SHIPPING SUMMARY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2632, 6 February 1868, Page 4

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

We havo again a dull month in shipping business to report, tho only foreign arrivals sinco our last having been, except the Panama steamers, the brigs Eliza R. Bateson, Hebo, and Gazelle, from Newcastle, N.S.W., with cargoes of coal amounting in the aggregate to 800 tons. The barque Fanny Fisher has Bailed for Sydney, and tho barques Duke of Edinburgh, Frowning Beauty, ond Omega, for Newcastle, N.S.W., all in ballast. The ship Asterope, which wo stated in our last summary had cloarod at Customs for London, sailed on the Bth uit. lhe country trado is also dull. Tho entries for the monfch havo been three brigantinee, sixteen schooners, four ketches, aud two cutters.

There are now two ships in harbor loading with wool— tho Electra and tho Wild Duck. Tho former has nearly taken in her complement, and will sail about tho middle of the month ; and the latter is also rapidly filling up.

Tho P.N.Z. & A.R.M. Co's s.s. Ruahine, Capt. T. S. Bcale, arrived here at 5.30 p.m. on the 25th January. She left Wellington for Panama oh the Bth November, had favorable N.W. winds during the greater parfc of tho passage, and mado 0 fine run up of twenty-six days and eleven hours. Sho sailed from Panama on her return trip on tho morning of tho 27th December, having been detained beyond her usual time of sailing by the-non-orrival to timo of the mail boat on the Atlantic sido. She had fair winds and favorable weather up to the 20th, and during tho remainder of the voyage encountered strong winds from the southward and westward, with a heavy head sea. Sho called and coaled at tho Island of Opara, taking »n 242 tons coal in twelve hours wifch her own crew. She brought a large mail, about fivo hundred packages of cargo and forty passengers, amongst whom were Lord Lyttelton and eon, and Mr Selfo Selfe. Sho also brought from the Island of Opara Captain Kerr and the crew of the ship Esmeralda, of Greenock, 1188 tons, bound from Maiden Island to Cork, which foundered off Opara on tho 9th Decembor. The s.s. Mataura, Captain Bird, sailed for Panama at 5 o'clock in tho afternoon of tho Bth ulfc, with the European mails and fifteen passenThe paddlo steamer Tasmanian Maid, which was employed during tho late war as a despatch boat, was wrecked in Now Plymouth roadstead at 9 o'clock in tho evening of tho 16th ulfc. Sh« leffc Manukau wharf afc 10 p.m on fcho nighfc of tho 13th January for tho West Const, calling at oil tho ports on her way to Hokitika. Tho Storm Bird overtook tho Tasmanian Maid at Taranaki, and Captain Doilo obliged Captain Souter by letting him have threo tons of coal, as ho had not sufficient to take him on to fcho Buller. The Tasmanian Maid and Storm Bird left fcheir separate anchorages together, when very suddenly the Tasmanian Maid began blowing her whistle and firing distress guns. Captain Doile hailed tho vessel several times to ask if ho could bo of any assistance, but received no answor. It turned out thafc fcho Tasmanian Maid bad struck upon a rock to the south of tho anchorage. Captain Doile took his ship as closo to tho reef as he possibly could without endangering his own vessel. He then lowered tbo boats and sent them off in charge of Mr Irvine, tho chief officer, to render all the assiatanco in his power. Mr Irvine succeeded in rescuing fcho passengera, crow, and officers, and took thorn to tho surf boote. Ho then returned jusfc in time to tako Captain Souter, ond tho ship's papers into tho boat as the Tasmanian Maid settled down by the stern. Tho passengers, crew, &c, lost everything they had except what they stood up in. The loss is estimated at £4ooo. 1 Captain Souter owned half of fcho vessel, wliich was uninsured. Ifc is suid that whero fche rock is situated fcho charts show a clean passage.

Whilo the schooner Percy, Captain Downes, from Hokitikoin ballast, wus entering tho harbor on Saturdoy afternoon, tho 18th uit, she missed stays whilo going about, and gofc ashore jusfc inside the Heads. Signals fchafc a vessel was aground wero immediately hoisted at tbo Mount Victoria signal station ; and tho steamer Rangatira, which was just aboufc starting for Wangnnui, was despatched to tho Heads to render what assistance sho could. Upon reaching thero eho found Captain Scotfc, tho pilot, on board tho Percy, making preparations to gofc hor off. This object was effected aboufc half-past nine o'clock, and tho Rangatira took her into tow, and brought her into port, bufc, whon nearing tho anchorage (ifc being dark afc the timo) tho Percy got foul of the Elecfra's bowsprit, by which means sho carried awny her own bowsprit, and also damaged her port main rigging. Tho schooner Joanna, Captain Giffard, leffc Havolock on tho 23rd uit for this port with!

