NARROW ESCAPE OF THE STEAMER KENNEDY.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 130, 29 October 1867, Page 2

NARROW ESCAPE OF THE STEAMER KENNEDY.

"The steamer Kennedy, with his Honour the Superintendent, the Provincial Treasurer, four members of the Provincial Council, and other passengers on board, had a narrow escape from shipwreck on Mokihinui bar on Friday morning last. The Kennedy was returning to Nelson, but put into Mokihinui on her way, on Thursday evening, and intended to have sailed again between nine and ten o'clock on the following morning, as Boon as she could land her cargo. During the night it rained very heavily, and there being a great deal of enow on the mountains which the rain brought off, the*river in the morning began to rise rapidly, and by nine o'clock the whole of the lower part of tho town was under water. The volume of water which poured down the channel at this time was terrific, and Captain Carey saw that he must give up the attempt to land the remainder ot his cargo, and the boat engaged in doing this, in charge oi the first officer, was summoned by the steam-whistle to come alongside, as were also a number of passengers who wero intending to come on in the steamer to Nelson. Before those on shore could take any steps to get on board tho vessel, she began to drug her anchor. Steom was at once turned on to assist her in keeping her position, but it was quickly seen that nothing could save her from being swept out over the bar, stern foremost, the river being too narrow to turn in, bo that the anchor was at once slipped. As the spot where the Kennedy had anchored was only a very short distance within the bar, the vessel was quickly in the midst of tho breakers, which were rolling in with great violence, barely affording time to close the dead-lights and get on the hatches before she struck on the north spit, and her decks swept by heavy Beos. The Kennedy is a twinscrew boat, and had a screw apparatus for steering, but the first roller that struck her broke this apparatus, thus rendering the vessel unmanageable, while a Bucceseion of seas sweeping her decks found their w»y into the cabin and engine-room, damping the fires so that steam could not be kept up. The force of tho current soon swept the steamer again into deep water, but, with neither rudder nor steam to assist her, she was in a moet perilous position. By great exertions the rudder was at last secured by etcering-ropes, and through the perseverance of the engineers and firemen steam was gradually got up, Captain Caroy with great judgment keeping the vessel in the current until he could get a command of steam and so prevented her being driven on shore by the heavy seas rolling on to the beach. As steam began to rise, the Kennedy, with her head southward, was steered parallel with the shore, edging gradually seaward, but the heavy rollers preventing her getting any considerable offing until she had got some way down the ooabt and full steam was obtainable. Then her head was put to sea and the was soon clear of the breakers, and reached Nelson early on Saturday morning. In consequence of the thickness of tho weather the Kennedy was quickly lost eighth of from the shore when swept out of the river, and a belief was entertained at Mokihinui that she had foundered. This intelligence was conveyed to Greymouth, and a telegram was received yesterday making anxious inquiry as to the safety of the vessel. All the passengers bear testimony to the cool intrepidity of Captain Carey, in the trying circumeiauct's, as well as to the entire crew of the vessel. To this we may fairly attribute the safety of tho vessel, and probably the 6afety of many lives. The gi*eat danger which the vessel ran when rendered unmanageable, was that she might founder before reaching the beach, and no doubt her position was one of exceeding danger.

