SHIPPING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 6 May 1903, Page 56

SHIPPING NEWS.

THE DIRECT STEAMERS. The Aotea (from Wellington, 3rd April) left Monte Video for London on Tuesday morning, April 28. The Karamea sailed for London from (Wellington yesterday. The Ataman, which left Wellington on March 10, arrived in London on Saturday, May 2. AUCKLAND, April 30.— Arrived: 5.30 p.m., Wakanui, s.s., from London, Capetown, and Hobart. LONDON, April 30.— The New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Rimutaka arrived at Plymouth to-day, after a passage of 40 days from Wellington. LONDON, May I.— Arrived: Mimiro, from Wellington (March 15). THE SOUTH AFRICAN SERVICE. . The Surrey reached Durban, from Wellington, on Saturday. RECALLING AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE. (Fhom Otjb Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May 1. The Post has an interesting paragraph About one of the ship captains now in harbour. About 10 yeara ago shipping circles and the general public were agog with the atory of an apprentice who, although but 18 years of age, took command of a big Bhip whose captain and officers had died at sea, and brought her safely to port. That boy was William Shotton, now Captain William Shotton, master of the brig Jeseric, at the Queen's wharf, and commodore of a £eet comprising 35 steamers and sailers. The feat of the boy-captain is looked upon as one of the greatest in mercantile marine lore. The Trafalgar, a great four-master, ■was, bound from Batavia to Melbourne, •nd on the voyage the captain and officers aickened of fever and died one after the other. The crew, ignorant of navigation, were helpless, but young Shotton, one of the apprentices, stepped forward and offered <to take charge and bring the ship to port. His ability to do so was at first doubted, but he selected the pick of the men for officers, and set his course under all sail and with 6O much confidence that fear vanished, and his orders were obeyed without question. Without further mishap the Trafalgar, with her valuable freight, was brought to Port Phillip Heads, and handed over to the pilots. For this bravo piece of seamanship the youngster was given Lloyd's gold medal, together with a valuable presentation for saving the lives of the crew, the cargo, and the ship. The following ore the shipping statistics for the past week: — Arrivals': Ovalau, 6.5., 767 tons; Moeraki, e.s., 2174; Invercargill, 8.5., 123; Tarawera, s.s., 1269; Monowai, b.s., 2137; Westralia, s.s., 1819; Rangatira, b.s., 4035; Upolu, s.s., 700;— total, 13,024 tons. Departures: Invercargill, s.s., 123 tons; Waikare, s.s., 1901; Silverstream, barque, 1160; Ovalau, s.s., 767: Invercargill, e.g., 123; Moeraki, s.s., 2174; Tarawera, 6.5., 1269; Monowai, s.s., 1237;— total. 9654 tons. Total arrivals and departures, 22.678 tons. A memento of the ill-fated Ohau in the shape of a stool with the name of the steamer engraved on it was picked up on the Wairau beach a few days ago A German naval annual gives details and plans of all the world's warships. We quote the following interesting figures for the battle fleets of the great Powers in 1907 as they will stand when all ships now building are completed, though it is to be noted that no allowance is made for the new Russian programme of six'battleships:—England, 54 ships of 749,000 tons: ■France, 31 ships of 344.000 tons; Russia, 26 ships of 302 000 tons (with new programme, 32 ships of 398.000 tons) : United States. 21 Bhips of 260,000 tons; Germany. 19 ships of 213,000 tons. The personnel of the great fleete is given as follows :— England, 122.000; United States, 37.R00 ; Germany, 33.500; Russia, 62,000; France, 53,000; Japan, 30.000. The owners of the subsidised steamer •Essex, which sails during May for South Africa, have nominated Timiru, Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, and Wellington as loading ports. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Shipping Company's fine steamship Rangatira, from London, via St Helena, arrived on Saturday evening. The Rangatira brings about 4600 tons of cargo, of which some 4000 are general merchandise and 600 tons railway iron. Of this cargo come 3000 tons of general and the whole of the railway iron ere for Dunedin, and the remainder for Lyttelton. The New Zealand Shipping Company's splendid steamship Wakanui, Captain Worrier, makes Port Chalmers her port of departure for London. She is to leave hereon the 28th inst. Complaints regarding the high price of tneat are rife in most parts, but it appears Jthat in Balclutha butchers are "cutting" prices with a vengeance. ' Hoarseness itt a Child that is subject §o croup is a sure indication of the approach tot the. disease. If Chamberlain's Cough jßemedy is given as soon as the child be*x>mes hoarse, or even after the croupy f^cugh has appeared, it will prevent the l-tlack. It always cures, and cures quickly, •ill d*^ew sell M.