BRITISH MERCHANT NAVY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1321, 24 June 1897, Page 39

BRITISH MERCHANT NAVY.

'the amplication of steam TO NAVIGATION.

British meiekant shipping, winch now \ amounts to half the total tonnage oi the v weld's mercantile marine, is Poetically The growth of the century. When Oueen Victoria ascended to the throne, Smost the whole ocean carrying crade - done by sailing ships; tor although . steamed were coasting along the shores of - the British Isles, ocean steam navigation • was as" et in its infancy. Many engineers , of ?he e y nd of the last and the begmxung . of the present century had more or less .claim to be called inventors oi the steamVboafc, but there is a supposed instance or a *ship being propelled by steam as early as -1543 when Blasco de Garay, a Spanish "«aptain, exhibited in Barcelona harbour a The steam power, which.wwfced at .movable wheel on either side or the. ship, was .supplied from a cauldron oi boilin«r water placed wx&W eaoa. It will be sufficient, however, it tlu* yeox 1807 is taken as a. starting point-the year in which Fulton and Livingstone built the Clermont at New York- This vessel was the first to make a completely successful voyage by steam from that city to Albany, and justly claims to be the first passenger steamer ■ever built. In 1812, the first European passenger steamer, the Comet, was built by .Henry Bell and launched upon the Clyde. «ix years later Mr Scarlborough, of Savannah, determined to attempt the navigation of the Atlantic by steam. Ho accordingly purchased a vessel at New York awhile yet on the stocks, fitted her with oneines as a paddle boat, and named her the Savannah. In May, 1819, the Savannah lefb the place after which she was named for Liverpool., which port was safely reached 31 days later. It cannot be said, however, that this was the first vessel to steam across the Atlantic, for, owing to -apid consumption of the fuel (pitch pine), *J*.i only used steam 18 days, sailing the "w In 1825 the steamship Enterprise Cached Calcutta from London in 113 days, -eoing round the Cape. She first steamer to cross the Atlantic. For some time no steamer again attempted to cross the stormy North At-

lantic. Regular communication between Liverpool and New York had long been talked of ; meetings were held and capital subscribed for the purpose of founding a Transatlantic line of steamers. A learned scientist, Dr Lardner, pronounced the new departure chimerical, and said the enterprise was as feasible as a journey to the moon. Doubt was felt as to whether the steamers could carry sufficient coal, but at length the question was finally settled beyond all dispute. To the Sirius belongs the honour of having first crossed the Atlantic by means of steam entirely. She was built in London, and on the sth April, 1838, left Cork for New York, arriving there with seven passengers on the 23rd of the same month. Scarcelyhad she dropped anchor, however, when another vessel was sighted. This was the Great Western, which had left Bristol on the Bth April, and entered New York only a few hours after the Sirius, having completed the journey in the then marvellous time of 14. V days. It has been claimed that the Canadian steamer Koyal William, which performed the cross-Atlantic journey in 1831, from Quebec, in 40 days, was the first to cross, but it has been shown that she was worked chiefly by steam. The Koyal William was sold on arrival, and chartered by the Portuguese Government for a transport, and subsequently purchased by the Spanish Government and fitted out as a man-o'-war. She was called the Isabella Segunda, and went into action against the Carlists at San Sebastian, and she is stated to have been the first steam warship in the world. The Great Western made 64 voyages across the Atlantic between 1838 and 1843, and in 1847 she was sold to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, and remained in their service for many years. She was finally broken up at Vauxhall in 1857, after a long and successful career.

