ARRIVAL OF THE HARWOOD
The New
Zealander November 6th 1858
The ship Harwood
, Captain FORSYTH, was signalled at an early hour of Thursday morning but it was 11 o’clock
before her number was made; and in the face of a strong ebb tide and the fierce W.S.W.
gale then blowing, she was compelled to come to off the North Head shortly before noon
– having made a passage of a hundred days from the Downs, whence she sailed on 26
July, working down Channel and taking her final departure from Beachy Head on 29th
with fine weather but light winds. The first part of her passage proved to be
tedious and protracted, both the North-east and South-east trades being very poor and
light and baffling winds hanging to her as far as 35 deg South lat. On 30 August she
crossed the Equator in 12 deg 31’ W and on 28 September she was in the meridian of
the Cape of Good Hope. From that
date she commenced making up for lost time, running down her Easting, with strong gales
and heavy seas between the parallels of 45 and 48 deg S lat. On 22 ultimo she
sighted the South West Cape of Tasmania and from thence experienced a continuance of fresh
northerly and N.N.W. winds. On the 1st, tacked ship to fetch Cape Maria
Van Dieman, was abreast of the North Cape on Wednesday at 11 am; passed Cape Brett at 7
the same evening and took the Pilot on board off Rangitoto reef on Thursday at 7 am; the
run from the meridian of the Cape having been accomplished in the brief space of 36 days.
Spoke no vessels connected with the Colonies. The Harwood is a fine
little ship and has come into port in clean and creditable order. She was built at
Montrose, has a sharp entrance and a round stern and, in her general appearance, is not
unlike the Breadalbane.