LUNCHEON ON BOARD THE NEW STEAMER HAWEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4259, 8 July 1875, Page 3

LUNCHEON ON BOARD THE NEW STEAMER HAWEA.

Tue inauguration of the Union Steam Shipping Company's service between Dunedin aud tlie Manukau, via intermediate ports, was celebrated on 6th July, by a luncheon given to tlie merchants of Auckland on board the new steamer Hawea, at Onehunga. If this steamer is a type of the vessels to be put on tlie inter-provincial trade by the Union Steam shipping Company, shippers and passengers—especially the latter, will have just cause to be thankful. Her dimensions are:—Length, 215 feet; beam, 27 feet; depth of hold, 14 feet. She has, a full poop and topgallant forecastle, with a two-thirds hurricane deck between. She is admirably appointed, and possesses all the latest improvements in marine architecture. Her saloon accommodation may be described as superb, possessing every advantage for the comfort of passengers. Sleeping accommodation is provided for thirtysi* pissen-ers, while as many more can bo provided for if necessary, so ingenious are the arrangements. Her fore cabin is well fitted up, and capable of accommodating nearly seventy people. 1 ler propelling power is supplied by compound engines of the mo<t complete model, comprising high and lower pressure,—the high pressure cylinder being 35 inches in diameter, aud the low pressure CO inches; length of stroke, three feet; nominal power, ICS horse ; indicated horse power, 900. The propeller is four-bladed and 12 feet in diameter, with a variable pitch. The boiler weighs 47 tons, and contains six ! furnaces, - three in each end. Iu issuing orders from the bridge, all tlie modern appliances in deck tolegraph and Chadburne's instruments are used. The steamer is built of iron throughout, aud is brigautine rigged,, with double-topsail yards, but without topgallant sails. She is commanded by our old friend Captain Wheeler, who, however, through domestic aflliction, was unable to come on from Nelson with the steamer, so that Captain Malcolm, a genial old salt, ofjthe Mauri, has proceeded on in charge. The chief oilicer is Mr. Edmunds, formerly of the Ladybird, Wellington, and Taranaki; chief engineer, Mr. Banuatyne, formerly of the Maori. Mr. l'onsonby, late of the Maori, is appointed purser ; and Mr. John MeKenzie, late of the Taranaki and Bruce, chief steward. Those who have been in the habit of travelling on the West Coast will agree that these appointments arc judicious, and are likely to give satisfaction to both owners and travellers. With regard to the proceedings yesterday, it may be stated that a special train left Auckland at 11.45, conveying the invited guests down to Ouehnnga. Arrived at the wharf, a minute inspection was made of the steamev, and general adiniratiou expressed at her appointments. Shortly after 1 o'clock tlie guests were invited into the saloon to partake of a sumptuous luncheon. The arrangements relleeted great credit upon Mr. MeKenzie and his staff of stewards. Over eighty gentlemen sat down, comprising the leading merchants of Auckland, members of the General Assembly, aud gentlemen connected with the shipping interests of the port. Mr. George McLean, the representative director of the Uuion Steam Shipping Company, occupied the chair, supported ou his right by G. M. O'llorke, Esfj. Captain Malcolm was vice-chairman. On the remuval of the cloth, the chairman having duly proposed the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, which were responded to in a suitable manner, ro.'.e to propose "Success to the province of Auckland." In doing this he said that lie trusted the steamer Hawea woil 1 receive the support of the people of Auckland, which was about the most powera;l province of New Zealand, lie hail be'. 1 1 lately that the province was in a bad condition, but oceutar demonstration had convinced him that any one having such opinion would be agreeably disappointed ou looking about. He was pleased to see that the province enjoyed prosperity. It had taken the lead in ship-building. The magnificent kauri forests with which it abounded enabled the shipbuilders of Auckland to compete successfully with any other province. lie had I great pleasure in testifying to the fact that I he had cruised among the islands in one of ] the favourite vessels built at Auckland (theJessie Niccol), and had derived therefrom much pleasure, for no better or smart- r vessel could bo found. He must, however, take exception to one thing, and that was the deficiency iu wharf accommodation, whic'.i in the Manukau harbour was very bail, lie hoped that when it was considered that theWest Coast trade was the backbone of ti.u province, these defects would soon be le medied. Auckland possessed in the- Thauici district the richest goldlields ever found, and was blessed with good agricultural land, that he hoped with increased settlement, increasing prosperity would ensue. He h 'i great pleasure in proposing the toast, a.: I would couple it with the name of Mr. G. M. O'Korke.— Mr. G. M. tTKorke, M.11.1:., in responding to the toast., regretted that h:-: Honor the Superintendent of the proviuvj was not present to answer to the toast, as I felt his inability to till Sir George's place, but in his absence must express his-tnanks fur the toast. Had Sir George been present, 1.-' would have been able to contrast the- condition of Xew Zealand twenty years ag-«, when there was only oue funnel on the co:e with the present day. He himself rec .llected making a trip to Dunedin in an old tub of a brig called the Victoria, which \v,.then the mail boat. The presence of the steamer they were now being so hospitab.y received in shewed the progress made since those days. lie remembered twenty ycats ago, when living on the shores of the Manukau, they used to look out for days for the old Xclsou with their mails, but after anxiously watching she would turn up in the Waitemata. He believed the Manukau nor to be the favourite harbour of the province, and would agree with the Chairman that there was a lack of wharf accommodation, but lie was pleased to say that plans were already iu course of preparation for giving more ample accommodation suitable to tlie increased steamer traflic of the port, and suitable also for such vessels as the Hawea.— Mr. J. M. Shera then asked the company to charge their glasses for a bumper toast, as the pleasure and honor hail been conferred ou him to propose a toast which he was sure they would respond to with "three times three. ' The toast was, " Prosperity to the Union Steam Shipping Company aud success to the steamship Hawea." The compauy he said had inaugurated a uew era in steam shipping in the coast of New Zealand, and he hoped that his friends would join with him in wishing success to that company, lie had often heard of the energy aud enterprise of their Southern friends, and this steamer was a proof of the same, lie could not exactly interpret the meaning of the Uawc-a, and did not know whether it was "Maori" or "Scotch," but believed it to be the latter, (laughter.) He looked upon the presence of this magnificent steamer as a proof of the growth of the Southern trade with this province, He could not help remarking that those who hail spokeu of Auckland as being a pauper province had maligned and calumniated it. lie would conclude by asking them to drink to the toast, coupled with the name of Captain Malcolm, The toast was drank with three times three cheers.—Mr. G. McLean (the chairman), as one of the directors, anil representative in Auckland of the Union Steam Shipping Company, begged heartily to thank the gentlemen" for the handsome manner in which they had drank success to the company. He had" omitted to state previously that he had received npMogies from Sir George Grey and Mr. Justice Gillies lan old friend of his), regretting their inability to attend, also from other leading citizens of Auckland. He wished to remark that many had considered the Union Steam Shipping Company a new one. This, however, was not so : it being simply an extension of the Harbour Company. He was glad to see that the Tanpo, an exact counterpart of the Hawea, had arrived at Dunedin after a passage of 02 days, and he hoped before long another and

