SHIPPING SUMMARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3863, 4 July 1874, Page 3

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

The past month has been singularly destitute of leading events, and shipping business on the -whole has been of the dnllest. Especially has a weakness made itself apparent in the foreign trade, both outwards and inwards ; but this is to be clearly accounted for by the fact that the month represents the sort of interval or breathing-time, as it were, in the mob of shipping from the Old Country to the Colony. There is only one vessel— the Eoslyn Castle—that.is really dne, and she is at the same time rather overdue, having been already 110 days on the passage; but there are two others—the Weymouth and Hindustan—between 80 and 90 days out, and several others well on for 70 days. We expect a rush in during the ensuing month, to make amends for the slackness of the one that has expired. This season of the year, too (mid-winter), is the off time for shipping, the wool season having all but closed, and that for grain ia tottering; whilst as far as the preserved meat business is concerned, the season discoveis a great want of vitality. However, the bad must be taken with the good—fair measure of each— and patience be exercised to tide over the quiet period before spring-time comes again. Quiet it will be, compared with the hurryscurry of the summer months; but, for all that, the Port will not be altogether wanting in animation, for there are no fewer than seventeen vessels expected from the United Kingdom, and seven from the United States. Then, again, the intercolonial and interprovincial and coasting trades are slowly but steadily increasing in volume, so that between our growing relations with the old country, and the simultaneous advancement of the several Colonies, and Provinces of this particular Colony, dull winter seasons will in the course of a very few years be numbered amongst the things of the past. We have much gratification in alluding in this place to the active interest that has been exhibited during the month by the leading men of Dunedin and Port Chalmers, with reference to two collateral questions of the shipping interest, viz, immigration and I the establishment of a Sailors' Home. A third—the Upper Harbour improvement question—may also be included. It received direct recognition at. the hands of the Provincial Council. A Harbour Trust .Bill, empowering the formation of a Harbour Board, with authority to borrow a quarter of a million of money, was passed, but was reserved by His Honour the Superintendent for the Governor's assent. Once the assent is obtained, and the Board constituted, the latter will be, enabled to immediately take preliminary measures for the furtherance of the great scheme. The project for establishing a Sailors' Home appears to have met with universal favour. A Committee has been formed to mature it, and it has been almost decided to erect a suitable building on one of the two sites that happen to be available, and at the same time suitable. How much seamen would be benefited by having such an establishment under their lee has been abundantly demonstrated in older port 3 than Dunedin. We are glad to say that that most serious of all questions—immigration— has been warmly taken up from one end of the Colony to the other by the newspapers, one or two rabid Government organs alone excepted. The evils under which, as we have time and again pointed out, the immigration system labours are now sufficiently recognised, and we believe will meet with early reform. The Otago Provincial Council took the matter up and passed the following resolutions, proposed by Mr Wilson:—"lst. That, in the opinion x>f this Council, the system of free emigration at present in operation from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to this Colony, is liable to great abuse, and in some respects very objectionable, and calculated to produce most injurious results, and that immediate action should be taken to remedy this evil. 2nd. That the selection of emigrants suitable to the requirements of this country should be a first consideration with the British Emigration Agents, and ia of the most vital importance to the present and future interests of the Colony. That His Honour the Superintendent be respectfully requested to take such steps as may be deemed necessary to give effect to these resolutions." Such action as the above must produce effect, let the opposition be ever so stubborn, and we therefore rest in the hope of seeing an early and sweeping measure of reform introduced into the Colonial Parliament now assembling at Wellington. The principal shipping event of the month was the arrival of the