SHIPPING SUMMARY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXV, Issue 3041, 3 September 1870, Page 4

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

Happily during the past month marine matters In this province have worn a uniformly pleasant aspect. While our coasting trade has been more than usually brisk, it has been unmarked by any painful casualties. The chief item of interest has undoubtedly been the presence of tho Australian Squadron in Lambton Harbor. The three vrere lying here on the departure of the last mail have been joined by tho remaining three. The Blanche returned on the 3rd, after an unsuccessful search for the supposed castaways of the Motoaka at the Auckland Islands. In company with the crew of the schooner Daphne (a vessel sent by our own Government on tho same errand) the Blanche made a most careful examination of the islands, sailing round within a stone-cast, but without discovering and signs of human life. Parties were cent on shore at Port Boss and Carnley harbor, and the old depots and deposits oi provisions examined. The case in which one deposit of provisions and other necessaries had been placed, was found emptied and exposed to the weather, as if it had been visited in the interral. It was replenished with a fresh stock and once more secured. During the period of the search the Blanche daily fired one of her heavy ordinance, and the reverbrafions through the hills ■were so loud and long that it was deemed impos aiblo any person could be on the island without making some response, so that every one returned satisfied there was no longer any room for hope that the hardy crew who went in a whale boat to the scene of the wreck of tho General Grant were nofcinexistence. Tho conjunction of circumstances could not have been more favorable for the search, as the Blanche and Daphne met and acted conjointly, the Blanche people taking those of the schooner onboard, while tho weather during their stay was exceptionally fine for that stormy and fatal spot. The arrival of H.R.11. the Duke of Edinburgh's Galatea and the Clio bearing the new commodore (Captain Stirling) for the station, completed the squadron. Tho latter vessel arrived on the 27th ulfc., having sailed from tho Cape of Good Hope on the 14th July, in company with the Galatea. Very rough weather was experienced during tho greater part of the passage The vessels parted company on the voyage, and did not eight each other again until off the Snares, from whence they kept company till off Cape Palliser, when the Galatea Blood farther out to sea. It was blowing fresh at tho time. The only incidents of note during the voyage were tho loss of a man overboard, and meeting with an iceberg. 3?he Galatea arrived later in the afternoon having experienced similar weather, as well as a like fatality. She also lost a man overboard. Both these vessels, aro to leave to- day for Sydney, where tho Galatoa will bo overhauled, as it is said sho ia leaking somewhat. The Challenger and Virago remain, we believe, till tho 14th, while tho Eosario, it is said, will soon start on a cruise to the South Sea Islands. In passing, we may mention, in connection with this vessel, that her former commander, Captain Palmer, took an affecting farewell of his crow on the 3rd, previous to going on board the Airedale en route for England vid San Francisco. He was much

