SHIPPINGS SUMMARY.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 8, 18 June 1864, Page 2

SHIPPINGS SUMMARY.

Trade during the past month, lias been unsually quiet, but during the heat of the rush to the Pelorus goldfields, in the Province of Maiiborough, several of the vesßelß belonging to this port -were employed in conveying passengers thither. : This, however, has -■ now ceased, and they are now more dependent o a local traffic. The barque Paria, Captain Nicol, which sailed from Greenock on the 18th January last, arrived in Bluff Harbor on the 18th ultimo. She experienced fine weather throughout the passage. Passed Cape Clear on the 5th February, the Line on the 29th February, and the Cape of Good Hope 7th April. One death occurred on the voyage — that of Mr. William Logan, a cabin passenger, of consumption. There were three births on board. On arriving at the Bluff, the health and immigration officers reported all well. The vessel will shortly take her departure for Dunedin. The collection of British birds and animals, comprising starlings, pheasants, rabbits, linnets, bullfinches, moor-fowl, &c, endured the long voyage very well, and reached here in capital condition. The tug-boat Aphrasia has been taken off from our harbor trade, in which she has been long and favorably known. She is now at the Bluff assisting in getting the wrecked s.s. Scotia off the rocks, after which she will proceed to Dunedin, whera her owners expect to meet with more employment for her. The favorite steamboat Titania, which, during the exodus to the Pelorus goldfields, forsook her usual lino of trade for what no doubt appeared a more profitable one, viz., convoying passengers from Dunedin to Picton, has again resumed tho coastal traffic as heretofore, which has had the effect of relieving considerably our merchants of the great inconveniencies under which the were suffering from the want of regular supplies. On Sunday, the 15th ultimo, tho brig Australia sailed from InvercargUl for Picton, with upwards of 200 passengers on board. She is a vessel of only 162 tons burden, and was badly provided for in everything relating to the comfort and safety of those on board. Two days after leaving port, it was discovered that she was making water, and an attempt was made to put into Port Chalmers ; but in consequence of the heavy weather prevailing thero at the time, this was found to be impossible. The pumps were in constant working, and every one on board lent a helping hand to keep the vessel afloat. Her course was then shaped for the peninsula, and she was eventually run high and dry on tho shore near Akaroa. On examination it was found that thero was a hole in her bottom, which was thought to be caused by her resting on one of hejvauohors before sailing. The passengers sufferedCgreat hardships, and great indignation has been aroused that a vessel so ill provided, and, for her size, so over-crowded, should havo been permitted to leave the port. Since last Mail for Europe, two wrecks have occurred on our coasts. The lirst was the BAEQCE STAB OP VXCTOBIA. 2*75 tons, outward bound, which, while being towed out to sea, on 27th May last, encountered a tcrrillic gale and strong rising surf at the Heads, which eventuated in the breaking of tho hawser. Enquiry was made into the circumstances of fhe wreck, and tho following was the iinding of tho Commissioners : — " It appears to the undersigned that Uiifl severe casualty urose entirely from circumstances that could not he foreseen or controlled. Tho sea on the bar rose with extraordinary rapidity. The warp, which all the witnesses believed to bo quite sufiicient, parted at a moat critical moment. Thero was every reason to suppose Lhat there was room to wear the ship, and she very nearly did so with success. We think that no blame can a'tach to anyone, from the circumstances which le 1 to tho ship's loss ; and after her loss every eicrtion was used to assist the passengers and crew, and to nave property. It would have been very dangerous for the pilot to havo accompanied the ship further, and there is no reason to believe lhat any different result would hnve occurred had he remained on board. — (Signed) TunopiULUd Hbalb, A. J. Eilks, J. B. Ghkig. — Invercargill, June 3nd, 1864." ... . . ■ _ The second case ib that of tho fine STEAMSHIP SCOTTA. Sho was one of the vessels (the first) brought out. from Glasgow some four months ago by the Otago Steam Shipping Company. She was built by Messrs. Scott & Co., of Greenock, and m % asured 647 tons register. She was considered everywhere as one of the finest vessels in the New Zealand Colonies, and her loss is deplored by all. On this occasion sho was on a voyage from Melbourne to Dune- bin, calling in at the Bluff. Owing to the illness of her master, who remained behind