ACROSS THE PACIFIC.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2059, 27 July 1867, Page 2

ACROSS THE PACIFIC.

[feom a oobbespondent.] Steamship Mataura, May 25,1867. The Panama mail service has now been running for twelve months. With this trip of this vessel the yoar is complete, for the Kaikoura, the pioneer ship, left Wellington, as you will remember, in June, 1860. There are now on record, one month having been dropped by the change of dates, twonty.two passages by steam across the Pacific Ocean, performed by this line; and since the navigation of this great sea haß been hitherto comparatively unknown, the logs of those two-and-twenty passages ought to prove an interesting addition to physical geography. I hope the facts will be duly furnished to the proper authorities, together with tho scientific and nautical observations of the skilful officers under whose command the voyages have been performed.

As one among such contributions to maritime experience, the log of the present voyage of the Mataura will be perhaps the most interesting. I need not remind you that the name of this great ocean is held by seamen to be really descriptive of its character. The light and regular winds which habitually traverse the greater part of its broad expanse hardly disturb the surface of the sea but produce what should be termed a ripple rather than a wave. So report most navigators, and so in particular reported the Kaikoura, on her first passage, even though it was made in winter:—"A whaleboat might have gone there and back." And though we have heard since then ot the mail ships falling in with bad weather sufficient to delay them on the return trip, those accidents have generally occurred near the New Zealand coast, to which the term " pacific" must not be made to extend. In what degree strong breezes and gales have occurred to the other mail steamerß on the broad bosom of the Pacific Ocean I am unable to say; but the present voyage of the Mataura is sufficient to prove that passengers must not expect to escape fresh winds and stormy seas altogether on the Panama trip. Between Wellington and the tropics we have had a succession of strong breezes, both fair and foul, to which must be added a heavy gale experienced before getting quite clear of the New Zealand coast. There has been no calm day or smooth sea up to the time when I write, the ship being now well within the tropics, and two-thirds of the way to her destination. The course of the wind, too, has been peculiar. Beginning fresh from west and south-weßt, it has backed to north-west and north, blown strongly from those points, and then returned, with hardly an interval, to the west and south-west again. When blowing from the north, rain has been an invariable accompaniment to the wind, and we have had heavy squalls of rain also from the westward. You will observe that the direction of the wind has been often absolutely fair, and never directly contrary. But the high seas, and peculiarly heavy cross swell occasioned by the conflicting winds, have done nearly as much to retard the ship, and to make passengers uncomfortable as would have been effected by a brisk breeze right in our teeth. The evolutions of the wind above described, its change from westward to northward, and from northward back again to westward, were performed completely twice in the first half of the voyage, after which time we had reason to expect that we should fall in with the regular south-east trade, just outside the tropics, and carry it nearly up to the line. But the wind is doing nothing so commonplace. Fresh westerly breezes, with a high rolling southwesterly swell, followed the Mataura through the laßt five degrees of latitude south of 30 ° S.; and when the change came, which should have been to the S.E., the wind insisted on again performing its old manoeuvre, and went steadily to nor-west and and north, whence while I write it is blowing stiffly. Apparently there ib to be no such thing as the trade wind for us, and we have failen in with that rare period when the regularity of the breeze is broken in upon for a time from causes which have yet to be explaiued. In the best books on the subject it is remarkable that in this very part of the ocean, and in this very portion of the year iu which we are, the trade wind is described as not liable to interruption, and as blowing well from S.E. between 28 ° S. and the line.

All this improper conduct of the wimta and waves does not seem to affect the ship. The'Mataura is a noble vessel, if not exceedingly swift, and bears calamity and adversity with great evenness of temper. It is true that, when deep with coal, she does not keep the wave-tops at quite their proper distance, but allows them to jump on board promiscuously and much to her own discomfort; still she goes about her work with a will, and has always got aloug steadily, keeping within a few hours, one way or other, of her contract time throughout. I have said just now that tho heavy "lumpy" seas hindered her progress even when the wind was favourable; and it must be remembered, too, that these ships are not rigged for sailing. The Mataura makes her contract speed with as much apparont ease against a moderate breeze as with anything short of a strong gale behind her. But she does not easily make more than the stipulated ten knots. The longest day's run, for instance, and that before a heavy driving gale, has not oiceeded 272 miles. The machinery goes smoothly aud does good work, removing all the fears that were entertained regarding it. Some stoppages there have been to easo the engines and give opportunity for au overhaul; and it speaks well for tho ability of the ship to perform the passage that, though these stoppages have already

