SHIPPING SUMMARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4174, 5 July 1875, Page 3

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

The influence of the season—mid-winter— is making itself felt in shipping matters. The month's events we are now summarising, to date the Ist inst., have been lacking in interest. At the aamo time the trade of the Port has been steady and good, due allowance being made for the time of year, and that ad interim period between the closing ot one produce season and the opening of the next. The event, par excellence, oi the mouth was the arrival of the Union Steam Shipping (late Harbour Steam) Company's steamer Hawea—a noble vessel—to which has been worthily conceded first place in the fleet of vessels belonging to the Colony. The enterprise of the Company in importing such a steamer will be productive of trie best effect in promoting a wholesome spirit of competition, which oannot fail to lead to the improvement of the steamboat services of the Colony. Tne Hawea is absolutely without comoeer in these waters. She is a fast and powerful vessel, of great carrying capacity, and such passenger accommodation as she possesses is not to be found in any other ! steamer that trades to this port—and that I means Colonial pre-eminence, for at no other New Zealand port do such tine vessels con- j gregate as at the chief port of Otago. It was thought that, as is very often the case where rumour is concerned, thereports of the Hawea s excellence, which heralded her arrival, would prove to have been somewhat exaggerated. For once, however,^rumour was no liar. The boat was ailt^atshewas described to be, and redounds to the credit of her builders, Messrs Denny and Co. of Dumbarton, and that of the Company which owns her. That Company is both rich aud influential and actuated by a spirit of enterprise, the outcome of sound financial and commtrcialjpremises, which must command success. Another steamer, theTaupo, the counterpart of the Hawea, is expected hourly by the Union Company. When she arrives the Company will be in a position to fairly contest the carrying trade of the colony with tha long-established and succe-siul New Zealand Steam Shipping Company. The ad-' vent of ,the Hawea has already put that Company upon- its metal, for although the steamers which it owns , are all serviceable vessels in their way, none of them will bear comparison with the newcomer, and as the interprovinci 1 trade has. so much increased, and is still increasing, "the N.Z. Company is fully warranted in coming to the;decißion to increase its capital to £150,000, and augmeut its fleet by the addition of two new steamers, which

are to excel the Hawea to as great a degree as the Hawea excels those with which she has now to compute. Steamboat Company enterprise is also being manifested in another direction that will,however, react favourably upon the Colony. The Melbourne firm of Messrs Macmeckan, Blackwood, and Co., which for years past has kept up steady an 1 lucrative relations with the Middle Island ports of New Zta-

land, byirieansofafleetof very tine steamtrs, is in tfre course of procuring a Cuuple of eleven hundred ton steamers to run in the New Zealand and Melbourne trade. These boats are described as the very finest and must perfect of their class ever built upon the Clyde. Tne announcement of the launch of. the first from tbe yards of Messrs Wingate and Co., of Whituinch, has been lately received here. She is described as of 1100 tons, with compound surface condensing engines of 300 h.p., aud will have accommodation for 80 first class and 120 steerage passengers. Messrs Macmeckan anl Blackwood appear resolved to retain that which they have already, and deservedly, acquired, viz., a firm hold of the New Zealand trade. The Colony has been, and still is, indebted to their enterprise, but as that enterprise has been rewarded with eminently lucrative results, we look forward to the no very distant day when a local firm of stability and enterprise, such as the Union Company, will be prepared to enter :the lists and splinter a lance with M'Mtckan, Black wood, and Co. for the honour of the Colony, and also to secure to the Colony a portion of the very handsome pr. fit which now flows Melbourne wards through the channel grooved out by M 'Meckan and Co. Peradventure an amalga-

mation maybe eventually brought about between the Union Company aud the New Zealand Company, aud in that case a coalition would be formed capable of establishing an intercolonial, as well as maintaining an interprovincial trade. There is no lack of local enterprise, and as capital accumulates it ia bound to find vent through every available outlet. Steam as motive power is growing in favour at this end of the world, and will ultimately be largely introdnced int>. the coasting trade. Of this, there is evidence alre idy ia the steamers provided to run in the Shag Point aud Molyneux trade ; aud now another is to iie built for the latter trade to the or.ier of Messrs G. F. lieid and Co., who own the Lady of the Lake. The construction of the new boat Ins been eutrusted to Messrs Kin-