Panam.v Mail.— The Rakaia from tynarau, with tho English September mails, arrived at Wellington early on Sunday moruing last, and tho Nelson portion of it was put' on board the Oineo yesterday. The Omco left Wellington at half past one o'c-lock in tho afternoon, so that her arrival here may be looked <br this morning. Mketinq of tiie Provincial Council. — The Council will meet to day in the Provincial Hall, at ono o'clock, having been su-nmonod by tho Superintendent for a special object. The reason for holding this extraordinary scsion arises, a3 is well known, from tho necessity of getting a vote to cover tho expenditure incurred on the West Coast in excess of the former vote. Financial Reform LiuGrE. — We wish to remind tho members of tho committee of tho League that a meeting will bo held this evening, and that subjects of importance will come before them for discussion. Acts of the Session.— The list of Acts passed during the session, published by us on Saturday, were all assented to by the Governor before tho Asecmbly was prorogued, a 9 also was a private Act, the Otago Southern Trunk Railway Act Amendment Act. Tho Governor's Salary Act, and tho Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act, likewise passed by tho Assembly, were reserved for her Majesty's assent. Boaed of Wobks. — A meeting of the Board of Works waa held on Friday laefc, at which Messrs. Bentley, Webb, Hooper, Burns, and Field were prepresent, Mr. Bentley in the chair. The Public Works Committee reported having visited Messrs. Avery's ■workshop,™ Bridge-street, and inspected their engine, ■which they found could be productive of no, danger to 6urrounding buildings. The consideration of a memorial from tho inhabitants of Washington Valley, respecting improvements in that locality, as also applications for improvement* in some other streets, were postponed till the next meeting. After Borne ordinary business had been transacted, a letter was reud from Mr. J. M'Lean, of Hokitika, which stated that be was in possession of the requisite plant for Joying down asphalte pavement, and proposed that the Board should guarantee the laying •down of 100 yards in Nelson as a commencement. It was shown that the expenses of this might be met hj a special rate, and that the pavement would cost about ss. CJ. per yard. It was agreed that the Board were not at present in a position to acquiesce in Mr. M'Lean's proposal, and the Secretary was instructed to write to him to that effect. Acclimatization. — F. Huddleston, Esq., Secretary of the Nelson Acclimatization Society, ha 9 received a letter from M. Allport, Esq., Secretary of the Tasmanian Society, promising a supply of perch next autumn. Mr. Allport also promises to send us some 'plants of the English white lily, with two epecies of fresh water shell-fish, which aro useful to keep down dead vegetation in stagnant water. Trotjt Ota. — Tho recent attempt to introduce trout to Otago and Canterbury, by bringing ova from Tasmania, has not been very successful, the reBult being only three live trout in the ponds in Ohristcburch. The time at which the experiment •was made was too late in the season, and the ova, by being taken first to Melbourne, recoived a good deal of knocking about, which was increased by a bad passage from the latter port. Another year, tho success we hope will be greater. Lunacy. — A young woman named Catherall, an immigrant by the Cissy, who, since her arrival, has been labouring under hysteria, threw herself out of an upper window of (he Hospital, of which she had fcecoino an inmate, on Friday last. Although falling a height of fourteen fost, slio fortunately received no injury. The unfortunate girl on the following day was remanded to the Lunatic Asylum. Establishing a Chubch at Westport. — On Tuesday evening last, a meeting of the inhabitants of Westport was held in the large room of Trimble's Nelson Hotel, tho use of which was kindly granted for the occasion, to consider the best moans of establishing a resident minister of tho Church of England in this district. Tho Bishop of Nelson, in addressing tho meeting, spoke with regret of the low stipend 'which many clergymen in New Zealand rceeived, in . *ome instances less in amount than was paid as a salary to a shepherd. He said if they wanted the services of a clergyman at Westport, they must pay him £300 a-year and provide him with a house, but his lordship offered to contribute £100 towards the first year's stipend. Resolutions were passed thanking his lordship for the interest' he had taken in the' spiritual welfare of the district, and accepting his proposal for raising a stipend for a resident clergyman. A " guarantee-fund " paper for paying a clergyman, received signatures in the room amounting to £140, and £104 was subscribed towards building a parsonage. Bishop Hobhouse.