liked by his men, who regretted the separation. The length of tho Blanche's stay is not definitely known. In the way of English arrivals, this month has been an improvement upon tho last. Tho Star of the South arrived hero on the 4th, after a passage of 120 days. Capfain Smith reports that ho left London on the 11th April, and the Downs on tho 14th ; sightod Maderia on the 29th April, having fine weather, with favorablo winds ; crossed the Equator on the thirteenth day from London ; off the Cape, on the seventeenth day, having experienced very poor S.E. trades ; ran down to easting between 45 ° and 49 ° ; experienced heavy weather after leaving the Cape ; sighted the light on Farewell Spit on tho 3rd, and anchored in harbor the nest night about 9 p.m. The ship Hnlcione, Caph. Bishop, from London, arrived in harbor on Sunday, tho 291h ult. Sho sailed from London on the 3rd June, and left tho Telegraph ship, in the channel, on the Bth June. On tho 27th sho sighted tho Bhip John Bunyan, from Nelson bound to London, in lat. G°N, long. 24 ° W. Crossed the Equator on tho Ist July. On tho sth, sighted tho ship Oriunn, from Liverpool bound to Calcutta ; on the 7th, tho ship JJalkamah, and on the Bth the ship Asliraean, both from London and also bound to Calcutta, On tho same day sighted the island of Trinidad. On the night of the 28th encountered a heavy gale from tho N.N.W., and whilst the ship was rolling and lurching heavily, a sea swept tho deoks. On mustering tho crew, John Koarsey, an. ablo seaman, was missing, having evidently been washed overboard. It was very dark at tho time, and although Kcarsay had just previously been standing in the midst of some eight or ten of his ship- ! mates, not one of them saw him go. She run down her easting in 45 °S., and experienced the usual trade winds. Passed tho meridian of the Cape on the 25th, and met with a succession of gales until reaching Tasmania. On the 2nd of August a tremendous sea struck the ship, carrying away her top-gallant bulwarks, and doing other damage. Passed Tasmania on the 20th, and sighted Cape Farewell on the 2Gth. Shortly after sighting the latter she encountered a heavy S.E. gale. On the 28th tho wind veered round to the N.E., when sho squared away and ran for Terawiti, arriving at the heads at 4 p.m. tho samo day, thus accomplishing the passage from land to laud in 78 days, and from Gravesend to the anchorage in Wellington in 87 days, being one of tho quickest passages on record. Captain Bishop stntea that if he had been bound to Melbourne ho could have reached it on the 6Sth day out. This is the twelfth voyage that our old friend Captain Bishop has mado to this port. Ho brings sixty pnssengers, who have all arrived in good health, amongst whom arc Mr Hursthouse, of Taranaki ; Mr Alexander, of Wanganui ; Mr and Mrs Canning, and family, of Nelson, and Mrs Major Bell, of Capo Turnagain. Mr Canning has some wellbred stock on board, consisting of a cow and ten sheep ; and Messrs Taylor and Watt, of Wanganui, have also imported four pure-bred rams. She brings a full cargo of merchandise, amongst which is the bulk of the pipes for Mr Beck's projected water works, and is consigned to Messrs Levin & Co. The following fluttering testimonial was presented to Captain Bishop on completion of the voyage : — " Ship Halcione, Wellington, 29th August, 1870. — On completion of their pleasant passage to New Zealand, the undersigned pnssongers per Halcione beg to express to Capt. Bishop and his officers their sense of tho caro and skill with which the ship has been sailed, and their appreciation of tho uniform courtesy and kindness they have experienced." — Then follow tho signatures of James Alexander, Charles Flinders HursthouEC, and 48 other passengers. If wo have been fortunate in exemption from disasters during tho month, we regret to say that such good fortune has not been universally the case throughout New Zealand. One terrible calamity has occurred. We announced in our last summary that a collision hud taken pluce off Sail Eock, in the Province of Auckland, between the Enterprise and a steamer whose name was then unknown, through which the former vessel sunk in five minutes ; but it was not till sometime after that full effects of the fatal catastrophe became known. Tho steamer was tho Tauranga, and every soul on board perished, the only living thing that escaped being a Newfoundland dog that managed to swim to a small island some miles distant from where the collision took place. A condensed account of the calamity and the cause is published elsewhere. A deep feeling of sympathy has been stirred in behalf of tbo bereaved widows and children of thoso who wero lost, and a large amount of subscriptions has been collected as a relief fund, while farther donations aro still being received. There has been very little elso to chronicle that would be of any kind of interest to our English readers, if wo might except an erratic change in the high winds that usually prevail with us'aboul tliis period of the year. According to meteorological reports, it appears that Anckland is in a fair way towards becoming entitled to tho adjective " windy" that has been sometimes applied to Wellington. With us the change has been made more noticeable through the state of our streets. Instead of the dry and sometimes dusty streets and fresh breezes, we havo had a predominance of rain with light winds; while tho reverse lias been the case further north. Whether this phenomenon has any appreciable connection with the unusual presence of ice lately in low Jatfcitudes, or whether it is due to Borne cosmical change, our scientific men do not appear to be ablo to determine ; but as there bus been a decided alteration latelj' in the pulses of the universe, many incline to the latter opinion.