caid and M 'Queen, of Dnneilin. She is to be of 50-h.p; nominal, and will oarry 120 tons of cargo on a light draught, and will moreover have superior passenger accommodation. Of theother marine topicaof themontli, that of harbour improvemeut may next be considered. The grand scheme of deepening the upper, and so in time convert ib into the Port proper, the shipping haven, infact, has bern advanced as far as practicable. The operations of one month do not, however, make any great impression upou the sum total of the work. Those of this month have been mainly confined to dredging at and in the vicinity of Rattray street Wharf. The extension of Kattray street Jetty is at last in a fair way towards accomplishment, the contractors having obtained the necessary .ma-ts-rial, ant! are now pushing on the work. The wharf is tv be extended 1100 feet, and when it is finished and a proper channel dredged to it and alongside of it, it will be a most convenient resting place for the present shipping of a curtain tonntge. The shipping interest is receiving attention in another direction. Last mouth we had the pleasure of announcing that certain restrict:ons placed upon landing cargoes in the lump had been removed by the. adoption of the systeru of passing sight entries. Further coucussiona have since been made by the Customs authorities that will very materially facilitate the delivery of cargoes, relaxing the stringency of the mle in force touching deposits upun sight entries. Hitherto agents have had to deposit honafde, bnt the Customs have now consented to accept the *' guarantee" of an agent in lieu of the deposit, and will only insist up.>n the latter when the terms of tho former are not strictly fulfilled. This liberal concession on thrt part of the Commissioner of Customs has met with grateful appreciation at the hands of skipping and mercantile men of Dunedin, «n 1 together with the adoption of the sight ontry system, places the port in an ixoellent position to accord smart despatch to vessels failing here. We hope we have heard the last of the vexatious delays of which complaints have been rife hithert>>. Reverting to the question of harbour improvi ment we can state that the Harbour Board is acting with vigour to compass the end in view, viz., converting the Upper Harbour into the port proper. A Provincial Ordinance conferring certain borrowing and other powers upon the Boari was passed during the last session of the Council, and the Board rightly assuming that its atatu3 in the market wovild be materially improved if the Ordianace were backed by an Act of the Assembly, has resolved to endeavour to get an Act passed during the ensuing session. To meet the growing expenditure in connection with the works the Board has, with the consent of the Provincial and Generul Governments, decided to increase the wharfage dne3, and at its last meeting the Finance Committee submitted a new and yet not au excessive rate of charges to bo made. Importations of sawn timb r are to be taxed at 4d per 100 ft.; coal, firewood, and produce in sacks, at Is per ton; and all other goods, 2a per ton. Upon exports are to be levied, la per bale of wool, and Is per ton on other produce, whilst transhipments are taxed at half rates. Stock is dealt with as follows :—Horss, Is 61 each ; cattle, Is ea^h; pigs, 2<l each ; and sheep, I\A each. Storage rates aro also to bs levied, and with the view of promoting the quick reception of timber cargoes, which, as a rule, are very much in the way on the wharves, set times are allowed for the removal of cargoes according to quantity, under penalty of a charge of £2 per day or part of a day for time in excess of that specified. Charges for berthage are also to be levied according to tonnage. Vessels trading within the port are taxed as follows :—

10 t'onß and under, 10s per quarter; 25 tons I and under, 20s per quarter; 50 tons and, under, 35s per quarter; 100 tons and under, 65a per quarter. Vessels trading beyond the port are to pay one farthing per registered ton for every day or part of a day they are in port. Upon steam vessels trading beyond the port is to be levied one halfpenny per ton per day or part of a day. Special charges are to be made in the case ot vessels at Port Chalmers—upon imports, all round, Is per ton; upon exports, 6d per bale of wool; on other produce, 6d per ton; transhipments half-rates. The above rates are i moderate, and hence unlikely to be in the slightest degree prohibitory, whilst the revenue derived from them will materially assist, in the attainment of. the great object in view. . . . ' ' STATISTICAL—FOREIGN. Summarising to date July Ist, we find that 87 vessels, aggiegating 16,068 tons, have arrived at the Port, and 81 vessels,

aggregating 17,714 tons, have sailed. By analysis, it appears that of these totals four vessels of 1903 tonnage arrived from, and two of 2363 tonnage sailed for, purts other than Colonial. Twelve vessels, aggregating 5317 tons, arrived from, and nine, aggregating 4264 tons, sailed to, ports intercolonial; whilst the coasting and interprovincial business transacted is represented by 81 arrivals, aggregating 8838 tons, and 70 departures, aggregating 11,087 tons. These compare favourably with last month's returns, which stand as follows : —Total arrivals, 73 ; ton

nage, 18,200. Departures, 83 ; tonnage, 17,200. —Arrivals from foreigu and other outside ports, 9 ;■ tonnage, 7475. - Departures, 3; tonnage, 2924.- -Arrivals, intercolonial, 9; tonnage, 4307. Departures, 11 :; tonnage, 6651. — Arrivals, interprovinciuli and coastwise, 55; tonnage, 6555. De

