TELEGRAMS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 3162, 31 March 1871, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

NaPIEB: 30th— 7.30 a.m., Luna, for WeiHngton ; 11.30 a.m., Luna, put back through etresa of weather. The steamer Wanganui, Captain Linklater, will leave Dunedin on Saturday next, for Lyttelton and Wellington. During her stay at Dunedin, she has been docked, and her bottom cleaned and painted. From Sydney the ship Glendower proceeds to Starbuck Island to load guano for Europe on account of Messrs Houlder Bros, the lessees of the island, this being the third vessel to proceed there. Wo have received a copy of a pamphlet, entitled "Jottings at Sea," containing remarks ou our mercantile marine, and showing what if. is and what it should be. The writer's name, which is appended to this brochure, we withhold, because the work is printed for private circulation only. The author is the master of a merchant ship, and holds the rank ol lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve Having worked his way from the forecastle, be takes a strong interest in the moral and physical condition of the class from winch ho has risen. He asserts that the morality of our seamen is at the very lowest ebb, and deplores the contaminating influence- of the forecastle on youths who have to epeud their time in such society. Scarcely a word is spoken ■without the accompaniment of an oath, or obscene language. . Old gaol birds, he says, are found in most ship's forecastles, and young men, supposed to be irreclaimable, are sent ty sea. For a petty act of smuggling the fine is a month's pay, or about 50s, whereas forswearing the penalty is only 2s. This he considers, is false in principle. Children of respectable parents, and of fair education, are placed on u par with criminal youths. The poor, honesty, and orime aro thus mixed, to the disadvantage of the service. The quarter-deck has become more respectable, but the forecastle deteriorates yearly. Ou tliid puuit the writer enters fuiij, and adds:— "This much I will say, that niy profession must bo made respectable, for itp prosperity and the protection of our country; and it can be done without securing youiifi thieves, and I lien converting them." Tin; framersof the Mercantile Marine Acts, be insists, have raised the standard of officers, so that they may feel the insults of the men more keenly. The bullying skippar is a thinu of the past, and the bullies aro now forward We regret to have to endorse the existence oi this iusubordinato conduct, by statements from other quarters, and the evidence of our police oourts. We should, however, in fairness to our searnon, be sorry to confouud them all in this sweeping condemnntion. That the character of a large portion of our sailors corresponds with the portraits etinnot be denied. Go abroad, Bays tiie writer, and yon will find tho British eailor the pest of a port, so much so that shipmasters have circulars sent to thwn reques-ing that their men may not bo allowed to go on shore on Sunday, in consequence of the manner in which they desecrate the Sabbath. The writer desires to reform tho habits of aeamon, and holds that one way of doing so is to look to their spiritual and mateiial welfare. In order to do this ho advises interferferenee with ove> loading, under manning, crew spaces, outfit (including provisions), the employment of foreigu seamen, and apprentices. A chapter is devoted to each of these subjects, to which we can do no more than briefly refer. — " Mitchell's Register." We no'ice that the Alexandria wa«. nb the date of last; advices, loading in Loi d>n for Auckland. The JLochlee, 247 tons, sailed from London on the Ist January, 1871, and passed Deal the following day. She is now out thirteen weeks, and may be looked for about the middle of the ensuing month. The Edinburgh Castle was loading in London for Wellington, and would, in all probability leave about the 26th January. Tha England is discharging luu* cargo in good order, and with the assistance of her ateaui winch, will booh be rid of her cargo from London, when she will be roady for her return cargo. We understand that a considerable portion of her freight is already engaged, and her agents, Messrs Levin & Co, anticipate that she will meet with despatch. The Celoeno, we are given to understand, is likely to proceed to Canterbury, where Capt. Renaut hopes to get a bettor freight. She has, however, 400 or 500 bales of wool and flux on board ; also about 70 casks tallow. She is a fine staunch ship, and will no doubt better suit tho grain trade of Canterbury than many others. Wo hear that the Lord Ashley on her departure from Lytteltou, ran into and to some extent damaged one of the coasters of that port, the Jane Anderson. We aro led to believe it was an accident resulting from non-attendance to the ruleß luid down with regard to signal lanterns. The master of the coasting vessel not having his light hoisted at the time. The GJimpao will leave about Saturday for the East Coast and Napier, and on her return ■wiil call at Nairn's (Pourore) and Moore's (Uriti) for a cargo of tallow which awaits her to be shipped on board the England.