EXPECTED ARRIVALS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1992, 5 December 1863, Page 2

EXPECTED ARRIVALS.

Lord Ashley, s.s., from Napier and Auckland, 10th inst. Bangatira, b.s., from Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Manukau, on th* llth. Phoebe, s.s., from Canterbury, Otago, and th* Bluff, on the llth. Sturt, p.s., from Picton and Nelson Star of the South, s.s., from the South Frowning Beauty, barque, from Sydney Bride, from Gravesend, 113 days out Wild Duck, ship, from London, 72 days out PROJECTED DEPARTURES. Wonga Wonga, s.s., for Wanganui, Taranaki, Bagla», and Manukau, sth Dec. Lord Ashley, s.s., for Lyttelton and Otago, 12th inst. Phoebe, s.s., Kennedy, for Pioton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Manukau on the 12th inst Bangatira, as., for Napier and Auckland, 14th. Sturt, p.s., for Wanganui and Nelson

The s.s. Wonga Wonga, Captain Cellem, from Manukau, Baglan, Tarauaki, and Wanganui, arrived in this harbour on Thursday morning last at 4 o'clock, after an exceedingly quick trip to and from tho north Last trip she was detained five days at Manukau in consequanee of the state | of the bar, which threw her time table completely out ; but by the quickness of her last voyage, tho lost time has been recovered, and she arrived here to her advertised date. The Wonga Wonga loft Wellington on the 25th ult, at 4.30 pm, arrived at Wanganui on the 20th at 8 pm ; sailed again the same day, at 10.30 pm, arrived at Taranaki on the 27th at 2 pm ; left the same day at 7 pm, arrived at Baglan on the 28th at 7 am ; sailed again after an hour's detention, and arrived at Manukau the Bame day at 5 pm. Excluding 20 horn's detention at intermediate ports, the passage from Wellington to Manukau was accomplished in 52 hours. She left Onohunga on the 30th ult, at 5 pm, arrived at Baglan at 2 am, of tho Ist inst; left at 4 am ; arrived at Taranaki at 3 pm; left at 6.30 pm ; arrived at Wanganui on the 2nd at noon, sailed again at 2.30 pm, and arrived in this port on the 3rd at 4. am. The return passage was performed in 51 hours, omitting eight hours detention at intermediate ports. The trip from WeUington to Manukau and back was accomplished in 7 days 12 hours, including 48 hours detention at Manukau, and tho stoppages already mentioned at the different ports at which she called. The LC.B.M. Company's s.s. Prince Alfred, Captain Wheeler, left Sydney at 6pm on the 25th ultimo, and experienced north east winds throughout the pas»age. , Sighted Capo Farewell on the SOth at G pm, and arrived in Nelson at 5 am on the Ist inst, after a good run of 5 days 6 hours. Left Nelson at 2am on the 3rd, and arrived at Picton same day at 1 pm. Left Picton at 4am on the 4th, and arrived in Wellington at 9.30 am same day. On the 27th ult at 5 pm, the Prince Alfred passed the s.s. Lady Bird undei- full saU, with, the wind atnorth-east, bound for Sydney, in lat 36.31 S, and long 158.34 E. The brig Dart, is advertised in the S. M. Herald, of the 23rd inst, for WeUington and Napier to moet with despatch. The Queen of the Mersey, from Gravesend, arrived at Auckland on the 26th ult^ after a pleasaut passage of 118 aeyß, witn 125 passenger. H.M. s.s. Himalaya, Captain Lacy, got underwelgh and sailed for Sydney, at 6.30 am, on Saturday 28th ult At Sydney she would take on board some invalids and condemned naval stores, and then leave for Portsmouth. The steamer Aldinga from Otago the 18th ultimo, arrived at Melbourne on the 24th with 24,000 ounces of gold, and 120 passengers. The s.s. Lord Ashley, hence, arrived at Auckland on the 29th ultimo. She left Lambton-harbour, WeUington, at 6pm on the 24th, the wind at tho time blowing a hard gale from south-east On arriving at the Heads deemed It necessary to anchor in Woraer Bay, on account of the strength of the gale. At 7am on the 25th, weather improving, »wfowM}a W , a* 8 passea ftnouzvir. __<*„;

strong gale and heavy sea. Made an offing of 16 miles and shaped course for Palliser. Bounded the *Cape at 1 pm, from which time the weather improved. The time occupied from Palliser to Napier was. 17 hours and a half. Left Napier on the 27th at 2.15 pm, and arrived at Auckland on the 2»th at 11.15 am— 4s hours. Experienced fine weather throughout ; first part wind north-east to north ; latter part west to south-west, at times blowing a strong breeze.

The paddle-steamer Start, Captain Walker, hence the 2Gth ult, arrived at Wanganui on the morning of the 27th. She shipped thirty-eight head of cattle at Wanganui for the Buller Biver, sailed from thence onthe 28th ult atl pm, and arrived at Nelson on the 29th at 7 o'clock.

