SHIPPING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4146, 4 July 1874, Page 7

SHIPPING.

POUT OF WELLINGTON. ARRIVED. June s.—Alhambra, s.s., 497 tons, W. C. Sinclair, from Melbourne, via the Southern ports. Passengers —Saloon : From Melbourne : Mrs. Derveuo and child. June 12.-r-Albion, s.s., 501 tons, Thos. Underwood, from Melbourne via the Southern ports. Passengers —Saloon : From Melbourne : Mrs. and Miss Sircome and 4 children, Messrs Armitage, Davenport, Thomson, and Sample. June 21.— Claud Hamilton, s.s., 529 tons, W. J. Bawdeu, from Melbourne, via Hokitika, Greymoutb, Nelson, and Picton. Passengers—Saloon : From Melbourne: Mesdamea Lucas and Wright, Miss Symons, Mr. Uloth. June 22. —Blanche, His Excellency the Governor’s yacht, 62 tons, Captain Annibal Marks, from the Manukau, via Nelson and Astrolabe Bay. June 23. —Malay, barque, Linklator,- from Newcastle. Passengers—Saloon : Captain Hill, Mr. Batfc, and Mr. McCoster. Condor, barque, Breit, from Newcastle (bound to Tahiti) through stress of weather. June 20. —Otago, s.s., 042 tons, Jno. McLean, from Melbourne, via the Southern ports. Passengers— Saloon : Mrs. Tolhurst and two children, Mrs. Downman, Miss Goad, Miss Quin, Mrs. Barlow, Mrs. Hooner, Mrs. Innah, Mr. and Mrs. Tiffin, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, Mr. Chatarn. June 28.—H.M.S. Challenger, 1400 tons, Naros, from Sydney. SAILED. & June s.—Tararua, s.s., 522 tons, James Clark, for Melbourne, via the Southern ports, with the Suez mails. Passengers—Saloon : For Melbourne: Sir. Macnaraus. Alhambra, 496 tons, W. C. Sinclair, for Melbourne, via the West Coast. Passengers—Saloon : For Melbourne : Mr. Wilson. June 13.—Albion, s.s., 601 tons, Thos. Underwood, for Melbourne via the West Coast. June 14.—McCallum More, ship, 16GS tons, Adam Smith, for Newcastle, N.S.W. Passenger Dr, Donaldson, Golden Sea, ship, 1309 tons, Strachan, for Lyttelton. Junk 23. —Claud Hamilton, s.s., 529 tons, W. J. Bawdcn, for Melbourne, via the Southern ports. Passengers—Saloon : For Melbourne—Dr. Russell, Mr. and Mrs. Whyte, Mr. Palmer. June 27.—Invcrallan, ship, CGO tons, Wm. McCann, for Nelson, with original cargo. Otago, s.s., 042 tons, John McLean, for Melbourne, via Nelson and the West Coast. Passengers— Saloon ; Mrs. Seymour, Miss Green, Messrs. Ilodgcr and Rous Marten. PORT CHALMERS. June IS. —Arrived : Rio Loge, brig, from Liverpool, 100 davs out. She made the passage from Tristan d’Acunha to the West Cape by dead reckoning, the chronometer having been found to be useless. Francis, barque, from Boston, via Melbourne. She loads here for Boston, AUCKLAND. June 23.—The Loch Awe has arrived from London, after a splendid passage of 77 days from port to port; 300 immigrants, all well. LYTTELTON. Juno 25.—Arrived: John Knox, from Sydney; Princess Alice, from Newcastle. June 30,—Sailed: The New Zealand Shipping Company’s ship Rakaia, for London, with a full cargo valued at £85,000, which included 4470 ounces of gold. She takes also 15 passengers ; ship Apelles, for Melbourne, with 2000 sacks wheat, 2000 sacks oats, and 2480 sacks barley. The Star of the South sailed for Dunedin at 2 p.m., and the Ladybird for "Wellington at 4.30 p.m. . ENGLISH SHIPPING. At the end of June there were in the port of Lyttelton seven English ships, namely, City of Agra, Vanina, Apelles, Portland, China, Rakaia, Ballochmoyle. There were also thirteen barques and eleven schooners, making a very fair show of shipping in the harbor. At Port Chalmers there were on June 2nd no loss than fourteen English vessels, namely, Trevelyan, William Davie, Margaret Galbraith, Dallam Tower, Scimitar, Himalaya, Durham, City of Tanjore, Undine, Asia, Wild Deer, James Nicol Fleming, Buckinghamshire, Janet Court. In Wellington on the same date, there were five English ships, namely, the Macallum More, Golden Sea, Wenuington, La Hogue, and Invcrallan. This makes a total of twenty-six English vessels in the three harbors.

