Shipping Intelligence.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 60, 27 July 1859, Page 2

Shipping Intelligence.

arrived. July 23, barque Marion, 317, Walsh, from Sydney. 24, brigantine William Alfred, 118, Tinley, from Wellington. IMPORTS. Marion, from Sydney— soo tons coals, 30 packages China matting, 1 bale leather, 100 boxes soap, 1 case furniture, W. Wilson. William Alfred, from Wellington— 27l bags 6ugar, 10 bags rice, Tinley. The Cameo, with her living freight, has at last arrived. Her passage has been long, but free from any of those accidents and disagreeable events which stamp so many voyages with melancholy. She is not the finest nor best appointed vessel which we have seen in our harbour, but the immigrants which she brings, who number about 300 souls of all classes, are a goodlooking lot of people. A considerable proportion of tho whole have come out at the invitation and no doubt at the part expense of their friends in the colony. The next vessel on the list, the Mary Anno, was to leave on the 26th April, and should therefore bo how nearly eighty days out. — Lytileton Times, July 13. The barque Queen of the Avon, Captain Gilbert, from London, arrived on Wednesday last, after a passage of 110 days. She sailed from Gravesend on the 23rd March, and experienced rough weather and contrary winds until she passed Madeira, when sho had fine weather and light winds until rounding the Cape, when sho encountered a severe gale, which carried away her maintopsail yard, and she shipped some heavy seas, which washed away part of the port bulwarks, poop ladder, hencoops, &c. Shortly after crossing the line, a seaman of the name of Painter fell off the foretopsail yard, and was unfortunately drowned, although the life-buoy was thrown overboard, a boat lowered, and every exertion made to save him. The Queen of the Avon brings 131 passengers, 70 being for Wellington, and the remainder for Nelson. There were four births and two deaths during the passage. She proceeds to Nelson as soon as the passengers for here are landed, all her cargo being for that port. — Spectator, July 16. The schooner Valentine Ilellicar, 60 tons, M'Pherson, master, from Melbourne to Port Cooj>or, with twenty passengers, four horses, and general cargo, was wrecked on the beach at Otaki, on Sunday morning last, during the great thunder-storm and gale of wind which occurred at that time. Providcntally no lives were lost, everything was saved, and the vessel is high and dry, and apparently sound, with the exception of the foremast, which was cut away after she got into the surf, and carried with it the bowsprit and | main topmast. Great credit is due to Mr. Eagar and several other European residents at Otaki, who, with the zealous co-operation of the natives, rendered every assistance in their power to the shipwrecked passengers and crew. — Id. The New Steam Contract. — Arrangements have been made with the White Swan, by the agents of the Coleman line of steamers, for the employment of that vessel in the Steam Mail Service. What the precise terms of the arrangements are we are not at present in possession of, but we understand that the engagement is as yet only temporary ; but that in all probability some permanent arrangements will shortly be concluded, not only with the White Swan, but also with the owners of the Qpeen. The objects of the contractors of the Coleraan line, in the engagement of these vessels, we should presume to be two-fold : the one to make fhe Steam Mail Service (both intercolonial and interprovincial) as complete and efficient as possible ; and the other, for the purpose of occa- j sionally relieving the four vessels at present employed in the service from that constant wear and tear which under tho original arrangement they would be subject to. The Swan is advertised to commence the term of her new engagement on the arrival here of the Company's steamer Lord Ashley, with the May malls from Sydney, when tho Southern mails will be immediately transhipped to the Swan, and she will proceed southward with them to Canterbury and Otago. The Ashley will then return to Nelson, and will pi'oceed thence to New Plymouth and Manukau, returning again to Wellington in time to meet the Swan on her return here from tho South with the homeward mails. This arrangement, however, will be slightly varied as soon as the permanent engagement has been entered into with the owners of the Queen and Swan. The arragements will then, we understand, be as follows : — The steamer proceeding with the mails from Sydney to Auckland will not continuo on, as at present arranged, to Napier, but will tranship the mail, passengers, and cargo to the Swan, who will proceed with them to Napier and Wellington, returning to Auckland by the same route in time to place the homeward mail on board the Coleman steamer for Sydney. The inter-colonial steamer with the English mails for Wellington will, on her arrival here, tranship them to the Queen, who will proceed with, them to Canterbury and Otago, returning to Wellington by the same route in time to place the homeward mails on board the inter-colonial steamer, who will wait her return from the south. Tho arrangements thus contemplated by the Coleman Company for the efficient performance of the mail service, will, if carried out, entitle them to great praise and credit ; and will also be the means of securing to Wellington, as the centre from which the various steamers arc to branch, those advantages which her central position, and noble and excellent harbour, entitle her to.— New Zealand Advertiser, July 20.