TRADE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND AMERICA. Now that it had been proved beyond doubt that steam navigation could be carried on with success, companies were formed for the purpose of extending the use of steamboats and establishing regular services between country and country. The pioneer companies on this routs were all established in 1838, and they were—(l) The British and American Steam Navigation Company, (2) the Great Western Steam Navigation Company, (3) the Transatlantic Steamship Company. To the first of these belonged the Sirius, whose performance is already noted, and in 1839 the company launched on the Thames a vessel of much larger proportions. This ship, the British Queen, carried a crew of 100 men, 600 tons of coal, was of 1863 tons, and carried .£1,500,000 worth of cargo. From a financial point of view, however, she was a failure, and in 1841 was purchased by the Belgian Government. Her sister ship, the President, made only three passages, and after leaving New York for Liverpool on March 10th, 1811, was never heard of again. This loss was too heavy for the company to bear, and consequently the Transatlantic traffic was left in the charge of the two remaining lines. The Great Western Company owned the Great Western already mentioned, and built for its service the Great Britain, an iron steamer, which, unlike those hitherto in use, was propelled by means of an Archimedean screw. She made two passages only, and the history of this vessel is indeed a remarkable one. On the 22nd September, 1846, after starting on her third voyage, the steamer stranded in Dundrum Bay, and-this disaster closed the career of the second company. After remaining stranded from that date until the following August, she was floated, and on examination it was found that her hull had not sustained any material damage. The boat was purchased by a Liverpool firm, fitted with new machinery and was employed in the Australian trade for many years. Afterwards she was converted into a sailing ship, and was broken up at the Falkland Islands in 1890. The third Company had in its service the Royal William, a chartered steamer, with a name similar to that of the vessel sold to the Portuguese Government. This new vessel has the distinction of being not only the first steamer to cross the Atlantic from Liverpool, but also the first that was built on the watertight-section principle. The next steamer of this Company was the Liverpool, which, after making six round voyages, was purchased by the Peninsular and Oriental Company, who changed her name to the Great Liverpool. In 1840 she became a total wreck off Cape Finisterre. FORMATION OF THE CUNAKD COMPANV. Th 3 failure of these companies by no means decided that Atlantic steam navigation was itself a failure, for in 1840 was established the British and North Americdii £fc.oam Packet Company, which obtaiued' f*OJ» the British Government an annual subsidy of MOfiQD for a monthly—and afterwards fortnightly- service of ■mail shfps between Liverpool, Halifax q.nd Boston. The late Mr Samuel Cunard '' was one of the principal promoters of this Company, whj.ch started its. mail service on July 4th' 1840, with the Britannia, of 2050 tons and 740 horse-power. The first screw Cunarder was the Russia, launched in 1862. An important period in the annals of the Company was the time when the American shipowners declared their intention of " running the Cunarders off the Atlantic," and many were the rivals which appeared to contest their supremacy. Of these the most important, perhaps, was the Ccllins line, whose four I ships—the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and \ Baltic—could beat the Cunard boats on the passage by over two days. Through bad management, however, this Company soon became bankrupt, and its ships were sold. It is a significant fact that between October 1894 and October 1895 about 110,000 passengers were conveyed by tho Cunard Company. Two steamers, the Campania and Lucania —of 12,950 gross tonnage and 30,000 horse*power —are sub- . sidised by H.M. Government, to be em- . ployed when necessity arises as armed

cruisers. They are the largest passenger steamers in existence, and their journeys across the Atlantic are always performed in under 51- days. OTHER BRITISH TRANSATLANTIC AND COLONIAL LINES. The Allan line is the oldest of the chief British steamship companies (with the exception of the Cunard) now trading I between Great Britain and North America, having been started so long ago as 1820. As a steam fleet, however, the Allan dates from 1852. The Anchor line began its Transatlantic business in 1856, and the Guion line ten years later. Besides the American service the Anchor line maintains a service from Liverpool and Glasgow to India, ; and another to the Mediterranean. The White Star line started in 1871 with the Oceanic, a vessel of 3707 tons, and the following year the Dominion line was formed, and the Inman line is another owner of several splendid vessels. As a number of the White Star liners have traded and are still trading to New Zealand under the auspices of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, a' few additional particulars of the former Company will be of interest. The founders of the line were Messrs Ismay, Imrie and Co., and their twin-screw steamers Majestic and Teutonic—both of 10,000 tons—built by Messrs Harland and Wolff, Belfast, were the first steamers especially constructed, under arrangement with the Admiralty, for employment as mercantile armed cruisers. The same builders are now constructing for th 9 Company a gigantic vessel, which is to be named the Oceanic, after the pioneer White Star liner, which was broken up not long since, after a useful career extending over 25 years. The new Oceanic eclipses all other ships built or building in p«int of size, including the two liners which have been building during the past twelve month's in Germany for the North German Lloyd Company, and she is to bo in some respects larger even than the famous Great Eastern. The displacement of the older vessel was 32,169 tons, and her gross tonnage 22,000, length over al 1 697 ft, and horse - power 2700 nominal. The Oceanic is to be of 24,349 tons displacement, with a gross tonnage of 17,000, length over all 704 ft, and horse-power 45,000. Of the African lines the African Steamship Company, originated in 1832, is the earliest. In 1852 the Company received its charter, and commenced a monthly mail and passenger service to West Africa with an annual subsidy of .£30,000. The pioneer boats—the Forerunner, Faith, Hope and Charity—were built on the Mersey, and rendered valuable service in the Crimean war. Numerous vessels were added to the fleet, and in 1891 the Company amalgamated with the Liverpool firm of Messrs Elder, Dempster and Co., and now runs in conjunction with the British and African- Steam Navigation Company, which was established in 1868. The next oldest line is the Union Steam Ship Company (African), which was first formed in 1853 under the title of the " Union Steam Collier Company," and commenced with a fleet of five steamers, which has since been increased. More vessels are even now being built for this Company. In 1872, Sir Donald Currie established the Castle line, and the first vessel despatched by it to the Cape was the Iceland, which sailed in January of that year, and which was followed by the Gothland. The only loss sustained by the Company was that of the Drummond (Dastle last year, which was attended by such fearful loss of life.