— We learn from the Times, of the 18th of August, that the vicarage of Doulting^ Somersetshire, with the chapelrics of East and West Cranmore and Downhead annexed, value £640 per annum, has boen presented to the Right Rev. E. Hobhouse, D.D., late Bishop of Nelson, New Zealand. Nelson Baths. — It is no small matter of congratulation for the residents of Nelson that their citf possesses the most complete baths in New Zealand. Neither Auckland, nor Wellington, nor Dunedin, nor Christchurch, has baths approaching those possessed by us, for completeness and comfort, as is freely testified by those travellers who pay them a Visit. When we enumcrato that hot and cold baths are obtainable, also a douche, vapour, and swimming baths ; ' that there is a separate building for ladies, and that all the internal arrangements aro perfect — we leave little further to be said in commendation of the establishment. Persons wishing for hydropathic treatment may also bo accommodated, so that really, except it be the Turkish bath, nothing seems wanting which water can furnish. It wa3 only recently that we for ♦•he first time paid theso baths a visit, and wo little to find everything about tho establishment so b Mjhlj satisfactory. jjoj/itika Mayoralty. — The contest for the Mayoralty °f Hokitika has resulted in the election of Mr. fc, "Ha-^r, who polled 205 votes, Mr. Button polling 193, o»d Mr - J-'rosser 130. Dr. Hecto.^- — "W° understand," says the New Zealand Times, " tlmt our Colonial Geologist, Dr. Hector, is shortly about to proceed across the interior of the island, *° the gold-bearing districts of the Auckland Provii >co, which have of late excited so much notice. The Doctor will take Taupo and tho surrounding countr/ on vis v ' a J> and unassisted, as it is hia custom, ho \ 'i. 11 endeavour to visit the various localities where it i* expected new food for scientifically disposed minds will be obtainable. We trust that no opposition will be offered to his procress by any of the disaffected i. stives, through which he will probably have to pass, and the result of his general exploration and of a science examination of tho Thames district will be expected with great interest." A Live Moa.— A story which appeared a short time ago in an Otago paper, and which has been pretty generally copied by other colonial journals, of a live moa having been seen in the Lake district of that province, is now confessed to have been a hoax. Gold Prospects at MoKiHximr.-^The Special Correspondent of the Westport Times, of the 22nd instant, furnishes the following :— " According to promise, I send you a report of my proceedings in tins district, and you may depend upon every statement I send you being correct. I first examined the workings on the terrace, which is situated about, threoquarters of a inilo south of the river. The lead there, which is about two miles in length, has a population of, as near as I can form an idea, 5,000 miners. Of these, from the best information, and I do not think that I exaggerate, when I say that there aro fully 1,200 on payable gold. The sinking variesfrom eight to sixty feet, with a mean depth of washdirt of twelve to eighteen inches, which is composed of red gravel. I find the following claims give the prospects unnexed :— Sullivan and party, shaft sixty feet ; washdirt, twelve inches ; prospect, 4 dwts. to tho dish. I was informed that in Casey's tunnel four ounces were washed off the bottom. Liverpool Dave has also a good claim, which it is said has given as high as 17 dwts. to the dish. Thero aro •workings about four miles up the river, and about

two miles in a southerly direction from the right bank. The population there consists of three parties, numbering fourteen vaon in all. These are all on payable gold, but what the prospects are they have obtaiaed I have not heard. I spoke to a party of men oi^Viduy last who had just come down the river. '±hej had gone up about fifteen miles, and had been absent from the township about a week. They came down for ' tucker/ and brought two and a-half ounces of coarse gold with them. Immediately after getting their wants supplied, they set off on their return journey in good spirits, and spoke confidently of something great turning up there. From all I see and hear, I have every confidence in the future of this place. Certainly nothing very wonderful has turned up yet to astonish one, but tho country has every indication of being a great gold-producing district, and tirno and a track up the river will assuredly develope as large and rich a gold-field as the West Coast can boast of. The miners are loud in their cries at the price of provisions up the river, but as every article of consumption ha 3to be canoed up at great risk of loss, owing to the rapidity of tho river, and the numberless falls which occur at distances of only a mile or two, I do not see how high prices tan be avoided. Still it is very evident should a large rush take place in that direction, the Government will do what they have always had the reputation of doing — meet the storekeepers and miner 9 half-way in cutting tracks and roads. Sections within the last few days have in- : creased in value. Nothing wortli anything can be got for a leas figure than £70 or £100. A friend of i mine refused tbe latter Bum for a section only yes- j terday. The chief amusement of what few