PORT OF BLUFF.

Southland Times, Issue 20527, 2 July 1928, Page 2

PORT OF BLUFF.

SAILED. —Sunday, July 1— Cumberland, s.s. (Captain D. MacMillan) 11,000 tons, for Timaru, at noon. ARRIVED. —Sunday, July 1— Waikawa, s.s. (Captain A. H. Davey) 5677 tons, from Dunedin, at 12.45 pan. VESSEL IN PORT. Waikawa, s.s. EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Calm, Wanganui, to-day. Taranaki, London, to-morrow. Canadian Challenger, Halifax, July 4. Kurow, Westport, July 6. Kartigi, nfelbourne, July 7. Waikouaiti, Timaru, July 8. Karetu, Sydney, July 12. Northumberland, Liverpool, July 13. Waikouaiti, Melbourne, July 23. Paua, Wellington, July 24. Rotorua, Wellington, August 1. Port Napier. London, September. Somerset, Liverpool, September 28. Canadian Challenger, Montreal, October 20. Sussex, Calcutta, October. Mataroa, London, indefinite. PROJECTED DEPARTURES. Calm, Dunedin, to-day. Canadian Challenger, Wellington, July 5. Waikawa, New Plymouth, July 5. Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Napier, July 6. Kartigi, Dunedin, July 7. Kurow, Wellington, July 7. Waikouaiti, Melbourne, July 9. Karetu, Dunedin, July 13. * Northumberland, New Plymouth, July 16. Waikouaiti, Dunedin, July 24. Paua, Wellington, July 25. Rotorua, London, August 4. Port Napier, September. Somerset, September 30. Canadian Challenger, October 21. Sussex, October. Mataroa, indefinite. GENERAL NOTfeb. One hundred and twenty-seven years ago yesterday the first steamer appeared on the Thames. The Oreti left Invercargill for Port Craig on Saturday morning and will sail from the latter port to Dunedin where she will go into dock for a fortnight for her annual overhaul. The Waikouaiti leaves Lyttelton on Wednesday for Timaru, Dunedin and Bluff. After loading general cargo at Dunedin she will proceed to Bluff to complete loading for Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle. She is now due at Bluff about Sunday and will sail on Monday for Melbourne and thence Sydney. She is due back at Bluff from the Australian ports on July 23.

The Karetu is scheduled to load at Sydney and Newcastle this week for Bluff, Dunedin and Oamaru, due here about July 12.

The Kartigi is expected to clear Melbourne on Wednesday for Bluff with cargo from Adelaide and Melbourne. She will sail, upon completion of discharge, for Dunedin, Lyttelton, Wellington and Wanganui.

The Federal Line steamer Northumberland is due at Bluff on July 13 to load general cargo for London.

The Shaw, Savill and Albion Company’s motor vessel Zealandia which called in at Bluff during May, and which left Auckland on May 23, arrived at London last Wednesday morning. A sister vessel, the Taranaki, arrived at Dunedin on Saturday and is expected to sail either to-day or to-morrow for Bluff. She is scheduled to load at Bluff, Timaru, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington and Gisborne and will sail finally on August 7 for London, Avonmouth, Glasgow and Liverpool via Panama.

The Port Curtis which cleared Bluff on June 12 will sail from Auckland on Wednesday for London, Avonmouth, Glasgow and Liverpool via Panama. The oyster fleet put out to the beds yesterday morning after a spell of two days on account of rough weather. A smart voyage from Wellington was made by the Federal steamer Somerset, which is reported to have arrived at London last Monday, two days ahead of schedule. She sailed from Wellington with a full cargo of New Zealand produce on May 17. From London she is to go to West of England ports to discharge the balance of her cargo. She ie scheduled to sail from Liverpool on August 18 for Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin and Bbiff, due at this port on September 28. The Rotorua is expected to arrive at Port Chalmers about July 24 from London and Southampton, via Wellington, Lyttelton and Timaru, to discharge a large quantity of Home cargo and load products. She will sail thence for Bluff, Timaru, Lyttelton and Wellington to complete loading, being due at this port on August 1. The Rotorua is scheduled to sail from Wellington on August 18 for Southampton and London, via Panama. The Calm is due at Bluff this morning to load general cargo, sailing this evening for the usual ports. The Kurow is due here about Friday to load cargo for Wellington and Auckland. The Canadian Challenger was expected to arrive at Dunedin yesterday and, after discharging a quantity of general cargo from Montreal and loading products, will sail to-morrow for Bluff being due here on Wednesday, proceeding next day to Wellington and Auckland to complete loading for New York, Boston and Montreal. The local agents, Messrs H. L. Tapley and Company. advise that she is scheduled to leave Montreal on August 25 with shipments for discharge at Bluff. She is due at this nort , again about October 20.

The schooner Britannia (C. Hansen) arrived from Stewart Island at 1.20 p.m. on Saturday. She had no fish for discharge. The Port Napier which is expected to sail from London on July 18 for New Zealand ports, will make Bluff a direct port of discharge, being expected to arrive here about the middle of September. Messrs J. G. Ward and Company, the local agents for the Huddart Parker Line, advise that the Ulimaroa will sail from Auckland on July 13, and from Wellington on July 27 for Sydney. With cargo from Eastern Canadian ports the Federal Line steamer Pipiriki was due at Auckland on Friday. The cargo was loaded at Montreal and Sydney (Cape Breton) and will be discharged at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin. The Pipiriki was formerly the Hain Line steamer Tresithney. The R.M.M.S. Aorangi left Vancouver at noon last Wednesday, and is due at Honolulu this Wednesday, at Suva on July 12, and at Auckland on July 15. She will leave Auckland for Sydney on July 16. The Niagara left Sydney at 4 p.m. on Thursday, and is due at Auckland this morning, and will sail at 11 a.m. to-mor-row for Suva, Honolulu and Vancouver. CUMBERLAND SAILS. The Federal Line steamer Cumberland sailed from Bluff at noon yesterday for Timaru to continue loading for Home ports. The Cumberland arrived at the port on Wednesday last and loaded refrigerated cargo—meat, cheese and butter—together with a certain amount of general for United Kingdom ports. She was to sail originally on Friday morning last but was delayed owing to rain interfering with work on the waterfront. WAIKAWA BERTHS. The Union Company’s steamer Waikawa berthed at Bluff yesterday her former port of call being Dunedin. She has 2700 tons of cargo for discharge including benzine and paper and 1100 tons of pulp for the Mataura mills. This is the largest cargo she will discharge at any New Zealand port. She will work four hatches to-day and work is expected to finish on Thursday night the vessel sailing on Friday morning for New Plymouth to complete discharge.

