Maritime Record.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1651, 12 February 1862, Page 2

Maritime Record.

The Inier-Colonial Mail Company’* steam ship Airedale, Captain Kennedy, sailed from the Manukau for New Plymout and the Southern ports on Sunday last, crowded in corner where a human being could possibly be cramin i indeed so extensive has the passenger traffic on this Hnebccottc that there would, we incline to think, be no great difficulty filling a ship of double the Airedale’s dimension*. On Friday lasi, on the invitation of the local manager, Mr. W, H. Hobbs, we paid a visit to the Airedale to witness the many and implements that have.been made/in h»j »od.ih*t 10 ckrrtiK ofct Id ill tba CdrripVrfy V* **

practical roanaßement of Captain Vine Hall. To those familiar with the Airedale when she first arrived on this station, it would be difficult to recognize her except externally, and there, 100, paint, polish, ami the hand of the'diligent are agreeably conspicuous. Inboard, however, the improvements are most striking; great as were the alterations from her first little series of cabins to her present well considered saloon, there still lacked those additional amendments which have since been made. Inside and out, the ship has been completely renovated. An exceedingly comfortable house for the Captain has been built on the quarter deck, near toils break ; it is furnished with many requisites, a tell tale, and a chronometer each in convenient cells and with windows which command the deck In all directions. Under the same roof with this house, on the Jiort side; a very easy and iliry staircase leads to the Saloon, tfhich is entered from a convenient lobbyj the pantry; a well contrived room, occupying the forward angle on the port side, the purser’s room the centre, and the ladies cabin the forward angle on the starboard side. By removing the Captains cabin to the deck, which its trenches on little more than an ordinary companion way, four berths are gained. Indeed the economizing of space in the most convenient and comfortable way is one of the remarkable peculiarities of the Airedale, which, for her Inches, may safely be pronounced to be the best erdcred boat on the New Zealand coast. Off the Saloon there are 24 berths for gentlemen, and six berths for ladies. In the second cabin, which has also been vastly improved, there is accommodation for 52 persons with berths to each. On the decks a good deal of unnecessary hamper has been got rid of; two obstructive ladders, have given place to a convenient bridge by which the platform, from which the ship is conned, is reached from the quarter deck direct; by this means much clear space has been acquired. In the Engine department, the ameliorations are not le.s obvious. The Engine room has undergone a thorough purgation) the machinery is as bright as if newly turned out; a water jacket and super heating apparatus have been supplied; and the two blsded screw has been superseded by one with three blades) the result of these alterations is that the ship is propelled much more steadily and swiftly than heretofore, the estimated accession of speed being fully two Knots per hour, consequently there is a rational assurance that the large outlay incurred will be fully repaid, We are pleased to hear that the same efficient alterations are to be made in the other vessels of the Company’s squadron; The Lord Ashley is now in the hands of Sydney artificers, and when completed, as she is likely to be in five or six weeks, the Lord Worsley will take her place; Captain Hal! seems determined not to patch Up but to rtnder the ships under his charge as perfect as thby can be; We commend him for his enterprise and we heartily hope that he will be able to work the line as it ought to be worked with the addition of two or three more efficient steamers from England.

