TARANAKI ROADSTEAD.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 325, 27 May 1848, Page 50

TARANAKI ROADSTEAD.

On the sth of February last, we copied from the Wellington Independent a communication from Taranaki respecting the loss of an anchor by the Ralph Bernal in that roadstead, where she had anchored to deliver cargo, brought by her from England. The communication ran thus: — " The loss of an anchor by the Ralph Bernal on the 1 lth ult. [December], though admitting of explanation, will not fail to add to the prejudice which captains of large vessels entertain j for this settlement. Had the captain adopted the precaution suggested to him by those on board his ship, the anchor would have been | got up. But he trusted to, or at all events used a buoy-rope unsound, too Blight, and therefore doubly unfit to raise tbe anchor by the crown, after the chain parted from it while weighing." We have just received from Captain M'Laren, from Auckland, where he had seen the above statement, a different version of the manner in which the accident arose, and have been requested to give it publicity. All that we know of Captain M'Laren's statement is, that it is fully confirmed by his first, mate, and another competent authority who was on board at the time. Without wishing to excite any prejudice against the roadstead in question, we are bound to publish the statement we have j received :— " Watson, the pilot, came on board and took charge of the vessel previous to her anchoring, and brought her up in the roadstead, where the anchor was dropped by his direction ; and from that time to her again weighing anchor he, was paid, (independently of his regular pilotage) lOs. per day for taking charge of her. On the morning that the anchor was lost, whilst M'Laren was transacting his business on shore, Watson turned the seamen out to get the ship, under-way. At tbii time there was a heavy sea on, three miles from the shore. .By Watson's directions, single-reefed topsails were set, and the consequence was, that the windlass was nearly torn out of the vessel, and the horse-pipe and head-vines were torn out by the devil'sdaw parting. After this, the captain (who by this time had boarded tht vessel) had twice suggested that the topsails should be lowered on the cap until the anchor was up. To this Watson said "No/ and continued to heave away, till at length, in a very heavy sea, the vessel gave a pitch and broke the cable." We think the Government is bound to do someting for the important district of Taranaki ; and it has been suggested that it should lay down the moorings, and take charge of them, seeing that they are always in good repair. If. this were done, and a good boat establishment maintained there, much of the prejudice against the roadstead would be removed.