PORT OF ONEHUNGA.

Daily Southern Cross, 7 November 1868, Page 4

PORT OF ONEHUNGA.

ARKIYAL. "Willie Winkie, cutter, 13 tons, Abner, from Eaglan,- with produce. Passengers— 3.

WRECK OF THE KET3H CREST, NEAR AKAROA.— TWO LIVES LOST. The ketch Crest has been wrecked near Akaroa, and two lives lost. The Lyttelton Times gives full particulars. The circumstances of tbe wreck were most distressing. Mr. W. Ellis was her master ;J. Barker aDd E. Cunningham, seamen ; and Mr. W. Belcher, of Kaiapoi, a passenger. She had a cargo of telegraph poles, for Flaxbourne. At 5 a.m 4 on the 27th ultimo the captain was in charge, all the rest being below. On her striking all rushed on deck. Barker seized tbe dingy and got away, leaving the rest on the wreck. In two hours he reached F.ea Bay, and hurried on to Akaroa, where a volunteer crew was soon raised, and proceeded to the wreck to render assistance. Meanwhile Cunningham had been rescued. The vessel drifted into a cove, and he swam for his life. Mr. Belcher was unable to swim, and Ellis (the master) refused to leave him. On the boat, manned by volunteers, arriving at tbe scene of the disaster, they found that the wreck was driven into a cave in tbe face of a precipitous cliff. They saw the two sutvivors in the cave, but were unable to reach them owing to a reef on which the sea was continually breaking, and the quantity of kelp frustrating all their endeavours to reach the shipwrecked men. Two of the crew of the boat, Messrs. Shenkel and Holt, narrowly escaped drowning, the dingy capsizing with them. The crew described the cries of the poor men as heartrending, especially when they saw that all endeavours to extricate them were fruitless. After the upset of the dingy, Ellis was seen waving his hands as if to warn others that it was hopeless trying to reach them. The boat returned to Akaroa about 1 p.m., and immediately ropes, life-buoys, provisions, and blankets were obtained, whilst willing volunteers proffered their services to go and do their utmost to save the sufferers. Two whaleboats and a diney started, taking with them an extra man who is well knowu as an expert and daring swimmer. Unfortunately none of | the appliances taken or means used availed to save the men. A quantity of scantling was lashed together, by means of which the boat's crew managed to get a I line to the men, but unfortunately the action of tbe sea caused it to get foul, so that, although the poor fellows got hold of the rope, it was useless to them. Directly in front of the cave are fearful rocks, which, at low water, are partially dry, but at high- water are covered. The situation of the cave is such, that there is a continual heavy break around it. The men had managed to eliag some ropes from the roof of the cave, and fastened some wod to them, on which they sat, to prevent themselves from being washed away. The feelings of the crews on findiog all their endeavoura to save the men fruitless can be imagined, knowing as we do that they tried every means in their power, and everything they could devise for that purpose. This lamentable and heart-rending accident has cast a gloom over Akaroa, both the men being well known and greatly respected.

THE PACIFIC MAIL AND NORTH AMERICAN COMPANY. The New York Herald of 27th August says :— "It is asserted, on good authority, that the extreme firmness of Pacific Mail stock of late is owing to purchase by wealthy parties, who have a definite object in view, looking Ito the double purpose of securing a controlling interest in the Pacific Mail Company at the next annual election, on the third Wednesday in November, and of withdrawing the opposition on terms mutually advantageous to both the Pacific Mail and the North American Steamship Companies. It is well known that both have been losing money heavily since the opposition commenced, and the sooner an amicable settlement is brought about the better for those concerned. It is proposed by the parties in question, who are already very large Pacific Mail I stockholders, that the Pacific Mail Company should •purchase -the -vessels of the North American Company by exchanging for them the 26,600 (shares of

its O. it Ntoik, which it. lioMs upon conditions \v!i<h .-tie eminei.t-y ju*fc an i equitable. Ib is rep fsented that wh.ld t he u-nni ••( the prupuMid sett e-iiciit are avlvanb^eous to tlio Nunh American ■Company they are particularly mo to llio Pacfij Maii Company, ami wi.l secure to it almost beyon I question the control not on'y of the traffic between >ew York ax I San Francisco, bub al«o of the trade of the west coast of S->uth America, it being one of the coqditions of the contemplated anangeinent thai tho new ships acquired from th<j North American Company shall be used to establish a line from Panama to Valparaiso, touching at the intermediate ports, for which service the ships in question are admirably suited. The establishment of this line will enable the Pacific Mail Company to receive not only the benefits of the trade between New York and the ports of Chile and Peru, but to control and retain for itself the large and rapidly increasiug traffic between those ports and San Francisco. It is also proposed that the Pacific Mail Company shall, immediately upon the exchange being completed, make weekly trips with its line from iNew York to San Francisco, and, whenever necessary, send extra aUamers from New Yoik to Aspinwall for the accommodation of the freight traffic. It is, moreover, to advance its rates for the transportation of freight aid passengers aa much as may be requisite to enable the company to hereafter regularly pay to ita utockholders quarterly dividends of four per ceut., and to accumulate a surplus fully equivalent to any depreciation of its property. To accomplish this result no advance detrimental to the traffic over the different Hues to he run by the company will be necessary, for thft reason that they will then have the undivided business. The volume «f pasteoger and freight traffics combined between New York and San Francisco is at the present time much greater than at any former period in the history of the trade, and with the splendid fleet of new steamers now owned by the Pacific Mail Company under its present efficient and economical management, the stockholders may confidently rely upon a future for their property of permanent prosperity."