The paddle-steamer Lyttelton is employed in running between Nelson, Picton, and Blenheim, making three trips a month. She is taking freight at reduced rates, wool at 5s per bale, and is as profitably employed, and making as much money as any boat of her size on the coast It is thought that all the Marborough wool will find its way to Nelson this season, unless the rates of freight to this port are made similar to thot e of Nelson.

The Marlborough Government are advertising for tendors from persons who are prepared to perform a monthly sorvice from Picton to the Kaikoura Peninu.ulo, stopping each trip when required off the Wairau River mouth, Flaxbourne, Kekeranga, and Waipapa. The Bervice to commence before the end of January, 1864. We consider this a first-rate opportunity for the employment of a suitable and efficient boat ; and feel confident that her proprietors would have no reason to complain of the returns she would make at the end of the contract

The S. M. HtarlcCs correspondent, writing from Auckland, says : — The New Zealand Steam Navigation Company is about to be amalgamated with a steam company at Dunedin, under the name of the United (N.Z.) Steam Navigation Company, and it is extremely probable they will endeavour to get the Panama contract.

Tbe steam ship Hero lately arrived from England, and belonging to the Black Ball Line, is amongst the vessels on the berth at Melbourne for Otago. She is being fitted up for the trade, and advertised to sail early.— Daily Telegraph.

The Souchays, another steamer lately arrived from home, is fitting up at Melbourne for stock, and is permanently intended for the Otago trade. — Ibid.

Three other steamers are spoken of in connection with this port. The Havilah, from Launceston, and Kangaroo and Alexandra from Hobarton, are shortly expected to arrive. From the above we may expect a tri-weekly service from the neighboring colonies. — Ibid.

By the last mail from England we learn that our old friend Captain William Eean hassuoceeded in purchasing threo vessels — a brig and two brigantines for the New Zealand trade. The brig is named the Venu_, is about 280 tonß register, and said to be a fine craft She was to load at London, for thia port via Adelaide and Wellington. The brigantines would follow soon after. — N, Z. Herald, 27th ultimo.

The heavy gales which have frequented this port of late appear not to have been confined to our harbour only. Nearly every vessel that has arrived during the past week complains of having experienced nothing but gales of wind and boisterous weather throughout the passage. The Charlotte Andrews, whilst on her way from Sydney to Auckland, encountered a severe gale on the 10th inst, in lat 350 long 165 E, and had part of her bulwarks stove in, besides other damage. The.brigantine Eliza, Captain Paul, from Warrnambool, had her jib-boom carried away on the 13th, and met with bad weather the whole of the passage. The three vessels from Newcastle which came into port yesterday all complain of the fearful succession of gales they have been visited by. The Harriet Armytage, Captain Stevens, lost no less than 30 head of cattle out 95 shipped at Newcastle ; and the Margaret and Eliza, Captain Smith, has fared even worse, having lost 82 out of 160. Several other vessels that have lately come into harbour have experienced the same kind of weather, and have received moro or less damage.— Southern Cross, 19th ultimo.

