ARRIVAL OF THE RAKALA AT WELLINGTON.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2810, 28 July 1866, Page 4

ARRIVAL OF THE RAKALA AT WELLINGTON.

The pioneer steamer of the P., N Z., and A.R M. Co.'B new mail route arrived at Wellington on the 23rd instant, after a most successful passage from Emgland to Panama of 46 days, and from thence to Wellington of 28 days Ihe Rakaia is in command of Captain Wright, R.N.R., and is described as similar to the steamers previously despatched to take the upward service from New Zealand to Panama. She is 1,456 tons register, and fitted with every modern improvement. The passage from Southampton was attended with very heavy weather, notwithstanding which the time occupied was very short. The vessel touched at St. Vincent and Rio Janeiro. She left Panama on the 24th June, and arrived at Wellington on the 23rd instant, doing the passage out from England in 74 days —46 to Panama and 28 to Wellington. The greater portion of the Auckland mails were transhippsd to the s.s. I Queen, which had been laid on at Wellington for the Manukau in the room of the s.s. Taranaki, detained on special service. The Queen arrived in the Manukau yesterday, and reports the ss. Airedale to follow her. ' The latter vessel may be expected in the Manukau to-morrow. The P., N.Z., and A.R.M. Co.'a sa. Euahine,. 1,640 tons, 400 horse-power, T. Beal, commander

arrived m this haibour Lut night, fiom Sydney, after a quick pissa^e of live .days nine houis. She iailed fiom Sydney on Sunday, the loth instant, at J> a.m., experienced strong head winds during the first part ot the passage, and fine the latter poition. Captain Bcal was third oflicei of the Aurora, the first emigrant vessel that arrived in this harbour, and .afterwards commanded the emigrant ship Poictiers, that arrived here in 1850. The Ifuahine, in our opinion, is a more splendid ship, in many respects, than the Kaikoura Her saloon accommodation is magnificent, and her cabins are replete with erery comfort for passengers. We have already published a full description of this vessel. We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. W. C. Hart, the purser, for files of Sydney papers, up to the 14th instant. Mr. Hart is son of the late William Hamilton Hart, Esq., Superintendent of the Bank of Australasia in the Australian Colonies 'J he Ruahine ha 9 30,000 sovereigns on freight, and a number of passengers. — Wellington Independent, July 21.

ARRIVAL OF THE RAKAIA. * The Panama, New Zealand, aud Australian Royal Mail Company's steamer Rakaia, Captain S. H. Wright, R.N.R., anived at Toboga^from England, touching only at St. Vincent and Rio Janeiro, on the evening of the 17th inst., haying made the trip in 46 days running time, notwithstanding she experienced much heavy weather on the voyage. The Peruvian ironclads Huascar and Independencia had sailed from Rio for the Pacific, before the arrival of the Rakaia at that port, b\it had not reached the Straits when the latter passed through. In the Straits the Rakaia Spoke an English ship loaded with munition and supplies for the two ironclads and awaiting their arrival. — Panama Btar and Herald, June 24.

* THE AUSTRALIAN LINE. The pioneer steamer of the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Eoyal Mail line, the Rakaia, as announced in our last issue, arrived at Panama on the 17th iustant, after a most successful trip from Europe, and being in perfect order, will be ready to s.vil hence for Kew Zealand on the day appointed, the 24th instant. The Rakaia is a fine new ship of 1,456 tons, and judging from the voyage just performed will doubtless make a good run across the Pacific. The opening ex this line has long been looked forward to with deep interest, not only by the merchants of the isthmus, but by all those engaged in trade with Australia, both in England ami the United States. To the latter country it will prove particularly important, as it will bring the colonies within ten or twelve days' closer communication with it than they are with the mother-country, and will no doubt be the means of opening up a very large trade between them. The merchants of Central America may also be expected to reap great advantage from this line, as it will give them a new market for their produce, and lead to a direct trade from which they have been hitherto entirely excluded. We wish the Rakaia a successful trip, and hope her owners will find the undertaking both profitable to themselves and advantageous to commerce in general. — Ibid.