partures, 69 ; tonnage, 8782. Of the arrivals from ports outside the colonies, the first to shew up was the Union Company's steamer Hawea, which came in from Ulasgow on the 10th ult., after a good passage ot 66 days, inclusive of four days' delay coaling at St. Vincent and Cape. Town, Her running time from Port to Port was thus 62 days. An exhaustive report of the vessel and her passage will be found elsewhere. The next vesßel to arrive was the brig Elliotts, from the Mauritius. She put in an appearance on the 15th inst., and made thu run in 46 days, Port Louis being left on Maoist The passage was uneventful. She brought a full cargo of sugar consigned to tfceiirru of Messrs Neill and Co., and has since discharged in good order. On the 23rd ult., the ship Peacemaker arrived from Lbn-.-don with a full cargo. She was conaigucd to Messrs Guthrie aud Larnach, and is now putting her cargo out with all practicable despatch. She made the run out in 115 dayn, a long spell to be at sea, but six day s were lost iv the Channel, and seven da) s through heavy weather in the Bay of Biscay whilst six days of doldrum weather were encountered on and about the Line. The lasit vessel to arrive was the schooner Annie Houlan, from Uhristium, in the Baltic, via Leith, into which port she had run to replace cauvas lost in gales in the North Sea. She occupied 199 days on the passage from Christiania, and from the time of her absolute departure from Leith to Dnnediu, 147 days. Considering, her size and rig sho was not so very far behind time. Her long run, therefore, 'excited no apprehensions here. She is a substantial, good vessel, purchased by Messrs Guthrie aud Larnach and ■ others for the colonial trade, and will, we have no doubt, find ample and profitable employment in her new sphere of action. \Ve have to chronicle only two departures to ports -without the Colonies. These were the two last wool ships of the season, and left within a day of each other. The first to clear out was the Albion Company's fine ship Oamaru, for London, on the 15th ult. She left a full ship—wheat, woul, aud sundries—and her cargo was valued at £77,121. Fifty-two passengers left with her. On the following day, the 16th, the New Zealand Shipping Company's chartered ship Crusader took her departure for London, with a cargo of wool, wheat, and sundries, valued at £59,738. Fourteen pas sengers accompanied her. Sailing so nearly together, the two ships might be expected to make a close run home of it, and if they had been on an equaiity in point of trim we dare say a good race would have ensued, the greater power of the Oamaru being compensated in the Crusader by finer lines. As it was, the Oamaru had the advantage; still we are sure that Captain Henaut will leave no stone unturned to secure victory in the contest with his powerful competitor. INTERCOLONIAL. A steady average intercolonial business haa been sustained during the month, comprising the arrival of 4 vessels from Melbourne, 3 from Newcastle, 3 from'Hubut Town, and 1 from Sydney and Newcastle. The Melbourne trade was entirely upheld by Messrs M'Meckau and Blackwood's steamers Albion, Onieo, Otago, aud Alhainbra, which, coursing the Island round, arrived and departed with their accustomed punctuality. The service ia very well conducted, aud most profitable- to the owners, for, notwithstanding the increase in direct importations from Britain, the Province still draws liberally upon Victorian markets for merchandise. The passenger traffic is also large, and must of necessity increase year by year. Newcastle continues to supply much coal, and will until the coal measures of the Middle Island are further developed. That its resources in this respect are practically unlimited has been clearly demonstrated, aud when ways and menus of bringing to market that which ere long will be one ot the staple products of the couutry are properly established, Newcastle coal will be at a discount here. That good time is ardently wished, from the price of the imported article buing excessive. The vessels which arrived from Newcastle were the barque Woodvilie, on the 7th nit.; the brig Transport, on the 39ch;

and the Bobycito, on the 22nd. The Tiransport was not coal-laden, but brought a cargo of bard-wood piles, and other suitable timber, to be used in the extension of Rattray street Jetty. To-day, thesteauierEasby.fromSydincy and Newcastle, arrived with a large cargo of coal and some general merchandise shipped at Sydney. It ia satisfactory to note the succe»B that is attending the costly experiment of placiug so Urge and valuable a. vessel in theDuEcdin and Sew South Wales trade. The Eaaby continues to do well under quod. management and the careful commanding of her master, Captain Kennedy. Relations with Hobait Town have been on a bitter footing thia month. The brigantine Zephyr, arrived on the 12th ult from that.port, and was followed by the barque Waratah on the 24th, and the brigantine Camilla on the 28th. Etch vessel brought a large cargo of Tasmanian produce—fruit and jams largely preponderating. Of departnre3 intercolonial, there are to record, for Newcastle, those of the barques Kedron, on the 7th nit., the VVoodville, on the 12th, the Frederic Bassill, on the 17th, the Lochuagar, on the 19th, and the Robert Jones on the 22ud. The Kedron and Loehuagar brought freight from Britain, and went tj Newcastle to Beck freight. The Frederic Bassill, now owned at aud hailiug from this port, is on her first, trip intercolonial, whilst the Kobert J.mes brought a cargo of sugar from the Mauritius andia on her return, we believe, to that port via Newcastle. Tho Loctmagar,, we may observe, is under charter to carry wool next seasun at Napier, and in the meantime is tp make a trip or two in the coal trade. The other intercolonial departures were confined to the Melbourne steamers abovemeutioned. iKTERPEOVINCIAL AND COASTWISE. As can be seen by the comparative statistical returns above the interprovincial and coastwise trade has been well sustained this month. The iuterprovineial steamers Lady Bird, Taranaki, Pboebe, and Wellington, belonging to the N. 21.5.5. Company, have been, kept constantly goino, and considering the season, have done* a large business. They are aa much esteemed as ever by the travelling public, albeit their dangerous rival made her tirst mark in the trade, and a very decided mark it was, when she commenced her interprovincial career on the 27tb, thm leaving Duned.n with nearly 500 tons of cargo ou board, aud 50 passeugers. There is no disguising her attraction, or the fact that in steamboat travelling, as in other brancltn-s o business, the best article is certain to com- . maud public money, especially when prices are e.iual. Several cargoes of timber were brought from the Havelock and Kuipara mills, by the schooners Sea Gull, Spec, Jane Anderson, Dauntless, aud Melaiue. The schooners Agnes, and Christina, brought others from Auckland, and in return the Province has dispatched cargoes of produce to th.it port in the schooners Rosebud and Agnes, and another to Wellington, in the barque Harriet Armitage. The home coasting trado has been very brisk, delations with the South have been fully

