ARRIVAL OF FIRST SHIP VVItH LANCASHIRE OPERATIVES.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 87, 4 September 1863, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF FIRST SHIP VVItH LANCASHIRE OPERATIVES.

(From the Lyttelton Times, August 19.) About, three o'clock on Saturday afternoon a ship was descried in the offin<j, and shortly after the Harbor Master was on his way dosvn the harbor, with a fair wind at that' time : the ship was about ten miles from land;- and on boarding her she proved to be the British Crown, from Birkenbead, with the first batch of the Lancashire immigrants sent out under the superintendence of her Majesty's Government Emigration Commissioners. The vessel anchored for the night near the Heads, and on Sunday the slight breeze from S.B. enabled her to como up tho harbor, as far as the red buoy beyond Camp Bay. Ou Sunday

afternoon the Commissioners reported the ship with a clean bill of health, but gave strict orders r to prevent people boarding. This order had the effect' of preventing oxir reporter from visitlnsr tlie ship, and it was only thrnngh the toiirt°sv of Captain Rproul ha wna enabled to do so on Monday morning; many of the people and the watermen having been reinsert. On getting aboard, every attention was shown, and information freely jrlvcn. The British Crown wh* built nt Boston, United States, in November, 1858. is 1.135) tons . reeister, , : old, ....measurement ; length, of, j lower deck. 178 feet, and 23 feet beam, with 8 feet space between dwk.« at the main hatch. She i H part owned by Messrs W H Daunt and Co, o. Liverpool. Since the commencement of tho war in America she has chanirod hands, having pre-. viously been called .th« Franklyn Hnven, when carrying the • United ' States' flag. The enpfaun left the tug steamer off the Turca light on the 6th May, with immigrant.?, numbering 406 souls, or 31-2£ statute adults. Nothing of importance occurred during the passage out, with the exception of adverse winds "nd calms ; crossed the line on the Bth June in 24 longitude ; passpd the meridian of the Cape July 7 ; sighted St. Paul's on the 22nd, tho only land'seen till passing the Ihe Snares on Wednesday, Aug 11th : a good run to the Heads, with fair wind, making the voyage in 103 days from the docki>. Twelve deaths occurred, all children, nnd '9 births. The ship is in command of Cantain Whitfield, and the passentre s are under the medical superintendence of Dr. Jollie: this gentleman is selected for his office by the Emigration Commissioners at home, and is entitled to a gratuity of £1 per head on all passsengers landed alive. The people speak in high terms of praise of the captnin, doctor, and officers of the ship for their unceasing endenvors to make them eomfort-Mble. An afldrens wns presented to our Local Commissioners, thnnkin« tho Government for the assistance rendered to the pn«sengers nn f ] their families, and another is to be forwarded to the Emigration Commissioners at home for providing them with every possible comfort, and convenience during the voyage. Dr Donald, on behalf of our Government, made n. suitable reply, giving them a welcome to Canterbury. The ship, internally, presented an appearance creditable to nil coneonied — captain, officers crew, and passengers. She is a real specimen^ o^ cleanliness, nnd her arrangements much superior to what we have hitherto witnessed under the old regulations, She carries one of Normandy's apparatus for distilling fresh water, capable «t' supplying three hundred gallons po" die ■. with the consumption of an average of oOOlbs of coal. The BritiHh Crown is the first ship from Liverpool direct for Canterbury, and is consigned to Messrs Dalgety, Buckley, and Co. She brings 501 tons of general cargo, but no cabin passengers.