The Natal line, established by Messrs Eullard, King and Co. in 1879, is the only other large line trading direct to South and East Africa from London. In the Indian service, the chief companies are the British India Steam Navigation Company (the first operations of which date from 1855}, the JBibby line, the Clan line and the City line. Since 1862 the business of the first-mentioned company has greatly increased, and it now boasts of having more steamers than any company trading to the East, its magnificent fleet consisting of 10i vessels, with a total tonnage of 268,720. Among other steamers now trading out of England to the West Indies, South America, &c., are those of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, of Messrs Lamport and llolfc, of the West India and Pacific Steamship Company, and the vessels of the Koyal Mail Steam Packet Company, all of which have been formed since 1839 the Royal Mail line being the oldest. The Pacific Steam Navigation Company is the pioneer of the steam trade along the shores of the Pacific, and between Europe and the West Coast, its first steamers, the Chile and Peru, having been despatched from Liverpool in 18-J-0. The Company also has running in the Orient line, from London to Australia, four of its largest steamers —the Orizaba, Oroya, Oruba and Orotava. The fleets of all these companies are being , improved every year. SAILING VESSELS AND THEIR DECLINE. Towards the end of the fifties, when steam propulsion was advancing rapidly, a new class of sailing vessels made its appearance—the famous China tea clippers. In 1859 was launched the pioneer of these magnificent vessels, all of which were finished like yachts, and manned by picked crews. Those were the days when tbe clippers made a last glorious effort to teat the giant steam. Finer vessels never sailed the sea, and wonderful were the passages they made. One of them, the Sir Launcelot, went Home from Foochow in 90 days, which still stands as a record, and on that trip she reeled off an average of 300 knots a day for seven days. At that time the annual race Home from China was watched with the keenest interest, and prizes were awarded to the winners. Sometimes zs many as three vessels, which all left at the same time, have been seen coming up the Downs together, racing "neck and neck." But competition with the steamer

useless; engines were found to be better than sails, and the clippers were sceadily left behind. Now the carrying trade has almost passed away from the sailing ship, and its place has been taken to & great extent by the cargo steamer, which, B.a,vbottomed, wall-sided and of huge capacity, could each stow away the freight of a small fleet of clippers. Of this class is a great number of those visiting New Zealand, and others have only recently been built —the Pennsylvania and Georgic being two of the largest. The sailing vessel was less costly to build than the steamer, but this and other advantages have been counterbalanced by other considerations. Continued improvements in steamships have enabled them to be worked more economically, so that the relative cheapness of conveying goods by sailers is not so great as formerly. The trades in which these ships have been used are diminishing annually. At one time all the British trade with Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand was done with sailing ships, simply because the great coal consumption of steamers then prevented them from profitably carrying cargoes so far. Nowadays the sailing ships do only the odd jobs in trade, which it does not pay the steamers to meddle with.

That the decay of the sailing ship has been pronounced, and that its execution is merely a question of time, is strikingly illustrated by a recent development in the grain trade of San Francisco. Up to the beginning of 1596 that trade was exclusively a sailing ship trade.ahdalarge fleet annually sailed, principally for the widely expressed destination, " Cork for orders." But from August to December last no fewer than 18 steamers, of a gross carrying capacity of about 70,000 tons (say 2,750,000 of bushels of wheat), sailed for European ports (principally Antwerp), the average time of the voyage being between 80 and 90 days. ' For Australia the meaning of this new departure is that the export trade in coal from Newcastle to Pacific ports has to be conducted by steamers, which will continue the full voyage by taking wheat from San Francisco. The only refuge left for sailing ships is the Baltic, but even timber may eventually be carried mainly by steamers. To Australian shippers the decay of the sailing ship interest is a matter of practical moment, for it means the more exact regulation of all shipping movements.

SAILING VESSELS, STEAMERS AND THE UNDERWRITERS.

The market is now considered by many to be already over-stocked with sailing vessels, and the demand for such has almost practically ceased. Large sailing vessels are more frequently lost than steamers, as they are not so easily handled as vessels of moderate size. The former are regarded with great distrust by the underwriters, and, therefore, the premiums they demand for their insurance is heavy; yet, unless a sailer is large, she cannot, at the present low rates of freight, be worked at a profit, except in a few special trades. From the 1000-ton sailing vessel, which was a large one 20 years ago, the increase in size has progressed so fast that now there are many of these ships of 2000 tons to 3500 tons, and four and five masts are now common. These boats, however, are difficult to handle, and in stormy weather it is always advisable, when practicable, to take them a safe distance from a lee shore. Their heavy cargoes, and particularly those of coal and grain, have become unsafe, and have, in many instances, resulted in the loss of ships.