maintained. Messrs Hougbtou.and .Co.'a steamers Wanganui and Expresss, and the steamer Comerang, have kept up constant communication with the Bluff, Invercargiu, and Kiverton, taking out general cargo and bringing back timber for building purposes, with a little wool and grain, &c. The passengers to aiid from were numerous. The steamer Lady of the Lake, as is usual/ruus regul.-trly to trie Mulyntsux; and tradein the district has also commanded the services of two or three substantial-sailing bottoms a-r well. Not the slightest falling off is perceptible in the timber trade of Cathu's River. or in the coal business with the Shag Point mine, which continues to employ the steamer Shag aiid two or three sailing coasters. Several cargoes of produce and other merchandise have been scut to Oamaru and ailjaeeut ports. A notable interproyincial departure uf the month was that of the iNow Zealand Shipping Company 'a ship Bangijakei, for Lyttelton. She went there to load for London, freight for her not being available here. . . , IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION. The returns under this heading are insignificant, no immigrant ships haying arrived during the mouth. The question then resolves itself into one of mere passeuger traffic, and the result stands thus:—Came in, 591 souls; left, 578 souls, thus leaving the small balance of 13 in the Port's favour. ■ DOCKS, ETC. Shipwrights have had a slack time during the month, very little in their way of business having offered. The only vessels docktd were the ship Tiraaru aud the steamers Hawea and Beautiful Star, in the Government Dock, and the ketch Edith Reid in the Floating Dock. The first three were taken in to be merely cleaned and rt coated, but the ; Edith Reid needed repairs to make good the hurts she received on the Molyneux Bar last month. Excepting that Messrs Davidson and Co. of Dunedin turned out iron surf-boats for the Timaru landing service, nothing has been done in the way of shipbuilding. The two boats are of large sise, and are very creditable specimens of the iron-workcra' skill.

