EXPECTED ARRIVALS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2082, 2 July 1864, Page 2

EXPECTED ARRIVALS.

Storm Bird, s.b., from Wanganui Wonga Wonga, b.b., from Manukau, Raglan, Taranakl, and Wanganui Ilangatira, s.s., from Lyttelton and Dunedin, Otago, b.s., from Picton, Nelson, and Sydney, 3rd July Auckland, s.s., from Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and Manukau, 3rd July Lord Ashley, s.s., from Napier and Auckland, 7th Lady Bird, s.s., from Lyttelton, Dunedin, and tha Bluff, Bth Airedale, s.s., from Picton, Nelson, Taranakl and Manukau, 13th Wellington, s.s., from Lyttelton and Dunedin, 13th , City of Dunedin, p.s., from Picton ' Wanganui, s.b., from Wanganui Albion, s s., from Picton, Nelson, and Melbourne Claude Hamilton, b.b., from Picton, Nelson, and Melbourne Tyne, schooner, from Wanganui Manukau, three-masted-schooner, from Newcastlo I West Australian, from London Samuel Tarbox, from Newcastle-on-Tyne Randolph, barque, from Leith Sampson, from London PIIOJECTKD DEPARTURES. Auckland, s.s., for Lyttelton, Dunedin, and tho Bluff, 4th July Ilangatira, s.s., for Napier and Auckland, sth July Lady Bird, s.s., for Picton, Nelson, Taranakl, and Manukau, 9th July Lord Ashley, s.s., for Otago, Dunedin, and Bluff, 9th Airedale, s.s., for Lyttelton, Otago, and the Bluff 14th Wellington, s.b., for Napior and Auckland, 15th Albion, 8.5., for Lytteltou, Otago, the Bluff, and Melbourne

Thk West Australian, Capt Luko arrived iu this harbor yesterday afternoon, after a veiy comfortable pnssa^o of one hundred days from tho Downs. Sho briu"s as cabin passengers. Mr and Mrs Smith, Misses Burrows and Rose, Messrs. Bradley, Binns, and Dr ThiraQold together with about eighty fore-cabin, ono half for Wellington under Government regulations, and tho remainder principally single women for Napier. Out of two bulls and cowa shipped for Napior only ono bull has lived and out of thirty dozen song birds for Wellington but a fow dozen have survivod. The passengers have all arrived in good health, and speak well of tho ship, hor captain and surgeon. There havo been no .births or deaths on board during tho voyago. She brings a full cargo, and is consigned to Messrs Lovin & Co.

