THE DIRECT STEAMERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2429, 3 October 1900, Page 54

THE DIRECT STEAMERS.

The Tokomnru left Capetown for Wellington on Wednesday afternoon. AUCKLAND, September 28.-- A rrived : Indramayo, from New York, via Australia. • WELLINGTON, September 26— Sailed : , Ran<mtira, for London, via Teneriffe. WELLINGTON, October I.— The Wakanui, due at Wellington from London on October 7, brings the lollowing passengers for Port Chalmers: — MiEs Newell, Mrs Ellman, ■Messrs Ellman, Hughan; and 6 steerage. LYTTELTON, September 26. — Sailed : Banffshire, for London, via Las Palmas. • SYDNEY, September 28.— Sailed : IndragLiri, for Auckland. LONDON. September 25.— Arrived: Waikato, from Wellington. The s.?. Elingamite left for Sydney, via 'Auckland, on the 25th. The German ship Antares was towed up to Dunedin en the 25th to discharge cargo. The Huddart-Parker Company's s.g. "Westralia, Captain Thorpe, with passengers and cargo, from Melbourne, via Hobart and the Bluff, arrived in. the powder ground ot 4 p.m. on the 25th, and slowed down waiting her consort, the Elingamite, coming down from the upper harbour, after which she steamed up to Dunedin. The Westralia left Melbourne on the 18th inst. The s.s. Westralia left at 4.15 p.m. on Wed* nesday for Sydney, via Wellington. The Union Steam Ship Company's Mokoia, Captain C. Spinks, arrived at Port Chalmers at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, and steamad up to Dunedin 02a the afternoon tide. She left the company's wharf, Margaret street, Sydney, on the 18th inst. at 5.45 p.m. The s.s. Mokoia left for Melbourne, via the Bluff and Hobart, on Thursday afternoon with the harbour tug Plucky in attendance ciown channel.

The s.s. Kotomaliana is to undergo the usual overhaul at Port Chalmers, and while she is laid up the s.s. Tarawera will take her nlace in the Welling ton-Lyttelton ferry service.

The New Zealand Shipping Company's splendid steamer "Whakatane arrived at Port Chalmers at 6 a.m. on Friday, and was berthed at the ocean steamer^' wharf to take in frozen rabbits and other produce.

The- following vessels have been in harboivr during the past week: — Arrivals: Wainiate, 8.5., 5510 tons ; Janet Nicoll. s.s., 496 tons ; Westralia, s.s., 1819 tons; Upolu, s.s., 700 tons; Rimu, s.s., 143 tons; Mokoia s.s., 2154 Ions; Flora., f.s., 838 tons; Whakatane, s s., bOOO tons: Itotomahana, s.s., 865 tons; total, 18,625 tons. Departures: Invercargill, f-% 123 tons ; Elingamile, s.s , 1675 tons ; Rimu, ts.s., 143 tons ; Westralia, e.s.. 1819 tons ; Janet jSTicoll, p.s., 486 tons ; Mokoia, s.s.. 2154 tons ; Hawea, s.s., 1114 tons; Fairy Pock, brig, 192 tons; Upolu, s.s., 700 tons; Flora, s.s., 833 tons : total, 5254 ions.

The Kotuku, the latest addition to the 'Union Company's fleet, has a carrying capacity of 1000 'tons deadweight oa 14-fffc draught. She was originally laid down by Messrs Carmichael, Maclean, and Co., and •afterwards taken over and finished by Messrs .Russell and Co., Port Glasgow. Her dimonisions are: Length 225 ft, beam 34ft, and depth 16ifi. She has triple engines by Messrs Ross •and Duncan, and is eaual to a speed of about JO knots. The Kotuku was launched at Grecnock on May 16.

The appalling mortality which has on one or two occasions attended the transport of .live stock from these colonies to South Africa is attracting attention. The Melbourne Argus says: — "Making all reasonable allowances for losses which will inevitably occur through bad weather, the destruction of stock has been of such a sweeping nature that an impression is gaining ground that gome vessels employed in the business are totally unsuitable for it, and tbat to ship etock by them is an act of cruelty. A pas senger by a vessel laden with stock from this port gives a painful account of the sufferings of many of the unfortunate horse-; before they were killed outright by being dashed against ihe fittings, or earned by mountainous seas against the ship's side. 'The ship was,' he says, ' rolling terribly, and as huge seas swept over her, almost drowning the animals, the scene wos one to be remembered. Some of the poor brutes, thoroiigh.lv exhausted in fighting to keep their feet, finally collapsed. An immense sen, of a most destructive nature, thundered on bo?rd. It smashed +he stalls on one side of the vessel into matchwood, and

dashed the horses to the other side of the steamer. Then, as the vessel rolled back, she was caught in another sea, and a number of the horses were borne away on it into the ocean, whilst others lay on tho deck in the throes of death.' It was a pitiful sight, and I hope that I may never see such another. lTbere are, of course, many vessels engaged in the trade from Australia that are splendidly equipped for this service. Again, however, the suitability of others which at various periods have been rushed into the business is a matter of exceedingly grave doubt."