SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1398, 11 May 1865, Page 4

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

LYTTELTON. ABEIVED. May 9—City of Dunedin, p.s., 327 tons, Boyd, from Nelson and Hokitika. Passengers—Five in saloon and "*Maylo—Prince Alfred, s.s., 703 tons, Randall, from Wellington and Northern ports. Passengors — Mrs. Smith, Miss M'lntosh, Mr. Foley, Mr. Milhgun, and eight in steerage. frW* CLEARED. May 9—Flying Cloud, schooner, 69 tons, Martin, for Chatham Islands, viti Dunedin. May 9—Maid of tho Mill, ketch, 30 tons, Hobbs, for Kaiapoi, with general cargo. ; Hay 10—City of Dunedin, p.s., 327 tons, Boyd, for Danedin, in ballast. Passengors—Mr. J. Mason, and forty steerage, original from Northern ports. IMFOBTS. •In the Prince Alfred, Miles and Co., agents: 1 truss, 1 bale, Young. EXPORTS. In the Flying Cloud, Messrs. Hall, Ritchie and Co., agents: 3 kegs oatmeal, 1 bag potatoes, 7 packages, 5 cases, 1 porainbulator, 1 package trees, A. W. Shand; 1 package, 1 ram, half ton flour, Hall, Ritchie and Co. In the Maid of the Mill, Master, agent,3 cases sundries, 20 cases kerosme, 4 kegs nails, 2 hhds hardware, 2 bundles, 4 cases sundries, Hall, Ritchie and Co.; 10 cases kerosine, 15 casks bread, 20 boxes tea, 6 gunnies sugar, 4 bundles shovels. 6 cases sundries, 6 kegs butter, 2 casks bread, 3 cases, Hey wood and Co.; 2 cases drapery, Simly; 2 tons salt, 6 cases arms, Peacock and Co.; 20 packages luggage, Patterson ;1 quarter-cask port wine, 1 do sherry, 1 do brandy, 1 da whiskey, 1 do old torn, 6 cases brandy, 2 hhds ale, 10 boxes soap, 1 ton sugar, U. Macpherson. Arrivals. —The City of Dunedin arrived on Tuesday night, at lialf-past eloven o'clock, from Hokitika, via, Nelson. She sailed from the former port on Saturday; at I 7 p.m., and arrived at Nelson on Sunday, at 9 p.m.; left Nelson at 1.30 p.m. on Monday, and arrived here as above. Experienced favourable weather throughout. Mr. Hamilton (Collector of Customs), and Mr. Patten had arrived at Hokitika. Captain Gibson was about to leave in the steamer Bruce to survey tho harbour at Wanganui. The supply of gold from the diggings was about the Owing to the severe wet weather of late, many of the Otago diggers are returning to their old claims. Provisions could be obtained at reasonable rates in the township. The Oak, a schooner belonging to Invercargill, was on the bar; her cargo, 130 tons and 180 sheep, with 130 passengers, were all safely landed. —The Prince Alfred arrived yesterday, at 11 o'clock, from Wellington and Northern Ports, bringing us later dates, but no news of importance.

HEATHCOTE. ABEIVED. May 9—Sea Bird, 15 tons, Ellis, from Akaroa.

IMPOSTS. In the Sea Bird: 12,500 feet timber, 12 cases apples, 2 sacks nuts, 3 packages luggage.