steamer Atrato with over 700 immigrants on board, of which, however, only a small proportion, 159, were for Otago. She also brought 500 tons of cargo for this port, and did not arrive with a perfectly clean bill of health, measles having run a course through the children. Hence, the ship was quarantined, but only for a short time, being released on the following ; day, and then received moderately quick despatch to her next port of destination Lyttelton. The only other arrival demanding special notice was that of the brig Rio Loge, a name somewhat familiar here on account of the misfortune that befel the vessel when sne left the old country the first time. However, she has arrived at last, and with her freight in tolerably good condition The only departures foreign that we have to record, are those of .the New Zealand Shipping Company's ship Scimitar, which left on Wednesday lasffor London, with a full and valuable cargo, and Messrs Patrick Henderson and Co.'s clipper, the ship Wild Deer. She left on Thursday also for London, and so a tight race between these two fine ships is looked forward to. Of the many vessels expected here, perhaps, the American whaling barque Splendid, but now owned by a local firm, and to henceforth hail from Otago, excites the most interest. Her arrival here means the establishment of a new and a most important industry, and one, too, promising high profits. Fish have been reported as unusually plentiful on the coast, whilst not a few schools of various species have been seen off Otago Heads. The Splendid ia now fully due, and we hope will, after her several mishaps, arrive safely in good condition. STATISTICAL, FOREIGN, ETC. The total arrivals during the month number 85, of an aggregate tonnage of 14,965, and the departures numbered 73, aggregating 19,351 tons. Of these, four vessels, aggregating 6902 tons, have arrived from British and foreign ports ; whilst two, representing 2224 tons, have sailed for Britain. The arrivals were the barque Eureka, from New York, on June 7th, with a cargo of Yankee notions; the steamer Atrato, on June 9th, from Plymouth; the barque William Gifford, from New York, on June 16th ; and the brig Rio Loge, from Liverpool via 'Queenstown, on June 17th. The departures were the ship Scimitar, on the Ist inst., with a full cargo and 2G passengers; and the ship Wild Deer, on the 2nd inst., also well freighted, and taking 10 passengers. Both vessels were bound to London,

INTERCOLONIAL. The intercolonial trade haa been quite brisk during tho month—nine vessels, of an aggregate tonnage of 4686, having arrived; whilst 14 vessels, aggregating 9052 tons, sailed. The majority of the arrivals were steamers belonging to that admirably conducted line M'Meckan and Black-wood's, of Melbourne. The boats which arrived, and we may add also departed in due course, were —Tararua, Albion, Otago, and Omeo. Those which arrived direct from Melbourne came as usual with heavy cargoes for this Province, and with well-filled passenger lists. Quiet relations with Newcastle have been sustained, three vessels having brought us supplies of the indispensable fuel for which that port is famous. The first to show up was the barque Harriet Armitage, on the 11th ult. ; and she was followed by the barques Duke of Edinburgh and Australian Sovereign, both arriving on the same day j —the 27th ult. One sailing bottom—the barque Francis, a large and handsome American vessel—reached hero from Mcl- I bourne. She brought original cargo shipped | at Boston, besides a supplementary freight list made up at Melbourne. That so many vessels sailed inter-colonial during the month is to be attributed to the inability of the Provincial market to provide freight for several of the ships which brought out immigrant a and cargo from Britain. Of these, the ships Durham, Trevelyan, Himalaya, Asia, and City of Tan jore, went to Newcastle, there to load coal for India and China. The first sailed on the 16th nit., the second on the 17tb, the third on the 21st, and the fourth on the 25th, and the City of Tanjore on the 29th. The regular Newcastle trader, the barque Woodville, also took her departure for that port early in- the month, and bo did the brigs Emily and Isabella, both of which brought coal cargoes here in the latter end of May. Two vessels, the barques Southern Cross and Frets Trader, returned whence they came —Hobarfc Town. The one left on the 13th ult., the other on the 19bh ult. INTERPKOVINCIAL AND COASTWISE. Seven thousand two hundred and fifty tons represents the inward Interprovincial coastwise trade of the month, and six thousand seven hundred and eighty the outward tonnage. The trade has been chiefly sus tamed by steamers, of which the New Zealand