The vessel loaded at Vancouver, Powell River, Ocean Falls, San Francisco and Los Angeles for Napier, Lyttelton, Dunedin, Bluff and New , Plymouth. The voyage out was uneventful save for the fact that

the cyclonic gales, which caused such damage to the smaller vessels in Auckland harbour, were encountered en route from Apia to Napier. The passage from Napier to Lyttelton was also rough. On completion of discharge here she will sail for New Plymouth and will thence bunker at Westport for Suva' where she will load a full cargo of sugar for Vancouver. MARINE JOTTINGS WARNING TO DESERTERS. The serious delay caused to ships through seamen deserting in the dominions was commented upon at West Han Police Court, London, when James Enever, a ship’s fireman, was prosecuted by the New Zealand Shipping Company on a summons for deserting his vessel. Mr Francis Peregrine prosecuted, and said that Enever signed on for the Essex for the round voyage on l9. 1927, and cn June 24 he deserted at Brisbane. He went Home on the Orvieto, arriving on Match 29. Mr Peregrine had been instructed to press this matter vigorously, as shipping companies were suffering considerably because of the tendency of seamen to desert in Australia. The reason was that the rate of wages was higher there, and as a result of the desertions, ships were held up, involving the companies in serious loss. Defendent alleged the vessel was alive with vermin, and the vessel was practically sinking from the time she left Cape Town. Mr Peregrine said this was not so, and stated that there was never any complaint laid to any consul or port official about vermin, or the ship being unseaworthy. It was also stated that defendant earned £l5 12/- on his homeward voyage. Mr A. P. Quicke, deputy-stipendiary, ordered the forfeiture of this amount, saying he did so to impress seamen with the serious nature of the offence. FIRES IN CALCUTTA CARGOES. A reference in the report of the Liverpool Underwriters’ Association to the large number of fire in steamers from Calcutta, has prompted a representative of the Calcutta journal, The Englishman, to make inquiries regarding the condition under which cargoes are loaded. The association, it will be recalled stated that they were convinced that the fires were caused through smoking by stevedores and other employees. It was explained by a customs preventive officer at the port that smoking in the holds of steamers was strictly prohibited, and some masters even prohibited smoking on deck, notices being hung up in various parts of the vessel to that effect. In spite of these regulations, the greatest offenders were coolies employed in the loading and unloading of steamers. The coolies, the article in the Calcutta paper proceeds, were drafted from the labouring classes and did not realize the seriousness of smoking while cargo was in the ship’s hold. They invariably hide behind the bales of cargo in the holds, which were in semi-darkness and enjoyed a quite smoke of “birries.” These In-dian-manufactured cigarettes took a long time to burn out. The presumption was that the stumps were carelessly thrown away, and invariably fell among bales of cargo. Fires thus caused were at first very small, and took days to spread. It was not until the vessel was well out at sea or had arrived at some coasting port that the outbreak was discovered. Many outbreaks had been more rapid, this naturally depended on the kind of cargo which caught fire, and the fire was discovered while the vessel was still in port. Several such fires had taken place in the coal bunkers of steamers, and this fact alone lent force to the theory that these outbreaks were caused by smouldering “birri” stumps. Coolies were not searched either before or after working on steamers within the port limits. At Budge Budge, where petrol and kerosene oil are discharged, greater vigilance was exercised and fires on vessels carrying inflammable stuff were practically rare. NEWCASTLE COAL SHIPMENTS. The amount of coal (including bunkers) shipped at Newcastle during the week ended June 1 for places beyond the State was 55,050 tons, of which 31,340 tons represented shipments for Commonwealth and New Zealand ports, the remainder being for foreign ports. For the corresponding period last year the total was 430 tons, this being due to the coal trimmers’ dispute at that time. The quantity of coal (including bunkers) shipped during May for places beyond the State was 321,761 tons of which 203,020 tons represented shipments for Commonwealth and New Zealand ports. For the corresponding period last year the total was 251,345 tons. WITHIN WIRELESS RANGE. The following vessels were expected to be within wireless range over the weekend: — Auckland (Saturday only)—Golden Coast, Port Curtis, Kawatiri; (Saturday and Sunday)—Tofua, Waipahi, Niagara, Arawa, Maheno, Port Denison. Wellington (Saturday only)—Maori, Wahine, Tamahine; Arahura, Otokia, Northumberland, Indianola; (Saturday only)—Port Sydney, Plume, Kanna, Rimutaka, Marama, Kairanga, Kaikoura, Aorangi, Scheldepas, Norfolk, Paua; (Sunday only)—Golden Coast, Port Curtis, Makura, Kawatiri. Awarua (Saturday only)—Canadian Challenger, Cumberland, Makura, Taranaki, Ruahine, Maunganui, Karetu, Waikawa, Willaston. Chatham Islands—Matakana.