Shipping.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 254, 12 December 1872, Page 5

Shipping.

PORT CHALMERS.

December 2.

The Sarah Dreyfus commenced dincharging part of her cargo of sugar this morning into the railway trucjes. TMs^s the first foreign cargo that will be brougjjt to town by railwny. The steamer Peninsula made her first trip th»s morning under her new owners-,' and brought down a-nnmber of excursionists. She had an awning spread over her deck, which will be a great relief to passengers in warm weather. The barque Gyrene, from Newcastle, which brought up at the Heads last night, was towed close to the Railway Pier to discharge her piles. Captain "Wood reports leaving Newcastle on Thursday evening, 21st of November, had -fine N,B. winds to .making "ihe Sotamlcr, then encountered a heavy gale, but did no damage, passed through the Straits last Friday, and had very Unlit and variable winds along tUe coast. She brings a number of piles for the Hallway Pier. Mr Seed, Secmfiary of Customs, reports that the number of casualties to shipping that occurred on the coasts of the Colony in 1871-72. was 38, of the aggregate tonnage of 3104, being considerably in excess both in numbers and tonnaere of the casualties of the previous year, during which there were 27 casualties, of 2173 tons ; but the loss of life was less, being only 11, against 27 in 187071. Of these six belonged to the unfortuixate schooner Rifleman, which sailed from Lyttelton on the 10th of October last, never afterwards to be heard of ; and three comprised tlje crew of "the Ocean Bird, which vessjet capsized oft* Stevens Island' in April last. The- seVere gale which was experienced at Taranaki, Nelson, and Wellington, on the 10th, 11th, and 12th November last, added I prera! to the list <?f casualties {or the year.