WEATHER, CASUALTIES, ETC. cxl The weather has been remarkably fine ™ during the month, light variable winds and an frosts prevailing since the Bth ult. But thi before that the S.S.W. gale which we «g noticed at the close of our last summary, wa3 very severe, and extended throughout v the on leugth and breadth of the Colony, and on also across to the Australian coast. It co . was the heaviest that had been experienced in( during many years, and we regret to say lei I produced a full crop of disasters, attended ™ ty loss of life: Outside the wind was p,, southerly, and varying to the eastward, and Mi hence a very heavy isearau home, and, as usual, Tl rendered the Oamaru and Timara roadsteads m( untenable. The fleet of vesßels.at both ;„, places had to put to sea, and of those that sti left Oamaru, the schooners Elibank Castle "J and Wild Wave were driven ashore on the da Ninety-mile Beach —a long stretch, of in- tv hospitable shore. The Elibank Castle became pi a total wreck, while hopes are entertained that the Wild Wave may be got off again. 3 Their crews were saved. The schooner Sue- th cess was also lost about the same locality, Wl and all hands went with her, not a soul sur-j pi vived to toll the taj£ of the. disaster. A er ketch, the William and Mary, bound fioni in Foxtown to Wellington, was capsized in 0| Cook Strait, and excepting the master, her xi crew were drowned. He was saved by cling- cc ing to the hull of the vessel. In the same * gale a boat accident occurred in Lyttelcon „, tfarb >ur that resulted in the drowning of 1* live men. The boat belonged to the barque 01 Syren, and with six men in her made for t ,' another ship in the harbour. She was, how- f C ever, caught by a succession of furious c; squalls, and driven on the rouks at Sticking « Point, and of the crew only one succeeded c in reaching shore. A schooner named the r Pacific, bound from Oamaru to Auckland, is v also supposed to have been lost in the same d gale, as nothing hus been heard of her since, v Serious apprehensions are entertained for the tl barque Cornet, which left this port in * February last, bound to Hobart Town. She j, has been neither seen nor heard of since, >' hence very faint hopes indeed are held of her « safety. She has doubtless "gone a-mias- ~ iug," and never will turn up again. Her <j crew numbered about 12 souls, and the c captain had his wife and children on board. * THE ANNIE HOULAN. n Tho Annio Houlau, which had been on our list of J "Expected Arrivals "fOr sometime p<t, sailed in on i the 27th ult. She came from Christian!*, and sailed » from that port with a cargo of lumber on the 19th of J December last. Very heavy weather was exponerced J in the North Sea, and as she lost her stay and boom- L foresail she was compelled to run into keith Roads to * replace them. This being effected she left on « the 20th January, and going south about got clear * of the English Channel on the 7th February line <; weather and variable winds were experienced until the ' N.E. trade was fallen iv with, which proved steady and ' fresh The Equator was crossed on the 10th March, in * Ion" 2i de". west. She was fortunate in picking up s the°S.E. Trado as soon a3 tbo tf. B. Trade gavo out, J but running short of provisions and water, was can- » iielicd to put into tho Cape of Good Hope on the 18th • April, to repleuiah. Left again in a day or two, and I encountered very heavy westerly in the Southern ; ucean, tho vessel being hove-to several times. Finally, j the Solanders were made on the 20th ult, and thence ' >he "-as humbugged on the coast with light weather ' uutil lier arrival. THE PEACEMAKER. ] The ship Peacemaker, from London, arrived at the < Port on the 23r.l ult Sha left London on February j 28th had very, light easterly wind iin the Channol, 1 and so did not clear the land until the 4th March. On i the edge of soundings the wind hauled round to the i westward and steacily increasing, was blowing a whole ,s iiald when tho i-hip wa.s well in tlio Bay of Biscay. For 7 1 days she encountered terrific S. W. weather, and was i hove to under lower main-topsail during tho greater j part of the time. At last the galo blew out and was 1 sue ejdod by easterly winds, whioh, gradually merging i into the Trade, carried her riylit through to the Ei|Ua- i tor The latter was crossed on the 30th March, longi- i 1 tude 2U »V. Thence to 10 degrees south, the ship contended with tho essence of doldrmn weather, and i eventually picked up the S.K. IWe on the Cth Apiil. . It was a poor, light, b..ffling afiuir, and gave out on ; tho 15th, when hhe was off and in sight of the Island of ' 1 Trinidad. A disaster that might have been productive ■> i oi very serious consequences befel her two days before > i that, «m hi- night of the 13Ui. She then came into collision with the Italian barque Ripaniari, and r.uf- 1 ' fered loss of head-gear, and carried away the fore '■ ■ ro\al mast and yard. The Italian came off second ' > best, losing main and both main topsail yards, The > ¥&ie.s soon cleared, and tho Peacemaker afterwards ', rail b.ick to asct rtahi the condition of the Italian. She ■ " was in no danger; in fact, neither vessol received ' r damage about tho hull After losing the S.E. Trade, f the Peacemaker was favoured with N.W. winds, crossed the meridian ..f Greenwich on the 27th April, and the 1 meridian of the Capo on tho Ist May, in lat. 40 south. i Thence across the Southern Ocean she encountered very . indifferent weather. Winds mest unsteady, veering and i hauling be-ween north and south by way of west, not holding steady f r 12 hours from any particular quarter. As a consequence, the sra ran very cross, and tho 1 wind being strong lit times ran high. The ship f laboured excessively, and took in a great deal of w iter ' overall. 'I his weather continucl right through to the 9 meridian of Adelaide, and there gave place to light t variable winds. On tho 17th May the Island of r Amsterdam was passed within sight, aud on the l 13th June the ship crossed the meridian of theSW. Cape or Tasmania. Sho was off the Snares on the 20th, i but the weather being thick 1-nnl was not sighted, and her first landfall w»s nude on the 22nd ut noon, when the Nugget* hove up. hhe gained the Port as aforesaid, ' after a passage of 115 days-. We may observe that sho " run iur longitude down in about Si). Sighted no ice nor , any sign of wreckage. Only one vessel was spoken— f the barque Homewood, from London to Adolaidethe vessol then being a little west of the Island of Amsterdam. THE HAWEA. » The signal made on the morning of 10th ult, a steamer c totlie southward, wasiutuitively.as it were, regarded as (j the harbinger of the exported Havvca, the first of the l new vessels built to the order of the Union iSleam X shioping Uuimxmy. And so it proved, for very shortly t afterwards the steamer herself hove in sight between p the lleiyis, and, her name not being in the Commercial Code, was spelled by signal, she soon steamed inside, was boarded by the officials, and passed as clean, and 3 in due time moored alongside the Railway Pier. Free t comments were made upon her appearance ia she v steamed up the Harbour, the general verdict being , that she was tho right kind of boat for the interprovincial scrvico, and an enlarged edition uf tire steamer ■ c Bruce. Her plu-nb stem, good shear, and somewhat > full lines led to this conclusion, which was fully borne p out by Uie arrangement of her deck appointmoats when she was inspected afterwards. Considered ; as a '■' locally-owned vessel, the Hawea is an immense credit to the port she hails from, and is, without question, vastly superior to any steamer hailing from the Uoluuy of Sew Zealand. Kui.t by Messrs Denny Uroa., orDum- -- b'irton, her construction, nsaociated with tho name of t i that well-known firm, is sufficiently guaranteed as thorough in every particular, and of tho best material. 3' She is of iron throughout, heavily plated, aud adniuril ably unpointed, and is a roomy, comfortable boat, * combining all tho latest improvements effected in ■' modern Meumhuat builiiing. Ajb re s ardsßizo she heads 5> the list of New Zealand steamers, her r. gisiored tony uage being 4GI, and her dimunsions as follows :— •c Length, 215 feet; beam. 27 feet; depth of hold, 14 feet She has a full poop and topgallant forecastle, with a two-thirds luirricane deck between ; gangways 'g leading across the main hatch from the poop to the er harricane deck, and from the latter to the forecastle > f l by the fore hatch. Her boats, four in numoer, are atoned on the hurricane deck, in swinging davits, and r the deck is also the bridge, with the steering appalg ra'us forwards; and abift that the Captain's house, m and abuft that again is tho cn 6 ine-room slsy-light On the f orecui'tle deck, a roomy space, are the usual a.part- ?' ments and one of Napier's patent windlasses, woikiiblc ln cither by steam or hand, anda capstan alsj workab Bby of steam is just forwards of it. The poop is a noble de.uk, SO feet long over all, and has a central house 20 feet Ion" by 9 feet 1 inches wide. It is equvily divided into es two compartments, the after one being a smoking re room—so termed—elegantly and comfortably fitted up, k with velvet covered settee*, table, &c. A bands une ' silver-plated lamp depends from the centra, and a T' t.mopicce i» fixe lin the alter end. Ihe sides of the rs apartment are panelled in satin wood and teak, with im gilt mouldings and tlemi-cntabletures. Although ~„ associated with smoking, the room can be converted ? into a commodious sleeping apar. ment with berths for ■'' eight sleepers. The other half of the house, the saloon nd companion, is one of the most commodious we ever in passed through. Its sides are finished off precisely similar to those of the smoking room, and n large and ne handsome lamp swings over the staircase, At the k. foro end of the house, is a gentlemen's lavatory, and Uy the room where the signal flags are kept. As we are

