A ROWLAND FOR AN OLIVER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 14, 15 December 1863, Page 4

A ROWLAND FOR AN OLIVER.

To the Editor of the New Zeaxaxd Herald.

Slit, —A few days since a correspondent in tho Cross drew alien!ion to the fact that in one of your shipping reports, you made the * Bombay carry the island of Trinidad live miles. It was easy to see that the transposition of one line of type for another in the article (a mistake of the compositor) was the cause of this alleged feat of the ' Bombay,'— but in the Cross of Saturday I find tho following, which shows that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones:—" In consequence of tho death of the second ofliccr on board the Owen Glendower,' a ling was hoisted half-mast high." The second otlieer of the ' Owen Glendower,' was heard to express considerable surprise, as well he might, on reading this announcement. Again, in the same issue, in speaking of the movements of the * Adelaide Hell,' the same hypercritical authority states that " (hat vessel proceeded un to the Watchman Inst evening to discharge." This is the first instance I have known of the celebrated Fata Morgana having been witnessed in this harbour ; the 1 Adelaide Bell' herself having been lying at that time some three miles lower down the river. The shipping reporter of the Cross appears to be the victim of a series of optical illusions, for, sir, I take up to-day s S'onf/trrn Cross, and what do I find in the shipping columns of that, paper? why, that the ' Kiwi,' which really sailed for Hokianga, is reported to have sailed for Canterbury ; that the ' Osprev,' which sailed for Wangaruru, i'j staled to have sailed for Wangarei; and that the 'Alpha' is reported to have sailed for Dunedin, whereas she really left • for Canterbury. According to the same issue of tho Cross, I find also that a vessel named tho ' Kauri,' 3(i tons, Byron master, sailed for Hokianga. This must lie the " sister, ship" of the 'Kiwi,' I should imagine, unless, indeed, it is meant, for the 1 Kiwi' herself, and the word " Kauri" has been substituted for ' Kiwi,' and that of" Byron" for the real name of the master, — Bryers. But then the fact of the ' Kiwi' being announced as oil' for Canterbury knocks this explanation on the head, and I am driven to the conclusion that the Canterbury-going 1 Kiwi ' of the Cross was some phantom ship that appear.nl to the remarkably disorganised vision of that journal's shipping reporter, was. in fact, another of those optical illusions referred to above.

in the report i.i' the arrival of the ' Green Jacket 1 there lire so many errors Hint I scarcely know which to begin upon, such as where it is slated that during a whirlwind vt.'O yards of this vessel's canvas was earned away—just 1,000 yards short of the actual quantity. 1 must, mention, however, the most glaring, namely, thai the 1 (.rrcen Jacket 1 is a clipper vessel, and sister ship to the ' Queen of the Mersey.' Sister ship indeed! Why. where were the eyes of the reporter, even if lie knew nothing of the facts of tlm ease? The 'Queen of the itersev' was built by McDonald?of Nl'w lirunswick ; the 4 Green Jfteket, 1 by King, of Si. .John's. J)oes the Cro.w reporter know what is meant by ii sister ship ? Does he know the stem from the stern post? Or is he like the dnme in the " Red Rover," one of those " old salts" who plough the waves with the tall'rail ?

These are not mere mechanical errors, nor is a mechanical error of your contemporary boldlv to assert, in a late that "all the Companifs Lady .TocelynV) vrstclx arc clrr.ww/ at lAoyd's" —no! a single ship of the number being to he found in that truth-tolling register.—l am, &c., Tnk Shipping Kcpohthk op Tiir: " Nnw Zkaland llkrald/' Auckland, Dee. 1 !•, JSf,2.