That casualties are not confined to sailers only is, of course, well known, and this is proved by the following' item from a recent English journal : —" The present year has, so far, been an unusually severe one for Liverpool underwriters, and if it continues much longer to record maritime disasters at the same rate, the year will likely be unprecedented in the annals of Liverpool underwriting. With the terrible weather at the commencement of 1897 came the customary crop of casualties, with an occasional dash in the shape of a big loss. "While underwriters were in the throes of these heavy reverses, there occurred the fillips of such severe hits as the City of Agra, City of Canterbury, the Angloman, the Asama and others. In the case of the Angloman with ship and cargo the insurance has not' fallen much short of .£200,000. Following on these come the Utrecht, the Dutch mail boat, and the Ville de St. Nazaire. The fog of Sunday, March 21st, brought in a plethora of casualties to Liverpool, and included no fewer than three or four absolute losses of steamers, viz., Editor, Empress, Amethyst, Sec, whilst one other Liverpool steamer was towed into Falmouth bereft of the blades of her propeller, and a second steamer bound to the Mersey arrived with her cargo on fire. Of course it is difficult to approximate the extent of the losses of Liverpool underwriters during the present year, only months of which have passed, but it would likely be well within the mark to say a million sterling." THE GREAT EASTERN. One of the greatest sensations in the way of shipbuilding was the construction of the Great Eastern, which was started at Millwall in 1854, and launched after many difficulties on the 30th of January, 1858. It can hardly be deemed the fault of the engineers, Messrs Brunei and ScottRussell, that they did not entirely succeed in a vessel of such vast dimensions, when, with the added experience of another 40 years, marine engineers are just approaching those dimensions to-day. The scheme was for a ship that would accommodate 1000 passengers, 5000 tons of cargo and 15,000 tons of coal —truly a large order for those days. The Great Eastern had a length overall of 697 ft, a breadth of 83ft, or 118 ft over paddle-boxes, and a height of hull of 70ft to top of bulwarks. She had ten boilers and eight engines, but, apart from her colossal proportions and great engine powers, the most remarkable

features were that in her paddle and screw propulsion were combined, that o her six masts five were of iron, that she was fitted with ga9 lights throughout, and carried an electric head-light. She was also constructed on the cellular principle, but that principle had been applied previously. The history of the Great Eastern; was from the first financially an unfortunate one. She made several voyages to America, at a great loss to her owners,but in 1865-66 somewhat redeemed her character by successfully laying the Atlantic cable. Subsequently, owing to her vast size, she was instrumental in laying most of the important telegraph cables across the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, &c. In 18SS she was sold at auction in Liverpool to be broken up, fetching .£58,000.

WOOD, IRON AND STEEL VESSELS.

The first wrought-iron steamer was built in 1832, and this "extraordinary steamer," as she was deemed at the time; was employed by the India Company on the Ganges. At that time all vessels were built of wood, and it was not for many years that iron came into general use. In the later seventies mild steel gradually came into use in marine engineering, its superiority to iron consisting in its great) lightness — strength for strength pared with iron; the greater facility with which it may be manipulated; its being readily and safely flanged along the edges, thus dispensing with angle bars j and in the increased size of the plates in which it can be supplied. En September last steel ships of a gross tonnage of 652,000 were under construction in the United Kingdom 3 iron was represented by 4500 tons and wood by 3200. The following official figures give some idea of the extensiveness of the ship-building industry on the Clyde alone at the present day:—■ Of marine engineers there are over 9000 employed on the Clyde, and in tha boiler shops slightly over 3000 more men ; in the shipyards a full muster of fitters, platers, riveters, calkers, carpenters* joiners and labourers would add more than 30,000, and over and above would have to be included an army of draughtsmen, clerks, timekeepers and counters in proportion.

LATER DAY IMPROVEMENTS AND A FEW FIGURES. In 1820 there were 34 steamers in the United Kingdon; in 1840 there were 1325, but the operations of these pioneer boats were chiefly limited to rivers and harbours. To-day there are over 6550 steamers of a gross tonnage of 10,000,000 under the British flag. And how vastly different are the old steamers to those of recent build ! Tha paddle boats of the early days were built of wood, and were considered greyhounds if they steamed 14 knots. To-day the " Greyhounds of the Atlantic " average 20 knots—two of them, the Campania and Lucania, exceed 21 knots and have reached 22 Jin their ordinai*y passages. In 1840 a practical man wrote that no vessel could be built of a greater length than 200 ft. This, of course, has been proved to be incorrect —as witness some of our later day steamships. Great improvements have been made in recent years in the building of steamers. Steel has replaced iron in the construction of the hulls; twin-screws render a complete disablement almost impossible; triple expansion engines have effected a large saving in fuel, while speed has been increased by the use of forced draught. From July rst, 1896, to June 30, 1897, the total number of steamships and sailings vessels in the world, of 100 tons register and upwards, was (according to Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping) 29,880, and their estimated tonnage was about 25,614,089. Of this number, 11,329 vessels, with a tonnage of 13,359,026, belong to the United Kingdom and it* Colonies. This colossal British merchant fleet consists of 3956 sailing vessels of 2,850,583 tonnage, and 7373 steamers totalling 10,508,443 tons. The United States fleet comes next to the British, being made up of 3215 vessels, with a tonnage of 2,234,725. In point of tonnage German vessels are third, Norwegian fourth and French fifth. SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS OF SHIPPING. During the Queen's reign, ocean carrying has been completely revolutionised. Steam has taken the place of sails, and British shipping has expanded until it is now three times what it was in 1840; in fact, it is hardly an exaggeration to say that our mercantile marine is the growth, of the past 60 years. We have seen how marvellously steam has advanced the cause of civilisation by enabling men to hurry to and fro with the utmost speed and in defiance of the elements. In thit way, as one writer has said, an 'incredible amount of ignorance, superstition and prejudice have been dispelled; the wealth and beauty of the world have become more and more accessible; and remote countries of vast extent, fertility and mineral resource*, which until the advent of steam it required so much courage to embark for, are now reached so rapidly, and with so inconsiderable a minimum of personal or even discomfort, that vast numbers have left the overcrowded centres of the Old World, and are now, as colonists or otherwise, occupying and developing the fair land which only wanted busy human energies to become the seed plots of mighty nations. And another advantage is seen in the intercharge of products, both natural and industrial, which is constantly going on with a volume of inconceivable magnitude between nations far distant from each other, and also between different districts of the same country.

