ARRIVAL OF THE WILD DEER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1323, 7 April 1877, Page 11

ARRIVAL OF THE WILD DEER.

Although a little in excess of the average outward time of the Albion Company's ships, the passage just concluded by the ship Wild Deer is creditable to both the vessel and her commander, inasmuch' that the first week of it was marked by head gales, whilst at this end the snip has been impeded by a great deal of light baffling weather. Captain Fnllerton, who is in charge of her, is on his first voyage as master. We conhim upon his promotion, a promotion fairly Yiarned by a lone term of service m subordinate ; capacities under the Alliance flay. He was chief officer of the Wild Deer last voyage^ and the one before that, and has now stepped , into the position which is . the goal of the aspirations' of all young seamen who p hold " their honour dearer than the r ease." He has ' succeeded in bringing his ship through a fine and light weather passage (that is, from Cape Clear) in 89 days, thus leaving the ships Wellington and Euterpe in his wake. The "Wild Deer sailed from Greenock December 29th, bnt as it-come on to blow from S.E she brought up under Lamlftsb and remained there till January .2nd. Thus from • anchorage to anchorage the ship made the run in 87 days, and as she cleared Tory I s . land, going north about, and took her departure from it next day, whilst her landfall on the New 5 Zealand coast was nude on the 26th inst., her time' from Und - to'land is 83 days. After making an offing from Tory Island the ship reduced canvas to the first of a succession of heavy galei from S.E. round to N.W., west about Poor progress was made, for on the Sth January sho wai but I*2o miles to the westward of Cape 'Clear.' The weather then broke, and light variable winds attended her to the N.E. Traie, which was found on the 18th, lat. 30, and after blowing a moderate wind gave out in 2.30 north, January 29th. Then came a dty's dim, and light southerly winds af terwiTds -the Equator being crossed February Ist, long. Z6.30, wind still due south and very light. It gradually took easting, however, ou the 4th settled into the S.E. Trade, latitude 0. It proved a good, steady Trade, taking her to 24 south by the 9th, mnd then veered to the N.E., still further favouring the ship. Ou the Bth she passed the Inland of Tiinadad, in sight, nine miles distant. Light variable winds prevailed in the Sou'h--ern Tropic a -d to 37 south, when on the 17th, her longitude being 8 58 west, the ship fell in with the first of the westerlies, and commenced her long run to the eantward. February 19th saw her across the prime meridian, and on the 23rd she passed that of the Cape, latitude 41.54. Gradually increased her latitude to suht the Crozets, but when within 40 miles of the Twelve Apostles the weather came on thick, and she edged away north again, and head-reached 24 hours to » heavy north-east gale. She subsequently carried good steady breezes on about the 43rd parallel, until tho 70th meridian was passed, and then the wind became baffling, and held so with frequent calms for several days. On March 15th, nhs crossed the meridian of the Leuwin, latitude 47, and Tasmania 01 the 22nd; thence had light northerly winds and foggy weather; pa-sed tho Snares without sighting them, and made her first land fall at White Bluff, and the Brothers on the morning of the 26th Thence she crawled along the coast with light N.E. airs and calms, and fetched the Heads ou the 29th ult , was there fattened to by the Geelong. end towed iniido, and at slick water was berthed at the BkUway Pier, On Februiry 27ta, Ut.44 south, long.

36 east, she sighted a ship standing to the eastward, supposed to be the Wellington. Shews? edging to the southward of the course steered by the Wild Deer. The latter has brought 1000 tons of measurement cargo, and 400 tons coal ss dead weight. She is consigned to Messrs Cargills, Gibbs, aud Co., and will commence discharging directly. No ke wag sighted durlnqr the passage. The Wild Deer has arrived in excellent order from decks to trucks.