EXPECTED ARRIVALS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XX, Issue 2228, 6 July 1865, Page 2

EXPECTED ARRIVALS.

Auckland, s.s., from Melbourne via Auckland, overdue. . Albion, s.s., from Melbourne, via Otago and Lyttelton, on or about th<s 7th Lord ABhley, s.s., from Napier and Auckland, 7th. Egmont, s.s., from Picton, NelsoH, Taranaki, • andt Manukau, 7th ••>-.. Wellington, s.s., from Ljttelton, Dunedin, and the Bluff, Bth Albion, s.s., from Kelson and Hokitika; lltH Lady Ifird, s.s., from Lyttelton and Dunedin, 13th • . -. Adelaide Baker, ship, from London PEOJECTKD DEPAB'TOBBS. Albion, 8.8., for Nelson anil Hokitika, Bth Wellington, 8.8., for Picton, Nelson, Taranaki, and> Manukau, 9th Lord Ashley, s.s., for Lyttelton and Dunedin, 9th; Egmont, a.s., for Napier and Auckland, 9th Albion, 8.8., for Lyttelton, Otago, Blutf, : and • Melbourne, 12th -- .. Auckland, s.s., for Lyttelton, Dunedin, and the Bluff, 14th - ' •:■■ ' Lady Bird, s.s., for Napier and Auckland, 15th : VESSELS IN POUT. ' Ojiarlotte Andrews, barque7from Sydney Mlfrtin Luther, ship, from London Qu&en, a.s., from Lyttelton • Chapman, ship, from London Star of the South, s.s. Mary and Edith, barque, from Valparaiso Rangoon, barque, from' Napier Manukau, from Newcastle ■ Wonga Wonga, b.b., from North . Heather Bell, brigy" from Sydney Shepherdess, schooner Sate, schooner Sandfly, ketch Gazelle, brig, from Newcastle Canterbury, schooner Mosquito, ketch, from Picton Streamlet, schooner, from Otago Isabella Jackson, schooner, from Picton Prince Consort, sbhooner, from Wanganui Foam, ketch, from Kaipoi

The p.S. Sandfiy.— The gunboat Sandfly!;rer'turned to this harbor on Tuesday evening, and left again at daybreak yesterday morning to resume the sounding of Cook's. Strait, .previous to the laying down of the telegraphic cable. The 0-azbli.e.— The brig Gazelle, Captain Tucker, haying experienced very bad -weather on . her la9t voyage from Sydney is to be thoroughly overhauled. The Lobd Ashlet.— lhe P.,N;Z. & A.R.M. Company's s.s. Lord Ashley is due to-morrow. The Lord Ashley has had her saloon accommodation greatly increased at Sydney. The Auckland.— The P.N.Z. & AiB.M. Com* pany's s.s. Auckland, now overdue, will*, take the s.s. Airedale's, Manukauto the Bluff service, iln ' consequence of this change, there mil . be,' iob steamer despatched by this Company to Melbourne. • . . • The English Mail. — The b.b. Albion, from Melbourne, via Dunedin and Lyttelton, with the *"„ English mail, is expected here on or about the 7th ' ' inst. ■"'■ , . The Cantbbbuby. — The echooner Canterbury which went ashore in Palliaer Bay some months since, arrived in this harbor on Thursday last. She waa hauled fifteen chains up the beach, and after having undergone a thorough repair was" launched in the Wairarapa Lake. She remained there for about three months. On the 19th ult,, the lake opened, when she was carefully piloted' " ous, and brought safely into ' this harbor. The repairs were effected by Mr Campbell,' with tUe'.i assistance of Mr Mathewa and his son Alfred. Mr Campbell has been a long time from town employed on this vbssel, arid we are gladthat success, has crowned his efforts. Abeivalof the Stab op the South.— The ' s.B. Star of the South, Capt. Borthwiok, left Napier for Taranaki with 87 head of cattle and 200 sheep on Sunday morning the 25th June. Having fallen in with strong gales from the N.W., Captain Borthwick felt compelled to put into White Book Bay, to the eastward of Cape Palliser. The weather moderated on the following Tuesday, and the Star of the South got up steam and tailed. ■ for this port, where she arrived at 9.80 p.m. on the 27th ult., to fill up coal and water. Weighed anchor at 3.30 p.m on the 28th for Taranaki, and experienced light southerly airs and calms until off Kaipiti Island. On Thursday evening when abreast of Cape Egmonfe it came on to blow hard from the N.N.E. and from then until Monday the Srdinst., she!encouhtered'aterrifio'gale and » most tempestuous sea. During the gale the wind veered from N.N.E. to South, and the barometer fluctuated between 29.5, and 28.08. . On Saturday morning, last a very heavy sea struck the ship opthe port side just- Wore the maininaej^ starting the combings : of the , dock. fcouie} washing the sheep andliay front the weather side of the deck, overboard, knockiiig^ away all t^i« cattle pens, splitting the mainsail, taking the life boat away from the davits, and partially filling the main hold. with water. So heavy was tha body of water that came on board, that the res». sel seemed: on the eve of foundering, and lay like a log on her beam ends for upwards of an hour. When thus struck by the s«a, the Star of $* South was laying to on the port taok, tinder fort and aft canvas, heading to the westward. Gap* tain Borthwick put on' the hatches, and; threw the live stock overboard to lighten the jBMp»- UJS*. holds were battened down for three days,. and>oa, opening them hist Monday, the stench fromlhe -. dead cattle was unbearable. On Sunday last thdv engineer reported that the ship was sotting* water, on which the pumps were sounded fare and aft, and found that the ship trail making 18 i»i an hour. The leak was in the^ engine room, §o the donkey engine waa Bet working, and only just kept the leak under, Captain Borthwick thenisnt baok to this port and arrived at 6.30 a.m, yesterday. ■He reports most favorably of the seagoing qualitaef of his vessel, and sayß that the- gale sne : «i>; . countered was one of no ordmajy- •Bttwrityr Ok, Monday he observed a large spar, apparently th» mast of a 1000 ton Bhip, floating in the water, ifc had a portion of rigging attached to it * Cs|>taixi Borthwick also informs vi thatie passed two or three small craft during the gale, but was unj&la >to make .them outtt; .;,-.'. ; .^. •* r »^_^\ and laraiiaii, to meet w^ quick d^apsAclu'" "" \