THE MERCANTILE MARINE OF NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA.

Putting aside the vast material altera* tions which have been effected in the Australasian colonies,! consider for a moment the mighty revolution caused by ""ihip

running of !;he splendid steamers owned by the great . shipping companies connected with this portion of ■ the world. These steamers have annihilated distance, made not only New Zealand, but her sister colonies, touring grounds, advanced that knowledge of Australia which causes healthy Imperial feeling at Some,- in a word, they have done signal service for the Empire of the Queen and the civilisation of the world. Emigration is now, even to the humblest, a simple luxury as compared with what it was in the palmy day 3 of the Dona Anita, Matoaka or Wild

Duck, and when the British Empire, with her 2679 tons, was considered a leviathan too big for the trade. Those who are now seeking a home in New Zealand can scarcely appreciate the feelings of the early colonists, or the trials and difficulties they had to encounter. With reference to the arrival of the early immigrants, Sir William Fox has written thus : —" To

descend from the deck of a ship, 15,000

miles' from Home, at the end of a weary '"""voyage of from three to five months' duration, on to a shore unprepared for their- occupation, without a single house to.shelter them, quite uncertain as to the reception they would meet with at the hands of the savage race whose territory they were peacefully but aggressively invading, with few of the conveniences of the civilised life, or the .appliances for

creating them, except so far as they brought with them in their limited quantities—how different from the experience of those who now arrive in the colony, where, though many external differences present themselves, they find all the machinery of social life, and the general aspect of everything very much as they left them at Home.'" THE WHALING INDUSTRY. Before the settlement of New Zealand began in earnest, the principal vessels to frequent these waters were whalers, whose chief ports were Kororareka (now Russell) and Mongonui. A number of whaling stations were established along the coast —several between Cape Palliser and East Cape—as far back as 1825, and the industry was then a very lucrative one. The flourishing condition of the fisheries attracted vessels, and in 1843 as many as 20 whaling craft were seen at one time in Port Chalmers. At a later period Russell became the f avourite resort. The whale fisheries in New Zealand, however, as in other parts of the world, have declined during the past 30 years or so, and are not likely to rally again. THE EARLY EMIGRANT SHIPS. The first ship the New Zealand Company despatched for New Zealand —the Tory — left England on May 12th, 1839, and arrived in Queen Charlotte Sound on the 17th August.'' The commander of the Tory, E. M. Chaffers, R.N., reported on the Sound as follows: —" On the whole, considering the position and capabilities of Queen Charlotte Sound, whether with the view to its becoming a port for homewardbound vessels to take in cargo and provisions—a safe channel of communication between the western parts of the Strait and Port Nicholson and the eastern coast —or as a situation for docks and shipbuilding, it is of the first importance, and cannot be spoken of in too high terms. . . ." The opinion of this ex-

perienced officer, given so many years ago, is decidedly refreshing. Fifty-eight years have passed since then, and Wellington does not yet possess a dock — though each of the '"other three chief ports has one. In September of 1839 the pioneer settlers sailed from Gravesend in four ships—the Cuba, the Aurora, the Oriental and the Adelaide —bound for Port Nicholson. The Aurora arrived first, on the 22nd January, 1840. Looking over a list of the first 60 vessels to arrive m the new colony from the Mother Country, one notices at a glance the small size of these early traders. One of the largest vessels was the Clifton, of 824 tons, the 36 th ship to arrive after settlement began; while just before her is the Brougham, of only 250 tons. An interesting fact in connection with these two vessels is worthy of note. Both ships left Gravesend on tho same date, October 2nd, 1841 —the larger boat with 287 immigrants on board, and the other with but 27 —and the Brougham beat her larger rival on the voyage out by nine days, arriving at Port Nicholson on February 9th, 1842. The Charlotte Jane and the Randolph both left Plymouth Sound on September 7th, 1850, and arrived at Lyttelton on December 16th with their 364 immigrants—the first batch for Canterbury. When they entered the harbour Her Majesty's sloop-of-war Fly was lying at anchor, with Governor Grey and party on board. The next day the ship Sir George Seymour, which had left Plymouth on September Bth, reached the port of Canterbury with 227 passengers. With what interest these ocean races must have been watched ! The names of the Nugent, Olympus, the Bailey and the Martha ftidgway will doubtless awaken memories of the past in some of our old colonists. Compare these old water bruisers with the masterpieces of the shipbuilding art which now almost daily steam in and out of our harbours. INTERESTING EECOKD3. It is most interesting to peruse papers published in this city in the early days and compare them with the later-day journals. There is no greater sign of the advancement of the colony than that ■which presents itself in the different means of communication with the outer world at the present time. In 1844 we see " the remarkably-fast sailing brig Nelson, of 150 tons, coppered and copper-fastened," advertised to " positively sail for London on Ist December, with first-rate accommodations for passengers/' In the same issue appears the following announcement: — " Duties. — By a recent Act of the Legislative Council, the Customs duties have been abolished, as all goods may be imported to this colony free of duties. There is like<#ls& rto duty on experts. Vessels visiting