a cargo of timber consigned to Messrs Greenfield and Stewart. When near Sinclair's Head she sprung a leak and ifc was found necessary to abandon her. The master and crew were picked up by the ketch Diana and safely brought into port. An official inquiry into tho loss of tbo Esmeralda was begun in tho Resident Magistrate's Court here on Friday last, and was concluded the next day. The Court expressed its opinion that Captain Kerr should have attempted to go into Opara harbor, and that in nofc doing so he showed want of promptitude, and fchey therefore adjudged him to bo reprimanded, and cautioned him to be moro careful in future. Tlie fucts of tho loss of | ihe vessel, so far as can be made out of somo what j conflicting evidence, appear to bo briefly these : Tho Esmeralda leffc Tahiti on the 14th Dec, 1867, bound to Cork to await orders. Tho cargo consisted of aboufc 1500 tons of guano, 20 tons of cotton seed, 40 casks cocoanut oil, 1 bale cotton, L bale wool. For the first 24 hours fresh breezes and clear weather were experienced, the wind being N.E.; from the 15th to the 28th light baffling winds and calm 3 j on tbe 27th the Island of Viratoo was sighted, bearing west, distanco twenty miles. From tho 28th to January 1, 1868, strong gales of wind accompanied by a hoavy cross sea, the ship rolling and straining awfully and making a good deal moro water than usual, tho guano at the tame timo coming very thickly into the pump wells ; two hands kept constantly below to keep I thorn clear. On January 1, ut 8 a.m., the main pumps wero choked by tho guano washing into the well ; and could not be kept clear. All hands were on deck, one watch bailing water out of the main wells and endeavoring to clear fche pumps but j without success ; tho othor watch got tbe fore t pumps at work but found them also choked. Purchases were got aloft, and an attempt made to lift the pumps, but they could not bo started. At ' midnight a heavy squall struck the ship, carried j away tho leech ropo of tho fore-topsail, and split tho fore-topgallant sail and outer jib 5 sail was shortened and yards trimmed ; tho hands constantly employed bailing water out of both wells with buckets, bufc still the leak gained rapidly — tho water being above ths kelson foro and aft. For several days every exertion was used to keep tho water under, but on tho 7th, finding ho hud nine and a half feet of water in the hold, Captain Kerr steered a courso for Opara. At 6 p.m. on the Bth the island wus sighted, and tho chief officer was sent ashore in the gig to ascertain whether tho island wus inhabited, and if any assistance could bo obtained. Upon his return he reported thafc ho could discover no traces of inhabitants, and that the approaches fco, and coast of the. island, appeared to bo very dangerous navigation for tbe ship. The captain called tho crew aft, and explained to them that he could do nothing with tho ship where thoy wero ; and that it was his intention to proceed with her to Tahiti. Tho crew, however, refused to allow tbis to bo done, as they said that tho ship was in a sinking condition, and that thoy wero too worn out to keep her afloat any longer. On this Capt. Kerr told them that ho intend id to take the ship to Tahiti, and that if any of them refused to accompany him fchey might land thero, whereupon seven of them leffc in tlie pinnace, and pulled for fcho shore. About 4 o'clock on the afternoon of the Bth, tho vessel was boarded by Mr Lusher, chief officer in tho Panama Company's service, who offered to take the ship into port, but the captain refused to allow him to do so. Captain Kerr says Mr Lusher's offer was to Bink the chip in thirty fathoms of water ; but the latter gentleman gives a very different account of tho interview. Finally Mr Lusher went away, bufc returned about 5 o'clock tho next afternoon, in company with Copt. McKellur, when Captain Kerr again said he did not want fcheir assistance. Tho ship Bunk about half past nino fcho same evening, seventeen miles N.N.E. of Opara. The captain and tho others who had remained on board got into a boat a few minutes beforo the vessel sunk.

Tho steamer Charles Edward, which ran ashore at tho Groy, has been got afloat, and brought to Nelson. Before she could be launched she had to be moved a distance of 1050 feet.

Relic 3of a wreck wero found on Chalkoy Island by tho Martin Bay exploring party. They consisted of a cannon, a ship's figure head and a small hatch. Tho figure head was weather and water worn ; but somo of tho gilding and paint sbill remained. It was the figure of a sailor, in whito trousers and blue jacket, with gilfc buttons — the figure itself being fif'fc long, and tho scroll to which ifc was attachod 2Jft i" length. Tho face and arms had beon rubbed off. The following opinion was hazarded by the Otago Times' special reporter concerning this waif:— "Such may havo been the figure hoad of the American ship Jack Frost. I am liable to correction ;■ bufc I believe that vessel left tho Bluff ono Sunday evoning, five or six years ago ; that, on fche following day, thero was a heavy gale j and that she was never heard of moro.