idlers there are is fishing, of which thero is an abundance. They are selling fine large flounders at one shilling per dozen. Wellington Wharf Extension. — The first of what will probably be several suits betweeri Konnard Brothers and the Superintendent of Wellington has been before the Court of Appeal. Tho Neio Zealand Times, of tho 21st, has the following remarks on it, which may be interesting to some of our readers :—: — " As many of our readers take an interest in tho late case of Kennard v. Featherslon, wo will endeavour to place before them its present position, and show how it is affected by the judgment of the Court of Appeal. The action was brought by tho.contractors to recover from the Q-overnment the balance due upon the contract. The declaration showed that payment was subject to the engineer giving his certificate that the work was complete, and did not show that this certificate had been obtained. The defendant demurred upon this ground, thus placing in i«sue tho necessity, of the plaintiff obtaining this certificate before bringing an action. The demurrer was allowed, thereby deciding that obtaining the certificate was v condition precedent. The plaintiff may amend his declaration upon payment of costs, leave having been given by the Court (or perhaps without leave). Ho cannot, however, amend by alleging his having obtained a certificate, because he has not done so ; but two other courses are open to him — ho may make his suit equitable instead of legal, resting it upon some charge of fraud or collusion between the defendant and the engineer, and showing that tho certificate was wrongfully withheld, and alleging and proving that the work has been completed according to contract ; or he may declare upon a quantum meruit, upon the ground that the works have been taken possession of, and that *he defendant has obtained sonic value more than he has paid for, and claiming that value as damages. As to the first amendment, nothing has come out at present leading us to suppose that any facts exist to support the necessary allegations As to the second, we do not see how the plaintiff will got rid of his contract. A plaintiff cannot recover upon a quantum, meruit if thero is any agreement existing at tbe time of the actipn between tho parties. If a contract is made for a work at a given price, so long as that contract exists, that work must be done and that price paid, and the contract sued upon. But if the contract is put an end to, say by breach on the part of the Q-overnment, and by some act of theirs preventing its completion, the contractors can recover the value of the work done. Hove, however, the plaintiff alleges that tho contract is performed without breach on either side, and that tho works having been completed, they have been taken possession of by the Q-overnment. It seems to us, therefore, that he cannot sue for value, but must sue for the sum agreed upon for under tho contract. Then that necessitates, proof of all things having been dono by the plaintiff which the contract requires, and among others that he has obtained the certificate of the engineer. Perhaps the contractors will find that their best course to pursue under the circumstances will be to lay their case before the Provincial Council, and accept such sum as they may agree to pay." Brighter Prospects toe the Colony. — The Some Neics, speaking of the prospects of an improvement in the state of things in this colony, sayß : — • " One reason why New Zealand should be invited to expect a considerable and an early share in the anticipated commercial recovery is the cheapness of money here, and the difficulty of finding employment for it. Its abundance is simply a reaction from the unnatural scarcity of this time last year. As there is now no faith in tho principle of limited liability, which produced so many bubble schemes at the expense of deluded shareholders, more attention is being given to the commercial principle in ' which there is faith. And as the field at home has been narrowed, men are casting about for new openings for commerical enterprise, and none are found to bear comparison, in promise, with the Australian colonies, nmong the chief of which New Zealand is conspicuous. Money at two per cent, will force some of our now unemployed capital and our disengaged energies into that prolific field. In this state of transition we would urge the expediency of not showing eagerness, at present, to make new calls upon the homo market, especially as a vast mass of securities of all Borts is not yet digested, or ' placed,' as it is called." Lttstts Nature. — There is at present running with a flock of goats, now depasturing on the Ararat racecourse paddock, a very singular animal, half a goat and half a sheep. The little lamb, or kid, or whatever it may be called, possesses a sheep's head, and pure wool as far as the middle of the body, when the quality rapidly deteriorates to long hair, the hind quarters being purely those of a goat. It is now about three months old, and evinces by habit and movement that the instinct of the goat is predominant.