Total Loss op the Ship All Serene, wttii Twknty-one op her Passengers and Crew.— Tho report which 'reached us a short time since respecting the foundering of a ship from California, and tho arrival of a portion of her crew at the island of Kandava, has, we aro sorry to say, been authenticated by the arrival yesterday of tho Itotumah from tho Fijis, the survivors being pasasengers by her. The particulars of this dreadful calamity have been supplied by Mr T. Tates, tho second officer, and will no doubt, be read with considerable interest. The sufferings of those who have boen saved are fearful to contemplate, the most extraordinary circumstance being that any were spared to toll the dreadful tale. The All Serene was a ship of 1000 tons, commanded by Captain Meyers, owned by Mr J. Malcolm, of this city, and sailed from Vancouver's Island, with a cargo of lumber for this port:— "Kandava, latitude 19 ° S., longitude 178°, March 22, 1864.— The ship All Serene, on her passage from Vancouver's Island, encountered very heavy gales of wind all tho way. The captain often spoke of getting into a hurricane, but took little precaution or care to prevent it, for our ship was far from sea worthy. Besides having too little ballast, she had tho largest deck cargo ever shipped to the colonies. Her dock cargo was from seven to eight feet above the deck. She also carried royal yards aloft and topgallant royal studdingsail booms, although we only had them set twice, for the least puff of wind would lay her on her beam ends. Still we proceeded on very favourably until the 21st of February, in latitude 24 ° S., and longitude 17G °. The morning commenced with very slight rain ; about 9 a.m. it commenced to rain heavily, and between 11 and 12 it began to blow, but we were under very snug sail, having only the close-reefed fore and main topsails and foresail on her. One great noglect: I took notice that the clews of the main topsail were lashed to the mainyard ; at 1 p.m. tho captain called all hands aft to give thorn, as I thought, a-glasg of grog, but I was mistaken, for when they all got aft, he says, ' Now then, my lads, I expect we are going to get into one of those roundy-come roundies— (what he meant I am unable to say)— so I want the royal and top-gallant yards and mast on deck as quick as possible ;' and never did I see sailors exert themselves so well or so much as on that occasion. The captain, who ought to have been on deck all the time, was in his cabin. By this time tho ship was heoling over to leeward tremendously, sometimes dipping her fora and main yardß half into the water, and the sea pouring in torrents down her lazaretto hatch, and the cabin very nearly full of water; then, and not till then, did the captain come on deck ; he had to come out through tho skylight, because the water was coming in so fast through the cabin doors. When he came on deck and saw the state of the ship, ho ordered tho carpenter to briug the axes aft, to cut away the mizen mast, but it was a long time before he would go. I went, in the cook's galley to get his axe but could not find it, so had to go aft again. It was about ten minutes before any axes could be found, and then three came aft One of tho sailors took one and the captain took another, and the carpenter had the third, of which ho made no use. The captain gave one dig at the mizen mast, and then stopped and looked on. The only use that was made of the axeß was the one the sailor had ; he fastened himself with a rope from tho mast, and went down to leeward, and cut four shrouds of the rigging, when in the act of being relieved by one of the Bailors, she gave three heavy plunges to leeward, and the third plunge she went over, never to rise but as a total wreck! When she turned .over most of the passengers and crew managed to crawl over in the fore, main, and mizen chains ; only the mate and captain's wife and two children were carriod away with the floating wreck. I think the mate got jammed with some of the largo logs, for the last time he was seen he was black in the face. The captain's two children were never seen; they must have got drowned in the cabin, but his wife was seen floating away to leeward. Oh, what a dreadful, Bight to see thirty-seven poor fellows clinging to tho chains, tho sea washing over them at an awful rate ! There were six men washed away from alongside of me; throe managed to get back, and the other poor follows got drowned. The ship lay for about ton to fifteen minutes with tho water three or four feet from the weather rigging, until all the deck cargo, houses, five in numbor, masts, yards, and topgallant forecastle, bowsprit and everything were washed away when she began to show signs of righting ; then wo all scrambled in again on deck, to look our terrible fate in tho face; everything gone, provisions, water, compass, and, in fact, nothing left, loaving us entirely at the mercy of tho angry elements. When we all got in on deck wo found 31 of us remaining, some of us to moot a more horrible fate than those who had gone to their last resting place. By this time tho hurricane was abated, although the sea was making a continual breach, bo wo got ourselves lashed to the weather rail, there to pass a night of horrors seldom over passed before. On the 22nd and 23rd we could out do anything on account of the heavy sea washing over us. Wo caught two sharks, which wore devoured in a very short time, for we were all very hungry and thirsty. On tho 24th the sea waß a little smoother, so we got uot some of tho water tankß on deck, thinking they might contain fresh wator. We then began to hoist the first cask on deck, which looked sound enough, but when wo got it on deck it turned out to bo salt. Wo then hoisted up five or six more, but they were all tho same. Our only hope then lay in tho two tankß we had down in the fore peak, one of them we could see plainly was full of salt water, for tho lid was knocked off, but the other one has the lid on ; all our falling spirits were raised at the Bight, for wo all expected to have a good drink, for we felt certain from tho appearance that this one must contain freßh. W« commenep.il tn-hniatjt on deck-;-»i nimut fifteen minutes we had it landed; I thonCut a holo in the tank, for the lead was underneath. After cutting the hole, I dipped the cook's laddie in, thinking to have a good drink — a taste was sufficient, for, like tho rest, it was salt Wo then turned our thoughts on building a boat or raft, or in fact anything to take us away from the vessel, but I could not get tho captain or carpenter to second mo. The captain said he would not have any more ot the deck broken up, and the carpenter remarked it made him sick to hear me talk. They had a few planks placed from the stump of tho mainmast to the weather rail, and a few pieces of canvas, on which they lay, appearing quite comfortable, and troubling themselves very littlo about one thing or the other. I spoke to some of the passengers and crew ; they agreed to second me in any attempt I made to save our lives. Next day I wont again to the carpenter, for I would not lot him rest I asked him if he would not like to save his life; ho answered most certainly he would, if he could soe any possibility of doing bo. I said I thought we could build some sort or vessel ; if you will only superintend tho building ofit I will see that itis done, if you will only stick to me. What camo over him Ido not know, but he gave his consent, so we all went to the captain, and he told us we might take as much lumber from the after part of the ship aB wo required. The vessel was breaking up faßt She beg»n to break all over, and the cargo was fast floating out of her. About twenty feet of her bows parted right off on both sides, so I thought if we did not make one last effort for our Hvob we should all be lost So we commenced, and by dark we had the sides and ends in her. Just as we pushed off from the side the foremast felL Wo left the ship on the 2nd of March with a strong gale from the S.E., and « heavy sea running, with three bags of flour, no water or compass or anything to direct our course , all the drink we had was some flour mixed with salt wator. Our vessel was loakingveryfaßt; all hands that could get anything to bail with turned to, and bailed aB fast as possible, for on that depended our lives. We kept her before tho wind— in fact she would not go any other way. It is impossible for mo to say how great our sufferings havo been — one, two, throe dying a-day ; eyoryone that died usod to lose their senses three or four days before they died, and drank largo quantities of salt water during that time. The captain died on the same day we sighted land, and two of the passengers ; we caught two sharks on our passage, and any one who had looked on and seen us devour them and driuk their blood would have truly said that wo wore savages. On the 17th wo landed on ono of the Fiji islands, thirty-one of ub allvo when we left the wreck, but now only nineteen left We landed about 7 p.m., in a. condition pitiable to behold, almost clothesless, and sores (many of us) from head to foot, caused by the salt water and sun. We struck on a coral reef about one mile outside, and had to make the beat of our way to land, the water being about two feet high and coral to walk on. From this our feet suffered very considerably. When we reached land we found tho township was one mile off, so seven or eight of tho strongest went up, not knowing if they might fall into the hands of the savages or not; but tho Almighty, who had up to this time watched over us, still continued to do so, and sent down the natives in a body who assisted and showed us the way to their town, were wo received every kindness that lay in their power. Mr Nettleton visited us next day as soon as lie heard of our arrival, and never shall we forget the extreme kindness shown to us by him. I believe if there is a Christian in tho world ho is one. He has attended to our evory want, and made us as comfortable as lay in his power. Wo wero brought up from tho leeward Bida up to his township on Monday, at which place we aro still, so that wo can he under his superintendence. Mrs Nottleton is also very kind to us, for which we can only offer thorn our host thanks. On Monday another poor fellow died, from exposure and inflamation of the lungs, leaving eighteen survivors." " Sydney Morning Herald," Juno 3.