amounted one with 28 hours, during which time t ° screw was not moving andliu he the disadvantages of ? all spoken, she is within an hourl? 9 of her contract time so far. tw ° That the engines have ■ proofofineffiJency. S^"* ojstem to make periodical h It fJ 6 purpose of overhaul, and to X Blight repairs. The Kakaia on Ct trip went through from Wellbl on ° n f e Panama, without once easing t W gines on the way; and perhans nfl, of the boats have done the sZ an occasional inspection not onlv r vents-abreak.down.butsecureJl!; on arrival at the end of the iourn the machinery will be almost in J* same good order in which it started The course taken by the Matamii conceive to be as nearly accurate could be laid down on the chart • J5 it is almost identical with that of n previous voyage; except that, at Btart r ing, the latter made a little ml southing for two or three days n P is not an object visible all the wav neither ship, nor island.-nothinabia eer than the birds, and very fe ff % them. The course leaves Easter Iskn about a hundred miles to the east 2 south, and thence runs in a atraiZ line so as to near the South AmerS coaßtnotfarfromPayta,andsow the shore current up to Panama Bav The precision with which the in tended course has been v ept t" thu occasion, even under diffi culties, is a convincing proof that the mail steamers need not make a mile of distance over the shortest linp except what a full knowledge of thf S' Th Vl aldifficult yandre 9 ponßi. bility must be encountered in tta engine-room. This Company has been fortunate,n securing the services of some of the best practical marine engineers that England can produce, and has done wisely in sparing no inducement or recompense in order to Becure them. I speak of these gentlemen as I find them They all, in the other ships as well as in this, express the most complete confidence that the work required can be performed. Uiven but coal of respectable quality and in abundance, and the ships will carry a sufficient supply for the passage, and something to spare, and the machinery that is in them now will do all that is wanted. But it is no holiday time for the engineer. Though he tells you this, you can add for yourself " Yes, with care." He is in his engineroom all day; there is no mere routine in his department; he never puts on a uniform coat, or spends his time in the saloon as the other officers may, not even for his meali. His eye is on the machinery from start to finish, every moment that nature allows him to be awake. And he is confident of a prosperous voyage because he leaves nothing to chance. Such is the chief engineer of the Mataura, and such are the engineers of the other ships also, so far as I am acquainted with them. The Mataura is the largest vessel of the fleet, has plenty of beam, and is accordingly roomy and comfortable for passengers. There are fifty on board, equally divided between first and second class; besides more than a hundred persona forming the ship's company. Altogether they form but a scanty population in her decks and cabins; and three times the number might be carried without crowding. I may mention here, with reference to what was said above about coals, that the Mataura filled up with 1250 1 tons on leaving Wellington, mixed 1 Welsh and Newcastle, that she has [ burned 34 tons of the former, or 42 tons of the latter, a day; and that she ' will probably carry some 100 tons into 1 port. If similar supplies of coal of 1 equal quality could be depended upon 1 at Panama, there would be little fear ' of the steamers failing to make the return passage as easily as they nave always made the outward one. With the prospect, which exists, of turning the island of Opara quickly to account as a coaling station, the danger of delay, even on the inward voyages, may already be said to be past. The mention of Opara suggests a subject well worth consideration by New Zealand and the colonies interested in the connection with America and Great Britain by this route. It is whether the line to Panama ought not to be superseded by one to San Francisco, almost before the present contract expires. There are two facts, one of nature and one of art, which seem to decide in favour of the change. The latter fact is the probable completion within three years of the Atlantic and Pacific Eailway, which will connect New York with San Francisco all across the great Continent. I have not the exact plans or figures by me, but shall be ableto gather them for your use iu New York. It seems probable, however, that the journey will be made in six , days by ordinary, and five days by express trains, aud that tho pwsuge money across the Continent will be about £25. The works are known to be progressing vigorously at both ends, and ought to be fiuished by 1870.

The other fact is, that the distance from Wellington to San Francisco is SSG4 nautical miles, or seven hundred miles shorter thau to Panama; the navigation of the ocean which lies between is equally easy; aud there is this great advantage, that Tahiti lies exactly in the course, 2200 miles from "Wellington, ready to form a most easy coaling place, and a most pleasant half-way halting station. Then consider the postal'aud practical advantages of the Californian route, when complete. In the first place, the steamer from and to Wellington and San Francisco will take but 25 days instead of 27, and only 23 days from or to Auckland; then, if she be a day or two either early or late in arrival at San Francisco, there will be no such thing as missing or waiting, for the mail will go across by the traiu of the day after arrival. At New York, also, there can be no delay, since steamers carrying British mails leave almost every day. "We can therefore calculate on sending the mails through in an exact number of days, as follows:

