BAGLAN.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 765, 12 May 1877, Page 3

RAGLAN.

May 11th. The weather far the last three days has been extremely, boisterous. Tuesday night and yesterday it blew quite a hurricane from the west, gradually veering round, during the early part of yesterday morning to S.W., when it blew after the fashion of big 'souwesters. The sea for some distance out was one mass of foam, rolling in literally mountains high. Not much, damage has been done about tho township, excepting to a few panels of fencing here and there which have been blown down. The wind has slightly moderated this morning, but still it looks bad, and is squally, with heavy showers of rain. Most of the inhabitants received a good rocking in their beds on Tuesday night, some of them expecting every minute to hear of a crash of either a window or some other portion of their house blowing away, neither the one nor the other being a pleasant prospect to contemplate on such a night. Yesterday afternoon about 4.30 o'clock considerable excitement was caused by the appearance of a vessel running the gauntlet over the bar. She was for a time out of sight in a heavy squall, which caught her just as she was crossing the bar. You may believe the bar was quite bad enough yesterday without the squall. The . stranger appeared to be a cutter running under a squaresail. Fortunately for her, she had a fair wind, which forced her over the bar, and up to the township, upon nearing which it was observed that she was a topsail schooner of about 60 tons. As she sailed past the wharf into the creek under close-reefed topsail, the bystanders, perceived the mainmast lying on the deck. The name of the schooner is the' Kaiuma,' of Wellington, bound to Kaipara from the Waitara for timber. After leaving the Waitara she tried hard yesterday morning to get into that river again, but after several attempts, failed to do so in consequence of the great extent of break that was on about the bar. Being unsuccessful in this, there was nothing for her but to run before the wind, which she did. Before she got far the mainmast toppled over, breaking short off to the deck. Fortunately the stick fell on board, and nothing belonging to it was lost. This accident happened while they came off that coast somewhere about Kawhia, yesterday morning about 10 a.m. After this toss the veseel was left very much to the mercy of the tempest, however, it managed after once or twice narrowly escaping going on shore to find herself near an opening, as to what it was or where it led to appears, in consequence of the thick weather to have been undiscernable, at any rate it seems to have been neck or nothing, either run in, or go on shore. As good fortune would have it the vessel accomplished the former without any further injury. Had she not succeeded in getting in when she did, I fear instead of chronicling a miraculous escape the unpleasant duty of recording a sad catastrophe would have been your lot. She had an extremely narrow escape of going on shore when rounding Woody Head. There are some eight people on board, comprising the master, his wife and children, and three of a crew. She is safe for the present in a good haven, so far, all's well that ends well.—Correspondent.