Thb b.b. Storm Bird.—This vessel was hauled on th# N.Z.S.N. Company's slip at Evans' Bay on Saturday last, in accordance with the recommendation of a preliminary survey which was held on her return to Wellington, after having been stranded on the Hokitika bar. Another survey was held on the vessel yesterday, when, we understand, the surveyors reported that the garboardBtreak plate on the starboard side was cracked for a distance of about fifteen feet, thus necessitating the removal of two plates; the second and third streak 3 have not suffered so much, as only two of the plates require being taken out and set. The port side has escaped with comparatively little injury, only one plate being required in the larboard streak. The frame rivets in the midship section of the vessel are more or less started, and will require to be renewed. Five of the floor timbers (or angle irons) are also started up and broken on the starboard side, and the bulwarks and main rail will require general repairs. It. is expected that the Storm Bird will be ready for sea again in about three weeks, and we understand that the Insurance Company pay three-fourths of the cost of getting her off and repairing her.—Wellington Advertiser, May 9. Discovery op a Sunken Rock off the East Cape. —In our shipping news yesterday we stated that the Beautiful Star, while on the passage to Napier, had struck on a rock near the East Cape, and had returned to Auckland for repair. As it is of importance that the exact locality of this hidden danger should be known, we may state that when the vessel struck, at 5.15 last Sunday morning, the East Cape bore S|E., distant two miles. The rock is in the direct route of vessels passing the Cape, and the reason why it has not been detected before is probably because it issolow as to be dangerous only when the tide is at the extreme ebb. In the Admiralty chart of Captain Drury, made in 1853, there is no mark of any danger at the spot, deep water being indicated all around. When the ship struck she was going at but little over halfspeed, the breeze being very light, but with a heavy rolling sea. Immediately after the occurrence of the accident the rest of the compartments were examined, with the satisfactory result of finding that the bulkheads were quite secure, and confined the leakage to the compartment which had been injured. It is rather surprising that during the voyage to Auckland the vessel steamed at a rate not much under her usual speed. Yesterday most of the coals were discharged from the steamer into a lighter, to enable the workmen to get at the injured part from the TOB»te- It is expected that the repairing of this vessel ■will not detain her more a few days.—Southern Cross, May 3. Official Tbiai Trip of the Tararua. —On Saturday morning the Tararua left her berth at the wharf, for the purpose of undergoing an official trial of speed at the measured mile. When the North Head was reached, the vessel was turned sharply round, and commenced to run the measured distance. This was done four times — twice with and twice against tide—and the result, as arrived at by Captain Johnson, Government Inspector of Steam Vessels, and Mr. Aylmer, Inspecting Engineer, •was that she had attained an average of rather over knots per hour, the exact figures being 11-567. The. engines made an average of seventy-five revolutions per minute, with a pressure of 21|- lbs. to the square inch, and a' steady vacuum of 26| inches. — Southern . Cross, May 1. Supposed Loss of the Schooner Kate Williams. —Great apprehension is felt in Auckland for the safety of the schooner Kats Williams, which had sailed from Hicks Bay for that port, with Mr. T. A. White as a passenger. The vessel was deeply laden, and the fear is that she has either founded' at sea, or .been wrecked on the coast, in which case, should Mr. White and the crew have reached the shore alive, they would fall into the hands of natives imbued with the Pai Marire fanaticism, and their fate, in that case, may have "been worse than the loss of their lives at sea. The Governor had dispatched H.M. steamer Esk to the East Coast to endeavour to learn the fate of the missing vessel, and the persons on board of her. Loss of the Basque Success on the Waimea Sajtds.—About six o'clock on Thursday morning last, a barque was seen from the pilot station to be on shore on the Waimea sands, distant about three miles from the entrance to the harbour. Her head was to the N.W., and she had set her close-reefed topsails, and her foretopmast staysail. The pilots, Mr. Cross and Mr. Lowe, immediately proceeded in their boat to the stranded vessel, which they boarded with great difficulty, as the sea was breaking heavily over her. On gaining her deck, they found the ship was abandoned, and that the long boat was gone. The crew of the pilot boat proceeded to clew and furl the topsails, and a man was sent to the mast head to look out for the ship's boat. Shortly afterwards, Captain Laverty and his crew returned fo their ship in a boat belonging to the brig Yarra, which had been obtained from that vessel, then in the outer anchorage, but' the sea was running so high that he was signalled not to attempt to come on board. From Captain Laverty's statements, written and verbal, we are able to give the following particulars of the loss of the vessel:--The Success, a barque of 287 toris register, left Newcastle on the 23rd of April, with 440 tons of coal, for Wellington. She experienced very severe weather in her passage up to Sunday last, and could get no observations. On Monday, May 1, the weather became moderate and fine, and Capt. laverty found himself in lat. 39 deg. 28 min. S., long. 169 deg. 51 min. E., with the wind from the N.W. On Tuesday, the weather again became thick, but he sighted Cape Farewell, bearing E. by N., the wind light and variable, On Wednesday morning, at eight o'clock, Cape Farewell bore E.S.E., distant about ten miles, the wind strong, and weather hazy. At eight, p.m., strong squalls and thick weather, with no land in sight; shaped a course, as was supposed, through Cook Strait, but in reality down Blind Bay. During the early part of the night, the wind freshened up to a heavy gale trom the N.W. At one o'clock on Thursday morning, shortened sail, and, observing light, wore the ship several times. At two o'clock, carried away wheel stanchion, which caused the vessel to labour and ship heavy seas, and, while putting on relieving tackle, the vessel paid off and struck the ground. As the sea broke heavily over the vessel, the long boat was with difficulty launched, and the captain ana the crew, ten altogether, abandoned the vessel, leaving everything behind them, and pulled for the light, which Captain Laverty supposed to be the lighthouse on Wellington Head. Fortunately the wind now moderated considerably. Getting abreast of the lighthouse, Captain laverty for the iirst time discovered his mistake, and as he could not land through the surf on the Boulder-Bank, he steered his boat towards one of the brigs lying in the outer roadstead, which he was now able to discern as daylight was breaking, and he accordingly boarded the brig Yarra. A survey was held on the Success on Thursday, by the i Harbour-Master, Mr. Cross, the pilot, Mr. Lowe, and Captains Heard and Foeken, of the brigs Ann and Maria, and Yarra, when she was condemned. On inspecting the vessel, it was found that her rudder was gone, her sternpost started, bulwarks carried away fore and aft, and that she was full of water. It may scorn somewhat strange that Captain Laverty should have mistaken Blind Bay lor Cook Strait, but the occurrence is not unfrequent, when vessels encounter baffling and thick weather at the mouth of the Strait. It has happened that vessels have sailed ten to twenty miles down Blind Bay, believing themselves to be in Cook Strait, but this is the first occasion that a vessel ever reached the bottom of the Bay before discovering the error. The strength of the gale and the excessive thickness of the weather explain the whole occurrence, although, had Captain Laverty been in Blind Bay before, he would have discovered his real position when he sighted our light, and would have then anchored, and saved his ship. Netson Examiner, May 0.