S.S. Company's vessels have fully sustained their high reputation as good carriers, both for cargo and passengers, and for regularity as time-keepers. For some unexplained reason the Company's fleeb has j been advertised for private sale, and no purj chaser having come forward, it is to be sold by public auction on the 24th inst. The vessels comprising it are handy boats, and I will, we doubt not, find ready purchasers ; f but that the service so long maintained by the Company will be abandoned is most un- ! likely, or if it should be, it is certain to be revived, and that directly, but under another ! name, perhaps. It is a good and profitable trade, and in the course of a year or so will ! support a very much finer class of vessels than have hitherto been employed in it. The Interprovincial export trade of Dunedin alone is something considerable, and is increasing every month, and the passenger traffic is also good. Some Interprovincial business has been done in sailing bottoms. The brig Craigellachie and barque Hadda were despatched with full cargoes of produce to Auckland, and other vessels are now on the berth for the same port. The barque Eureka a!so left interprovincial with original cargo shipped at New York for Canterbury. Only a couple of sailing vessels have arrived interprovineial, one being a handsome brigantine named the Circe, belonging to the Westland Freight Company, the other the well-known schooner Mary Ogilvie. The Circe brought a load of timber from Hokitika, and the Mary Ogilvie, coal and sundries from Greymouth. As usual, the coasting trade has been ably sustained,'.the steamers Maori, Beautiful Star, and Samson, belonging to the Harbour Company, the steamers Wallabi and Wanganui, belonging to Messrs H. Houghton and Co., and the handy little steamer, Lady of the Lake, also locally owned. The Northern coasting trade is in a great measure sustained by the Harbour Company, whilst that to the South is still attended to by Houghton and Oo.'s vessels. A large fleet of small-craft, schooners and ketches, also find profitable employment on the coast, notably in the Catlin's River timber trade and to Shag Point, Kikanui, and adjacent ports. There fs also a steady outflow of cargo brought by home ships for the inferior coast ports. THE DOCKS, SHIP BUILI/ING, ETC. Under this head there is not much to report. Only two vessels, the ship William Davie and the steamer Comerang, have been taken into the Graving Dock, the first to be sighted merely, the second to undergo a thorough overhaul. Murray and Co.'s Floating Dock has accommodated but the schooner Kate Brain, which went in to receive a new keel and other repairs. Murray and Co., have two boat building contracts on hand, one for a new life-boat for the pilot, service at the Bluff, and the other for a large surf cargo boat to be used at the neighbouring port Kakanui. Isbister's slip has had its share of work, two schooners, the Euphrosyne and Friendship, having been hauled up on it for repairs and overhauling, besides smaller craft in the lighter line. The schooner building by Sutherland and Co. is still unfinished, the work has been much hindered by the weather, scarcity of labour, and other causes. IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION. The passenger traffic of the month was below the average, only 857 souls having arrived at, and 376 departed from the Province. * The arrivals include 159 immigrants per steamer Atrato. MISCELLANEOUS. The month has been remarkably free from casualties, not one worth mentioning having occurred. Pleasant seasonable weather has, on the whole, prevailed, with a very light rainfall; predominating winds, easterly How easterly the weather has been was demonstrated by the passages made by vessels from Newcastle, the winds in their case sticking at east and south-east from land to land. The following are the arrivals during the month: THE ATRATO. At last, the s.s. Atrato arrived, and, as was apprehended from the fact of her having touched at the. port of ill omen to immigrants — Plymouth—she brought a foul bill of health with her. Her condition, however, in this respect was not so serious by far as was that of the other vessels which came from Plymouth, the dominant complaint in her case being: a mild form of measles. Tho Atrato was signalled early in tho forenoon of the Bth ult.,'and then followed the signal of there bain<* measles on board. She soon after appeared between the Heads, and in due course steamed up to the Quarantiue Ground, and anchored there. Tho Health and Immigration Officers, with Dr O'Donoghue, medical adviser of the Board of Health, immediately I proceeded alongside in the steamer Peninsula, something besides measles being anticipated