ARRIYAL OF THE ARAWATA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 344, 27 December 1875, Page 2

ARRIYAL OF THE ARAWATA.

f M'Meckan, Blackwood, and Co.'s steamer Arawata, from Melbourne and South, came into harbor at 530 p.m. on Friday. She is full sister to the Ringarooma, and her counterpart in all points, having been built on thesame lines, with similar appointments, fittings, rig, &c. A full description of the Ringarooma having been given by us on her arrival, there is no need to recapitulate it here, as the account then given will supply, most of the information concerning the Acawata. So equal are they in all particulars and essentials that only the practised eye of the seaman who is familiar with each vessel can detect the trifling minutiae ■wherein lies the difference between them. As in the case of the Ringarooraa the Arawata has.undergone some modification alo?t since her arrival in Melbourne, her rig having been altered from a topsail to a fore-and-aft schooner. Captain Underwood is in command; Mr Irvine, chief officer; Mr "Waugh, formerly of the Tararua, chief engineer; Mr Millar, purser. The Arawata left Sandridge Railway Pier at 2-15 p.m. on the 15th inst.; passed Swan Island at 1 p.m. on the following day; experienced fine weather, aud ar- . rived off the Bluff at 9-45 p.m. on the 19th; left at 10 a.m. on the 20th, and arrived at Port Chalmers^ at 720 p.m , after a run of 9 honrs, 20 minutes against a fresh N.E. wind; sailed at 8 p.m. on the 21st, and arrived at Lyttelton at 10-20 a.m. on the 23rd; left again at 6 p.m. same day, and arrived off Wellington Heads at 6 a.m. on Thursday. Sailed again at 5- 15 p.m., but owing to a deuse fog had to auchor until 8 a.m. on Friday, when she started again, arriving off the Lighthouse at 3*30 p.m. During the passage from Melbourne the Arawata made some tall running. In coming down Hobson's Bay she did the distance between the Gellibraud's Pointand West Channel lightships, 21 nautical miles, in 1 hour 28 mins, giving a speed of a little over 15 knots an hour. She sailed for Melbourne via. West Coast at 7-30 p.m. on Eriday. The Loss op the Stbathmore.— ln connection with the loss of this ve>eel there appears in the Manchester Guarnim an extract from a letter written by Mr Thomas Menderson, non o ( Mr Henderson, of Messrs Brogden & Srms, which indicates the probable caa<e of tha !om of tint vetsel The letter ih datf-d on bnard tha Strathmnre May 21s 1 ;, 1875, lat- 4 d^g 20 rain, north. Tie letter says—" We got out of the Channel beautifully, but directly after we managed ihat a headwind, came on, and continuad for a fo'tnight, driving as right Rcross to America. After th+t fioWhvd we hi '■ a fair wind, but unluckily it h>is he ns > aligiit the wh >le time that on gome occasions we have nos reiug going n on thin a quarter if a mile an hour. The vessel seems a capital one, and the captuin and officers are vert agreeab'e, but ths crew are a nasty, ill conditioned lot. When we had heen abo it ten days out they broached the cargo, taki-ig t*o or three cases of gin out of the hold, nnl were consequently all dr.mk the next day, and besides tint, the following they we're in a state ot in»ubordiaation, and refused to turn to work, but it got settled in the course of time, and nothing further has been a u-i about the nmt r, though I should hardly expect it will be allowed to drop altogther. The l*st few days we have been havi ig broiliag hot weither, an-i >esterdiy evening we had a thunder-storm which was fo terrfh thar Maggie (Miss Henieraon) was t rrifiej and i« ill to day. We are now only goins from two to thr. j e knots an hour, ami 8) s-eidily that o»e can't perceive the motion of the ves9Llat all. '