ANGLO-COLONIAL SUMMARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4747, 18 July 1883, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL SUMMARY.

[FBOH THE "STAB'S" lOHDOK COBBKS•POMDEHT.] IHB BBITISH KING'S TBIP. HIB FBOZEN OABGO. PEBSONAL GOSSIP. Our London correspondent, writirg vift Brindisi on Jnane 1, says : — The New Zealand Shlppinf -Company's s.s. British King (Oaptain Jobw Kelly, commander), with B»r anxiously waited-for oargo of frozen meat, arrived in Plymouth Bound on May 25, after- a surprisingly smart passage of 47 days 17 hours (stoppages inclusive) vift Oape Horn. The British King left Port Lyttelton on April 8, and despite aggrava** tingly contrary winds, whioh were easterly instead of, as usual, westerly, ran down to the Horn in 16 daye** rounding it on April 24. On May 2 the steamer reached Ke Janeiro, where she stopped to coal for a* couple of days, thus allowing the passengers* a muchappreciated run on shore. On May 5 the voyage was resumed, and on May 10 the British King oroßsed the equator in long, 81 W. Four days more steaming brought the vessel to St Vincent, and here it onoe again became neoessary to stay 48 hours for coaling purposes. The good ship passed Madeira on the 20th; oalled at Plymouth Sound to disoharge mails and* passengers on the 25th, and by tbe evening of the following day was lying comfortably berthed in the Boyal Albert Docks. The exaot steaming time from port to port was only 43' days 9' hours, so that it will make a good deal of difference when j boats are employed whioh do not require to stop more than onoe. Besides, coaling at Bio and St Vincent must be a pretty expensive business. The British King came into port neat as a new pin, and landed her passengers in high good humour. They all spoke in complimentary terms of Captain Kelly and of his offietrs, Messrs Smith and Barton, and expressed themselves well' satisfied with the New Zealand Company's arrangements for their comfort. The fresh provisions frozen for consumption on the passage were specially appreciated, many of the delicaoies habitually served on the saloon table never having been seen on shipboard before. Amocgst the passengers I noticed Oaptain Fraser, MJL.C, and Mr Fraser, looking bronzed and hearty, also Father GoldiDg, and Mr and the Misses Goald, ef Christchurch. Save for stoppages, Ac, the British King's run home was quito uneventful, fair winds and fina weather being the leading oharaoteristios after rounding Cape Horn. The British King brings 7000 carcases of prime mutt*n for the English market. Of these 6000 are consigned to the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, 500 to the Australian Land Company, and 500 to Messrs Miles Brothers. As the freezing apparatus is sure to have already been fully described in your columns I need only say that under the experienoed management of Messrs J. Scott and William Callan, it worked perfectly satisfactorily. The highest temperature in the tropics was HOdeg to H6deg Fahr. in the sun, and 85deg in the shade, the water aleo showing 85deg at times. The engineers kept the freezing ohambers 9deg Fahr. and 16deg during the hot weather, but from New Zsaland to Oape Horn 26deg was often found sufficient. In the oold weather the engine was kept going only a very brief period out of the 24 hours, the shortest day's work* recorded being 2 hours and 25 minutes, whilst the longest time was 11} hours on one very close day near the Equator. It may be worth j pointing out that the engine (Haslam'e) in j use upon the British King is mush oheaper to work than wsb the Bell-Coleman affair on tho Dunedin. Compare their working time : — "Shortest day's Longest day's work. -work. Danedin 6hr ... 16br British Sing ... 2hr2smia llhr4Bmin In addition to the mutton, the British King has in her freezing ohambers fish, game, fowls, rabbits, pork and sucking pigs. These are not for sale, but merely for consumption on tbe voyago. I lunched on board with Oaptain Kelly, and enjoyed some capital flounders and schnapper, followed by duok, mutton, &o. The only thing that does not seem to freeze satisfactorily is the milk. Here, as on the Dunedin, it curdled; but still seems to have been quito drinkable, for the children in the Baloon used it regularly and in preference to the tinned preserved milk. Prominent objects in tbe first freezing chamber, I notioed were a blaok a wan and f rot t fish, presents for Mr Coster, of the New Zealand Shipping Oompany. After the market prioe of mutton had been exceptionally high for some weeks, it was certainly rather annoying that the British King should arrive jast at the moment of a temporary glut. Suoh, however, waa the oase, and the result is that the wholesale prices realised so far have not been specially good. On Tuesday, If ay 28 (the day before yesterday), the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile 00. sold 150 carcases at 6£d. This is id less than the Sorrento's mutton realised, and a id more than the Dunedin's. The butchers seem rather partial to the Canterbury mutton. They say it strongly resembles prime English Southdown, and sells more readily than any colonial meat they have yot bad. I append the Messrs Fitter's retail prioo list for the mutton per British King, placing in a parallel ditto per Sorrento and Dunedin.

The bulk of the British King's meat unsold has been transferred (as in the case of tho Sorrento) to the hulk Sea Witoh. The Orient steamer Liguria, whioh tails from Gravesend to-day June 9, takes out 60 steerage passengers for the Thames. They are consigned to Mr Bioh, and have some connection with the Thames Valley Hailroad. The ship Zsalandia tails for Auckland tomorrow. She ought to have gone a week ago, but could not get cargo. Trie passengers (amongst whom are Mr and Mrs Clerk) bave been living on board three days. Mr and Mra W. M. Oatton, of Auckland, leave for that city vi& America to-morrow (June 2), in the Ounard s.s. Gallia. Mr John] Milling, a surveyor who possesses a little capital and a great many high-claes testimonials and certificates, leaves for New Zealand in the Waikato next week with his if ife. His final destination is Ohrißtchurch, but in order to ace the country, he means to break tbe journey at Auckland, and make for Wellington overland, after inspecting the Waikato, &o. Mr Maling has introductions to his Excellency the Governor. Mrs Holdship and family leave for Auckland via Bydnoy) in the P. and O. s.b. Bosetta. Freights for New Zealand ports continue slack. The Catalonia wants about 1060 ton's at present, but whether ehe will ever get bo muoh seems doubtful. The New Zealand Shipping Oompany have realised the neooißity of lowering their rates, end their noxt steamer will take cargo at 45s to all ports, instead of 531 and 60a, aa heretofore. At these rates the ships ought to fill, but whether they will pay is, of course, a different question. Sir George W. Des Vaux, Governor of Fiji, has beon created a K.O.M.G. ; and Dr Yon Haast, Member of the Senate of the University of New Zealand, a O.M.G. Bir Julius Yogel received an invitation to the State Bail at Buckingham Palaoe, on May 2a

Per !Fer Dunodiu Joints. British and King. Sorrento. Slieep cr sides ... ... ... 8d ... BJd Hind quarters H& ... 10d Pore quarters 7d ... ?id Legs, with necks or broasts 9i ... 9s& Saddles, loins, or shoulders... M ... 9d to 9\d Shoulders, with necks or breasts 8d ... 8a Necks 7d ... 7d Breasts i\i ... 5Jd