ARRIVAL OF THE NEBRASKA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue XXVI, 25 July 1871, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE NEBRASKA.

The mail steamer Nebraska, Capt J. Harding, arrived in harbor last night, her gun being fired at 12.35. She brings a very large mail. She left Auckland late on the evening of the 22nd, thus making the trip from Auck« land down the Eaßt Coast in about 50 hourß, including the stoppage at Hawke'a Bay. On her last trip from New Zealand the Nebraska left Auckland at 5 p.m., June 16th, and arrived at Honolulu at 8.20 a.m. on the Ist July. Discharged 140 tons freight, and shipped 214 tons sugar, and 260 tons coals. The Ajax arrived at 8 a.m. on Monday, the 3rd July. Traashipped passengers and mails, and received 24 tons through freight from San Francisco, leaving Honolulu at 6 p.m. on the 3rd July. From Honolulu until sighting the Samoa Group, had light variable winds and fine weather j since then, strong gales from S. to W., with heavy head sea. The Ajax was to leave Honolulu for San Francisco at 4 p.m. on the 4th July. The City of Melbourne left Honolulu for Fiji and Sydney at 2 a.m. on the let July. Bobert Kaye, Esq., is in charge of the maile. We are indebted to Mr H. Craig for our files and other favors. We have much pleasure in publishing the following testimonial presented to Captain Harding, who appears to bo a great fovorite •with passengers :—" P.S. Nebraska, Auckland, July 20, 1871— Dear Capt. Harding.— Pray accept our best congratulations upon the termination of our voyage from Honolulu. We are anxious to express to you our high estimation, not merely of your seamanlike skill, but of your very kind and considerate atten tion to us throughout the passage. Wo beg you, therefore, to accept our thanks and our beßt wishes for your prosperity. — We are, dear Captain Harding, yours faithfully, J. Douglas, Mary Douglas, Mary W. Howe, Charles A. Clive, W. H. Moreley, Henry O. Bristowe, William Earl, Mary J. Earl, J. W. Rogers, George B. Perkins, Joseph Lowonstein, A. Landergan." The 8.8. Taranaki, Captain Wheeler, left the Manukau on the 21st inst. for Taranaki and Southern ports, carrying the English mails for the West Coast ports. The Taranaki left the Manukau twenty-four hours previous to the Nebraska leaving Auckland. The s.e. G-othenburg, Captain Pearce, sailed at midnight for Melbourne via Nelson and the WestCoEst. TheGothenburghad waited for the arrival of the Nebraska, having been requested to do so by the agents of the veßsel, for the purpose of conveying Borne passengers brought by her, to Melbourne, but at twelve o'clock she left. The s.s. Rangitoto, Captain Mackie, will be due here to-day, from Melbourne via Hokitika and Nelson, aud will return via Southern ports. The s.s. Lord Ashley is expected here on Wednesday, from the South, aud will probably leave the same day for Auckland via Napier and Tauranga. The s.s. Kangatira is expected to arrive here on Thursday, from Napier, and will sail on the following day, for Kaikoura, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. The s.s, Wellington, Capt Kennedy, hence arrived at Picton on Sunday evening, and left early on Monday morning for Nelson, arriving there at 11 a.m. same day. She is appointed to leave at noon to-day, for Taranaki and Manakau. The a.s. Taranaki not having arrived at Nelson up to the time of our going to press, we presume &he must have been bar bound in the Manakau. The s.s. Wanganui, Capt Linklator, hence the 17th instant, arrived at Wanganui on tho 23rd, afc I p.m., after a boisterous paesogfi, having experienced the full force of the late N.W. gales. The ship Halcione, Capt Bishop, left London on the 29th May, for this port and is now out 57 days. She may be expected to arrive here about the latter end of August. The Anno Melhuish is alongside the Queen's Wharf discharging her inward cargo of coala, rapidly, and will sail for Newcastle on Saturday next, weather permitting. The barque Heversham is expected to arrive here from Newcastle, N.S.W., about the middle of next week, with a cargo of coala for Captain Williams. The ketch Glimpse has finished discharging her cargo at Castle Point, and was to sail last night for Pourore. She experienced severe "weather on the coast.

A narrow escape from drowning occurred to two sailors of the French vessel Parana, lying alongside tho Railway wharf, Lyttelton, on Wednesday night last. About nine o'clock, the watchman at the station hearing men going towards the wharf, very noisy, took his lamp and followed them down. On his reaching the wharf he saw one of the sailors, who could not speak English, and who was very drunk, who tried to make him understand that a man wa3 drowning in the water. The watchman ran for the life buoy, but could not see any one in the water ; on going to the other side of the wharf he heard a gurgling sound, and saw a man clinging to the pile. The life buoy was lowered, but the man was too far gone to take hold of it ; in the meantime a sailor from the vessel had brought the boat round, and in trying to pull tho man on board, he also fell over kicking the boat away in his fall. The two would havo been drowned had it not been for the watchman climbing down one of the piles and getting the boat, when he rescued them both, and saw them safely on board their vessel.—" Press." j