ARRIVAL OF THE BARQUE MAORI,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 618, 16 May 1870, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE BARQUE MAORI,

The barque Maori, Captain Mordeau, from London, was signalled on Sunday morning, and having a fair wind she came up to an anchorage off Rhodes' Bay at 1 p.m. The following is. the captain's report : — " Sailed from Gravesend Deo. 26, and left the Downs on the 27th, experiencing easterly winds and thick snow storm ; landed the pilot off the Start Point on the 29th, and stood down Channel ; on .the 30th and 31st Dec. experienced strong gales from S.S.W. and W.j which drifted us up Channel again as far as the Isle of Wight ; on Jan. 2 passed St. Catherine's Point N.E. by E. 15 miles, the gale moderating enabled us to work down Channel again until midnight of Jan. 5, when we took our departure from the Scilly Lights ; two days of moderate weather from the westward followed, and we stood south into the Bay .of Biscay until the Bth, when westerly gales again increased and continued '■ np to the 12th, drifting. us again into the Bay of Biscay; on the 13th the wind shifted to the southward a few points, which enabled us to stand to the westward out of the Bay ; on the 14th encountered strong gales from the west, which continued until the 16th, when the wind veered to the north-east, which enabled us to make progress to the south-west; On the 18th crossed the parallel of Cape Finisterre ; thence had favourable winds to the line, which was crossed on Feb. .3/ in 26deg 31 W. ; thence had light trades from S.S.E. ; sighted Pernambuco on the llth, and had to make several tacks to weather , Cape St. Augustine ; .thence had a conti- i nuation of light and dry south-east trades < until Feb. 21, in latitude 25deg S., 36deg W ; had -light variable winds to Feb. 28, in lati- i tude 35deg S., 28deg W., which continued to : the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope, which waß crossed on March IBlh,in latitude 45s deg 53 S ;. thence to the meridian of the -^ Lewin,in latitude 43deg 20 S. had favourable, j winds. On April 14 encountered a succession of heavy gales. from the south-east, which continued until • the 24th, and from that time until May 3rd had light westerly ■ winds. On that day encountered a heavy gale from the -south-east, which drove vs < to ; 39deg S-i 168deg E , but on May 8 the wind \ veered round gradually to the W;S.W. ; encountered fresh gales, and made Cape > Farewell, New Zealand, at sunset, on the 9th ; lay becalmed at midnight off Blind , Bay, had light variable winds through Cook. ' Straits, rounded Cape Campbell on the 1 2tK 2 at sunset, and thence had light variable* winds and calms until midnight of the 14th, when a breeze sprung up from the northeast which ran us to Port Lyttelton on Sunday, 1 after .a passage of 130 days from land to land." .

The Bchooner Aspasia has nearly completed her loading. She was expected to clear the Customs this afternoon. The Ship Christian McAuslahd has completed her loading, and is now ready for sea. It is expected that she will sail for London this evening. The barque John Knox sailed for Sydney this afternoon. The bchooner Wild Wave, Capt. O'Brien, arrived in harbour yesterday from Charleston, in ballast. The schooner Kaiuma, Capt. Maul, arrived in harbour yesterday from Hokitika, with a cargo of timber, consigned to Messrs Belcher and Fairweather of Kaiapoi. The Circular Saw S.N. Co.'s s.s. Phoebe, Ciptain Worsp, arrived in harbour yesterday (Sunday), at 8 a m., from the North. Left the Manukau on the 9th inst at 3.30 p.m (having been detained two days for. the English mail), arrived off Taranaki at 7.30 a.m. on the 10th ; left again the same day, and arrived at Nelson at 3 a.m. on the llth ;

left at 4 a.m. on tha,l2th> arriving at Picton atl p.m. same day ;, left again one hour after arrival, and reached Wellington at 7 p.m. same day ; was detained at that port for mails by order of the Government, and sailed for Lyttelton at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday, arriving as above ; experienced fine weather throughout. We are indebted to the purser, Mr Joynt, for full Northern files. The Phoebe sailed again yesterday at noon for Dunedin, having- on board the supplementary English Suez Mail.