Wellington to San Francisco.... : 25, days SSciscotoNew ; rork, ..,,„■ New York to London:.:... :: ,.; , '^;;» inthe same'tune,»/ and stli»days ofliondonforthebulk, of their 1 Tesult'/hitherto undreamt of; and not to be .equa]led!oa the'lndian routed until; tlie. ; Euphrates; Yaller railways Hall have/joined :ioge-. ther the Indian and European, systems; across whatever other lands intervene.; As topassengers, it .might be objected that alive or six. ;days v railway journey would:: be; "most.. fatiguiug-7-ilmosfc. unendurable. Biit is nothing to :compel,tliem;to : ! go; through With the mails, whether; not, as is the case; with /sea (travelling. Andthere will'bewonderM; and: .delightful fltpppiug-places(/fortravellers; jfotto mention; SanjFrahciseaxitself and the great cities 61 the Atlantic, States, the rail will.actually, carry ■its passengers through the; Salt Lake City,., the capital of the'Mprmons.- :■ :,. ; Incidentally, the; adoption' of this route will remove one of the greatest j postal difficulties to look forward to, ; e,;;indiah::maii;: eervices are to arranged. week of seven days,: instead of■byothe.' month. ' The Suez mail will arrive at and leave the;colonies;once every four weeks, and will notharinov nise at all with the/Mama; servicer which will still Jhe Pacific portibn of; the ■ line, ■ it; •: is true, is within ourcontrol, and; might : be altered; but the "Westlndia portion' cannot be touched 1 ;: by us,v and; is not Tery : likely to be altered for our convenience by the British Post Office...Biit. the New Zealand, steamers can.run.:to San Francisco just as ...often and at just out ahtconsi'derationof the' other'side. can; not. only carry the mail' alternatelywith the'"■: Indian; lilies, but; we can make';; the s intervals; between.the arrivals anddepartures.of the two,mails exactly equal, .which-is at present impossible.:;,/; It may be ■mentioned, in ; addition,, that SanFrancisccl would be a preferable port, to a Panama for :;the : ;.cpnye-. nience of the.;steamers running.to and fro. And, the only objection', that I can at.preseht; foresee to the'adoption of this : as; the ultimate; route for,our : mails.is that the .United -Statesrtnay fii Bohigh( a transit postal charges \ as, to make; the ■ sixpenny rate"'between' the colonies and' Great Britain wiremunerative..;;;,lt seems to me that the. consideration of • this question should at once be -taken up by the Governments of New Zealand and New South Wales. There is nothing, as it seems tome,in the resolutions ,of the late postal conference that can prevent the substitution of the San Francisco route for that by Panama, if Jit be generally approved of, each being but a modification of the same general idea. Panama, June 6. I can now tell you that the Mataura's yoyage has been successfully completed. She arrived on the evening, of the 4th, landed mails and passengers for Southampton neit morning; they crossed in the afternoon to Colon, and sailed thence this morning. I think it may be safely said thattbeMatauraißatboroughlydependable ship, and ought to recover at once the reputation which Bhe lost for a time from no fault of her own. Given a fair passage back to Wellingtb , and her character will be completely established as one of the most attractive of the Panama steamers. With reference to the remarks made above on winds and weather, it is a sad fact that the story of the Buahine's last voyage in this direction, of which you will have heard before now, eclipses anything that I have had to tell; about the uncertainty of the Pacific seas—the break-down of that ship, the first which has happened on the homeward voyage, and the first instance of the mail for Europe missing the regular steamer from Colon. As to the conclusion of our passage I have only to say that a gentle trade wind; was found in 15 ° 8., and, brought up to within two degrees of ■■; the line. It ;had the effect of keeping the ship delightfully cool, causing the greater contrast when on the: fine the breeze dropped:to a light.air,ipersistently following right abaft; and keeping the vessel iii the condition of a : hothouse. Owing to the sudden change the heat was ■very oppressive, but .then it existed; only for, the last four days of the paßßage; : The Bea waa like- a: millpond,'.';:;;:,;/'::;;: !;-v :/;:"..;;; The'..;. domestic (incidents :.of'• the; wyfrgGj though ; ; amusing "enough ..to those concerned, are commonplace; to the rest of the world. '"'■ Idon't repeat the story which, told of any steamer or sailing ship, will be the same throughout in outline and character. I will only say that Captain Bird and lis officers were, before parting, warmly thanked for their kindness, and the "captain was presented with a more substantial testimonial also as .a souvenir from his passengers. No ship; captain (ever deserved it better. There: was one melancholy incident, during one of tho gales after starting, an unfortunate .man, the ship's cook, was thrown down;.with such violence that his leg was broken high up, and thje-knee ; of the same side smashed tp : jelly.; ', After two days, amputation wasfouudto be necessary,and was effected one; Sunday afternoon. The same; night the patient .died, and his body.".'.was buried according .to.. the practice and forms used at sea, at noon on. Monday.