It will bo remarked. In connection with the dismasting of the two ships John Kerr and Loch Ard, as a curious coincidence, that not only did they start together and arrive together, but they were dismasted on the same day and at no groat distance from each other. The Lodi Ard's report says : "On the 2nd of April, in longitude 01° E. latitude 44® 30' S., in a very severe storm from S.E.” It was in this storm that her masts went. The John Kerr’s report says: “On the 2nd of April, when she was in 45° S. and 71° E., a gale set in from the S.E.” The masts were lost during the gale. Thus in the same gale, on the same day, and almost in the‘same place, the two vessels were dismasted. Now they lie at the Williamstown Pier, Melbourne, next to one another.

The safe arrival of the immigrant ship Stonchouse, from London, is reported from Lyttelton. She brings out 406 souls, all well, after a good passage of SO days. The Northampton arrived at Lyttelton after a passage of sixty-eight days from land to land, and seventy-two days from Gravesend to anchorage. She left London docks on March 18, and Gravesend on the evening of the 21st, having embarked immigrants in the docks. Sickness broke out soon after leaving. On April 5, George Ingram, single man, aged 10, died of typhus fever, after an illness of nine clays; April 11, Beatrice Pilliott, aged 4, of dysentery; April 14, Jonathan Worsllcld, aged 20 months, infantile disease; April SO, Agnes Koborts, 12 months, diarrhoea; May 3, Alfred Bentley, 22 months; May 20, Jane Greenaway, married, aged 20, heart disease; May 20, Margaret Jane Koborts, 10 months; infantile disease. Total, seven deaths, viz., two adults and five children. During the passage, thirteen cases of modified small-pox occurred; but there had been no deaths from this disease. At the present time, there are three patients Buttering from the disorder. The health of the passengers generally is good. No sickness occurred in the single girls’ compartment during the voyage. The s.s. Atrato arrived at Lyttelton on Saturday, Juno 20th, at twenty minutes past twelve, and was boarded by the Health Officers. No disease having occurred on the passage from Dunedin to Lyttelton she was, after a short delay, declared free.

The following, we believe, will bo the movements of her Majesty’s ships of war on the Australian and New Zealand stations: Simpson, is to bo the man-of-war stationed at Wellington during the session. 11.M.5. i call, canying the fiag of Commodore Goodonough, and now cruising in Fijian waters, will probably pay us a -visit towards tho cml of tho session. 11.M.5. Challenger has arrived from Sydney, after a cruise in neighboring waters, and is now in the harbor.

I His Excellency the Governor's yacht Blanche, J is now dismantling in port. Captain Marks resigns I his command, having obtained the situation of | harbor master at the port of Tauranga. I It is notified in the Oazciic that Henry Kracft has been appointed Harbor-master for the port o£ Napier. The Macgregor (a.) on being taken into the dock in Sydney was inspected by the appointed' surveyors. It was found that SO feet of the keel, from the forefoot aft, had been carried away, and that the plates of the garboard streak had been seriously damaged. There was a hole right through one plate of about eighteen inches, and a second plate further aft had been driven in and split,—several of the floor frames were also much bent or twisted. The repairs have ( been made, and the Macgregor takes out the July , mail from New Zealand.

The Harbor Master at'Oamaru states in his annua report that the rocket apparatus worked by the boatmen has during the past year been the means of rescuing twenty-eight men from wrecked vessels, viz., Margaret Campbell, 7 ; Emile, 9 ; and Scotsman, 12 men; the greater portion of whom would have perished had no apparatus been available, as the vessels foundered a considerable distance from the beach, and soon broke up. Masters of ships navigating Fovcaux Strait arc notified, through the Gazette, that Captain T. Thomson, Harbor-master at the Bluff, reports the existence of two sunken rocks near Dog Island—one lies a quarter of a mile from the west end of the island, with the lighthouse bearing S E., and has only two feet of water on it at low water spring tides ; the other lies a quarter .of a mile from the east end of the island, with the lighthouse bearing AV. by S., and is awash at low water spring tides. The bearings given are magnetic,'! The Clio arrived at Auckland on Juno 3, after a good passage of seven days from Noumea. At Norfolk Island, in landing the passengers in one of the island boats the boat was capsized in the surf, and the people were fully a quarter of an hour in the water before being rescued. Captain Jackson, who was in the boat at the time of the accident, had wisely taken the precaution to lasli all the mail bags to the thwarts of the boat, consequently the whole of the mail was saved, although, of course, much damaged by the water. Miss Mary Buffet had her clothes caught somewhere in the boat, aud was some minutes under water when rescued and brought to the surface in a drowning condition, being almost insensible ; her father being one of the boat’s crew at the time. The owner and crew of the schooner Jessie arrived in Noumea a few days before the Clio left, having been picked up In their boat (in which they had been five days; by a French man-of-war; the vessel having foundered of? the Isle of Pines.