4T)T ,TTrir np TSH KBXOH Shameock.—NAßEOW EaojfSE. WC.w,-Th. Uk Bha»rook, Sr the command of an old settler, of this province, CaDtain Oakes, arrived at Onehunga yesterday, at ona ST .tiritoe, ?r STsE general curiosity. It appoars that lho Sham rook left Canterbury, bound for Hobart J-own, on the 12th April. Captain Oakes, on taking charge of hor, believed her sails, rigging, and hull to ba m good and sea-worthy condition, and accordingly wentto foa. On the 13th, lie found she was making a great doal of water, and thought of returning, or making for Wellington. On the 14th, howover, it blew very hard, and on the lfith, a high sea was running, the vessel being oil Banks' Peninsula. Towards night, it fell calm, and continued so all next day, the vessel making water so fast as to obligo the men to pump hor every quarter of an hour. On examination, the pumps were found to be bad, and the rigging, spars, sails, and caulking all rotten. Captain Oakes succeeded in caulking and stopping most of the leaks, and proceeded on his voyage, being off Cape Farewell on the 20th, at noon. On the two following days, the men were employed repairing the sails, and also tho mizen-boom, which had been carried away in tho gale. On the 2drd, it commenced to blow very hard; and on the 24th, it increased to a hurricane, and in the midst of it, the mainsail split right up, the sea running too high to heave-to. At 6 p.m., a sea came aboard, and carried away the port bulwarks and rails, and completely swept the deck; and at 6.20 p.m., another sea struck her aft, nearly carrying away the captain and two men, who were lashed aft to the tiller, but who caught the mizenmast and prevented themselves from being washed over. In this sea the vessel was almost engulfed, the water wetting everything in both cabins and berths; and the captain and crew were unable to light a fire or cook food for four consecutive days. Towards 10 p.m. on the 24th the wind abated, and also the sea, the men being thoroughly exhausted. On the 25th they still kept on, tne captain not being able to take an observation for six days, and towards night it commenced to blow again. At 10 p.m. the mizen-boom was carried away, and then Captain Oakes conferred with his crew, to whom he explained that they were 680 miles from Sydney, 650 miles from Manukau, and 800 miles from Cape Pillar (Hobart Town), and that they had now no sails on which to. depend. It was then unanimously resolved to steer for the Manukau, as it was not only nearer but there was a fair wind blowing. At 11 p.m. on the 25th, being m latitude 39-20 south, and longitude 163-25 east, bore away, accordingly, for this port, and was employed in pumping and repairing until the 29th, the weather being moderate, when the Manukau Heads were sighted. The Shamrock entered the south channel on Monday, and arrived safely, though withmuch water in her, at Onehunga yesterday. She is a nice little vessel of forty tons burthen, and belongs to Messrs. Belbin and Dowdell, of Hobart Town, and had a crew of four men.—Southern Cross, May 3. |