AKAROA SHIPPING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XV, Issue 857, 26 January 1861, Page 4

AKAROA SHIPPING.

Arrived, Jan. 19.—the Erench whaling ship Caulaincourt, of 657 tons, Laurent Labaste, commander, with 260 barrels sperm oil, Messrs. Guillot & Co., of Havre, agents. Our correspondent gives the following account of this fine ship's behaviour in the late gale.— " When the captain embarked from here some days ago, it was his intention to run south and cruize off Snares and Molyneux, and to wood in Patterson's inlet, Stewart's island, as on a former occasion ; but the gale of Monday rose so rapidly that it was with some difficulty he got on board his ship, and then dodged under short canvass outside, with the heads open. Hardly was the captain on board when a small .boat was discovered coming out of Akaroa, apparently making for the Caulaincourt with the intention of communicating ; he immediately tacked and stood right into the channel between the heads; then going in stays again, he lowered a full boat's crew with directions to advise this boat to return directly, since all communication was impossible. This anxiety for the safety of others cost the captain many a painful moment, for a fresh hand was evidently at the bellows, and every thing was significant of the coming gale from the southward. .To heave to was out of the question, for the drift would have set

the ship into the bight between the Long-boat and northern head; to fill and stand off was equally impossible. On an easy bowline then, and all shivering, he let the Caulaincourt keep gently forging a-head, with about three points of drift, until the northern head bore over the taffrail, and the eastern land trended away on his port quarter, when counterbracing his after yards, with his head yards square, and helm amidships, ho let her gather strong sternway, making a stern board, until he brought his boat on the lee bow, as with a quick and ready apprehension of his commander's intentions, the boat steerer had lot the boat run off witlrthe wind quartering; then filling away, and still all shivering, he dropped down on the the boat, and in a trice had her safe at the davits end.

" Your readers will understand that such a manoeuvre with whole topsails on the caps, only long clipper built ships are privileged to adventure; short and ancient cod's heads cannot do these things, the secret lying in the fact that the greatest breadth of beam in these long vessels is invariably abaft the centre on the line of displacement.

"Monsieur Labaste reports a series of gales, the heaviest being that of last Tuesday, the 15th inst.; a clap of'thunder about 7 p.m. being followed by a breeze that for fury and continuance, he says, he has never, during 20 years, seen equalled on this coast, nor indeed elsewhere except in a typhoon. During the calm interval between the first and second gales, or during the intervening lull, while turning out the second reef in the maintopsail, by a heavy jerk in the weather roll, the maintopsail yard was sprung. On sending it down it was found necessary to replace it with another. No time was lost, as every warning was abroad suggestive of the necessity for speed. This spar was only just swayed across and the sail brought to, when the second part of the gale came howling down and a night ensued of which I can only regret not being able to transcribe the captain's journal. During this night, or about the morning watch, the foretopraast staysail flew into ribbons ; the ' trinquete,' or forestaysail sheet was quickly steadied aft, and the sail run up. Despite of its being made of number Zero canvass, and seamed with more than double overlap, it announced its departure with a bang, and was off, leaving its naked bolt ropes and a few shreds fluttering in the gale. At this juncture, being left "a la cape," or only a close reefed main topsail being now set, Captain Labaste determined to put his helm up, and run for it, feeling every confidence that if his noble ship could only bring the wind abaft the beam, she was well able to measure pace with the sea, now lashed into one boiling cauldron, rolling deep, and breaking ominously, large and heavy flakes ever and anon being cut off by the Austral blast, and whirled wildly leeward.

"'Laßarre auvent' and 'Laisse arriver' was then the word; but after falling off some four points for want of head sail, and borne down by the wind, which fell with all its force on her long upturned side, she refused further obedience to her helm, which fault met its natural result: several green seas combing over her weather quarter quickly covered her flush decks with some tons of water.

" While in this position a large sea curling under her lee, knocked the fourth boat to pieces, and left hanging only half of that in the waist. Thus, as no resource was left, the helm was again eased down, and 'a la cape' the old ship hung it out: the head sails being as quickly replaced with others as was permissible.

"This gale moderated away in three days, during which it often appeared about to pipe up again, as if neither energy nor force were wanting in the polar currents to renew the combat. " On Wednesday Cape Palliser was sighted. "All chance of getting south being at an end, and the last piece of firewood being under the axe, it was decided to make Akaroa again without delay. Having satisfied their wants, and also been sugar loaf pine, fifty-five feet long by fourteen inches in the slings, she will in a few hours resume her cruize."

The Minerva sailed on November If, for Canterbury with 100 passengers and an immense cargo.

LIST OF PASSENGERS PER MINERVA.

Chief Cabin:—Mr. and Mrs. Porter, the Rev. C. Mackie, and Mrs. Mackie, the Rev. W. Fearon, Mrs. Fearon and family (10) Mr. and Mrs. Allan, Mrs. 'Izard, Messrs. Tate, C. and G. Sale, W. and C. Raine, Scrivener, Thomas, Moore, Howitt, Thurman and child. For Otago: Mr. and Mrs. McMaster, Messrs. Neilson and Fullarton. For Wellington: The Rev. C. Halcombe and Mrs. Halcombe. Second Cabin:—Mr. and Mrs. Younghusband and child. For Otago: Mr. Stewart. For Welling- [ ton: Mrs. Kyle and Mr. Burton. Steerage :—Stephen ; Brighting, wife and two children, Mary Bighan, \ Harriet Izard. J. & W. Randall, Robt. Abbott, Robt. Ambrose, Alfred Adams, James Clark and Vernon Smith. For Otago: Margaret Thomson. For Wellington : James Marshall, wife and child, Alexander Steven and wife, Frances Jeffery, Johanna O'Brien, Judy and Mary Mahoney, Annie Freeman and three children, Mary, Ellen, and Catherine Morrison, Anna Brill, Ann Jones, Jane Johnston and two children, Amy Hood and two children, Margaret Robb and child, Malcolm and Peter Walker, Edwin Cox, Duncan and Thomas Morrison, John Rice, Robert Baly, William Wyllie, John, and Elias York, Peter Menzies. summary. . Chief Cabin Passengers : —Canterbury, 30; for; Otago, 4; Wellington, 2. Second Cabin:—Canterbury, 10; Otago, 1; Wellington, 2. Steerage:— Canterbury, 13; Otago, 1; Wellington, 37. Total .number, 09.