Steam Tun foii VVaitatja,—A subsidy has been granted to the enterprising firm of Messrs. Webster Brothers for a steam tug for the AVaiUra River. This lias been of the greatest necessity for many years, and now—owing to the construction of the railway and the opening up of the country by the Mountain Road —a very large increase in shipping may reasonably be expected. A steam tug is being built in Auckland for the firm, combining light draught with good power suitable for the navigation of Urcnui, Tongoporutu, and Mokau. The hull is being constructed by the builders of the Bella, which has proved herself of the greatest service to the port of Napier. The plans, specification, and supervision of her construction arc in the hands of Mr. J. Lodder, manager and engineer of the Auckland Steam Packet Company, this being of itself a sufficient guarantee that a firstclass vessel will bo turned out. The contractors are bound under a bond to have the steamer completed by the end of July, when she will steam round the North Cape to her future home. A noticeable and interesting event is the discharge of the paddle-steamer Paterson in the AVaitara River. Her registered tonnage is 260 tons, and she was drawing nine feet. The steamer arrived from AVellington, heavily laden with railway plant, including two locomotives. She was discharged abreast of Messrs. AVebsters’ wharf. The Paterson is the largest steamer that has entered the AVoltara.

This company have published a report for the past year. The receipts and profits of the company 'bear ample testimony to the efficient and careful management of the directors, and of the manager, Mr. William Lodder. Not only have the company been able to declare a dividend of 10 per cent, per annum, but they are placed in the very favorable position of being able to place to the reserve fund the sum of £SOOO. Nor has this been accomplished by running the company’s boats recklessly and without repairs. On the contrary, very extensive repairs and alterations have been effected, the expenses accounted for, and the boats now hold certificates of seaworthiness for the next six months. All things being even then, the balance to credit should be somewhat larger at the next half-yearly meeting. It must have been very gratifying to the directors and to Mr. Lodder to be able to place before the shareholders the following facts derivable from the books of the company :—“ The net profits for the six months, after writing off the sum of £370 Os. Cd. for depreciation, bad debts, and losses by accidents, is £2397 Us. 10d., which, added to £5564 6s. Cd., the balance of profit and loss account at Slst October, 1873, makes a total of £B2OI 18s. 4d. at credit. Of this amount, your directors have placed a sum of £6OOO to a reserve fund, and pay as a dividend, £686 Is. for the past half-year—being at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum—leaving- a' balance to be brought forward to profit and loss ‘/new account,” of £2575 17s. 4d. The net profit for the past two years, including dividend and premium on shares, is £8904 10s. 4d. ; while, until January last, the paid-up capital only amounted to £12,852. The total net assets of the company are £25,009 ISs. 4d., which is equal to £5 19s. 6d. per share.” It should be mentioned also that the company had only two boats to work with during the first three months of the half-year, viz., the Golden Crown and the Star of the South; the Pretty Jane, which was purchased at a cost of £7300, delivered in Auckland, having scarcely been three months in her present trade. Auckland is much indebted to this company for the spirited and liberal manner in which they have conducted their trade—they have fairly earned the support received. We are glad to notice the company purpose extending their operations, with which end in view they have purchased the new compound s.s. Southern Cross, now on her way to this port, and have sent Home an order by the mail for a new screw steamer of about 500 tons, with compound engines with all the latest improvements. The steamer is to be brought out to New Zealand Junder steam, and is intended for the Fiji trade. The company’s steamer Star of the South, Captain Farquhar, arrived in Wellington harbor on Tuesday, June 23rd, at 8 p.m. Her mission as the first of the now line between New Zealand ports and Fiji is now well known, and there is every likelihood of the scheme being successful. SHIPBUILDING IN AUCKLAND. The following is a list of vessels in course of construction at the various shipbuilding yards in Auckland Province: — Messrs. Macquarrie and McCallum, Mechanics’ Bay, are building a large three-masted scbooncr. Her keel is 93 feet long; beam, 24 feet; and depth, 