We have been favoured with the following particulars of the passage, from London, of the good ship Avalanche, Captain Stott, which showed herself on Friday morning, and came to anchor off the North Head in the course of the same afternoon. Her dates are from the Downs 14th and Portland 16th October, (.'ape of Good Hope 21st December, thus making the passage m 114 days from the Channel all detentions included ami fiom the Cape in 48 days. On leaving the English Coast . she encountered baffling weather, until off Oporto when the wind came away more favourable On 27th October, sighted West Coast of Madeira and Palma on 29th; kept outside Cape Verd Islands without sighting any of them. The N.E. trade winds proved a failure having only had them for about 3 days when they died away altogether in 11° north. Picked up the S.E. trades in 5° N. and carried them strong and free until losing them on 261h November in 25° S. Crossed the line on 17th November in 27“ 56° W. sighted Trinidad on 24th Nov., and then shaped a course for Tristan D’Acuuha, to procure fresh supplies of live stock. On nearing that bland, encountered thick foggy weather, and not being able to get any observations bore up for Cape Town and entered Table Bay on 19th December, Sailed again on 21st and had moderate weather until 2nd January then off the Crozet Islands; fine strong we.terly winds set in and continued whilst running down her easting in 44° to 43° S. During this time the ship stepped out bravely, logging 2(H), 250, 200, miles a day, one day 3u2 miles- From Ist to 24th January 5140 miles were in all run off. On the 12th and 13th January a strong S.W. ga'e set in aqd tumbled one or two heavy seas on board, damaging bulwarks and carrying away some hencoops and deck lumber, but the ship stood well up to her canvas and had no further damage. Rounded Tasmania on 22nd January, since then had a wearying time of head winds and calm*. The Three Kings were made at 1, p.m., on Monday, and she has crawled up the Coast by inches. Previously to arriving at the Cape ships were sighted almost daily and agreat many spoken. Letters were forwarded home by the American ship G, W. Duncan, from Callao to Cork, spoken on 23rd November in 17°7’ S.; a day was spent in Visiting the whale ship Atlantic, of New Bedford, on the invitation of her Captain, both ships being becalmed in lat. 3 i°37’ S. lon. 7°ll’ E. The only vessels spoken connected with the Colonies were the S.S. Great Britain, on 30th October, in Ut, 27°44’ N.. lon. 20°54’ W; Vortigern, for Melbourne, on Nov. 15, in lat. 40"41‘ N. lon. 24°53' \V.; Norfolk, London to Melbourne, on 3rd December, in lat. 35°42’ S., lon. 15°39' W.„ only 35 days out. On entering Table Bay the Avalanche was followed by the Robert Morrison. Captain Thorne, formerly of the Kenilworth, from London to Swan River. Found there the ship Minden, Captain Marshall, from Cochin to London, laden with cotton, putin for ballas', and ship Sir Edward Pager, Moulmein to London. Table Bay was crowded wilh shipping, and on the day the Avalanche sailed nineteen vessels from foreign ports had arrived and more were signalled standing in. Saw great numbers of whales on the passage—for some time sighted them daily—when running down her easting and again found the Three Kings and all up the coast. The Avalanche has a heavy cargo, brings several old colonisis, Messrs. J. W. Bain, W, K. Graham, and a number of highly respectable cabin, intermediate, and steerage passengers, all of whom apeak highly of Captain Stott and his officers. The ship comes into port in her usually first-rate state of order and cleanliness. One birth occurred on the passage, the wife of E. F. Holden Esq., on 29th ulto. of a daughter, and one death, that of an infant on the 18th November born only » few days before the vessel sailed. Throughout, the voyage seems to have been a thoroughly pleasant and harmonious one, and considering the ship. Captain, and passengers this may not be wondered at. Belonging to the passengers we were glad to see some fine additions of song birds, pigeons, and fowls; unfortunately some fine Dorkings were lost on the early part of the passage. Whaling Intelligence : We have the following report from Russell, under date Bth Inst.: Arrivals January 28th— James Maury, ship, 395 tons. Wing, New Bedford, wilh 2300 barrels whale, 420 barrels sperm :— January 28th —Stafford, barque, 206 tons. Pierce, New Bedford, with 125 barrels sperm: —January 28th —Magnolia, ship, 390 tons. Pierce, New Bedford, wilh 2900 barrels whale, 100 barrels sperm :— January 29th— Bartholomew Gosnold, ship, 356 tons, Clark, New Bedford, with 1100 barrels whale, 200 barrels sperm January 3ls'—Courser, barque, 327 tons, Hammet, New Bedford, wilh J4O barrels sperm; put in for letters, and left for Sydney, leaky. Februaty s—The British barque Stately, 565 tons, Wycherley, from Newcastle to California, put in with loss of fore-top-mast, and both top gallant masts ; bowsprit aud main-top-mast badly sprung by a whirlwind which she encountered off the bay. She is replacing her lost and damaged spars. February 7th—Herald, 2nd, ship, 308 tons, Little, New Bsdwith, 650 barrels sperm. Sailed :—February 4lh—Janus, ship, 321 tons. Smith, New Bedford, for the United States.