so far aft, wo may as well visit the saloon. It is entered from above down . a broad safe flight of i-tairsi leading, from forward aft straight, and not winding, as is the rule in most steamers. At trw bottom of thestaira-isa slight bulkhead with a sliding centre, which, when shut, i9 ft handsome mirror facing the main saloon, and when opnn is an aperture through which the whole length of tlia silooii is visible from the stairs. D«>r- on o-ichside.of it lead into the sa'ooh. Tims the s-.loon in (lividrfl into two parts, of which the smaller is right under the c->mpamon. on the starboard side of it is the ladies' cabin, nennno-

dious, elowitlyatiwl tap sijinrtnient, having'Mscommo- ere dalimi for fi s ht occupants. Ab.ift it are ofli es On , the port v.de of the s.tai case is. another..ladies cabin, smaller, but equal in ali oMit-r respects to the larger, wi the furniture being covered with crimson velvet, tn< whilst the couches, cushions, &c, are of the softest. m 8 It opens into a lavatory and office. Ahaft the latter f Ol is a gentleman's bath room. Forwards of the small ur cabin, but more amidships, is the pantry, very com- ' mndtous and conveniently arrarsred. with a steam press "" on one side, where coursoi, dishes, and plates can bo kept winn-no tnflfnir consideration. at sea and in sJa cold weather. A display of very handsome plated- h a ware was visible in a ela-is-fronted recess, trointiie g i ( forward part o{ the chief cabin we passed into the main spartmsnt-a noble room, 54ft. 4m. long by lift. 2in.wide All that skill and taste could devise ™ in tho way of elegance and comfort was lavished upon na it. Handsome mahogany tables, with crimson velvet- th covered seltoi-s on either sido, run down tho tontre, o f and the settees are so constructed as to be readily con- all verted into sleeping berths. A line of swing trays, . intersected by hilf a dnzsn handsome parafhn lamps, • silver-plated, depend from the ceiling above:. At thi; »» forward end is a magnificent sideboard, surmounted lei I. tho mirror above mentioned and another lamp to The sides of this boautiful apartment are in bird's-eyo e3( maple, teak, and satinwood, with mahogany fretwork,- jgilt and flutnd pilasters, surmounted by elaborately , carved and gilt entaMeturoH. Blue and gold mould- . vi me, exquisitely designed, suimounts the pannellmg. m Theiecess aft, formed by the overhang of the stern, ar is capacious, mid turned.to good account. A semi- wi circular settee; is in front- of it, and at tho sides are 01 'ockerj, devoted t., a variety of purposes. One .oi cc theso contains a small but judiciously selected library. „ A great nimy beds could be made up on a pinch upon tho transom. The ordinary sleeping accommodate .11 P of Hie saloon is found in five cabins of a side, each uon- fal tabling two berths and a sofa, with appliances for 111- tl creasing the number of berths to four, excepting >n <}, the case of the two aftor cabins. There is thus sleepiug accommodation for thirty-six people, and when „, the transom and settees are utilisotl, half as nnny » more can be •' shaken down" comfortably for the liv ht. JThe side cabins are fix feet eight inches square, by L seven feet seven inches high, that, of courso, being the £ height cf the saloon.. They are most comfortably fitted jj up in every respect. In fact, taking the Ha wen s sal 0011 right through, its equal is not to be found in any bunt T thattradeßhere. Much ingenuity has been applied to it, '- to wit, the lower part of tho settees are lock-rs, in 1C whichhedding, table furniture, &c.,arest wed. Shelws ai a comfortable fore-cabin, constructed to accommodate a - from twenty to thirty persons, with pantry, offices, 4c, v extra attached. . The officers of the ship are berthed on deck. The chief engincor and chief olh- » cer, the foro side of the poop ; the second » and third engineers in a forward house, whilst 6 tho captain, as we before stated, has his quarters, ri on the bridge, Mr Bunnatyne, formerly of the steamer 0 Maori, is chief engineer. We made a tour of the engine „ room with him, and had the pleasure of inspecting P one of the most complete and effective compoundengines that ever found its way.aboard a vessel. It was <- built by Messrs Denny and (Jo, of Dumbarton, an: I 1 comprises two -cylinders, the high. pres»uro one 35 C inches diameter, and the low pressure CO inches; J leigth of stroke, 3tt: nomimv power, 165 hor«; and c indicated power 900. Ths engine is simple, and yet complote as possible. Anotablo feature about it is a J. patent governor by Weir and Co. of Glasgow, which 1 Mr Banii'ityne avcrsis one of the best he had over tried. 1 The main shaft is in three sections; ot which I tho crunk shaft is 10} inche3 in diameter, the inter-. ], mediate shaft 10 inches, and the propeller shaft. 10. a inches. The shift passes from the engine to the stem pipe through a water-tight tunnel comiuiuiioiting with the engine-room by a water-tight door Ino object of this tunnel is to preserve, the steamer from danirer in the event of th« stern pipe leaking. The tunnel is easily travereable fr. m end to end. The profiler is four-bladcd and 12 feet diameter, with a variable pitch ; for, by a peculiar adaptation of the blades to the b033, the pitch can be vario:l from 10 feet 3 inches to 18 feet 6 inches. A boiler of six furnaces, three in each end, supplies steam to the engine. It weighs about 47 tons, and is 17 'eet 0 inches long, by a mean diameter of 12 feet 8 inches. Orders f iom the : pilot or'officer of the dock aro transmitted to the :; en"mo"room by one of ChidDurne's jnstruinonts—an ingenious and effective :ioair—consisting of the usual dial, with tho centre indicator and another working on the outer edge of the circumference of the dial. ' The latter is the deck telegraph, whilst the centre one is worked fr>ra below in response to the , deck commands. Thus the officer in chargeis instantly ' made aware whether his order has been heard and 1 tißderatnod. Two donkey engines are .attached to the ! boiler, and on tho main deck are two steam winches— , one at the main hatch, the other at the fore hatch: the latter works the windlass na well As the Hawea brought no cargo out, having room only for coal, we are unable to estimate her carrying I capacity ; but we may observe that she had (500 tons of coul on board when Bhe left St. Vincent, thus lier ! cipacity is good. The Hawea is commanded by I Captain Wheeler, late of the Taranaki, a genial and i popular commander and most : skilful seaman. 