the harbours of New Zealand can enter free of all charges. Pilots are stationed at the principal ports, but vessels are not required to pay for or to take pilots aboard, unless they choose. Supplies of all kinds may be had at reasonable rates. Five per cent, is the usual rate of commission, exclusive of charges/ 5 This was' in Governor Fitzroy's time, but the freetrade system was abolished by Governor Grey, in May, 1845, and it had, therefore, only been in force some months. Here is another interesting paragraph from a paper of June 4th, 1845 :—" The schooner Sir John Franklin sailed for Hobart Town on the 12th April last, from Auckland, with forty passengers from that illstarred place. We are afraid that Auckland will die a natural death for the want of inhabitants." In justice to the former capital of this colony, it should be chronicled that Auckland has nob "died a natural death," nor yet an unnatural one. With these reminiscences of the past it would be possible to fill a bulky volume, but we will now push ahead to more recent times —and steamers.

! THE FIRST LINE OP DEFENCE. A great difference is also noticeable in the class of warships which now guard our shores to those which assisted to maintain order in the forties and fifties. Some of the latterwere H.M.S. Rattlesnake (which brought Captain Hobson to Auckland), H.M.S. Driver (a paddle steamer, which came down from China to take part in the Maori War), and the North Star, one of the earliest warships to enter Port Nicholson. Others of the older type of warship ' were the Britomart and the Hazard. On the 11th of. August, 1840, Captain Stanley, acting under instructions from Governor Hobson, took the Britomart to Akaroa, landed, and, after hoisting the British flag, held a Court as a sign of British authority. This step was taken in anticipation of the arrival of French emigrants. On the 15th August a French frigate entered the harbour, having been four days off the point; and on the 16th a French whaler, with 57 immigrants on board, came in, and found the British flag flying. Many can remember the great excitement which prevailed when the squadron first visited Port Nicholson—a great event. Visits from the flagship and other men-o'-war are now taken almost entirely as a matter of course and treated accordingly. LEADING UP TO THE DIRECT LINERS. Prior to 1850, communication with New Zealand was irregular, and connected with the various companies acquiring lands and effecting settlements. Ihe first firm to j organise regular sailings was that of Willis, | Gann and Co., from whom sprung in March, 1858, the well-known firm of Shaw, Savill I and Co., composed of Messrs R. E. Shaw, ' Walter Savill and Jas. W. Temple. Equal J enterprise was shown from Glasgow by the firm of P. Henderson and Co.

About 35 years ago the Panama Company was formed, with four ocean-going steamers and a number of coasters, to run between Sydney and Panama, calling at Wellington en route. The mails were carried by this Company, which was subsidised by both New South Wales and New Zealand. One of the greatest difficulties to be surmounted was the want of a coaling station in the long stretch, extending over 28 days, between Wellington and Panama, but this was after a time overcome by calling at the island of Rapa, where the Company stored coal for its boats. This concern, however, did not become very popular, and lasted only about five or six years. In the meantime, the service between London and New Zealand was being maintained by the sailing vessels of Shaw, Savill and Co. and P. Henderson and Co. Up to 1873 these two firms had this trade to themselves, but then a combination of merchants and agriculturists in the colony formed the New Zealand Shipping Company, considering that the time had arrived when the interests of the community demanded the establishment of an independent line. At first the newlyformed Company had to depend mainly on chartered ships, but gradually they acquired a fleet of eighteen fine iron clippers, which performed the voyage with remarkable punctuality—9o days for the passage either way being looked upon as a fair average. Many thousands of passengers have been carried in these vessels.

After a time a feeling grew in the colony that from want of a direct steam service, a number of desirable emigrants were diverted to, if not intercepted by, the Australian neighbours; while inconvenience was caused to merchants through the delay inseparable from the transhipment of goods at Melbourne or Sydney. On the other hand the success of the frozen meat trade gave the New Zealand colonists a prospect for the disposal of their beef and mutton, and increased the desire for rapid steam service. Accordingly the colonial Legislature called for tenders for a monthly service of steamers from England, the voyages each way to be made in 50 days. The directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company then decided to inaugurate a steam service. In January, 1883, they despatched their first steamer, the British King, and kept up the service, with despatches of sometimes two steamers a month. In October, 1883, they despatched the first of their own fleet of steamers, the Tongariro, which made the voyage round the world in 78 k days (steaming time). Additions have since been made to the fleet, and there is now competition, as the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company also run splendid steamships to the colony. The Gothic —a magnificently appointed " floating palace " —is chartered by the latter Company, and is the largest vessel trading to New Zealand. Leaving alone the question of comfort to passengers, the saving of six weeks on the passage is, to busy men, whose tima means money > of great importance, and more than compensates for the higher rate charged in the steamers over the sailing vessels.

