SHIPPING.

Evening Star, Issue 9123, 2 May 1893, Page 3

SHIPPING.

Ifigli Water. To-MOnnow. Taiaroa Heads : 11.57 a.m., 4.12 p.m.' I'ort (-hauiicrs: 4.37 a.m., 4.52 p.m. iJtiuedin : 5.£2 a.m., 5.37 p.m.' __«. Port Chalmers. ARRIVED. -May L\ .Napier, s.s., IN tons, Hansen, from Waikawa. Mararoa, s.s., 1,-2-tS tons, Chattield, from Melbourne via llobartand the Bluff. Passengers: Alisses Muir, Johnston, Turnbull, Hoag, P.ristor, Holmes, Strong, Swanu, Itartlett, Mesdames Swauson, Milburn, Cotter, Kelligher, Kohn and child, Sharp and child, Bristol, Holmes, Watson, Messrs I'. Barker, It. Barker, E. I!. .lames, Hay, ,1. Cunlitt'e, W. A. (Vmrtois, A. A. Park, E. S. Stewart, Holmes, Lulley, Master Cotter; and fifty -line in the steerage. SAILED—May 2. Bio Logo, brig, 241 tons, Paterson, for Lyttelton. liivureargill, s.s., 130" tons, Sundstroin, for Preservation Inlet via Invercargill. Napier, s.s., 48 tons, Hansen, for Eortrose. The Napier, with a cargo of timber from Waikawa, arrived at the Dunedin wharf at (i a.m. today. Consignees ex s.s. Rangatira are requested to pass entries, etc., at once. A notice to consignees ex s.s. lonic appears in this issue. The Rangatira up to noon to-day had put out about 4(H) tons of cargo into the railway trucks at the (ieorge street pier. The Mararoa arrived at Port Chalmers at 7.15 a.m. to-dav from Melbourne via llobart and the P.luff. She left the Bluff at 5.30 p.m. yesterday. She met with variable'winds and seas, with thick foggy weather from Melbourne to the Bluff, and thence fair weather to arrival. MOVEMENTS OF UNION S.S. COMPANY'S FLEET. Tpesday, May 2. Butk—Rosamond arrived 3 a.m. from Oreymoiith. IjYTTklton". —Jlerald arrived 8 a.m. from Timaru ; sails for Wellington.--Penguin arrived 10 a.m. from Dunedin; sails for Wellington.— Dingadee sailed 5 p.m. fur Westpurt.--Tarawera arrived noon from Wellington; sailed 4 p.m. for Port ('lialmers. Wkixinoton.—Hauroto sailed f! a.m. for Lyttelton.- Omapere arrived 8 a.m. from Lyttelton. —Pukaki arrived 10.30 a.m. from Lyttelton.— Australia arrived 2 p.m. from Napier. Wkswokt. Ohau arrived 7 a.m. from Lyttul ton. OuKYMOi'Tii.—Wareatea sails for Lyttelton. ArcKLAM).—Manapouri arrived 2 a.m. from Sydney.—Wiiihora arrived 9.30 a.m. from Cisbornc. Kanieni arrived 111 a.m. from Oisborne. WEATHER FORECASTING. The Minister of Marine recently asked Captain Edwin to report on a communication in reference to a proposed meteorological conference in (Queensland, and lie reported as follows: Seasonal Forecasting.- -This will require the establishment of many meteorological observatories, each having a first-class equipment, and as they will in a good many instances be placed in isolated situations, the expense of construction and keeping up communication will l>e great, in addition to which it will be necessary to employ only thoroughly well trained observers, rendering maintenance very expensive. No doubt there would lie somA understanding arrived at by which the various countries concerned would bear a proportionate -expense, as some might have more of these stations within their limits than would he needful for others, but to carry out this work efficiently it must be an international one, for atmospheric conditions are intimately connected with one another, and a partial system of investigation would not give reliable results. In no case could a forecast of this kind he available until some years after the complete establishment of the observatories, and while it may in the future be possible to make seasonal forecasts for tropic d countries and for such parts of adjacent territories as may be near those regions, this kind of information will not a,t the same time be suitable for countries of the temperate zone, but if it can be at any time sho\yn th.at seasonal forecasts can be made fqi- tropical eutiittries. then there must be ii possibility uf its being extended to other parts of the world, This subject Is one which cannot be entered Into lightly, for It must bo understood that seasonal forecast undertake* tho gravest responsibilities, for If it be possible to predict a prosperous season over a certain area of country it will most likely be necessary to predict the reverse for some other and possibly not far distant region, and although the adverse prediction itself may not include the whole of any country, yet in its results it will most likely do so. Assume that during a time of onlinary prosperity a drought be predicted: we have at once a financial problem of a most serious nature to contend with. Agriculture and all matters connected therewith would be brought to a standstill; land would :immediately fall in value, and stock and all kinds of property would : lie depreciated ; monetary institutions would also lie affected, and advances could not be made in the certainty of impending-disaster. The whole trade of the country would be imperilled, and it therefore becomes nocessiry to arrange a system by which the population could bo assisted. Of courso, other countries that were not affected could provide the necessary supplies, but this would he by individual action and at increased rates. If we predict disaster we must also be prepared to alleviate it, and to provide that those whose lives and property will lie affected shall fie guaranteed against loss, not only during the interval covered by the prediction, but until the turn of prosperity has had its effect. An arrangement of this kind -should- be in progress during the time that the data for the forecast; is being piepared for use. T'hijdim~(;ult|e.s which Wjll have to |ie overcome ai:e. fairly well shown by ve'ty recent events, which show one part uf Oueutisland devastated by flood, while not fur away a large tract of the same colony is suffering greatly from drought. This shows that those whose duty it will be to make seasonable predict tion must be prepared to be-more precise in their forecasts than seems at first sight-likely to be required. If it V,& tteoiiled to proceed with tlus work, it would be necessary to have two stations in New Zealand -one near tho East Caps, and one on the southern cxtroiue of Stewart Island. The expense of construction would be approximate to that of a lighthouse in the same position, as means, must be provided for communication ; but the cost of maintenance would.be much greater. It.may! also be necessary, to purchase a : ,site, which m every instance must be of sufficient area to ensure, that the climatic conditions prevailing at the time of establishment shall be continued ns closely as possible. -,'".,,... . ~'' fttfittblishment of. Meteorological Stations in the Pacrnc— These could be placed wherever the, native population is friendly, and preference should, be given to islands that are ordinarily

