SHIPPING SUMMARY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 826, 30 December 1887, Page 23

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

The Christmaß holidays have perhaps exercised a more deoided influence over the shipping trade here than elsewhere. The import and export oargo trade has not been affected considerably, but the customary increase in the passenger traffic has, if anything, been greater than usual. Since last Summary the H.M.S. Raven has paid a visit to this port. She is a small vessel, rigged as a three-masted, schooner, and is of composite build, having been turned out from Poplar (England) in 1882. She is of 465 tons register, and of the following dimensions : 125 ft long, 23ft sin beam, and 9ft Bin depth of hold. She carries but a small armament, consisting of two 64-pounder muzzle-loading guns, and two 20-pounder breeoh-loading guns. She has engines of 380 horse-power, which can drive the vessel at a speed of 9 knots an hour upon but asmallcomsumption of coal. The Raven left. Sydney on the 19th Novemher, and arrived at Auckland on the 28th, After a week’s Btay, she left at 10.30 am on the sth, and experienced fine weather to the East Cape. Off the Cape it blew hard from the SW, which lasted for twenty-four hours; thence to Flat Point she had light NE winds, after which foggy weather was encountered for about four hours. She had fine weather thence to arrival. The Raven left here for Southern ports on the 24th. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s R.M.S. Kaikoura arrived hero at 3.20 pm on the 3rd December. She left Plymouth at 2.25 pm on the 22nd October, and, after a fine passage, reached Madeira at 10.15 am on the 26th ; sailed again the same day at 6.5 pm, had two days’fresh NE trades, thence doldrums with rain to Cape de Verde. She experienced variable winds to the Line, thence moderate SE trades, finishing with strong southerly wind and high sea to tho Cape, where she arrived at 6.15 am ou the 11th November. She left the Cape at 2 pm the same day, and experienced variable weather to Hobart, where she arrived on the 29th November, at 3 am. From Hobart till arrival here as above thick murky weather and fresh head winds were encountered. The Kaikoura’B total time was 41d 13h, and her actual steaming time 40d lOh 9min. The Balcarres Brook, the second of .the Colonial Union Company s steamers, arrived here early on the morning of the Bth December. She left London on the Bth September, and had fine weather to Teneriffe, called on the 17 tb. She crosed the Equator on the 27th, in B'4o West, and had strong breezes and heavy seas in the SE trade belt. She passed the meridian of the Cape at 5 pm on the 14th October, and arrived at Sydney at 3.30 pirn on the 15th. She left Sydney on the 22ncf November and arrived at Auckland, after a fine weather passage, at daylight on the 29th; sailed again at 7.30 pm on the Ist December, and arrived at Gisborne at 6.30 am on the 3rd ; moved on at 10 pm on the sth, arriving here as above. The Balcarres Brook left here on the 14th December for Napier, where she took in oargo for London direct. In appearance she much resembled her predecessor, the Balmoral Castle. She was a vessel of 1306 tons net register, and had engines of 170 nominal horse-power and 750 indicated, built on the compound surface direct-acting principle. She was commanded by Captain Burgess, and her officers were Messrs W. B. Morman, E. Jones, and H. Dorman. The first direct steamer for England from this port since last Summary was the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company’s ss Tainui, which , left here at midday on the 10th December. She took 30,000 carcases mntton in her meat chambers and about 3500 bales wool, besides a general cargo. x The Tainui is due in London on the 21st January. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s R.M.S. Ruapehu followed the Tainui pretty closely, leaving oa the 15th December for London, via Rid de Janiero, Madeira, and Plymouth. She took a heavy cargo of frozen and general goods, but, as might have been expected considering the time of year, had only a small number of pa3Bengers. The Ruapehu is due in London on the 26th January. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s ship Waimate arrived off the Heads on the 26th December, and was towed into harbor by the steam tug Mana next morning. She left London on the 26th September, passed the Lizards three days later, and picked up the NE trades on tho 13th October ; crossed the Equator on the 27th October, experienced variable weather, sighted Farewell on the 25th inst., and anchored under Pencarrow next day. From Pencarrow she was towed by the Mana, arriving here as above. The number of casualties of late are fortunately few and far between. Since last Summary, however, we have had a conple of very minor accidents, one on the steamer Neptune, which had her rudder head smashed while going up the Wairau river, and which was repaired in a very short time The other is a little more serious, and happened to the Bteamer Waverley, which ran ashore in the Patea river. The mishap to the Waverley happened on the Bth December. For some weeks previous, owing to the prevalence of westerly winds, the bar of the river had been in an unsatisfactory condition, and heavy seas had caused the sandspits to shift. The Waverley arrived off the bar at 10 am on the morning in question. She bad not got within 10Q yards of the south breakwater when she ran on to a sandy beach, where she remained hard and fast. Efforts have since been made to float her, but so far without suocesa. It is thought, however, that sbe will be got off successfully shortly, after which she will take up her usual rnnning.