WRECKS OF A STEAMER AND THREE SAILING VESSELS WITH the Loss of Ten Lites. — The heavy gale which swopt our coast on the 2nd and 3rd instant has left a foarful record of its effects. Wo are already in possession of the particulars relating to the loss of four ships, but it is to bo feared that this melancholy news is only the precursor of other disasters. The gale setting iu from the S.W. would doubtless induce any vessel dreading its violence to tako shelter in the various bays affording protection from tho wind when in that quarter; but unfortunately it suddenly veered to the eastward, bringing up a heavy sea, and exposing in most instances any ships on the coast to its full violence. Tho most serious wreck, aB regards loss of life, is that of tho stoamor Eainbow, Oaptain Potloy, belonging to tho Clarence and Richmond Biver Company. This steamer left the Clarenco Itiver bound for Sydney, with a full cargo; but after in vain endeavouring to make headway against the increasing galo which set in from ths southward on the 2nd instant, at last bore up, and oame to anchor iu Seal Rock bay, situated on the northern side of Sugar Loaf Point Both anchors were Toerod out to their bare ends, and steam kept up. About 10 p.m. the wind suddenly shifted round to E., blowing fearfully in Bqualls a tremendous sea rolling in, and the steamer pitching bows under. Shortly after the port chain parted, and it became imperative, as the only moans of saving lifo to beach her if possible. A full hoad of steam was got up and the starboard chain slipped, but before tho steamer's head could be got round she waa carried bodily broadsido on to a reef of rocks on the western shore, and in twentyfive minutes was all to pieces, and the crew and passengers hove ashore. A night of fearful anxiety was passed, and when daylight broke all mustered together when sad to relate, seven were missing, who had, doubtless, oither been drowned whon the steamer struck, or dashed to pieces on tho rock bound coast Captain Petley was also found lying on tho beach, with a severe fracture of the left leg. Everything being gone, and little or no food obtainable, it was decided that the crow — with the oxcoution of the cook, who was to remain with tho Captain should start for Port Stevens, and after walking sixty miles, they arrived on the north side on the 4th instant; exhausted from tho wont of food and exposure ; here they were com-

pelled to romain twenty-four hours endeavouring, unsuccessfully, to attract the attention of the vessels in the roadatnd until they wero atlast soen by the crew of tho schooner Itodoric Dhu, and a boat was at once despatched to their assistance, their wants roliovod, and they wero safely carried to the opposite shore, to make their way to Newcastle, where thoy arrived at 10.30 on tho 7th. Captain Allen, the Harbour Master, promptly supplied them with evory tiecessary, and saw them safely on board the Coonambara (s), Captain Adams, and by her they arrived in Sydney yeßterday evening. Captain Petley and the cook have also arrived here. The Bainbow was a wooden steamer of 70 tons, and is uninsured. Tho Woolloomooloo ketch, came to an anchor in Trial Bay on 2nd June. The vessel dragged from her anchors and went ashore, and hev master and two of the hands unfortuuately drowned. Tho schooner Julia went ashore about a quarter of a mile from the Woolloomooloo. All hands saved. Ihe Gazelle, schoonor, also went ashore in Trial Bay. Tho crew saved. All three vessels are total wrecks. — " Sydney Morning Herald," Juno 8.