similar vessej would- be their fleet, as the tYade- of * was sufficient tp'*iuduce theiß.third boat in the. trade,., The iksw had the Bruce. 'tra<Ji(lg /4jfT»lsej)'. U)uaetHi and Lyttelton,.the Maori cm the WesyCna/t. the >jyas also them, lmt she » comwhich liToJ scale, now had a p±id-up capita! of £90,000, and Ise believed there would be little difficulty in increasing it. With regard to the working expenses of the Hawea, he would say thr.t although people had stated that she was too large for the trade, she would soon prove too. small, bhe was constructed to be worked cheaply by attaining a high rate of speed on a low consumption of fuel. Mr. Banuatyne, the engineer, had supplied him with some particulars with regard to her consumption of fuel, by which it would be seen that on her passage from Glasgow to Ouncdin she had consumed GIS tons 10 cwt. 2 ijrs. coal. The' largest consumption in 24 hour 3 had been 'T tons 7 cwt. 2 qrs., and the lowest 6 to', i making an average consumption of 0 tons cwt. 1 qr. 4 lbs. m 24 hours. He was happj to say that she had proved herself a fast vessel on her passage from Dunedin, with one exception, when she was out of trim. In thanking the company for the toast, he would ask them to drink "Success to the sister Steam Shipping Company," as he was sure with the growing trade there was room foi all.—Captain Malcolm briefly returnee thanks for the toast, and in doing said tha he was tilling the place of one whom they al knew so well. Captain Wheeler had bee obliged at Xelson to choose leaving either hi wile or his ship ; the choice he had made wa not surprising. —Mr. W. F. Wheeler begged t return thanks for the N.Z.S.S. Co.—Mr.B. J. Stevenson also responded for the A.S.P. Co.— Mr. Malcolm Kiecol likewise responded for the North Shore Steam Ferry Company, and Captain Cunningham for the useful steamer ; Tain o' Shauter, expressing a hope that she might often be called on to tender the Ilawea.—Mr. D. M. Luckie, M.H.R., in proposing the health of the agents, said that without the practical details of the agency are placed in the hands of good management, all other efforts would be futile. He had great pleasure in proposing the health of the agents all over the colony, coupled with the name of Mr. G. Von der Heyde.-i-This gentlemen, in responding to the toast, said that he felt very diffident after listening to the glowing terms in which Mr. Luckie had proposed the toast. The desire of the agents would be to work as harmoniously with the representatives of the other companies as was consistent with the best interests of the company he represented. He congratulated the residents of Onehunga on the prosperous appearance of their town to-day, .having no less than live steamers alongside their wharf. —Mr. Von der He3'de, in proposing the toast of the Press, said that the importance of the toast was acknowledged whereever the English language was spoken. The fourth estate had always exerted a good influence in promoting any new enterprise. Without it no new undertaking could prosper. He had great pleasure in coupling with the toast the name of Mr. Luckie.— Mr. D. M. Luckie, M. H.R., responded for the Press. He said he had sometimes' the feelings of Artemus Ward, when called upon to respond to this toast, as the toast almost invariably was proposed when those present had reached the pinnaclc of high falntin hilarity after doing full justice to the good things provided. He regretted the popular desire to " slate" newspapers for anything tending in the slightest degree to tread on the toes of any individual. But the Press wa3 not to be intimidated, even by the prospects of annihilation, but was always ready to fearlessly do its duty. Virtue was its own reward —Mr. 11. I!. Morton proposed the toast of the Ladies, and Mr. I). Hean responded in their behalf. After which, the company returned to town by special train.