In the return of casualties are given particulars of two weeks which took place at a distince from New Zealand. — namely, the India- 1 man, a Swedish vessel oi 1200 fcotis, -which * was totally lost at Eaater Island, latitude ). 27deg. 9niin. 30sec. S. ; longitude, 109deg. 25min. 20sec. W. And the iSea Breeze, belonging to Auckland, of 70 tons, total'y ; lost at Starbuck Island, in latitude s'iojz. ] 24min. S. ; longitudrt 155deg. SOniin. W. | The master who was in command of the Sea i Breeze when she was lost, was the same per- < sou who had his certificate cancelled m A uckland in. February, 1870, for stranding the cutter Maxwell, on a rnck off the Island of i Tiri Tin." Tiiis circumstance, s\t 8 Mr Sopd, shows the necessity that exists for bringing into force the regulations requiring that vessels shall be commanded only by masters holding cer'ilicates ; for if masters can be appointed to vessels after having had their certitieates car.ce'led, it is obvious that the prosnect of punishment for neglect, by the suspension or cancellation of certificates, will soon be regarded with indifference, and that one of the mam objects of holding official enquiry into wrecks will thus be defeated. December 3. The Sydney correspondent of the Argus writes as follows on November 7 : -The tendeis for the Sau Francisco Service are due on the 20th of this month. I cannot hear that any telegrams have been received from London instituting any detailed inquiries, and this does ■not leok a 9 if English steamboat proprietors wore preparing calculatious. At the same time it is certain that there will be some tenders, and the only doubtful point, is whether they will be of a cliaractor that the Government can accept. The Helen Burns, ona of Patrick Henderso >'s liners, was seen off the Ocean Beach yesterday morning. The Geelong went down for her in the forenoon, and brought her up, at 3 p.m., off Bocky Point. She left Glasgow on August 14 ; sighted Erris Heads on the 1 7th ; and had light winds till ths end of the month. The N.E. trades were veiy light. On September 4, encountered a cyclone, which blew very violently for some hours, but did little or no damage to the ship. The equator was passed on September 19. The S.E. trades were also very light Passed the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope on October 23 During the remainder of the passage hart light windi and fine weather, with the exception of a heavy N.AV. gale off the Snares, which were passed on the 30th ult, at 8 a.m. Mis Houston, one of the passengers, gave birth to a male child on the 4th November. The He'cn Burns has made a rather protracted passage of 110 days, owing to a continuation of light winds and calms. December 4. The Albion, Capt. M'Lean, came up the harbor yesterday evening, after being anxiously looked for all the morning. Captain M'Lean reports clearing Port Philip Heads at 7.30 p.m. on the 2lst ult ; arrived at Hokitika at 8 a.m. on the 27th ; left for Nelson at G p.m, arriving at 2 p.m. on th«> 28th ; sailed at 8 a.m on the 29th. arriving at Wellington at 7 p.m. the same <Liy ; left at 5 p.m. ou tlie 30th, and arrived at 10 a.m. on the Ist December ; sailed at 6 p.m. on the 2nd, and arrived sit Port Chalmers at 6 p.m. on the 3rd. Experienced very string S.W. winds from Lyttelton. Her mails and passengers were conveyed to Dunedin by the Peninsula. We have to thank the purser for Melbourne and Northern flics. On Friday last, a whale of the bottle-nosed species was captured at the Oamaru Breakwater. Soon after the men had started work, one of them came running to Mr Walkem, and in a great state of excitement told that he had found a big fish on the rocks. Very soon all the men were gathered round the animal with ropes, chains, and weapons of all descriptions, while the finder was dancing round it, crying out, in a powerful Cornish accent. "Scat un, harpoon tun, gad 'un, rope 'un. &c." All this time the whale seemed to be asleep, but +lie noise, and a tickling sensation produced by the introduction of a crowbar into its blubber, caused it to ?pen its eyes, and then it began blowing and lashing its tail. It was at lastisecured. and hauled up on the beach and left for dead. It is a fine specimen, measures 15ft in length, and about 10ft iv girth. It has been converted into oil to lubricate the trucks on the harbor tramway. — Times. December 5. The Dredge was taken into the Graving Dock this morning for repairs. The May Queen commences loading her wool The James N. Fleming has all hut finished loading. To-day she commenced bending her sails. The briffantine Bertha sailed on Tuesday evening with a fine fair wind, bound to Lytteiton, to discharge part of her original cai go of sugar ; .after which she will return to this poit to load wool for Boston. The s.s. Pretty Jane, from Lyttelton via Timaru, arrived in harbor at 6 a,m. yesterday. She left Lyttelton on the 2nd, at 3 p.m. ; arrived at Timaru next morning, took wool on board for Dunedin, and left for Port Chalmers at b" am. f-n the 3r . She steamed alongside the ship May Queen to discharge her grain. She experienced strong S.W. winds the who'e way. It is understood that Mr Woods, the Premier in Fiji, who is now on a visit to Melbourne, has completed arrangements with a Sydney firm for the establishment of a monthly- lin of steamers between Sydney and Fiji. The first steamer of the line will leave Sydney on the Ist of December.— Aye. An inquiry into a complaint of drunkenness against Captain Rimmer, of the barque Glaslyn, preferred by Mr David Spence, one of the owners, has been commenced by the Victorian Steam Navigation Board. The evidence of the mate went to show that for fourteen days after the ship left London the captain did not come on deck, and that during thot period he was intoxicated. During the voyage the captain gave no orders, and the first and second mates worked the ship. 4. curious point in the mate's evidence is the assertion that while at Gravesend be was instructed by one of the partners to look after tlje ship. The steward in his evidence went into detail, and told how the captain han opened as many as two bottles of brandy a day, and how he had taken a supply to bed with him, and that he drank the whole of the liquor on board, with the exception of a, gallon of rum and a case of sherry, withnrforty or fifty days. When all the stores were'gone, a gentle hint which was not responded to was given that there was some fine old torn gin below. Statements were also made that the captain took no part in the navigation of the vessel. December 6. The schooner Lloydß Herald, heat out of Harbor this morning, bound to Catlin's River for timber. Our Port Chalmers correspondent telegraphed at 3p.m. :— " The Palmerston is iovntta up. All well." The ship that was seen off the Ocean Beach turned out, as was expected, to be the Christian M'Ausland, from London. She was towed up by the Geeloug and anchored off Otahiti Point. _ She was placed in quarantine, having scarlatina on board. A report of her passage could not, of course, be obtained, but we have received the following particulars :—: — The ship left London on Sep'e,mber 4th. There were thirteen cases of scarlatina during the voyage, but none fatal. One adult and five infants died from other causes, and ono child is still ill on board. The Christian M'Ausland reports seeing a large square-rigged vessel off fine Snares, and shewillprpbablybc-fcholong-lookcd-lor Palnierston. But for the timely assistance of some Admiralty craft, it seem* that the h.s. Atrato would have been in imminent danger of going on shore. She left Plymouth on the evening of the 17th ult., with 460 passengers. About ten o'clock that night the surgeon heard a shock, and about an hour later the engines commenced to * c gallop" — a sure sign that the propeller had been disabled. It was soon found that the four blades of the screw had been carried away. Tho ship.was put under, sail, and steered for Plymouth, but a gale of wind was blowing, and she lost two anchors. The buoy originally laid down for the West- Indian mail steamers was then made for, and as the Atrato passed a schooner, her helpless condition was made.known, and a boat's crew from the schooner took a hawser on board . A larger one was afterwards got from H.M.S. Thalia, and the kteamer wai at length safely brought up»