11 feet. She is being built of pohutakawa frame and of heart kauri planking. A fore-and-aft schooner is being built by Messrs. Biglow and Son, Smaile’s Point. Her dimensions are —Length of keel, OS feet; beam, 20 feet ; depth of hold, 8 feet; draught, when loaded, 7 feet. She is being built on the North American principle, and will be of immense strength. Messrs. Holmes Brothers, North Shore, are building a steamer on the diagonal principle, which will be of great strength. Her dimensions are as follows: Length of keel, 100 feet ; do. overall, 108 feet: beam, 14 feet 10 inches ; depth of hold, 6 feet 6 inches ; draught, 3 feet. Her engines will be diagonal acting, surface condensing, and of C 4 nominal horse-power, and 104 actual power. She is expected to be completed in about two months. Messrs. Nicol and Son, North Shore, arc also building a screw propeller steamer. Her dimensions are —Length of keel, 130 feet; do. overall, 140 feet: beam, 21 feet; depth of hold, 7 feet Cinches ; draught of water when loaded, 5 feet. The same firm are also building a topsail schooner. Her builders’ measurement will bo 100 tons, and she will be G 6 tons register. Dimensions: —Length of keel, SG feet; do. overall* 03 feet; beam, 20 feet; depth of hold, 9 feet ; draught, feet. Messrs. Sims and Brown, North Shore, arc building a large three-masted schooner or barquentine, of 300 tons builders’ measurement, or 160 tons register. The following are her dimensions; —Length of keel, 114 feet ; beam, 23 feet; depth of hold, ll£ feet. The same firm are also building a small screw steamer for Messrs. Webster Brothers, of Taranaki, which they intend to place in the trade as a cargo boat between New Plymouth and the Waitara. Her dimensions are:—Length of keel, 50 feet; beam, II feet; depth of hold, 6 feet; builders’ measurement, 32 tons. They are also building a cutter, the dimensions of which are ns follows :—Length of keel, 48 feet; beam, ' 16 feet; depth of hold, 6 feet; builders’ measurement, 51 tons, or 30 tons register; coppered and copper fastened throughout. New York to Auckland.— Messrs. Arnold, Hines, and Co., of Auckland, intend establishing a direct line of communication between New York and Auckland by sailing vessels. The Florence, now in Auckland, belongs to the firm, whose head office is in New York, ftud they contemplate despatching a vessel every three months from the States to Auckland with, general cargo ; and it is presumed that when a regular trade is established there will be no difficulty in obtaining freights back. The firm of Messrs. Arnold, llincs, and Co. have a large number of ships belonging to them trading to different ports in the world, and they purpose to withdraw four of them from the China trade and put them into the Auckland trade

The Schooner Lady Don.—Loss of Life. — The schooner Lady Don, Captain lluxton, has arrived in Lyttelton from Hokitika, after a very lengthened passage, loss of life, and damage to the vessel, caused bv strong gales on the coast. The captain reports that lie left Hokitika on May 3. On May 17, encountered a strong S.E. gale. Cape Farewell bearing south, distance 10 miles. At 0.30 p.m. a heavy sea struck tho vessel, carrying away tho starboard bulwarks, wheel gratings, bursting tho mainsail, and washing the mate and one of tho seamen overboard ; the mate succeeded in swimming to the vessel, and was pulled on board by the master and one of the crew ; tho other man was heard to cry twice. Hopes and planks were thrown over to him, but he sank instantly, although a good swimmer. lie is supposed to have been seriously injured by the force of the sea, which was so strong as to bend the standard (I.J inch iron). The mate was severely injured, being laid up for some foreign barque Chovert Is discharging her coals into tho hulk in Wellington harbor previous to getting the extensive repairs to masts and gear which she requires. SurrosF.u Wreck. —Mr. Kelly, who has recently returned overland from the Wairoa, reports certain articles of merchandise having been washed on to tho beach at Mahla, near to Messrs. Bendali and Walker’s store, loading to the supposition that a wreck had occurred somewhere near at hand, during the fearful gales which have visited this coast during the past week. The goods, consisting of jam thus, candleboxes, kc., seemed not to have been in tho water for any great length of lime. Mr, J. E. Green also reports seeing a large bale of wool lying on the ocean beach hero ; just after emerging from the inland track, coming from tho Ferry, it is half buried in the sand, and its Unrated, saturated state, shows Hint it must have been a long time in the water, although not in that spot.— Poverty Bay Standard,