1 Wo were pleased to welcome him back, after a very short absence, only four months and twenty 3 days having elapsed since Captain Wheeler left Port Chalmers, en routt to Britain, to take chargu of 3 theUawoa. He w..s ready with a joko (and we must say it was a most abominable pun) before the steamer mw fast to tho wharf. Takiag off his Scotch cap, the 3 jovial skipiwr shoute 1 to his friends on the Pier, " How's ITawea?' thereby skilfully blending the timer honoured Scotch salutation with the name of his vessel. We thank him for tho report of the passage out. " The latter was uneventful, and commenced on April r 6th, when tho Hawea left Greenock, and at nightfall B came-to in liamsey Bay. Left. again next morning, and proceeded down the Channel under full steam : cleared the land on the 9th, and had fine we&thcr and moderate winds right through to the edge of the H.b. ,t Trade belt, when a short S.W. gale was encountered. a On the loth tho N.E. Trade was picked up in lat. 23, ? and two days later tho Hawea ran into St. Vincent, ~ one of the Do Verde Islands, and coaled. She lay d there till the 20th, then put to sea. lost the Trade , in fi North, and crossed the Kquator on the 26th. o Next day the S.E. Trade found her, and thence sho ? carried S.E. winds right through to the Cape. Asi she r was showing a great deal of sido by that time, so much „ of her coal having gono up tho smoke-stack, Captain c Wheeler called at Cape Town to procure a few tons of a "ballast for the fore-hold. He ran in on the morning 0 of the 11th May, shipped 30 tous of »tone, and left tho n same evening. Die run across the Southern Ocean 1 was marked by splendid weather and inodorate winds , fromS W. toN.W. It was nmdo.nearly on aright k line on the 44th parallel., about. The Leu Win was a passed on May 31st; the south ondof Tasmauia, Juno ~ Oth; and at midnijht of Wednesday last, the New Zealand coast being not far distant, tho steamer was ,'c hove to for a few hours, as the weather was very Z thick. At daylight of Thuisday sho made the b.W Cape • pas<e<l tlie blander at noon, Dog Maud at 0 p m., the Nuggets at 11.30 p.m., and at 11 a.m. on the 10th arrived at the Heads, and at tho pier at noon. 10 As the coal had to be economised during the y passage, her travelling' capabilities cou'd not I be put to the test. Her beat days work 11 was about 265 miles. Sho consumed at the rate of c about 9J tons of coal per diom, and upon that conle sumption a speed of 0J knots could lie kept up. 7 But upon thrt maximum con.sumption of 12 tons it ts is calculated that she will travel 12 knots per hour, >r and indeed approached that rate whilst running from \a the Solander to Cape Saunders. However, sho has iK done very well. Her maiden trip occupied 66 days £ from Glasgow, all st opposes, included, but her ateolute ;i- nwining- timo was only (H days. '- THKTAXJPO. 1 Tlie apiiroich of the second steamer ordered by the ,;! Union Sttam Ship Co., was herald-d on iVilay foreol noon bysiirnal at Taiaroa Head Station, and soon ,c afterwards tho steamer hewelf—tho expected laupo- - ro showed up between the Head 3, aud steamed inside, to Havin; twonty-threo passengers on board she brought 7 up below tliu shipping, was then passed by tho Health re and Customs ollicials, and when the tide turned on \a ebb came up h»i bour and moored alongside the JJOII „ Juan Her arrival croatod lean excitement than that Z of her predeees.,or tha Hawea. Tho latter had ,p slackened public curiosity, because it-was generally ■d underst .od that they were twin sister vessels, the one 7 the counterpirt of the other. Still oevcral of Captain ■d Macfarlane's friends bonded tlw Taupo to.welcome lo him, and the fine vexstel ho brought out. The ftiu, o 1, is the facsimile of the Hawe» at all points, tonnage, rv build, power, description of engine, and apponr,----d ments are precisely similar, ahe l>aj_a saloon ,t no less extensive and bciutifully fitted up, r and a handsomely arranged smoking house and com- , o panlou on thu poop. With tw.> mich boats as the ,n Hawea and Taui«» on tho coast, tho Union oompiny or cannot fail to command a largo share of the trade ,c goin". Tho Taupo has made a good.run of uiity-two lit days from Glasgow, allowing for difference of time. ,f Bhe left the rail of the Bank on the 30th April, steamed hi down Channel against .it on.' head winds, aud cleared V the land next day. Had S.W. winds for three d h and then variable winds to the N.E. Trade which was ,j met with well.. nh. On the Uth May, she put into !„ St Vincent for eoaJ, shippc.l 198 t».w and loft on the f 12th. Lost the Trade in 5 north, and crossed the Lino hi on the 19th May, in lon*. 8 W. Tho SE. Trade was or met with on the Lino, and thence sho made nearly » _ direct course for the crossing-place of the Cape meridian. Crossed tho meridian of Greenwich on the of 24th May, lat. 10.3G 3., and that of the Cape on the 2nd June. lat. 37 S. S.B. »ud southerly winds »t----tended her until ahe w.« off f,he pitch of the Cajie, and there she picked up tho westerHes, and uuder steam ier and sail, commenced her run across the Southern «' Octan Straight and good running was made, he tho Bteamer 3oin S fr*m eight W ten knots per an hour. The meridian of the Leuwin was trrossed tly Z the 22nd Juno. Tho B.W. Capo of th« Midon Sic Island was sighted on the Ist July. The Solander J iaJ wa3 msscd at 3p.in the same day, and at 9 p.m. she | »«. cleared the Strait, and passed flio Nugsets at&SO p.m »d yesterday, and arrived at the Port at 11 a.m. She ran cc Lr longitude down on atout 46, and ■encountered he g«veral sever« gate, of which one on the 20th June "S was very heavy, and put the Taup on her mettle, ro- She however behaved well, but shipped several heavy »er' seas one of them tumbling on the hurricane deck, and "* smashed one of the starboard boats Sir M**«««>» "c chief engineer of the Taupo, and Mr Cromarty chief i*3 officer She will not require docking for, buing < a coited with tho superior anti-f.»uling composition Oit . knowu as "CrammondV l"=r bottom 19 remarkably >n» clean Hence she will soon commence running in tne uy i,,teri>rovincial service, in which we.wist, her very m- much succe.s Mr James Mills, the manager of ot the Union Company, and Mr Darling, the managing as eii"inee.-, boarded the Taupo soon after she arrived, ?'• and ex|)ressed themselves as thoroughly satisfied with lir" her. She brought no cargo with her. f' THE CBUSADEE.

