ARRIVAL OF THE OCEAN MAIL.

The usual interest excited by the arrival of an emigrant ship was manifested in Nelson on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 7, on receipt of intelligence that the ship Ocean Mail, with 332 emigrants, was in the bay and would shortly come to an anchor. Early in the afternoon she was moored in the offing, and, on the return of the officials who had boarded her, it was ascertained that the ship showed a perfectly clean bill of health, no sickness of any kind existing on board, whish happy state of matters had ruled almost continuously throughout the voyage, except in the case of three infants who had died on the passage. Against these had to be placed the births of two girls—the mothers being respectively the wives of Mr A. Baraon, groom, and Mr D. Hawker, stonemason. Surgeon-Superintendent Jaa. N. Frood, was unremitting in his attention to whatever patients required his assistance, and his strict enforcement of the sanitary rules of the 'tween decks doubtless, under Providence, contributed in no small degree to the pleasing result above stated. Dr Frood, by his kindly yet firm demeanour, soon won for himself the respect and esteem of all under his charge, and if all surgeons of emigrant ships behave towards passengers aa he has done the complaint book will soon drop from the list of furniture in the Immigration Office. The passengers also speak well of Captain James Watson, who has won golden opinions from all on board by his suavity of manner and kind-heartedness. He is well known, to boot, as one of the ablest masters in the Southern trade, and it is a noteworthy fact that his last voyage from London to Wellington was accomplished in 77 days —just one day less than his present voyage from the former port to Nelson. Captain Watson is supported by an efficient staff of officers in Mr John Watson (his brother), chief mate ; Mr Lesman, second mate ; Mr Orgar, storekeeper ; and Mr Carter, fourth mate.

. The Ocean Mail is a fine vessel of 1039 tons register, and is a comparatively new Bhip. She was built by Mr Robert Thompson, jun., of ft! underiand, and her behaviour, both as regards her Bailing powers and as a sea boat, is beyond all praise. On the present passage she lifted anchor off Gravesend oa the 18th August, was towed down Channel, and, under her own sail, lost sight of land on the 20th. Up to the Line, the winds she encountered, though favourable, were extremely light, and certainly any thing tut prophetic of suoh a fast passage as she has been able to accomplish. Wnile in the smaller figures of southern latitude, Captain Watson had to contend, now with a head breeze, now with an almost dead calm, and was forced so far out of the traok of New Zealand-bound ships that his passengers were able to say, what possibly many of them will never be able to say again, that they ran down and clearly saw at a short distance the coast of the Brazils. It was only when the Ocean Mail reached the " Roaring Forties" south that she began to show her mettle, and for a clear fortnight she ran through the water on a straight course at an average speed of ten or eleven knots an hour, or more. Throughout, the voyage was as pleasant and comfortable as a yachting trip. The following are the names of the passengers (numbering 240 in all) who are booked for Nelson, most of whom have obtained employment in the town and neighbourhood, or have been reserved for the new settlement at the Karamea; while the remainder of the company have been sent to Marlborough and Westland, having been fixed at Home for these places. The Marlborough and Westland contingent numbers 92 :— Cabin Passengkeb.— Andrew Todd, M.A. Maebied Couples.—-T. Mac Lean Dunn (schoolmaster of the vessel) and wife ; John Kerr and wife ; W. G. Williams, wife, child, and young brother ; Joseph Garriok, wife, 5 children, and Wm. Gear, brother-in-law; John Georgeson, wife, child, and Agnes Jamieson, sister-in-law; Peter Henry, wife, 2 children, Eoberr, brother, and Jessie and Mary, sisters ; Laurence Laurenceson, wife, and 4 children ; John Sinclair, wife, and 3 children ; James Moffafc, wife, and 5 ohildren; Edward Radchffe, wife, and 2 children; E. T. Charles, wife, 4 children; Eobert Cook, wife, 3 children; Eobert Cheyne and wife; Alfred Barson, wife, and child born on the voyage; Richard A. Ward, wife, 4 children; T. E. Kelly, wife, 4 children; Radcliffe Cowley, wife, 7 children —one, Eva, died on the vojage —and Margt. Cowin, sister-in-law; Thomas Corlett, wife, 4 of a family; James MylrDie, wife, 3 children ; George Ward and wife; John Skerton, wife, and 4 children; Peter Eddy, wife, and child; William Solomon, wife, 4 ohildren—the youngest, Lilly, having died on the way out; Daniel Hawker, wife, 2 children, and oDe born on the way; Stephen Stanton, wife, 6 children —the youngest of whom, Emily, died at sea; William Hutohinßon, wife, 2 children, Alfred Huroumb,'wife, 5 ohildren ; Robert Johnson, wife and 8 of a family ; Alfred Williams, wife, 2 ohildren; James Strange, wife, 3 ohildren; William and Frank Greenslade, with their wivea ; Michael Enright, wife and child ; John Macdonald, wife and child ; Thomas Stephens and wife j and Benjamin Coutts, 79 years of age, his wife Barbara, 70, and a grown up family of one son and three daughters; Thomas Jamieson, 72 ye ire, bis wife Margaret, 51, four grown up tons, and two daughters; Jumes and John CouHs, with their four ti«ters j Sjngo Sinplftir, with 4 xdttivM frown up j-

and Mr» Emma Kenaey, with 5 of a family. Sihole Men.—Jamaa Lawrence, William Melville, John Willcocks, Robert Williamson, John Doul|, Percy Shnppard, Pierre Ozouf, Thomas Coombs, Jno. Somers, lhomai Kelly, William Carman, Alfred Burton, William Watsor, Peter Murphy, Guy and Johu Boyd, Sam. R. Butler,.Hugh Chisholm, John Leitch, Julian Hayman, Pat. Sullivan, John Wrenn, George Stephen?, David Smart, and Alex. Leslie. Single Women.—Catherine Somers, Barbara Fraser, Ellen Doull, Agnes Jjlmieson, Christina Mac* farlane, Kate Clucas, Joan E. Smith, Harriet White, Doutte and Johanne Miilier, Louisa Parsons, Mary Twatt, and Mrs Mary Butt, matron.

A very large number of the above arefrom Orkney and Shetland, on the north of Scotland. They doubtless feel the genial climate of Nelson fan,agree* able change from the surly atmosphere of their dtsary, storm-furrowed islands, where, as a wit amongst them put it, summer consists of thre« months of dirty weather. Let us hope, ..too, that the teeming soil of New Zealand will prove a more kindly mother to these hardy islandmea than the niggardly mould of their own bare rooks. In their adventure to the Britain of the South we bid our Northern brethren, as we bid all who bare landed from Captain Wation's noble vessel, a hearty Godspeed