SHIPPING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1321, 24 June 1897, Page 13

SHIPPING.

ARRIVED. Thursday, Juxe 17,

Kaikoura, s.s.. 2585 tons, Forbes, from London ! via Plymouth, Teiierifle, Capetown and Hobart. Passengers For Wellington Saloon : Misses Bay ley (2), Mr E. Petter. Second cabin—Miss O. E. Lobbs, Mesdames Dobbs, Satchwell, Messrs O. B. Dobbs, li. W. Needham, W. Buck. Steerage : Miss M. H. Irving, Mrs Hanaby, Messrs G-. K. Douglas, J. T. Hanaby, A. Hewcombe, T. Shell, 13. Smith. For juyttelton Saloon: Miss Rough, Mec-darnes C. H. Kempson, Blake Campbell. Dr Blako Campbell, Mr A. W. Stewart. Second cabin: Mis=es E. Cook, A. Hill, Walker, Mr Wells. Steerage : Misses Green, Kealey, Parry, Messrs Doherty, Griffin. Hamilton, Johnstone, Milliken, Scott (2). For Auckland — Saloon: Miss Bradbury. Second Cabin: Misses S. Nelson, N. Stephenson, M. Trelease, Mrs Stephenson, Messrs H. Bastings, A. Mackeson, G. Stephenson. Steerage: Mrs Kelly, Messrs Kelly,, Laird, Shorningten, Stewart, Smith, P.owe, Reid (2). For Port Chalmers —Second cabin : Mr J. P. Edwards. Steerage : Misses O'Neil (2), Mrs O'Neil, Messrs Cohen, Green, Lifshit=, O'Neil (2), Smythies, Masters O'Neil (2). For Bluff Steerage :Mr J. Murphy. For Wanganui—Second cabin : Mr J. Hatnerley. For Napier Second cabin :Mr M. Gillespie. Steerage : Messrs Butler and Hallett. For New Plymouth—Steerage : Mr O. Meyer. For Nelson Steerage: Mr Taylor. For Westport— Saloon : Mr L. von Bentivigen. For Greymouth— Steerage : Miss ana Mrs Hunter, Messrs Grigg, Keast, Nicholls,

The locals agents have been advised that the Gothic left Plymouth on the 12th inst. for Wellington and Lytteiton. She has 2500 tons of cargo for Wellington, 1250 for Lytteiton, and also, for transhipment, S6O tons for Otugo and tons for Auek* land. '

A cablegram announces the departure of the Matatua from Montevideo on the morning of the 15th, in continuation of her voyage from Lytteiton to London. Her meat is in good condition.

The ship Pleione, which loft Napier loaded with wool on the 18th January last, only arrived in London on the 4th of this month, thus taking 137 days to do a voyage which by steamer is done in onethird of the time. This (says a local paper), though a very unsatisfactory record, is by no means an unusual one with sailing ships of late years, and the wonder is how sucn an anachronism as a slow sailing ship gets a valuable cargo of from £OO,OOO to £BO,OOO in these days. Tiie substantial reductions lately offered by the leading steamship companies in the nature of freight should drive the remaining sailing ships into the carrying of coal, lo.v grade ores, or other bulky though inexpensive cargoes. The Westiralia, leaving Sydney on her first trip to New Zealand next month, takes up the Tasmania's running while the latter vessel is undergoing an overhaul, and is due in Wellington on July 10. When the Tasmania isready to resume running she relieves the Anglian. The last-mentioned steamer will be a day late in reaching Wellington this trip, and arrives hero on Saturday, July 3rd, sailing South the same day. On Friday of the following week she leaves Wellington for East Coast, Auckland and Sydney. Mr Thomas Mackenzie, late M.II-R. for Clu'.ha, who went to London for a couple of years to manage the London ncy of co-operative societies, has chartered the.sailer Pleiades, belonging to the Shaw, Savill Company, to sail from London to Lyttelton and Timaru. Commenting on this an English exchange remarks that one gets an idea of the volume of busiress which these New Zealand cooperative societies transact when they can put 2000 or so tons of cargo on board a vessel. The Pleiades was to sail early in June.

