NEW CALEDONIA. A Ship in a Hurricane — More French. Convicts. Noumea, March 24.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 99, 25 April 1885, Page 3

NEW CALEDONIA. A Ship in a Hurricane — More Fren ch. Convicts. Noumea, March 24.

The harbour is looking very gay and lively just now, crowded with shipping. Conspicuous above all is the huge three-decker Loire, then two French corvettes and H.M.S. Undine, also a small French gunboat. There are no less than ten British vessels, one man of-war schooner, one square rigged ship, one steamer, five barques, a brig, and a schooner ; and the Cintra is expected every minute to aid to the number. JELM S. Undine arrived last Saturday, 8 days only from Sydney, and two hours afterward a square-rigged British ship entered the harbour, fcjhe was evidently in distress, the main-topmaat broken short oil', tho fore and tnizeu topmasts awry, yards pointing in every direction, and strips of sail hanging about them. Upon inquiry she proved to be the Tobique,of St. John's. New Brunswick, bound from Cardiff to Yokohama with 2,200 tons of coal, for the Messageries Company. Sha encountered the full force of a hurricane on tae 12th instant, about 112 miles to the north of New Caledonia. The gale struck her at mi -day, before the barometer gave the slightest indication. The captain (Sloan) had bent a new mainsail only four houra previously, and he said it went like a silk thiead. The vessel wa3 on her beam ends, with the hatches under water, for twelve hours, and had Bft of water in. her hold. Captain Sloan sayd he saved the vessel by hanging overboard several bag 3 fillei with oakum, saturated with oil. The effect was magical on the huge breakers. Four of the sailors were injured b> the mdi i deck capstan, which vvas torn off, and ■cook charge of the deck. One man has b^.en sent to tbe hospital. There is at least £1,200 worth of damage to be repaired before she can leave the harbour.

The Loire has just brought the 54th convoy of con view to the colony. They are classified as follows:— 44 murder, 10 attempts murder, lo indecent; assaulc, 1 wuiiudmg, 0" wounds having , occasioned death, 1 poisoning, 6 forgery, 6 coiners, I fratricide, 2,1 voluntary homicide, 6 attempted homicide, 15 arson, 6 parricide, 1 refusing to march against enemy (in Tonquin), 105 theft, 1 1 criminal assault and murder, 2 attempted criminal assault. Altogether, 319. This raises the numbers of the tiauvsportatiou to 7,630 con« victa at hard labour* and 2JOQ tioket-ot* leave meat