from the fact of so' much having been admitted. Happily, however, these fears proved groundless. The report of Dr Ellis, tho surgeon-superintendent, was reassuring—for although 33 deaths had occurred on the passage the victims were, with one exception, infants. Of these fatal cases IT wero attributed to croup and congestion of the lungs supervening upon measles, six wore from teething convulsions, nine from mesenteric consumption, one from erysipelas. Tho last case of measles appeared on the 7th, and there wero five or six still under treatment. In reply to the questions of tho Health Officer, Dr Ellis positively affirmed that no one really serious case of illness had occurred amongst the adults, and that tho immigrants were in a good state of health generally, and had been so throughout the passage. Ho also said that the measles cams on board with the few immigrants who were shipped at Plymouth. The total number of immigrants on board was stated at 702, of whom 159 only were forOtsjro, the gieat majority being on their way to Canterbury. The proportion of children was unusually large, the number of the little people being given at 280. Of these, 180 hud had the measles. From what we could see of the immigrants, who thronged tha bulwarks of the steamer, we estimated them as an average lot, neither better nor worse than the several consignments which have arrived during the List few months. The report we have to give of the ship's run out was supplied by Captain Husband, and states that the Atrato left Plymouth on the sth April; experienced variable winds and weather to Madeira, which was passed on tho 10th, the steamer keeping close into Funchal Roads, and made her number, and asked to be reported. On tho following day she passed close to Santa Cruz, the chief town of Palma, one of the Canaries, and thence to the Equator, which was crowed on the li)th April, in long. 9.47 west, pleasant weather was experienced. The S.E. Trades hung much to the southward, making it a dead head wind for the steamer, and in consequence she made but indifferent progress, burned a great deal of coal, and had to run into Table Bay to obtain a further supply. She anchored in the Bay on the 4th May. Coal being very scarce thero, five days were occupied in coaling, and tho quantity obtained was less by 200 tons than what was required. The stock of fresh water was also replenished, and the Atrato resumed her voyage on the afternoon of the 9th. The passage from the Capo was marked by heavy weather, and as the ship was short of fuel, advantage was taken of favourable winda to knock alongunder canvas, with tho propeller disconnected. Befuro the Peninsula left tho ship the yellow flag was hoisted, and she was thus quarantined, pending tho decision of the Board of Health. Ou tho following day, the Board met, and decided to admit the Atmto to pratique; and as thero was no room at the Barracks, that the Otago contingent of her passengers should be landed at Quarantine Island. The mandate of the Board of Health received duo effect, when Captain Thomson, Ilealth Officer; Mr Monson, Emigration Officer; Mr Colin Allan, Emigration A;.;ent; and Drs O'Donoghue and Harris, proceeded to the Atrato, and after ascertaining that no

fresh cases had occurred, went on boird her, and ordered the yellow flag to be struck. This was dono amidst much clapping of hands and cries of exultation on the part of the immigrants who literally swarmed her decks "We thought we should never get cloar of her, remarked they," and no wonder, seeing that tho great majority of them had beon on board four months. After the usual courtesies had passed between Captain Husband and Dr Ellis on the ono side, and the visitors on the other, a tour of inspection, beaded by Dr Ellis, was nude through tho ship. The single women's compartment was first visited, and as* usual, was aftermost It was occupied by 82 women, who were under tho immediate control of the matron, Mrs Crowe. Tho compartment was situated on tho main deck, and appeared to be tolerabl v clean and fairly lit and ventilated. The married people wore berthed m two sections, tho smaller boing in the 'tweon rtecks, where tho ventilation and lighting wero decidedly indifferent. Tho compartment was clean and tidy. The larger section found quarters on the main dock, which bomg pierced for side scuttles at short distances apart was admirably ventilated, and had plenty of light! Tho place, however, was very warm, boing in juxtaposition to the engine room. It was as clean as could bo oxpected, but the berthing was, as usual, villainously promiscuous. The poor creatures were huddled together chook by jowl, married couple alongside married couple, with but a thin plank, and open at