ARRIVAL OF THE KAIKOURA. The thirty-third voyage of the New Zealand Chipping Company's steamer Kaikoura, from London to New Zealand, was terminated at 0.-10 a.m. on Thursday morning, at which time the vessel dropped anchor in the harbour. The health officer's inspection proving satisfactory, the Kaikoura was berthed at the Queen's "Wharf at 8.35, and commenced unloading. We are indebted to Mr 11. Baigeat, the stoward-in-charge. for a pas3enger list, &c, and the following account of the steamer's voyage :—The Kaikoura left the London docks at noon on April 20th, and after embarking passengers and baggage proceeded on to Plymouth, arriving there at 3.10 p.m. on April 30th. Having completed her survey and taken on board tho remainder of passengers and mails, left for Teneriffe at 2.16 p.m. on May Ist, and experienced fine weather, light N.E. winds and smooth saa. Arrived at Teneriffe on May oth at 10 a.m. and left again at 11.30 the night after having coaled. The weather continuing fine, the equator was crossed at 2 p.m. on May 13th. The S.E. trades were moderate to fresh, and a very strong adverse current was met with until 21 S. and 70 E. ; otherwise the weather was all that could be desired. Arrived at Capetown on Sunday, May 23rd, at 6.40 a.m., and landed a number of passengers and mails, and took on some 13 passengers and quite a large mail, chielly for Hobart and Australia. The weather continued fine, and no bad weather was experienced until the longitude of Cape Lcuwin was reached. Then a heavy S.W. gale was met accompanied with a very heavy sea, which lasted for three days ; thence to Hobart fine weather prevailed. Arrived at Hobart on Saturday at 8 a.m . and left the same afternoon at 3.50, after disembarking some passengers and mails and some tons of cargo. Beautiful weather was experienced in crossing the Tasman Sea. Cape Farewell was at 6.45 p.m., and Farewell Spit at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, and the steamer anchored in the harbour at 6.40 a.m. yesterday. Associated with Captain Forbes this trip are the following officers .-—Chief, Mr W. Parsons ; second, Mr H. J. Cornwall ; third, Mr J. J. Cameron ; fourth, -Mr L. M. Vipan ; surgeon, Dr A. L. Murray ; steward in charge, Mr H. Baigent. The engineroom is under the supervision of Mr J. F. Black, chief,engineer, with whom are Messrs D. Swan, A. Sommerville, C. P. Bush and H. Sawden, respectively second, third, fourth and fifth engineers. Mr J. Fowlie is the refrigerating engineer, and Mr F. White the electrician.

TOWED OVER 000 MILES. EXPERIENCES OF~THE WAVERLEY AND RATA. The elements have dealt anything but lightly with the Anchor line steamer VVavcrlev and the scow Rata since those two vessels left Wellington nearly five weeks ago, both laden with machinery for the Taitapu Estates Goldrninijjg Company. The mining plant was successfully landed at Sandhill Creek after considerable delay, and the Waver] ey and Rata returned to port on Friday afternoon, their passage up having been to a certain extent a repetition of the voyage down. After leaving Wellington on Sunday, May 16th, at G. 30 a m the vessels' troubles began, for outside the Heads a fresh gale with a long S.S.W. swell were experienced, and at noon tho wind and sea had increased. The scow's decks were awash the whole time, and Captain Harrison and his crew of four men were benumbed and half drowned by tho huge green seas, which swept over the fia';-bottomed craft as though they would destroy everything in their path. At 2.20 the tow-line parted, but it was not long before the two boats were again connected, and eventually, hours after they left Wellington, they were riding at anchor in Cove. There the night was spent, while a westnrlv gale blew with groat violence, and repeated dashes of lightning were seen in the distance. Early in the following afternoon another start was made, but at a o'clock in the evenin"-shelter had again to be sought in Current Basin,°und two days later in Waikawa. Totaranui was reached at i.oo p.m. on the 21st, but less than three hours later the sea was increasing so rapidly that the two boats had to get under way again and then anchor at 11 p.m. in Astrolabe. There Captain Vickerman took advantage of being close to Nelson to make for that port to obtain provisions, &c, but he returned and at A-30 p.m. on the 24th sailed away from As' trolabc" with the Rata in tow. On the follow in" morning they were oft Curious CI if?, but thos " oil the scow wore having snob a terrible time through the seas breaking on board that they signalled t • the steamer to put back, and she accovdiudvdid so" anchoring at 10 a.m. in Mutton Cove. Through oil; thci 25th, 25th and 27th the weather continued" 1 verv stormy, and a gnie from tho N.N.W. blew «fe 1 v ics with hurricane force, till at 8 a.m. on thr lait-f'en-tioned day tho two boats brought tin again in\~tro-