The Bchoonor Clydo, which arrived in Auckland from tho South Sea Islands on the 4th uit., with a cargo of 13,000 orangos and some pine apples reports having lost her captain and mate, through their being washed overboard in a fearful hurricano which was mot with in the neighborhood of Avaroa South Sea Islands. Captain Irvin leaves a wifo at Rorotonga to mourn his loss. Tho mate, Mr J. Winter, was unmarried, and had frionds in Auckland. Subjoined is a list of the principal arrivals and departures since the publication of our last summary : — ARRIVED. On the 7th uit, s.s. Tararua, from Melboumo vid the Southern ports ; s.s. Gothenburg, from Melbourne via the Southern ports ; 8.8. Phcebe, from Picton, Nelson, and the Northern ports ; s.s Taranaki, from Picton, Nelson, and tho Northern ports. On tho Bth ulfc, s.s. Beautiful Star, from Dunedin. On tho 13th uit, s.s. Wanganui, from Wanganui. On the 15fch ulfc, s.B. Wellington, from Lyttolfcon, Port Chalmers, and the Bluff. On fcho 16th uit, s.s. Otago, from Melbourne via Hokitika and Nolson ; s.s. Alhambra, from Melbourne via the Southern ports 5 s.s. Egmont, from Napier, Tauranga, and Auckland. On fcho 18th ulfc, Government s.s. Sfc. Kilda, from Kawau. On tbe 19fch ulfc, s.s. Storm Bird, from Wanganui, Taranaki, and Manukau ; s.s. Beautiful Star, from Wanganui ; Government p.s. Start, from Napier and Auckland. On tho 22nd uit, ss. Wanganui, from Wanganui j s.s. Taranaki, from Lyttelton, Port Chalmers, and the Bluff; s.s. Phoobe, from Nelson and Hokitika ; s.b. Rangitoto, from Melbourne vid tho Southern ports. On tho 23rd ulfc, s.s. Omoo, from Melbourne via tho Southern ports. On the 24th uit, s.s. Lord Ashley, from Sydney and Nelson ; e.s. Beautiful Star, from Noleon. On the 25th ulfc, s.s. Ruahino, from Panama; brig Eliza R. Bateson, from Newcastle. On the 26th ulfc, brig Hobe, from Newcastle On tho 28th uit, p.s. Nolson, from Nolson ; 8.8. Wanganui for Wanganui. On the 31st uit, s.B. Ahuriri, from Nelson ; 8.8. Rangatira, from Lyttelton and Dunedin ; s.s. Auckland, from Sydnoy and Nelson. On tho lst instant, Government s.s. St. Kilda, from the Chuthams. On tho 2nd instant, brig Gazelle, from Nowcastlo. On the 3rd insfc, 8.8, Wellington, from Napier, Tauranga, and Auckland. On tho 4th, s.s. Rangatira, from Blackhead ; s.s. Kaikoura, from Sydney. On the sth, s.s. Gothenburg, from Molbourno, via the South ; s.s. Wanganui, from Wanganui. SAILED. On the 7th uit, s.s. Storm Bird, for Wanganui; ship Astoropo, for London. On tho Bth uit, s.b. Gothenburg, for Melbourne, via Nolson and tho West Coast ; barque Fanny Fisher, for Sydney ; s.s. Mataura, for Panama. On the Oth ulfc, s.s. Wanganui, for Wanganui 5 barque Duko of Edinburgh, for Newcastle, N.S.W. ; s.s. Beautiful Star, for Wanganui and tho Bulkr. On tho 15th uit, barque Frowning Beauty, for Newcnstlo. On the 16th uit, s.s. Alhambra, for Melbourne via tho West Coast ; barque Omoga, for Newcastle ; e.s. Wanganui, for Wanganui. On tho 17th uit, s.s. Wellington, for Napier, Tauranga, and Auckland ; s.s. Otago, for Melbourne via tho Southern ports. On tho 19th uit, s.s. Rangatira, for Wangauui. j On tho 2lst uit, s.s. Beautiful Star, for Nelson j ' Government; e.s. St. Kilda, for tho Chatham Islands. On tho 23rd ulfc, brigantine Despatch,

for the Ohafchams ; s.s. Rangatira, for Lyttelton and Dunedin. On tho 24th uit, s,s. Omeo for Melbourne via, the West Coast; s.s. Taranaki 1 for Picton, Nelson, and the Northern ports ; b.b. Rangitoto, for Melbourne via Hokitika and Neleon ; s.s. Wanganui, for Wanganui. On the 25th uit, s.s. Beautiful Star, for Dunedin ; s.s. Phcebe, for Lyttelton, Porfc Chalmers, and the Bluff. On the 2Cfch ulfc, Government p.s. Sturt, for Wanganui and Patea ; s.s. Ruahine, for Sydney. On the 28th uit, s.s. Lord Ashley, for Napier, Tauranga, and Auckland ; p.s. Nolson, for Nelson, On tho Slst ulfc, s.s. Wanganui, for Wanganui. On tho Ist inst, e.s. Storm Bird, for Napier ; s.s. Rangatira, for Blackhead. On the 4th, s.s. Wellington, for Lyttelton, Port Chalmers and the Bluff. On tho sth, s.s. Ahuriri, for Napier and Auckland.