PORT OF ONEHUNGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 287, 13 October 1864, Page 4

PORT OF ONEHUNGA.

CLEARED OUTWARDS. OCTOBER 11—Wanganui, s.s., 164 tons, Linklater, for Taranaki and Wanganui in ballast. Passenger—Mr. G. Boavan. 12 —Abeona, 44 tons, King, for Waikato, with 5 tona flour, 9 hhds. ale, 16 casea stout, 37 bags sugar, 20 bags potatoes, 12 kegs butter, 5 cases brandy, 6 cases old tom, 5 coses port wine, 40 cases sundries, Young ; 3 cases beer, 9 cases claret, 11 cases sundries, Ross; 1,300 feet timber, Steadman; 3,700 do., B. Williams.

Founderino op the Rebecca Schooneh.—The schooner Kebecca left Shanghai during the forenoon of Tuesday, the 13th instant, under steam. She was laden with steel, paper, &c., for Tientsin, and commanded by an experienced ship master, Ackland Boyle (formerly of the Theseus), who, besides his wile and child, a fine boy of six years of age, and a crew, all told, of seven hands. At 4 p.m. we brought up for the tide about three quarters of a mile from the sunken Ocean Mail, 'which bore from us N.N.E. At 9 p.m. sounded well; no water. At midnight, blowing hard from the N.E. Hearing, as I thought, water washing beneath the cabin deck, hid a hatch lifted, and found about a foot of water in the hold. X then called" Captain Boyle, and turned the hands out to let go second anchor and pay out both chains to an end, for i found she'was driving. We then commenced pumping and baling—the vessel carrying a strong list to port. At daylight the gale still increasing, I slipped' both cables with intention of running back into Woosurig, or unto the South bank. At 5.30 -a.m. there was a lull—after which the galo ' came out strong from the Sou'-west, dead in our

teeth. I then -wore on starboard tack, -with intention of putting her on the South bank. _ Got the ps out, and placed Mrs. Boyle and the child in it. By this time the water had rcached the cabin deck, and a« the schooner would not steer, fearful of her capsizing by a broach-to, I advised all hands to go into the boat. The Teasel still drifted towards the South bank; but I saw that sho could never live out _ a squall fast approaching us. At this time Captain Boyle and I were the only porsons on board, and i made him go into the boat in the first place. After a minute, T got in myself, still hugging tho schoonor s lee till a quarter to six, when, as wo anticipated, she turned over. We then made for tho south shore, though found pulling against the squall was useless and wo determined to run beforo it, which we did for an hour, when wo shoaled water, and found that wo wore on the north end of Block lion' P. Took the ground forward and eapsized ; boat righted, and wo got into shoaler water : Mrs. Bovle, with child in her arms, came to tho surface with the boat, and Cuptjun Boylo'had almost saved them, when another heavy sea came, and they parted for ever. Waded for about three quarters of a mile, and reached dry lnnd. Tho natives camo down and treated us kindly, and lent us the uso of a fishing boat and crow to get to Woosung. At 11 p.m. Teached the South shore, wlioii we wero shifted into another bout, in which wo reached Woosung on Friday.—Friend of China, 16th July. Mortality amongst Sailors at Calcutta—Tho Calcutta correspondent of the Times says:—" There is no port in the world where tho normal rate of mortality among sailors is so high as in tho port of Calcutta. This partly arises from tho fact that seamen commonly drink tho abominable water of the rivor, or a still more deadly poison which is sold to them in tho bazaars." Even in the best of the bazaars, those intended for the supply of Europeans, the things sold aro most abominable, But the poor are compelled to live on what an Irish peasant would throw away as offal. Our sailors, when tlioy come hero, find they aro in a very thirsty land. They stick a thin cap on their bends and make all sail for the bazaars, where they can get something cheap to drink ; for, at our hotels, a rupee is the standard price for what is called a ' peg.' Tho sailor cannot afford that, and so he strolls towards a den of unspeakable infamy called Flag street. If he does t. get struck down with sunstroke 011 the way, ho finds himself in «a narrow thoroughfare, tho usual open festering drain 011 each side, and with little low navvy huts, to which access is gained by a plank. Tn 0110 of these places he pays two annas (3d) for a glass of what is called champagne cognac, and which is in reality a native picparation drugged with daturable deadly poison, or cocnlus Indieu.*. Out of these sinks of iniquity some of these poor fellows nevercome alive, and in Calcutta thero is no registration of, of births and deaths, so that it is quito impossible to get exact returns of the number of men who thus perißh. It has been estimated by Dr. Chevers President of the Medical College, that tho proportion of deaths among our sailors is 'a very nearapproiich' to annual decimation, or total extinction in ten years In a single year 170 sailors were taken to a hospital in Calcutta suffering from delirium tremens. Wo have a Municipality here, but it has not thought it worth while to interfere with tho poison dealers of the bazaars. Indeed, the Government has hitherto encouraged the trade by selling them condemned beer at 8 annas (Is) per dozen, sour beer in a country where cholera and dysentery are nevei far from our doors! Fortunately the Sanitary Commission, the appointment of which by Sir John Lawrence, informed you of some time back, has taken the subject in hand. The President, Mr Strachy, states that judging from the condition of theslauehter-housesand bazaars, it can only be of the greatest difficulty that well-to-do Europeans are able to get food that, is fit to eat. In point of fact, we are obliged to trustmuch to Providence in these matters. What with bad food and poisonous air, it is not to be wondered at that wo dine with a friend here with feelings of some solcm nity. We are eating his dinner to-night, and in return he may bo paying us the last tribute of respect to-morrow morning. Men get used to this. Old Indians aro seasoned, and never think of these dangers. After all, a thorough-going fatalistic theory is not, a bad thing to pack up in a man's portmanteau when he is coming to India.