EXPORT OF FROZEN MEAT FROM NEW ZEALAND. The first experiment in the export of frozen meat ever made in this colony was tried by the New Zealand Land Company, from Dunedin. The directors of that Company, stimulated by the success attending the export of frozen meat from the United States and the Australian colonies to England, chartered the ship Dunedin, of 1250 tons, and fitted her with the necessaiw apparatus to receive the meat. The ship had space for 450 tons of frozen meat, and with 5000 carcases of crossbred sheep she sailed from the city of Dunedin on the 18th of February, and arrived in London on the 24th May, 1882, after a voyage of 9Sdays. Themutton waslandedin excellent condition, and was sold readily at7idperlb. The success of the enterprise was not only remarkable from the fact that it was .the first shipment of meat from New Zealand, but it was the first shipment ever made from any of the Australasian colonies in a sailing vessel. In the month of April, 1883, the first steamer, the British Queen, sailed from Lyttelton with 10,000 carcases, and she was followed the same year by the Fenstanton, of 2400 tons ; the British King, of 3558 tons, and the lonic and Doric; all these steamers taking full cargoes of mutton and a quantity of beef. This trade has continued to assume larger dimensions ever since, as the following figures will show: —ln 1882, 15,244 cwt, of the value of .£19,339, were exported, and in 1891 this had increased to 1,000,307 cwt, valued at £1,194,724. In the next two years the export of frozen meat decreased slightly, but in 1895 it had gone up again, the output totalling 1,134,097 cwt, of the value of £1,262,711. THE UNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY. One of the most successful enterprises to which New Zealand as a colony has given birth is the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited). Its history is a reflex, to a great extent, of the later history of the colony—as the one has grown the other has expanded. Thirty-four years ago .a small jiaddlesteamer was found sufficient for the requirements of the provincial district of Otago, and continued so until the opening of the Otago goldfields, in 1862, when the sudden increase in trade resulting therefrom necessitated the employment of additional tonnage, and, one after the other, five steamers were purchased, and connections formed with other ports in the Middle Island. In course of time, as trade grew, it became apparent that a bold step must be taken if it were to be retained in the hands of those under whom it had grown, and this feeling eventuated in the formation, in 1875, of , the Union Steam Ship Company, with a powerful proprietary and influential board of'directors.

The trade of the Company was at first confined to the coastal service, with an occasional extension to Sydney, the intercolonial service being carried on by the fleet of Messrs McMeckan, Blackwood and Co., of Melbourne. In 1878, however, the Union Company purchased the steamers and interests of that firm, and in this way the entire intercolonial and the bulk of the New Zealand coastal trade passed into its hands. Energetic steps were taken to develop these trades, and, with a boldness which was at the time considered temerity, orders were sent Home to build several new steamers of the latest design. The courage of the directors was rewarded by seeing their fleet fully occupied, and, in pursuance of their policy to keep well ahead of the colony's requirements, they continued to order steamer after steamer, each more luxuriously fitted than its predecessor, and all in advance of any steamers then in Australian waters, so that from the modest beginning already noted the fleet of the Company has grown to be the largest and most powerful in the Southern Hemisphere. It is unnecessary to record how year after year the fleet and trade of the Company have grown to their present dimensions; it need only be stated that at the present time the fleet consists of 57 vessels (including the Rotoiti), of a gross tonnage of about 70,000. This list includes the splendid new steamer Moana. The connections of the Company have extended with the fleet. In 1885, in conjunction with the Oceanic Steam Ship Company, of San Francisco, the Company took up the mail service between the colonies and America, and has retained it ever since. In 1891 it purchased the plant and business of the Tasinani'an Steam Navigation Company, which had for many years carried on the trade between Tasmania and Australia. In addition to these services, the Company runs steamers regularly from New Zealand and Australia to the South Sea Islands, and makes periodical connections with Calcutta.

The Company's interests are so closely interwoven with those of the colony that it is almost regarded as a national institution. It gives employment to a largo number of people, and its operations necessitate the circulation of a large sum of money. It employs, afloat and on shore, about' 3000 persons, and expands in wages and other disbursements in the colonies over .£BOO,OOO per annum. As showing the extent of its traffic, it may be mentioned that last year the Company's steamers carried 169,753 passengers, 557,000 tons of general cargo, and 378,150 tons of coal, and that they steamed 1,975,424 miles, in the course of which they consumed 191,416 tons of coal, of which about one-half was New Zealand.

Although the progress of the Company is largely the result of the prosperity o*f the colony, and the state of trade has a barometric effect on the Company's operations, it could not have attained and held its present position without wise heads and* good judgment to direct its * affairs. It has always been fortunate in numbering amongst its directors men who hold leading positions in the commercial community and whose energy and judgment are mutually recognised,

That the Company is still going ahead is evidenced by the latest additions to its already large fleet the B.M.S. Moana, Waikare, Hawea and Rotoiti. May the' Union Company, with this colony, continue to prosper.