THE STBAMSHIP AMERICA CHASED BY A MYSTEBIOXTS VESSEL.-ASHEI.Ii FIRED BY THE STRANGER. "WAS SHE A CONFEDEEATE MEATS ? In the San Francisco ' Christian Advocate' of 2nd March, " editorial correspondence" — written by the Her. Mr Thomas, who sailed from thovo on the 11th of January last for the East, via the Nicaragua route — says : Pen in hand again, Monday, January 23rd, just one week Bi;ice ifc was laid down. On Tuesday evening last, when ncai'ly off Mazatlan, just as night was falling, a steamer is scon towards the shore, somo five miles from us, bound up the coast. It could not be the John L. Stephens. We had met her some days previous. What craft could it be ? Sho sent up a rocket — the signal of the Panama steamers. It is answered by our captain. Then she sends up a rocket of another color, Suspicion is aroused. She is not answered this time. She heads towards our track when passing our stern, making directly towards our wake. Is sho one of our men of war ? Is she a French man-of-war ? Or is she a Confederate cruiser now let loose on this ocean, and v does she take us to be the Panama steamer, whose treasure she covets ? Hark ? The report of a gun, and a shell strikes the water some 800 yards from our ship, and in a fevr moments more she is directly in our wake giving us chase. The good America' is put upon her speed. Our lights are put out, and every man is at the post of duty. I we can lengthen the distance between us all will be well. If she shall close upon our ship we must heave to, and answer her demands, whatever they may.be, for we have no means of defence against a pirate or man-of-war. Many eyes are watching her lights eagerly. At length they are put out, and the only question is one of relative speed, and that wo can know nothing until she comes up with us, or the light of coming day shall reveal our relative positions. We are running at 12£ or 14 miles per* hour — our ordinary speed being 9£. Out of all expectation, at this season of the year, a storm of rain comes on about midnight, and wo see or hear no more of tin's strange craft. Our captain knew, as did many of the passon-gers,-that a sohemo had long been brewing, in Central America, to get a steamer for piratical purposes, and that some of the Confederate freebooters were still on tlus lower shore with that aim. The signals of , this ship were unusual — the firing a shell, the first shot, especially, being in violation of all marine law, and the habits of all nations. Who was this cruiser ? what did she intend ? and where did she go ? were questions eagerly discussed on all sides ; and yet no satisfactory solution was reached. May bo the mysterious affair will be explained, and may be it will remain in the bosom of the unknown.