visited by traders. Some of these stations would iave-to be equipped for seasonal forecast; but other*, even if inexpensively arranged, would be the means of collecting very valuable information, as the region of their observations is but little known. : \ Shipping' Telegrams. Lyttf.lton, May I. Brunner, for Timaru and Dunedin.-Pukaki, for Wellington and Northern .ports.—Janet Nicoll, for Greymouth.—Kawatiri, for Napier.—Oliau, for Wellington.—May 2: 9 a.m., Penguin, from Dunedin.—Tarawera, from Wellington. Bluff, May 2.—Early, [Rosamond, from Greymouth. Auckland, May I.—Takapuna, for the South. Passengers: Mesdames Proctor and family, Brown Messrs Brown. Penny, Proctor, Wootton, Brigg, Hoffman, A. Griffiths, Ewen, T. Brown, Vickers, Williams ; and eleven in the steerage. May 2 : Manapourt, from Sydney. Passengers for Dunedin: Misees Harris Ziele, Stevenson, Mesdames Atkinson and Zeile, Messrs Victor, Smith, Hipwell, Findlay Amongst the steerage passengers was another gang of Austrians en mrtt for the Northern gumtields. Manapouri, from Sydney. Wellington, May 1. Mahinapua, for Onehunga.—Mawhera, for Nelson and West Coast— Hauroto, for the South. Ai.iiany, May 2. —P. and O.'s Australia, from Plymouth. Passengers for New Zealand: Mianil Mrs Anslave, Captain and Mrs Cockburn, Messrs Busby, Tonkins, Drysdale, and Dawson (2)