SHIPPING NOTES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13358, 25 February 1909, Page 9

SHIPPING NOTES.

Only half an hour separated the Kittnwa «nd the Kini in their departure from Greymouth, end wero reported as having passed Farewell Spit at 5 p.m. yesterday. The Kittawa and tha Kini are both due at Lyttelton about U o'clock to-night. Tho former vessel, after landing port cargo here, will proceed l to Napier. Tho small steamer Rakiura, which arrived iast night from Oamaru. will load transhipments i_ Indravclli from Vancouver, and will sail to-day for Timarm. Tlie Show. Savill and Albion Company's steamer Kiimira arrived at Port Chalmers on Tuesday evening from London direct. Captain A." Morton is still in command, and brings thc following officers:—Chief, Mr V. Barngdole, _j._f.11.:" seoond, Mr H. Solomon (into Aram): third., Mr C. Gordon Canning (late Liberian navy); fourth. Mr A. S. Verity; fifth, Mr G. Silver (Into Matatua). Mr A. Naismith is chief engineer, and Mr G. Russell is stoward-in-charge. The Kumara

has about 3-100 tons cf cargo for Dunedin, and is duo at Lyttelton .bout March oth. The vcsßel also brought a large number of -.assengers from .London, a-nd those for Lyttelton and Northern ports aro corning up m the Wirrimoo, due here this morning-. After landing about 3500 sheep, tho Wanaka sailed yestcrduy morning for Xapier for another consignment. Sho ia expected to leave Napier ag«in thia evening, and is due bacs. at Lyttelton on Saturday morning. The Ralcanoa is due here enriy this morning with a large number of sheep from Gisborne. After landing these tbe v*rs_»l wiil -i-iil at once for Xapier. On her last voyage from "Wellington to Gieymouth, the collier Ngtihere had a trying limo in Cook Strait for some hoars. Captain Christian endeavoured to pick up Jackfioai's Head light, which, it is stated, he ultimately found, had cone out —not for the first tinie, by any means. fc'ince hor advent m the coal trade the Blackball steamer Nfjahcre has not yet shipped a full cargo of coal, -which is aboaifc lltflO tons, according to the builders' estimate. Tho load which sho is discharging now is her largest so far (says the "X.Z. Times" of Tuesday)—l342 tonn. The Kfjahero is to get away at 3 p.m. to-day lor Grevmoiith, ami is duo back at Wellington on Saturday next. Advices from the West Coast stato that shipping matters et Grcymnuth remain m a very stuck at ate, tho Union Company or-ly dealing with about an average of one. bout per day. In a, few days, however, a timber steamer for Kew Zealand ports will bo in that port, whilst at tbe end of tho 'month two vessels will b» on. the berth fc-r Australia. In connection with the wreck of the. Pen. giiin (says the -'Westport Times"), it -will be remembered", at any rate by seafaring men, that Captain George A! I man was «, long timo in command of the Penguin, and it was during that time that he experimented with and subsequently patented tho life raits which are now in general use and known as the Allmon Raft. Mr P. Kennedy ha.s joined the Blackball Company's collier _ig-ihere as second engineer, in place of Mr Farmer. Mr F. Jelley, late chief officer of the War. rimoo, joined the Talun« at tho Bluff on Tuesday as acting-master for the trip to Melbourne and back. Meanwhile the other '•facers of tho Warrimoo have been pro-mc-ted a step, and Mr Scales has joined as fourth officer. Captain .Robertson took chorge of the Whangape, which left Port Chalmers on Tuesday night far Westport. Mr Foster j.lined as chief officer, Mr Bruce second, and Mr Robertson third. Mr W. B. Cun-iinghein, labs purser of tho Warrimoo, and Mr Shaw, late purser of tho I'uloona. have exchanged positions. The Tainui left Ri.- de Janeiro on Sunday evening for London, "all well." Under date of January 15th. cur London correspondent writes i—An important. st«p ] -vhioh foreshadows _ possible combination among shipowners is announced. The Tyne end Wear shipowners, at a, private meeting in Newcastle, decided to summon at an oarly date a meeting of North-country shipowners for the purpose of considering the present serious position of tho shipping trade and to take steps to promote the formation cf an international union of shipowners. . uch o. union, if formed, would probably concern itself with minimising the effects ot excessive competition and as a corollary would aim at maintaining frci-rhts at a certain remunerative level. Possibly, too, some arrangements might be attempted on the lines of the "working agreements" nowbeing enterod into among railway companies. At the present time many vessels aro laid up owing to tho lown>-sa of freights. After a long passage of 27 days, tho barque Rono- Arrived yesterday afternoon f:om Xewcartle. She left that port on January 28th, end experienced strong head winds ta,H tho way across the T.a-<*nmn Sea. The _Tev Zealand ooajt wss made at Rocks Point, and the vessel rouudcU _arewell Spit on February 11th. A stiong S.E. gale was then encountered, am? the vessel was hovc-to for three or four days. Stephens Is'and was rciiuded on the 17th inst., and variable winds we experienc ■_ thence till arrival. Thc Kona has a full cargo of ooal to disoha-~--c here ' The vessel h-u, made the round ioyage from Dtin-edin in b_Uaet. to Newcastle and back to I/yttclton in 46 days.

(press association telegram.) DUNEDIN, February 23. Shipmasters say that the mishap to the Ulimaroo. has emphasied the need for a light being placed on Goat Island in such a position that it will become visible when a ship conning up the Dunedin harbour at night time has reached the fairway between the islands. A vessel, after passing Port Chalmers, steers for the light on Quarantine l3<_nd overlooking the gut between it and Goat Island. At present a shipmaster has to depend on his own judgment as to when he has approached near enough to this light to justify him in putting the holm over and striking through the tide-swept gut. A light on Goat Island, placed so that it became visible when a ship had approached near enough to the Quarantine Island light to be in the. fairway, would simplify the navigating of the 360 ft channel that separates the islands.