The American ba.queOrusadc^ast^nchcraftofthe old schoo', arrived it the Port on flMday afUruoon /rom New York. TheCmsaderisavcsselof soiEeilyuars of a«e but hor long course of service naa produced* but little effect upon her coudition-for, having br on moat carefully built of live oak throughout and copwrfestened, she is nearly as sound now as on the day she 'vis launched. Captain Gorham-who is also her oTner-rerxfrts having left New York on the 10th of March. F^e weather and westerly^ winds were experienced to the Trade, which vw picked up on March 80th in lat. 28 N. It was not a very brUUiint affair j and mve out in 3 N., and'was immediately succeeded by the S.B. Trade wind. The Equator w*B crossed oil S April, long. 25 W.; and the Trade, although light, hanging well to the eastward, she made a good course across the South Atlantic; earned B.K ami I southerly winds right up to the meridian of tho Ui]M3, 1 Sn/it on the 20th May in laL M Off the Oape, the westerlies found her, aud heM frtsh and steady to St Paul'B—the run thence being made ou about tiie ■33th parallel. She aWi'cd the Mand in pafflinif, and theiu'e shaped a course to piM about Bdeg. south ot 1 aamaniir wasfavnuredallalongbywesterly winds hanging tothenorth«ard,aiidc-iirie<ltheiiauitiltheSnare3«ero sichted ou the 29th ult. Here »ho was muzzled by a SE ir.«le but beinff kept at it Weathered btewartb Island comfortably ; then edged away, and with the cale leading her, ran the coast down and arrived ou tho Heads on Thursday evening, stood off and on all ni-'ht and was towed inside bytheGeelong yesterday afternoon. She is consigned to Messrs Dalgjty, Nichols, and Co., and bring* a full cargo, of which half ia for this port and half for Wellington. Her passage occupied 114 days from pert to port.