiling,

ARRIVAL OF THE BARQUE LOCH CREE FROM LONDON.

The signals onMount Victoria on August sth denoted a barque, which proved to bo the long expected Loch Cree, from London. She anchored at the Heads during the evening on account of the strong ebb tide and the wind falling light. Was taken in tow by the steamer Kiwi shortly after midnight, and arrived in harbor at 3 a.m. next day. The Loch Cree is one of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s chartered vessels, and is under the command ot Captain Jones, who Is a stranger to this port. She has a large number of cabin passengers, who arrive in the best of health, and speak warmly of the kindness of the captain and his officers during the long monotonous voyage. Her rather long passage of 100 days from the docks must not be attributed to the bad sailing qualities of the vessel, but to the succession of calms and fine weather she experienced. She left the docks on the 25th April, Gravesend on the 26th. Experienced light wind and fine weather down the Channel. Easterly and north-east winds were principally met with to lat. 2Cdeg. north ; had then light variable winds and calms, with heavy rain for several days. Crossed the Equator long. 20 23 west, thirty days from the Downs. Had pleasant south-east trades to 22 south, then a succession of calms to the 13th June, when she experienced a gale from the south-east, veering to the eastward, which lasted for two days. On the 19th she encountered a gale from south-east to east, which lasted over fire days ; she then had the wind from the westward for several days. Passed the meridian of the Cape on June 22, 32 days from the Equator. Ran down her easting about lat. 42 south. Had fair wind to 18th July, 110 east long. Light winds and fine weather then set in, which lasted till off Tasmania, which she sighted at a distance on 29th July. The wind being from the north-east was unable to fetch Cook Strait, and had to stand south about. Sighted the South-west Cape of the Middle Island at Ca.m. on August 2. The wind dropped light and then hauled to the eastward. Experienced light winds and fine weather along the coast. The Loch Cree spoke the following ships on the passage Persia, from Cardiff to Madras, on May 4 : Rajah, Liverpool to Calcutta, sth: J. Williams, bound north, on 7tb ; Carlisle Castle, from London to Melbourne, on 18th; Merslo, bound South, on 10th; Prince Oscar, from Newport to Calcutta, on 19th ; Orari, from London to Canterbury, on 21st: Stuart, from London to Otago, on 22ud; Dalton, from Liverpool to Callao ; City of Manchester from Cardiff to Mauritius, on 23rd. The following is a list of her passengers Saloon: Mr. Leighton Second Cabin: Henry T. Stallibrass, Ellen Gardner, Henry J. B. Taylor, Sarah Taylor, Emily Taylor Francis Taylor, Mathew Singleton, Mary Singleton, Annette Singleton, Sarah Singleton, Helen Singleton, Charlotte Singleton, Andrew Singleton, Matthew Singleton, William Singleton, Kate Walsh, Ellen McMarth. Steerage—Arthur Palethorpo Thos, White, Mary White, William White, Janies White, Jane G. Batten, Ida M. Batten. Isabella Batten, Helen G Batten, Sarah R’gden. Daniel Walsh, Daniel Burke, James Waldron, Nicholas Frydayaud James Sextons , TEN YEARS’ SHIPPING DISASTERS IN THE AUSTRALIAN TRADE. A retrospective search taken through a series of ten years from 1809 to 1873 inclusive, discloses the fact that a vast fleet of merchant vessels, trading between the United Kingdom and these colonies, has m various ways been destroyed, says the S, M. Herald of a recent date. But by the comparison of a faithfully compiled record of these losses en route to and from the colonies of Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and New Zealand, this colony will bo found to come out most brilliantly. Compared with Victorla we have had a happy immunity from heavy shippin" disasters. During the tun years mentioned, 1303 ships sailed from the United Kingdom for Melbourne; and of these twenty were lost in various ways ; but five of them—namely, tho Victoria Tower, Sussex, British Admiral, Geltwood, and Loch Ard, found their last resting-place in Bass Strait, thus testifying to the great danger English ships run In approaching Hobson’s Bay as compared with their approach to Port Jackson. It may be argued that the Sydney-bound fleet run the same danger, inasmuch as they largely use the Straits route. So they do, but when the wind is foul or weather dirty, Sydyey-bound clippers invariably keep away to the southward of Tasmania, which by tho percentage of losses is found to bo a much safer course than the one we have drawn attention to. During the period mentioned 1056 ships left England for Sydney, and only eight of them wore lost, two in Bass straits and two on our own coast. It thus appears that notwithstanding the increased distance to be traversed this is more than counterbalanced by our geographical advantage in possessing one of the best seaboards in the world and a fine bold entrance to our harbor. When we consider that very soon our coast, both northward and southward, will be lit like a street with lamps, the now low average of losses is likely to he still further minimised. The homeward-bound list comprises the departure of 785 ships from Melbourne for London ; out of these Victoria lost only three of them. But this colony is again more fortunate. for out of 461 sailing for Europe only one was lost—tho Strathnavor, supposed to have foundered on tlie coast, her headboard having been picked up at Jervis Bay. The maximum rate of losses rests with Queensland ships on tho homeward route—out of 148 ships three were lost, or at the rate of two per cent. Sydney comes out with the lowest average, viz., ’22 per centum. ~ , Tr . , Tho summary of sailings from the United Kingdom to all these colonies, and vice versa, brings the total up to 7517 vessels, of which 38 have been wrecked, t’ ree burnt in port, six burnt at sea, five sunk In collision, eight missing—making a total of 60 vessels. For the faithfully compiled record of losses given below we are indebted to Mr. A, W. Cleveland, secretary to tho Shipping and Underwriters’ Association. This, taken together with a previously Issued list in 1879, shows that during the last 14 years the losses of vessels outward bound from the United Kingdom to ports in these colonies have been 52 out of 6225 sailings, or -85 per cent, for that period : and that the homeward voyages, during the same number of years, give 28 losses out of 3704 sailings, or - 76 pet cent. Comparing individual years with respect to voyages Doth outward and homeward, we find that in 1809 and 1871 the losses amounted to 1*66 and I’2 of the sailings : there has been a decrease in the annual number (with one slight exception in 1875) since 1874. The casualties last year amounted to only *54 of the vessels afloat on the voyages under consideration. Should the present low average of Sydney losses be maintained, the question of a reduction of insurance rates in favor of Sydney may reasonably be looked for at no distant date. __