December 7. The barque Dreyfus, from Mauritius, has finished discharging part of her cargo of sugar for Dunedin. She hauled away from the Railway Jetty this morning, and proceeds to Lyttelton to discharge the remainder of her cargo. The ship Palmerston, from Hamburg, with 300 passengers on board, was towed into harbor yesterday by the tug Geelong, and unfortunately, put- in quarantine, she having had scarlet and typhoid fevers on board. A report of her passage in the meantime cannot be obtained. The twin screw steamer Lady Bowen, formerly known as the Result, has beea purchased by Hamilton and Co., of Dunedin. She has been lying-up for the last twelve months ; she is now to have a thorough overhaul, two new screws put in her, and her cabin refitted and made comfortable for passengers. She is to be put in the Harbor trade, and. will run from Dunedin to Otago Heads, calling at all the intermediate landing places. It is expected that she will commence running about the 15th. of the month. December 8. The Cora sailed up on Saturday afternoon from Oamam. She went alongside the Peter Denny and discharged 120 hales of wool, and ■ then went to the May Queen and* discharged ninety bags of grain. Messis Patrick Henderson and Co.'s snip tne James N. Fleming lifted her moorings on Saturday evening, at 5.30. The Geelong went alongside, and took her down to the lower anchorage, and as she was passing down the harbor she was heartily cheered by the Various ships. She brought up ahead of the Bulwark, refuly for an early start this morning. The HarhofCompany's steamer Maori* vaflt. MfOeolm. came in yesterday morning from Lyttelton, via v intermediate ports. She lefti Lyttelton on Friday last, at 5.30 a.m., and arrived at Akaroa at 10.30 ; left again at 1 a.m. ; arrived at Timarn at 10 a.m. same day : left Timaru the same evening, at 8.3.0 ; called at Oanwu, landed passengers, and left at 5.30 am. on Sunday morning ; arrived at Port Chalmers at 10 a m-» and steamed alongside the Otago to discharge her wool. We have to thank her piu*ser for Christchurch files. The Ocean Bird, which was picked up derelict off Cape Farewell some months ago, sailed from Nel«on for Blenheim on Saturday last. This handsome little vessel has been thoroughly overhauled, and has new masts, sails, and rigging, onil, altogether, on leaving, the wharf looked a smart vessel. Captain Hamilton, late chief officer of the Lyttelton, is in charge. She will he employed by her owners to run between Blenheim and Wellington.— O. B. Arpus. Tlie London correspondent •of an exchange writes :—": — " I would draw particular attention to the following extract from a letter which has appeared in the Times. It shows how lightly everything— even life —is held by some who put an inordinate value on the observance ofetiquette and discipline. When the Prince of Wales came to Portland, the weather was so bad and boisterous that some changes had to be made in the movements of the fleet— the yards of fifteen ironclads and one trainship were manned no less than three times over. The third time the poor fellows were kept in their perilous position for more than half-an-hour. Then, cold ami trembling, ihev all came down but two — 0. S!\& exception ; these two had fallen from the yards on the decks of their ships, dead. Such an episode in a day of public rejoicing needs no comment. . . These poor fellows will have died a useful death if their sad fate checks such displays for the future." Such is the martyrdom of these two sailors— for what ?