that, between them. The single men's compartment was m tho throes of packing up, and was, in consoquonco, all higgledy piggledy. It was anything but clean, less clean even than it might have boeii, the above circumstances of both considered. Tho immigrants looked healthy on the whole, but wero evidently of vory mixed character, and it was clear, had been taken as they presented themselves, without any questions being asked by their selectors or rather acceptors, the sub-emigration agents. We thoivht a certain remark, passed by Capt-.in Husband," was rather significant. Tho remark was made not so much deprecatingly, as in support of the ship's interests, and amounted to an assertion tha 1 some of tho immigrants had not 5s worth of clothes to their name. It was led up to by a conversation .winch took place upon the validity or otherwise of im- - migrants who had shipped foi Canterbury to land at Otago. Several of tho immigrants had expressed a desire to forego the privilege of proceeding to Canterbury preferring to take Otago for it. On beiii" appealed to for an opinion as to whether such a course of proceeding would be strictly legal, Mr Colin Allan said that the Otago Government would have no objection to receive the immigrants, but at the same time would not undertake to guarantee the ship from los 3 of passage money. The ship might land the immigrants, but it would be at the ship's risk, and breakin" tho charter party, which specified for the conveyance of the immigrants to Canterbury. "But what," responded Captain Husband, "ami to do if the people desert?" and then followed the remark about the clothes. That tho immigrants have arrived here as healthy as they aro redounds to the credit of Dr Ells, who mutt have exercised very great care indeed in the maintenance of good sanitary arrangements. We heard no complaints on boird, the immigrants expressed satisfaction at tho manner in which they had been treated, and praised the captain and doctor. The | ship was well founded with hospitals, bath rooms, and other offices, and an admirable cooking range. ! THE WILLIAM GIFFORD. : ! The sometime-expected barque William Gifford put In an appearance on the ICth ult., when she was towed up from the Heads by the steamer Geeloii". She camo full of cargo, consigned to this port and Auckland, and she may moreover make a permanent stay in the Colony—for she ia even now in the market for sale, and being: a likely vessel of her class, and an old •and a successful »hal.r, the chances are in favour of a purchaser coming forward to secure her. The Gifford has a great deal of whaling gear on board, but lacks boats and try-works. These, however, could very soon be procured. As it was nearly dark wjien she arrived, wo had not an opportunity of inspecting her; but to judge from her general appearance, we should say she was a substantial, handy vessel. Her master, Captain Gibbs, gave her an excellent character as a sea-boat, and particularly alluded to her good weathorly qualities. She had been a long thno on tho passage, having left New York on the 14th February and experienced light baffling weather to the Jtf.E. Trade, which was picked up in lat. 35.2 i, and stuck to the barque until she crossed the Equator on tho 20th March, in long 25.30 west. The S.E. Trade was mot with in M. 1.19 S., and held good until the Bth April in lat. 32.55. Whilst in the Trade she sighted the island of. Trinidad on the 23th March. On the 10th April westorly weather set in, with a steady strong N.W. breeze. Tho meridian of Greenwich was crossed on tho 14th, and tho merdian of the Cape on the 20th April, the breezo still holding good. On the 20th it freshened to a strong galo, which continued for three days, fresheningat times in furious squalls, with much rain. A heavy sea got up, and s:> the barque had to be brought to tho wind and lay there on the port tack for three days under mizen staysail. On the 20th she waa kept away, and thenco to tho Snares, which wore sighted on Saturday last strong breezes, varying between north and W.S.W.. prevailed uninterruptedly, keeping canvas down to double-reefed topsails and courses the greater part of the time, the main .topgallantsails being occasionally sot over the double reef. She was also favoured by westerly weather along tho coast, and arrived off t)ta"-o Heads on Monday night. There the breeze freshened to a smart gale, and that, together with the current, set her away a few miles north of the port. She worked back yesterday, and arrived as above. Captain Gibbs-reports speaking the whaler Flying Childers on the 4th of June, the S. W. coast of Tasmania being then in sight 45 miles distant. Tho William Gifford comes here consigned to Messrs Arthur Briscoe and