TELEGRAPHIC SHIPPING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 274, 25 November 1897, Page 8

TELEGRAPHIC SHIPPING.

Kaipara Heads.—November 4—Sailed : Alcestis, barque, for Adelaide. 18—Sailed : Northern Chief, barque, for Sydney ; Asia, barque, for Sydney. 23 —Sailed: Fido and Coquette, for Sydney. Wellington. — November 3 — Arrived : Rimutaka, from Hobart. Port Chalmers. —November 3—Sailed : Nairnshire, s.s., for London. s—Arrived : Nor'-Wester, barque, from Maiden Island. 6'—Arrived: Norna, barque, from New York.

Bluff, November IS.—Arrived : Star of the East, barque, from Lady Elliott Island. Invercargill, November 23. — Arrived : Ship Bowling, from Glasgow. THE DELPHIC. Wellington, November 21.—The new' White Star Line steamer Delphic arrived this afternoon from London, via TenerifFc, Capetown, and Hobart. She is a fine-look-ing vessel, very much after the- style and size of the Gothic, but being intended mostly for the cargo trade, she has none of the magnificent internal fittings which are the feature of the Gothic. After leaving Capetown she experienced a very heavy gale, with hurricane squalls and terrific seas. She was run before it for 20 hours, •when the gale and sea moderated, enabling her to proceed on her course. She em-

The barque Casa Blanca arrived from Dunedin on Nov. 21 with a cargo of general produce. She left Dnnedin on the 3rd inst. with a strong northerly wind and sighted the East Cape on the 11th, thence to arrival fresh westerly and south westerly winds prevailed. On discharge of her cargo the Casa Blanca loads wool and general cargo for London.

The Union Company's s.s. Olian, approaching the Victoria Wharf, Dimedin, on November 12th, ran into the ship Agnes Lilian and knocked a hole in the side of the ship near the stern. The hole is two or three feet long, above the water line. The damage will cost one hundred pounds to repair. On Nov. 1 the iron barque Clan MacLeod arrived in port here from New York, after a protracted passage of 131 days. She anchored in the Powder Ground as she had some explosives included in her cargo. Captain Miller reported that the barque left New York on June 23rd. Light southerly winds prevailed till the Trades were picked up in lat. 28deg. north. The north-east Trade was lost inlOdeg. north, and the southeast Trades were picked up in 30deg. north. Crossed the meridian of Greenwich in lat. 36deg. S., and ran the easting in 41deg. with variable winds. From Cape Leeuwih to Cape Otway, which was passed on the 18th lilt., easterly winds were met with.

The ship Soukar, Captain Hyne, which is loading wool at Gisborne for Home, parted her port chain about midnight on November 11, and drifted to, within about 500 yards of the shore off Sandy Bay, on the town side of Tuamotu Island. Her starboard anchor was at once got out, and held her at that spot in about 4or 4 and a-half fathoms of water. The ship had been making bad Aveather all day yesterday, when a heavy south-easterly gale was blowing, and was rolling heavily. The wind decreased very considerably during the night, and then changed to south - west, and it was soon after this . time that the chain parted. The launches Snark and Noko and the oil steamer Tanhera succeeded in towing the Soukar out of her dangerous positio n and she is safely anchored in the bay.

At Dunedin on November 8 Mr W. G. Neill, the American Consul, held an inquiry touching the wreck of the Commodore. The facts elicited were that the Commodore was bound from Honolulu So New York with a cargo of sugar. At aoon on the 3rd of September the captain took bearings, and made himself out to be in latitude 2 degrees 19 minutes S., longitude, 154 degrees 47 minutes W., or 30 miles from Maiden Island, which he expected to sight. He gave instructions for the ship to be put about at twelve o'clock, considering that by that time he would be in the vicinity of the island. At twenty minutes to twelve, however, the vessel struck. The captain attributed the position of the vessel to the strong southerly currents taking him further on his course than he expected. All of those on board got safely ashore, but lost all their possessions save what scant clothing they had on at the time of the mishap. The second officer and seven of the crew proceeded to Melbourne by a schooner, leaving for that port from Maiden Island, the remainder preferring to await a passage for New Zealand, being of opinion that they would thus be enabled to reach America more quickly. Mr Neill provided for the temporary wants of the unfortunate seamen, who will be provided for at Dunedin until passages are procured for them to America, or until they find berths on other vessels.

The Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's steamer Rangatira arrived from London on November 20th with a large general cajgo. The Rangatira left Tilbury on September 26th, stopping at the powder ground to take in explosives. Left a/tj< midnight and had fine weather down the channel and across the Bay of Biscay. Reached Teneriffe at 4 p.m. on October 3rd, and left at 11.40 p.m. same date. Had light northeast trades, and crossed the line on October Ist. Sighted and signalled Cape of Good Hope on October 22nd at S a.m. Had high crass seas on running the easting down, the vessel labouring heavily and shipping much water. On November 10th had a fresh gale with heavy sea, having to hove-to for eight hours, and Tasmania was passed on the 14th inst. at 7.30 p.m. Had moderate N.N. W. winds across the Tasman Sea, passing Cape Maria on the 19th. Had line weather thence to port, with variable winds and smooth seas.

H.M.s Torch arrived in port on October 29 from Sydney on her first visit to Ncav Zealand. She left Sydney on Thursday, Oct. 21st, and had a fine weather trip across, arriving at 7 a.m. The Torch is a screw sloop of the Goldfinch class. She is 180 ft long and 36ft in the beam, and draws 10ft of water. She has a complement of 101 officers and men. Her armament consists of six four-inch quick firing guns, four seven-pounders, six fourpounders, four two-pounders, and two Maxims. Her officers are :—First lieuter.ant, W. Ward; navigating officer, S. "Williams ; and third lieutenant, G. Heathcote ; paymaster, L. Dymott; engineer, A. Strahan. The Torch 'left on October 30th for Suva and Raratonga, taking a Commissioner, Sir William Berkeley, to Raratonga to settle a dispute between the natives and the whites. It is expected that she will return here in about two months. The Torch is a comparatively new boat on the station as she only came out to Ans tralia in April. She will replace the Goldfinch on the New Zealand division. H.M.s. Torch arrived somewhat unexpectedly from Fiji on November 21st. She left Suva on the 12th inst. for Rarotonga, but returned next day owing to the very heavy weather met with. Left on the loth inst. for Auckland, and arrived after a fine weather trip at 5 a.m. on the 21st The Torce will remain in port here for a few days, and will probably sail for Wellington to meet H.M.s. Mildura.