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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 52, 7 March 1864, Page 2

The barque Statesman arrived from London during Monday night having left the Downs on the «»th November. She brii>gs one passenger, and a full cargo of general mercliancli.se. Captain Coysh reports having experienced rough weather throughout the voyage, particularly through the earlier stages of it. tin lost his fore-topgallant mast during :i heavy squall, and the log records several instances of damage to canvas hy the violence of the elements. On the 29th January, when in Int. 47deg /iOraiu 8., loug. 4 5-ldeg E., a large iceberg was seen.. N.N.E about nine miles. The berg is described by Captain Coysh as nearly a quarter of a mile long, and sloping downwards, like a wedge, from its highest end. The proximity of this unwelcome companion considerably shortened the Statesman's southing, the weather prevailing thick and foggy, and rendering 'it unsafe to run down too far. The Poulh-West Cape was made on Monday ui^ht, at eight o'clock, since which period the wind has been tolerably favourable, with thick weather, which accounts for the Statesman not having been sighted on Monday evening. — Ilobart Town Mercury, Feb. 24. The ship Araennn was signalised in Banks' Straits by the Alexandra. She apparently had stock on board, bound for New Zealand. — Argv*, 27th February. The John Vanner returned to port on 15th inst., having been compelled to bear up when on her passage to Auckland, through the heavy gales encountered, and the great loss of cattle. She sailed from Sydney on the 9th instant, with 220 head of cattle and 220 sheep. On the 10th instant, at noon, ehe was in latitude 33 30 S., longitude 152 E., the wind blowing fresh from the S.E., and increasing. On the 11th, at a.m., had fresh gales from the southward, with a tremendo\is sea, ship labouring heavily, and the cattle dying fast; p.m., violent gale, accompanied with terrific squalls of rain and high confused sea, wind still from the southward. At 2 p.m. the close-reefed foretopsail was blown from the yard, a complete hurricane sweeping over her, ship pitching violently, and the sea making a clean breach over the decks, filling them with water. At 5 p.m. shipped a heavy sea near the fore rigging, which shifted the longboat, washed away forecastle rail, pig house, and sheep pens, also part of the head ; great quantities of water got below, and it was necessary to batten down the hatches for the safety of the vessel. Below the cattle were in a dreadful state, and it was impossible to get the dead ones out of the hold, no man's life being safe below. The gale continued in force until a.m. on the 1 2th, when it commenced to decrease in violence. The ship was kept hove-to under close-reefed maintopsail until 10 p.m. of the 13th, to allow of the 'tween decks being cleared of the dead cattle, which, by this time were in a dreadful state ; but the exertions of the crew, and the stench from the cattle, had completely prostrated all hands, and Captain Moore deemed it advisable to bear up for Sydney. Of 220 head of cattle shipped she has lost' 183, and only saved sixty sheep. During the gale the barometer was down to 29 2. Sydney Mail, 20th. February. Telegrams received on Tuesday afternoon in the City, from Lloyd's agent at Nieu Dip, on the Dutch coast, communicate the brief particulars of one of the most dreadful shipwrecks during the late storm that have happened on that range of coast for many years past, The ill-fated ship was the Wilhelmsi>org, Captain Kross, commander, built in 1853, and upwards oi 1200 tons burden. She left Hamburg in the. early 'part of last week for Australia, and is reported to have had nearly 400 emigrants on board, men, women, and children, Germans. • She had also a cargo of general merchandise. It would would seem that she had scarcely cleared the Elbe before the dreadful gale of Thursday week was encountered, and' the "wind blowing direct upon the coast, the ship evidently was unable to get an offing clear of tne long line of low shoals which abound on thjLs,i>art.of the coast. The ship was brought up at her anchor, but the furious gale and the heavy waves -which, kept tumbling in from the North Sea no doubt overwhelmed the vessel, , and she was driven on the Terschelling * 'sand-bank, a' daugeron s shoal near the entrance of the Zuyder Zee, where she speedily began to. break. np, and of 400 lives on board 0n1y ,44, are .".reported' to nave been saved. Probably, rio portion'; of tne coast of tne" North of Europe sofferetl s6,],miaph; from the . tremendous effects of the la^ft6rm r as.tnfe line of coast. Upwards of 100 coasting vessels are i enumerated by the agents to have been wrecked oi stranded, and many of the crews drowned. ■ ■ Several were bound to England.— Weefdy* £)tepatc%, "I'3'tfi Dec. The I.R.M. Co.V ; screw steamer Phcebe, E. "WfcesJer, left tne Maaakau aft 4.30 p.m. on. tb

25th, having waited one day for the arrival of the English : mail at Auckland. Sho encountered very heavy pouth-west weather on the passage to Taranaldj"where she an-ived at 11 a.m. next day ; left at 5.3(1 p.m., and arrived at Nelson at noon on the 27th ; loft «gain at midnig}it,Jiji arrived at Picton at. noon. on the 28th; leiit^|Hf hours Jater, and cleared the Tory Channel nbouTl p.m., but, owing to the violence of the weather in the Straits, had to return to Queen Charlotte Sound, where she lay at anchor till 4,30 next morning, when she left for Wellington, which port she reached after a four hours' passage ; left at 6 p.m. same day, but the severity of the weather again compelled a return to port ; she lay all night in Worser's Bay, whence she took her depai-ture at 4.30 a.m. on the lst> arriving at Lyttelton at 3 a.m. on the 2nd ; left at 2. 50 p.m.^ and arrived in Port Chalmers at 2 p.m. She arrived at the Bluff on Saturday, at 5 o'clock p.m. j We take the following items of shipping news from the Otacjo Daily Times of the 4th inst. : — _ "The steamer City of Dunedin, which arrived in the forenoon, brought 251 bales wool, 21b* shipped J at Oamaru, and 35 at Waikouaiti. She left Lyttelton on Monday. Had bad weather while there, requiring to draw off from the wharf, and at Timaru there was a considerable surf, as a result of the same gale. Captain Boyd reports the arrival at Lyttelton of the barque Balaklava, from Liverpool ; and later papers by the Phoebe report the arrival of the Lady Douglas, from Glasgow. " The steamer Phtebe, it will be noticed, is now commanded by Captain Wheeler, formerly o? the Prince Alfred," of the same line of steamers. Captain Kennedy has retired from the service, in connection with wluch he has been so long and favourably known, to assume th-5 duties of his office as one of the Wardens of the Marine Board. "The steamers Airedale and Queen were both at Wellington when the Phxebe sailed. Both had sue- j cessfully made the passage so far with their valuable freights of horses ; and the Airedale had made extraordinary runs to the different ports, proving herself to be now one of the fastest boats on the coast. " The ship Ulcoats has left Auckland for Otago with original general cargo, and transhipments from the Chariot of Fatne, which vessel has sailed for \ Point de Galle. "The steamers Star of the South and Corio, are 1 ;ioth finding employment at Auckland, either in conI veyance of stock, or of passengers and baggage from the transports. " The ship Mary Francis, expected from the Clyde, Jias a shipment of railway iron and railway carriages j for the. Bluff and Invercargill Railway."