ARRIVAL OF THE WAIMATE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8556, 26 July 1889, Page 1

ARRIVAL OF THE WAIMATE.

The New Zealand Company's ship Waimate, from ■London, reached the heads on Wednesday night, and ■was tendered yesterday morning by the Plncky,: which brought her across the bar lit 9.15 a m., under the charge of Pilot M'Donald, and towed her as far as the Quarantine ground, as she has on board 23 tons of gunpowder. Her advent was rather unexpected, her arrival not being, looked for for at least another )0 days, considering the passage! of the whole of the foreign vessels that have lately arrived here, non 4of them haviDg made the voyage under 100 days. We congratulate Captain Canese la making the-passage from port to port in 82 days, and from land to land in 78 days. This is, ■we believe, the record Captain Canese has maintained for the last few years trading between London and New Zealand, showing the Waimato is no mean sailer. We may remark it is only a little over seven mouths .since ehe left Lyttelton with a full, cargo for London. Notwithstanding the smart passage, it has been attended by very dirty weather whilst running down the easting.' To use Captain Canese's own words, the weather waa the worst he has ev«r seen-notbing but a succession of strong gales with heavy rain and blgh seas from the time she passed the meridian of Greenwich unf.il passing the. meridian of Cape Leeuwin. During one of the gales her upper main toptall was burst and her decks completely filled, one sea bursting open her saloon door and flooding her cabin. After pasßlUg the Leeuwin the westher completely changed; nothing but fine weather being met with moderate, fair winds, owing to which she: was enabled to'carry all sails, her skysail not having to be taken in from the Leeuwin until oft Talaroa Heads." No casualties occurred, and the Waimate comes into port in beautiful order. Mr Collins, who held a similar position on board the Orari, comes as chjef, Mr M'Oarthy being second, and Mr Kenear third. She brings 2120 tons of cargo, 1200 tons of which are measurement goods, and the remainder deadweight. We are indebted to Captain Canese for the report of the passage, taken from his private jeurnal :— Left the East India .Docks on May 2, towed to Gravesend, and after taking on board 886 packages of gunpower, left at 1.30 p.m. on the 3rd; landed the pilot off Dover at midnight, and cast off the tug off Beaohy Head at 8,30 a.m. on the Ith; was oft Portland at 8 a.m. on the sth, when a dense fog set in holding until midnight; took her departure from Start Point on tho morning of the 6th; had light variable winds with thick rain and heavy sea across the Bay of Biscay; took the flrit of .this N.B. trade on the 3ith. in lat, 19.45 N,. loin;. 25 W., on the 21st flay out; passed San Antonio (one of the Cape de Verdes) next day; the trade was light, and was followed by light airs, with heavy, rain, up to the equator, which was crossed on May 31, in long. 26 W.,the same day taking the S.E. trade, which was Bquallv, and attended by heavy rain; was compelled to tack in lat. 9 S., in order to clear the Brazilian coast; the trade gave out in lat. 20 B. on June 11; on which day she spoke the Lebu, from Liverpool for Vancouver Island; thence she had a succession of heavy gales from S.toW. and S., attended by terrific seas; crossed the meridian of Greenwich on June 23 in lat. 40 S., and rounded the Cape of Good Hope on the 26th in lat. 43 S.; still keeping similar weather, with occasional severe gales, one of which was on July 7, when a N. gale set Id, the barometer betag down to 28.54, and at 2 a m • on the following dayaW.S.W. gale set in, which burst the upper main topsail (a new one), the sea at the time filling her decks, bursting open the saloon door, and flooding her cabin; passed the meridian of Cape teeuwin on July 16 in lat. 47.30 S., when fine weather set in, passing Tasmania on the 20th, in lat 48 8.; fine-weather with light northerly winds continued, and ail sail was kept on ihe vessel, making her first landfall, the Snares; at 6.30 a.m. on the 23rd; was off Quoin Point at midnight;.when she was becalmed for a few hours; a light westerly breeze sprang up, and brought her along the const; was off Cape Baundere at 3 p.m. on the 24th, when she was again becalmed, and reached the heads last night. Neither ice nor wreckage was seen. Her easting was run down on the mean parallel of 45 30 S.