in Melbourno, the vessel was put in charge of Capt. Gay, well known as master of the .Aurifera and other vessels. He had never before made the Blurt" Harbor during the night, and was personally unacquainted with the coast and lights there. However, ho very unfortunately was influenced to attempt the entrance, on tho representation of one of the passengers, and tho result was tho stranding of his vessel. A commission of enquiry sat for two days on tho case, and the following is the OFFICIAL EBPOET. ' " Tho evidence clearly establishes, ! "First — That about six o'clock on the evening of tho 2nd instant, the steamship Scotia being then in Foveaux's Straits, the master never having before visited Bluff Harbor, and tho evening ■ being very thick and dark, ho caused the steam to be eased, so that the vessel might remain at a safe I distance outside the port, until about nine o'clock. " Secondly — That the weather having then become clearer, although still very dark, tho master proceeded to run in for the harbor. "Thirdly — That a little before eleven p.m. tho ship approached a point which lies about threequarters of a mile S.S.W. from Stirling's Point, and which it seems is erroneously called ' Look-out-Point' by many pei'sons frequenting this port, although it lies fully a milo nearer to the harbor than the point so named on the Admiralty charts. "Fourthly — That, when off this point, being then within six or seven cables' length of the Pilot Station on Stirling's Point, and not before, the master caused a gun to be fired, and continued to run on in excessive proximity to the land, at a speed of five or six knots per hour, tho engines making from 40 to 42 revolutions per minute, their maximum speed being 75 revolutions, and the water being smooth. " Fifthly — That at the time the gun was fired, the red light on Stirling's Point must have been open to view from the steamer, and a red light at a considerable elevation ought to have been a ■warning to the master to have been on the look-out for danger, even though ho had not read the 'sailing directions ' for entering the harbor. " Sixthly— That the master of the vessel had the sailing directions on board, and had scon them on the. voyage. In them a direction occurs, viz., — ' Between sunset and sunrise, a red light will be hoisted on the signal-staff, Stirling Point. Masters of vessels are cautioned not to hug the point too close, as the reef extends about a cable's length to S. E. of the flagstaff.' " Seventhly — That notwithstanding this, the vessel was run almost directly for the red bight, and was accordingly stranded, at less than half a cable's length from the red light. " The opinions which the members of the Court cannot but come to on these facts are : — "1. That the master was guilty of culpable negligence in not using the means in his powor to inform himself as to the port he was about to enter. "2. That in approaching a strange port on a dai'k night, he ought, in common prudence, to . have fired guns, and made other signals for a pilot earlier than he did. That after he had fired the gun, the vessel ought to have been stopped and kept lying in mid-channel without coming further in, until the pilot had time to board her ; and : "3. That in running. into a point so close to a bright red light, ' the master was guilty of such rashness and want of judgement as must render nugatory and useless any ' precautions 'which can be taken to render the-harbor safe and accessible."

"on her last trip from this port to the • Bluff, was placed in very imminent danger by striking on a strange rock not far from Waipapar; jPoint andsomewhere about the same place on which the Aldinga struck some two years ago. As far as our information goes, it would appear that the steamer was proceeding at full speed along what, according to the chart, was a perfectly clear and safe course, when suddenly a severe concussion gave notice to the alarmed passengers of the hidden danger v . She bumped heavily several times, and' so imminent did the loss of the steamer appear,, that the boats wore got ready and arrangements made for securing " the safety of the passengers, some thirty in. number. Luckily, however, the vessel. backed oft", and was found to have sustained' no injury, a circumstance attributable to the extra strength of the Prince Alfred's construction, a fact that has on several occasions been manifested. It iB to be regretted that we have not been supplied with fuller particulars of this occurrence, and that the captain did not at once make known the existence and position of this sunken rock as a guide and warning to others. Wo find no mention of the circumstance in the Soutliland papers, nor do the facts appear to have been reported to our shipping reporter. — Olago Daily Times, May 14. — — ■