Co. Hence she proceeds to Anckland as soon as her Dunedin cargo is discharged. THE RIO LOGE. ' ! The brig Rio Loge reached the Heads on the 17th. and j came to an anchor. She waa not signalled, and hence surmises as to what she could be were rife. Her size, squareness of rig, and general appearance were unlike anything in the brig line which had been seen at tho Port, and hence the idea that the stranger might prove I to be the expected Thomas and Henry, from Kaipara, was soon dissipated. She-lay at the Heads until late in the afternoon, and then was towed in by the steamer Geelong when the latter returned from taking out the ship Trevelyan. Then it was ascertained that the new arrival was the long-expected Rio Loge, from Liverpool, a vessel well known here, by name at least through the misfortune that bofel her in tho Chan- ' . pel a day or two after she left Liverpool. The Rio Loge is a'very handsome brig, taunt and square of rig, and , looks as if she could travel if put to it. She is on her first visit to New Zealand, and is owned by Mr C. W Turner, of London, from which port she also hails! She is an iron craft, and was built at Liverpool in the year 1869,. and hence is a comparatively new vessel. She comes here full of cargo, part of which only is consigned to this port, the greatgr part being for Canterbury. That she has arrived here safe and sound, was matter for congratulation, inasmuch that from the Equator she had been navigated entirely by dead reckoning, as the chronometer was there ascertained to be very considerably out. How much was not known until tho rocks of Martin Vas^vere sighted, and then the brig's position being fixed by cross beariugs, i the error of the time-piece was proved at just 9 degrees west. Touching her passage out, Captain Corbett reports having left Liverpool on the 9th Feb.; on the 10th and 11th tho brig encountered a very heavy S. E. gale, was struck by a.heavy sea, that carried away her head gear and head .sails, swept the decks of water casks and provisions, smashed two boats, and seriously I injured throe of tho hands, one of them being-the chief officer. The brig being thus crippled, the master bore up, the galo still continuing, but more moderate, and on the 12th fetched into Long Island Sound, ono of the Inlets' on the south-west coast of Ireland between Cook's Haven and Fastnet lighthouse. The Sound is only a few miles east of Capo Clear. She lay there until tho 10th, and then, the gale having fairly I broken, she put to sea, and ran round to Queenstown and there underwent repairs. She waa ready for sea on the 9th March, then left, had moderate northerly winds that gradually took easting, and so merged into th?. N.E. Trade, which was met with on the 17th March, a day's sail south of Madeira. It held good to thpEquator. The latter was crossed on the 31st March in long. 28.40 W. ..The doldrums extended to 4 south, and then gave place to the S.E. Trade, which proved very poor and scant. Martin Vas rocks wore sighted on the . 11th April, and Tristan D'Acanha on the 22nd, li>'ht easterly weather meantime prevailing. From Tristan D'-A.cunha, the brig passed between Nightingale and I Inaccessible Islands, »nd then by further cross bearings, proved the chronometer to be! hour 38 minutes | fast, and gaining nearly six minutes in tha twenty- j four hours. A day or two after she passed Inaccessible, the wind came out of west, and blew steady, and strong, the meridian of the Capo beinjr passed on the 29th April in lat. 43, the winds boin«between N.W. and S.W., fresh and steady, and the brig made good progress, bowling her easting off on about the 40th parallel. Her progress was checked on the 27th May by a tremendous N .W. gale, and the sea being very high she could run no longer, and had to heave to for 48"hours. On the 29th she was kept away again, passed tho meridian of the south .end of Tasmania on tho 2nd June, and arrived within sight of the West Cape of New Zealand on the Bth, and proved her troo position to bo within 46 miles of that indicated by tho dead reckoning. Off the Cape, she encountered a heavy S E. gale, and was hove-to for a couple of days; and then tho wind still hanging in tho east, she worked round Stewart's Island, and when clear of that land, was favoured by a slant from S.W. that fetched her to the Heads on the evening of the 15th, She waa set north that night by the current, and worked back again, and arrived in Port as above stated. Tho following vessels wore spoken during tho passago :—On April 12th, lat. 22.30 S , long. 29.24 W., tho American barque Mary E. Picker, bound to Philadelphia. On the afternoon of the fame day, the English ship M. E. Cox, from Callao, bound to Cork for orders, was spoken.