Prom this place the Waverley made two trips to Motueka to ascertain from Farewell Spit tho~condition of tho weather there, asd on the Ist inst, tho

report being favourable, ysi another start was mada at6.Sop.rn. At length, on the next day, SandhiU Creek was readied, but there was such a heavy sea breaking in that it wes heceseiry to head for West Wanganui. The Waverley sudfeectea in negotiating the bar, but as the Eata was about to Cross the tow-line carried away, and it was with conside*"- \ able difficulty that it was secured : soon after which j both vessels anchored inside. From the 2nd until j the Bth there was too much sea on the bar for the Rata to get out, though word was received from Sandhill Greek that the weather there was moderating. On Sunday, 6th. a S'.V/. gale sprang tip, and the scow dragged her anchor for soma considerable distance* but was at length brought up, when another anchor was let go. At 8 p.m. on the 10th, three hours after leaving West Wanganui, the Waverley and Rata anchored oil Sandhill Creek, and at 7,-15 a.m. nest day the scow was beached. Everything was in readiness for getting the cargo' out ; a tramway was laid down right to the vessel's side; 75 or 80 men (by whom the scow had been hauled up en the beach) worked with a will, and in a few hours all the machinery was out. When the Waverley towed the ungainly craft off again the sea commenced to roll in heavily, and increased in violence every minute. It is said that never before has sc heavy a sea broken on the beach, and those on shore entertained gr'aVe fears for the safety of the two vessels, and thought that, at least, they had certainly seen the last of the scow Rata. Fortunately, these fears were not realised, for, after I a trying experience, the Waverley with her tow succeeded in safely reaching Astrolabe at i. '3o a.m. on the 12th. No time was lost, and a start was made to tranship the remaining 68 tons of machinery from the Waverley into the sailing vessel. While this was being done, all hands were alarmed by learning that the scow was making water rapidly. Soon after leaving Wellington the boat was found to be leaking, and two men from the Waverley were placed on board to assist at the pumps, and by these means the water was kept dewn. At Astrolabe, however, pumping had been ceased, and the water poured in at a great rate. After some trouble and delay, Captain Vickerman succeeded in stopping the leak, and at noon on the 13th the two boats sailed for SandhiU Creek, anchoring oft" there at 9.80 next night. The followI ing morning at 10.i!0 the Rata was beached for the second time, and at 7 the same evening she was hauled off again.

There was some little delay in getting under way, as the tow-line got foul of a rock, but at 8 o'clock everything was clear. A strong S, 13. gale was experienced off Farewell Spit, and against it but little headway could be made. Shelter was sought in Port Hardy from 0.80 p.m. on the 15th until 9.20 a.m. on the 10th, when the vessels again got under way, but, owing chiefly to the thick weather, they were obliged to anchor at 5.30 p.m. under Dong Island, where they remained till 10 a.m. nest day. Then an attempt was made to come on to Wellington, but there was such a heavy sea in the Straits that the two unlucky boats were again forced to seek shelter, this time jn Oyster Bay. At last, yesterday morning, a successful attempt was made to cross the,Straits. Tory Channel was cleared at 10.55, but coming across a heavy swell from the S.S.E. was encountered, which made it particularly unpleasant for those on the scow, especially when, passing Terawhiti. At 4.20 on H riday afternoon the Rata dropped anchor in the harbour, and a few minutes later the Waverley was berthed at the wharf.

Towards the latter part of the five weeks the provisions were getting low, and fish formed the chief item of diet. The Rata was towed 613 miles altogether, and the time taken to do this was 125 hours, the consumption of coal being 34 tons. Five extra men were taken down by the Waverley to assist in the surf boat, and these brought the number of men on the steamer up to 17, none of whom are sorry to return to port. The scow, we understand, was really purchased by the Taitapu Goldmining Company to make the trip, but if the vessel is returned to her former owners in Auckland a sum of money will be refunded. It is probable that the Rata will be placed on the Patent Slip before leaving port.