THE WAITARA, FROM LONDON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3653, 26 December 1879, Page 2

THE WAITARA, FROM LONDON.

I Early yesterday morning a ship was Bignalled j from the Bouth. and at 11 am. •- second wd flag waa hoisted ; it waa then supposed that the ships were.tha Waitara and Enterpe. .At 1 pm. the Kef/Z ealand Shipping Company's 'VTaitara'a number were hoisted, and at 2 p.m. the tug brought her up to an anchorage off Rhodes Hay. On arriving alongside the Bhip, the pilot, reported all j well on board, and tho officials and reporters .went aboard. The pjßsengers were mustered on dock and passed the officials, all being found fit subjects to land, with tho exception of one man.whoweiBomewbat insane. The passenger list nnmberou j six saloon, 18 second cabin, and 138 steerage. The arrangements on board the vessel for passongers were made in the usual manner, and "11 appear to have been very comfortable. • Cuptaiiv ?'. B. CoweH is in command —he will be rem inhered as having been here as Chief Officer v 'he Orari. This is his first command, and >. is to be congratulated wpdn bftring bro*?>.t his ship into- Port in excellent trim, n- and alolt. Captain Cowell has succeeded in n. iug himßOlf very popular among tho numerous ]■• tongers, all of whom spake of the very courteous minner in which they had been treated by him. Ho has miiny friends in the Colony, and we are Bure that all will be much pleased to hear of his promntion to the command of bo haudßomo a yeHßel an tho WauaTo. The passengers have all enjoyed good health, except ono or two; who have been ill since leaving liondon. The surgeon of the ship was Mr G. A, Lewis, whose services on Board were mnoh appreciated by all the passengers, was very highly spoken -of. Dr Lewis sustained a heavy losa on tho /THuaage, his wile dying from typhua fever. Sho / waa taken eick on Sept. 26, death respiting on Oct. / 1. Five other deaths ocourred, viz. :— Dee. 7, I Clara- Young 1 , 15 months, from constipaI tlon bl the bowels; Dec. • 10. Charles Huntley, I from consumption; Dec. 19, B. Huntley ; Deo 18, John Gardner, 44, from apoplexy j Dec 21, \ Frederick Howroyd, from consumption, ill from time of leading liondon.! The births were :— Nov 8, Mrs Clark, of a daughter; Deo 18, Mrs Adcock, of a daughter ; Deo 19, Mr* Young, of a son, preraituraly born. The .passengers' qmrt6rs were found in very fair order as regards cleanliness snd ventilation, but the single men's quarters forward'were damp, owing to a. heavy sea breaking aboard on Deo 22. No complaints were made regarding<,the stores, provisions, &0., aud the officers appear to have made themselves very agreeable to the passengers generally. . The vessel's passage to tho Cape wag a very good one, 60 days, out the continued easterly weather spoilt the passage entirely, 110 duyß beta* a long passage, for bo smart a little ship as the Waitara. Her best day's .work, in running down her easting was 270 miles, though the average, was very much smaller, than thai, some days only 80 to 90 miles being rtade, and one day only 40. While towing 'down from London off Woolwich, the carprater of th.B ship, .John Kerr fell overboard nud. waa drowned, notwithstanding the efforts, made to save him. Only one accident happen?*— a lad, ono of the passengers,, breaking his leg. The following ia Captain Coweli's report of the passage:— Left South-west India Dock on Sept. 6, towed down Xo Gravesend, leaving there next day. Towed as far,oß Boschy Head, aud oast off the tug. Sept. 8, had, westerly gales down Channel, with thick rainy weather. Passed the Start on Sept. 19. and took final departure from the land that day. Had fine, jrrcajther and southerly winds across the Bay. -^Got.thp north-east trades in 28deg west. They wore .fair but light, and lost jn 73« north on Oct. 3. Crossed the Equator on Oct. 11 in 22*40 west. Met with the south-east trades in 2 17 south on Oct. 12. (fliese .trades proved very light, and were carried to 27*43 south 2440 west on Oct. 24. and then lost. From there to passing the Cape on Nov. 7, had moderate westerly winds and strong southerly ajd .south-east gales. with heavy squalls. On Nov. 11 passed two very large icebergs in 4520 sonth 37*36 east, (he westerlies being but moderate to passiny tho meridian of Cape Xeuwln on Nov. 28. On Nov. 26 paßßea.iwo more icebergs in 49 south and 100.37 oast. From passing the Leuwin experienoed. nothing .but .easterly weather, varying from strong gales to calm's, to 161 east, on Deo. 18, Tasmania, having been passed on Deo. 12. From Deo. 18, had strong westerly winds; sighted Stewart's Island on pec. 19, with the wind northwest ; , tbenoe had .north-west weather up tho Coast, piado the, ' Peninsula yesterday at 4 a.m., and was taken in tpw by the , tug, anchoring off Shodea' Bay at 2 p.m. The following vessels were spoken:— Nov 1, 40.5 south 127 east, ship Letterwee, Liverpool to Adelaide,- 55 daj-B out; Oot. 16, 13.51, 27.27 west, City of York, ,Siiverpool to-Eangoon; Dec. 20, sighted ship Tarutttki off Long Point .