SHIPPING SUMMARY.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 60, 18 October 1864, Page 4

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

Thereis little- of importance to relate with re-, 'gard tq'6ur~Buipping trade during the past month. The arrivals and departures hare/ been chiefly confined— if we except the usual calls of the Melbourne steamirs at the Bluff— to vessels trading with New Zealand ports. ; . . : . A.few days ago, the s.s. Titania made her appearance at our port, after her recent thorough, overhaul at Dunedin; and she is again put into her old line of trade betwixt that port and Invercargill/in which she has been long and favorably known. Her appearance now is remarkably smart, and in addition to improvements in her machinery, her saloon is entirely renewed, being now a spacious and tastefully decoratedapartment. The ladies' cabin has also been greatly, improved ;i and, altogether, with a new rigging, and a thorough overhaul from, stem to stern, tlie Titania, is one of the best and smartest looking boats trading to our ports. The William Miskin is' still being kept in the same line, but -whether there is a sufficiency Of traffic to -warrant both steamers being .retained in the trade betwixt the two ports remains to be aeen. It is very gratifying to observe the greatly increasing numbers of coastal steamers now in New Zealand waters. The neighboring Province of Otago has lately had several of these small steamers added to her fleet, and we observe ehe is advertising for tenders for a steam sen ice for the ports of Molyneux, Waikava, &c, which hare nerer yet had the benefit of other communication than by small sailing craft. Though our Jetty at present looks rather deserted when compared with the time when a perfect fleet of vessels thronged its sides, in those days of the great rush to the province, there are not wanting those signs of enterprise and industry which, when fostered, are certain to bring in their all the elements of a steady prosperity. We allude more particularly to ship-building. Two months ago we reported the launch a fine schooner of 200 tons, built at Patterson's Inlet, Stewart's Island, for the timber trade of that place. Now we observe a schooner being built on the beach, near Invercargill Jetty. She is to carry 100 tons, and will be of very light draught for the navigation of our harbors. Her dimensions are these : — Length of keel, 75 feet, 90 feet overall; beam, l-9£feet; depth of hold, 9 feet; draught, 6 feet 3 inches. She is likewise intended while more especially suited for our harbors, to trade with intercolonial parts. The timber trade of Stewart's Island is rapidly becoming of importance, and at the present time we report the following vessels loading at the port of Patterson's Inlet, viz. : — The John Bullock, ! schooner, for Dunedin ; the Ethil, brig, and I Storm Bird, schooner, for Taranaki; and the Despatch, schooner, for Napier. ! We have only one casualty of importance to report for the month, but we regret to say that it has resulted in the death of three men, all belonging to Bluff Harbor. On the morning of the first inst, the Groper, a boat, belonging to Mr. Everingham, put out to sea from the beach known as " the Neck." In her were three nien, Trovarthen, Brown, and Wilson, who were bent on a fishing excursion. The day following, however, the boat was found amongst the rocks, bottom upwards. The bodies of the unfortunate men hare not yet been recovered. The Company owning the wreck of the illfated s.s. Scotia hare as yet been unsuccessful in removing the machinery out of her. The want of proper appliances for a work of this kind operates very much against them, but it is yet expected that the company will not be losers by the speculation, although it has cost them U£ to this time a considerable outlay. The pilot laws in force at Bluff Harbor appear to be giving much dissatisfaction to captains of steamers which hare but a short call to make at that port. We hare no doubt that the cause for complaint will speedily be done away with. The sln'ps Arima and Ssrilla, the arrival of which from the Clyde with a large number of immigrants, we announced in our last monthly summary, are appointed to sail in a few days for Hong Kong. The Gananoque, which arrired witli cargo from London on the same day as the Sevilla from the Clyde, will depart early for Singapore. The barque Escape, which sailed from Leith on the 27th April last, with cargo for Otago and Southland, reached Port Chalmers on the 19th ultimo, after a long and rough passage. She is expected to arrive at Bluff Harbor from Port Chalmers in a short time. The Southland, which sailed from Leith on the 25th of June last, has not yet made her appearance. She is nearly four months out. We have to report two sailing vessels on their way to the port from Melbourne, with cargo, and one from Sydney.

♦ A xcv? schooner is now in course of being built br Mr. Thompson, shipbuilder, on the jetty beach. She is*to be pretty flat on the bottom, and -will be of sufficiently light draught to navigate the waters of our harbors with ease ; -while sho will be of such a aizo and build that her sailing capacities •will enable her to trade with inter-colonial ports as well as those on our own coast. The following are the particulars of her dimensions, viz.,— Length of keel, 75 feet ; 90 feet over all. Beam, 19£ feet ; depth of hold, 9 feet. Sho will draw about 6 feet 3 inches of water, and will carry one hundred tons. — S. Times, 6th Oct. The Arima sailed from Glasgow on 25th June Had fino weather and light wind 3to the equator, ■which was made on 26th July. From thence to the Cape had fine weather, which was passed on 20th August. On 30th August, in lat. 44 ° long. 66 ° , encountered a gale of wind from southward ; was obliged to lay ship to ; shipped a heavy sea, which washed away a boat from the daiite. Hashad fine ■ weather for remainder of voyage. Sightedthe Solanders at 3 a.m. this morning, (21et September), and arrived here at 11 a.m. Is now laying at the Heads, and will be brought up to the harbor by to-morrow's tide. One death occurred on the voyage, from convulsions. There were two births. Has 137 passengers. The ship is in capital order, rmd very clean, and the passengers speak well of ship and captain. — S. Times, 22nd Sept.