The new Black Ball auxiliary screw steam ship Great Victoria, to sail from Liverpool for Melbourne on the sth of September, made her trial trip from Liverpool to Holyhead on Tuesday. The weather was hazy and it was not considered desirable to put the engines into full working operation on account of tho thickness of the atmosphere, which prevented anything from being seen at a distance. Notwithstanding this, however, the steaming was deemed satisfactory, the ship having made an average mn of seven knots under three-quarters of her understood working power. The vessel, having returned to port, will immediately take in cargo, a large proportion of her passenger accommodation being already engaged. She is an auxiliary in the proper sense of the word, being fully ship-rigged and intended generally to pursue her voyages under sail and only to use her steam-power when the favourable assistance of the ' winds cannot be obtained. The Great Victoria is built of iron, and was constructed at Nantes a few yeare ago, and was afterwards employed as troop ship by tho French Government duiing the Crimean war under the name of the Jacquard. She has now been purchased by the owners of the Black Ball line of Australian packets, and, as sister ship to tho Great Britain, she will take her place in the fleet of that distinguished firm. To fit her for that purpose, she has been lengthened 25 feet and strengthened by Patterson, the shipbuilder, of Bristol. She now, under tho name of the Great Victoria, measures 300 feet in length over all, and is calculated to carry 500 passengers in her saloon and on her saloon deck ; in addition to these she will always be able to cany a large uumber of other passengers. The gross tonnage of the Great Victoria is 5000 tons, her auxiliary engines are of 120-horse power, made by Messrs Fawcett, Preßton, and Co, of Liverpool, but capable of being worked up to 500-horse power, and her fan can be lifted when not required as a motive-power. As a carrying ship sho is of great capacity, being competent to convey 2000 tons of cargo in addition lo her stock of coals, and is under the command of Captain Price. The second despatch of the Transatlantic mails from Galway, under tho revived contract, took place on the Ist of September. The steamer appointed to convey them — the Adriatic — arrived from Liverpool on August 31. The Adriatic is the finest vessel in the company's fleet, Her engines are 1240-horse power, and her burden 4000 tons. She carries a crew of 130 men. At 1 o'clock the embarkatiou of the passeng-i's was completed; they numbered altogether 100 in the cabin and C2O in the steerage. At half-past }2 the mails were put on board, and at 2.40 the vessel steamed away into the Atlantic. The weather was hazy, cold, and disagreeable, and the sea very rough. Destruction of the United States Was Steamer VANDERBILT BT THE CONFEDERATE STEAMER GEORGIA. — Liverpool — By recent advices we have received information of the sinking of the Vanderbilt by the Georgia, while in search of the Alabama. It will be remembered that a rumour was afloat, on the authority of an Havana paper, that the above steamer, after an engagement of twenty minutes, between Puerto Rico and St Thomas, had been sunk. Further particulars have been received from Cape Hueso ; at which place two vessels had arrived, one a pilot boat, which had spoken a vessel that had passed the Bcene of conflict The statement runß thus :— The Vanderbilt having received intelligence that a Confederate cruiser was doing damage to American vessels on the Great Bahama Bank, resolved to give her chase. Afrdaybreak she fell in with the latter, which proved to be the new Georgia (20 guns), and her Commander demanded a surrender. Captain Semmes, of the Georgia, answered in the negative ; the demand was repeated by the Federal Commander with the intimation that he would give no quarter if his summons were not complied with, and received the same reply as before. The contest began without delay, and resulted in the complete destruction of the Vanderbilt, which after an engagement of fifteen to twenty minutes duration, went down with the crew and everything on board. — Shipping and Mercantile Gazette. Foundering of a Federal Vessel of War at Sea with One Hundred Souls on board.— lntelligence has been received by the American mail of the foundering of the Federal corvette Bainbridge, seven guns, Commander Thomas J. Dwyer, in a dx-eadful hurricane, on the 21st August, the whole of tho crew, about 100, with the exception of two men, going down with the vesseL The Bainbridge formed one of the Federal fleet appointed to the West India waters to intercept the various " blockade runners." The British brig South Boston, Captain G. A. Lane, which arrived at Philadelphia on the sth inst, from Barbadoes, reports that on the 23rd of August, in lat 36 19 N, long 75, she picked up James Smith, a colored man, who was in a boat half full of water. He stated that in a fearful gale, three days previously, the Bainbridge suddenly foundered, and he and the cook alone escaped by jumping into the boat discovered by the South Boston, the fastenings of which were instantly cut, and it was borne away by a mountainous wave as the corvette disappeared in the trough of the sea. The cook became a raving maniac twelve hours after the sinking of the yes-

sel, and jumped overboard. Smith was now left alone in the open boat, and endured |dreadful sufferings. Numbers of times he was washed out of the boat, but always managed to ecramble in again. At last, when all hope had fled, Smith was picked up in a most providential manner, while the gale was still raging in all its fury, and landed safely at Philadelphia.— English Paper.

Dreadful Stiamboat Catastrophe in Ambrica. — The steamer Buth, Captain Pegram, bound for Helena, left Cairo on the Mississipi on the evening of the 4th September, having on board 100 head of fat cattle for the use of the Federal army, 122 mules, and 2,600,000 dollars for the payment of General Grant's forces. About an hour after the vessel Btarted a fire was discovered near the stern, and in a short timo the flames had got the complete mastery. The captain ordered the head of the vessel to bo turned towards the shore, and she ran aground with considerable force, some thirty feet of the stern being broken off by the shock. A rush made for the shore by all, except live soldiers left in charge of the money-chesti. Before all could leap off, the boat recoiled from shore, one wheel still going, and shot out into the stream. Five of the 9th Winconsin and several passengers, all the cattle, mules, money, freight, coloured chambermaid, one of the clerks, tho son of Mr Oglosby, oue paymaster, Greenwalt, of Harrisburg (P&), thi'9e paymasters' clerks (names unknown), were known to be on board. The flames cracked and spread ; cattle and mulea broke loose and jumped overboard, or snorted frantically about^ rendered insane by the flames and heat. Some passengers jumped overboard and swam ashore, one with his trunk, and others nearly naked, swam out into the stream, seeming almost insane, and were carried under and lost. Soon the wreck sank, and her seething flres were quenched in deep waters. Altogether there are about thirty lives lost Four hundred tons commissary and sutlers' stores, and about 100 tons private freight, were engulfed. There were about 200 persons on board in aIL The boat valued at 100,000 dollars, is insured for 56,000 dollars. Tha soldiers ar© said ] to have acted heroically, and to have stood by'the boxes containing tho money until it was certain all was consumed. The boxes were iron-bound, and too heavy to be removed. Besides, the flames spread all over the boat in less than five minutes. — MitcJiell's Register.