THE HTODABT-PAEKER LINE AND OTHERS. Another Company, not so much identified with this colony as the Union Company, but one which has of late years extended its services to include that of New ZealandAustralia, is the Huddart, Parker and Company Proprietary, Limited. The fleet of this concern consisted originally of a number of small sailing- vessels engaged chiefly in the coal traffic between Newcastle and G-eelcng\ With the march of time the proprietors improved their fleet by the addition of their first ocean steamer, the Nemesis, and then followed the Wendouree, Lindus, Burrumbeet, Elingamite, Tasmania and Anglian and a number of harbour steamers." Another forward step was made but a short time ago, when the Company ordered yet another new splendid steamer—the Westralia. This fine vessel arrived at headquarters only the other day, and is now about to enter the Sydney-New Zealand service. This short account of the progress of the Huddart, Parker Company would be incomplete without some reference to the palatial harbour steamer Hygeia. She is a paddle-boat and furnished in the very latest style, and there is nothing similar this side of the line that can approach her. This last remark applies especially to her speed, for this grand Melbourne bay steamer has attained a speed of no less than 22£ knots an hour, and ordinarily , travels at about 17 or 18 knots. Other Australian companies have sprung into existence during the pasty twenty years or so, some of them owning a number of up-to-date vessels. .Among these companies are the Eastern and Australian, the Howard Smith line, the Adelaide Steamship Company, the A.TJ.S.N. Company, Mcllwraith, McEachern and Co., and others. With the rush of people to the goldfields of Western Australia, an extra number of steamers found employment in trading to Perth and other Westralian ports. In New Zealand also there hate been formed a number of shipping companies with vessels engaged in the coastal service, and first among these comes the Northern Steamship Company, of Auckland, which possesses quite a respectable fleet of small steamers.

SOME DIRECT AUSTRALIAN LINES. Two of the great steamship companies which now maintain a regular service between Australia and the Old Country are the Peninsular and Oriental Company , and the Orient line. The former—i familiarly known as the "P. and O."—is the oldest British steam-packet company l in existence. This line had its origin in a small steamship undertaking, started in 1836 under the name of the " Peninstriar Company," to trade between Falmouth,and Lisbon. Its first vessel was the William Fawcett, a paddle-steamer, which was built in 1829, with a gross tonnage of but 206. The first vessel despatched for service in the Indian Sea was the Hindostan, of 1800 tons burthen and 250 horse-power, and the Company now carries mails, &c, not only to India but to China, Australia and the neighbouring In 1887 the P. and O. Company celebrated its Jubilee. The s.s. Caledonia is at present the fastest vessel employed in the Indian trade, and has succeeded in landing the mails in Bombay within 12£ days of their despatch from London. Over .£7,000,000 have been expended on the Company's fleet during the past 20 years, exclusive of the cost of the palatial new vessels China, India, Egypt and Arabia —all of 8000 tons —the first-mentioned of which paid her maiden visit to Sydney a few months ago, and is described as being unequalled in her fittings, &c, by any vessel that has yet come to Australia.

The Orient line was formed by the two well-known shipping firms, Anderson, Anderson and Co. and F. Green and Co., in 1877. The first steamer to leave London under the new flag- of the Orient Steam Navigation Company was the Garonne, one of four steamers which already belonged to the Company by purchase, the others being the Chimborazo, Lusitania and Cuzco. Other handsome steamers have since been added to the fleet, and nott the Garonne and Lusitania are used exclusively for pleasure-cruising voyages, varying in duration from two to eight weeks. One of the Company's latest purchases, the Ophir, was the first twinscrew steamer ever built for the Australian trade.

Included in the other vessels which now trade between Australia and Europe are those of the Aberdeen White Star line, of the Queensland Hoyal Mail line, Worth German Lloyd, the Gulf line, Messageries Maritimes, Lund's line, and the Tyser and Shire liners. The last two extend their trade to New Zealand. OTHERS I'EOM AUSTRALIA. The entering cf the Nippon Yusen Kaisha into the trade between Australia, China and Japan is a matter of quite recent history. This Company is now running in opposition to the China Steam Navigation Company, which is engaged in almost the same service.

The Canadian-Australian line has only been in existence a few years, but that it has come to stay is proved by the recent addition of the Aorangi to the Warrimoo and Miowera. That Wellington is to be made a port of call, both ways, has been announced.

The ships which used to carry on the traffic between England and Australia in the forties and fifties are, of course, at the present time almost obsolete, but though steam is now in command, there are yet a large number of sailers trading- to Europe and America —some as wool ships, but most of them engaged in the carriage of coal and timber. Many of these are

clippers of the highest class, and the finest sailing vessels afloat. In the sixties and seventies some remarkably fast sailing was done by clippers. The Thermopylae, of 948 \

tons, went from London to Melbourne in 60 days—the best time on record —and immediately afterwards put up a sailing record between Newcastle and Shanghai. Then she came Home from Foochow with tea in 91 days, and on this passage she exceeded 300 knots a day on 12 days, and the best day's run was 326 knots. In 1876, the Melbourne, outward bound to Australia, reeled off 300 miles a day for 17 days. It is impossible to give in detail the advancement' of shipping in Australasia, but enough has been said to show the truly wonderful progress which has been made since the early days of the Queen's reign.