ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP AKBAR
Otago Daily Times April 16th 1862

The ship Akbar, from London, arrived at the Heads on Monday, was taken in tow by the Samson the same evening, and with the next flood-tide was brought to the anchorage ground at Port Chalmers. The Akbar sailed from the Thames on the 1st Jan. - the pilot leaving her on the 4th. Dating from the 4th, she has therefore made the passage out in 100 days, or 98, until the time of her sighting the New Zealand coast. The passage was a most pleasant one, fine moderate weather, with fair winds prevailing in nearly all the different latitudes. One death occurred among the passengers during the voyage: Mr Thos Fraser, a youngman coming out to join friends in Otago, having died of consumption on the 21st February. A month afterwards there was an addition to the number of passengers, by the birth of a male child. Throughout the voyage the Akbar spoke several vessels, and by two the passengers were able to transmit letters to England. She first spoke the barque Colonsay on the 15th of February, from Glasgow, bound for Batavia, fourteen days out. On the 1st February the crew were able to board a French barque, from Singapore to Bourdeaux, and put on board of her a number of letters from the passengers. On the 13th February they boarded another vessel the Hamburg barque, Jupiter - fourteen days out, from Rio, and bound for Falmouth. She sighted no vessel subsequently until the 3rd instant, when she spoke and exchanged longitude with the schooner Colonist, from Glasgow to Otago, 101 days out. The position of the vessel was then 46.52 S and 133.36 E. The only part of the voyage in which anything like heavy weather was experienced were the last three of four weeks, and, after one of the gales, in consequence probably of the vesselhaving in some way strained herself, a good deal of pumping was found necessary. The passengers in the different parts of the vessel organised numerous sources of amusement during the voyage; among others, some excellent concerts, and meetings of a similar character,and eleven numbers of a newspaper, named the Akbar Weekly Journal, containing many very creditable original pieces, contributed both by the passengers and crew, were issued, and afforded much entertainment to all on board. According to the report of the ships surgeon in this journal, two rather severe accidents occurred from falls caused by the rolling of the ship, shortly after the vessel sailed. In the first case John Rae, steerage passenger, broke his left collar bone, and in the second, the saloon steward fractured one of the bones of his right arm, close to the elbow joint. MrFraser, the passenger who died, was a young man of 23 years of age, and had left England for the improvement of his health, but his disease had progressed too far to admit of recovery, and he gradually sunk, notwithstanding every attention. An accident, very nearly having a fatal termination, occurred in the first week of March, when a boy named Jackson fell overboard, and was only saved by the gig and a life-boat being lowered with expedition, and reaching him before he sunk, though the vessel was at the time going through the water at a considerable rate of speed. Generally, the vessel was very healthy during the voyage, only a few cases of hooping cough, and similar affections having ocurred at the first of the voyage. An attractive source of enjoyment was afforded by the formation of a rifle corps, the members of which, armed with the ships muskets, had frequent meetings for drill, under the tutorship of some old military hands on board. Among the passengers there were also several old Victorian diggers, and from their pen several articles appeared in the journal, giving practicle hints to the considerable number on board, who, notwithstanding the very contradictory accounts which had been received in England, have been induced to give a trial to the Otago gold-fields. A few of those on board have had assisted passages, and a small proportion have been in the colonies before.  The passengers report the winter in England, up to the time of their departure, to have been rather open and mild. In London and throughout the provinces, trade was exceedingly dull, as much from the position of affairs in America as anything. The vessel advertisedto sail after the Akbar, which was chartered by Messrs Shaw Savill and Co was the Black Swan, intended to leave the Thames about the middle of January. The Colonist, passed by the Akbar on the 3rd inst., may be expected hourly. Though passed rapidly by the Akbar, she was sailing well, and, at 101 days, must be considered as having made rather a good passage. In several parts of the journal, satisfaction is expressed with the seamanship of Capt., Hutton and his officers, and with the sailing qualities of the Akbar, as exhibited throughout the voyage.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATES COURT
Otago Daily Times April 26th 1862

Murphy v. Hutton.-— In this case Robert Murphy was plaintiff, and A. Hutton defendant. Mr. Prendergast appeared for the plaintiff. The particulars are as follows - Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Co., of London, had engaged the plaintiff as Surgeon for the ship Akbar, of which the defendant was commander. Plaintiff had signed articles at Gravesend, and was to receive �25 as salary: he was to get L 22 before sailing, and L 3 on arrival here: that sum of money was not paid to him, and he had been unnecessarily detained in Dunedin, wandering about the town for two or three nights; having no cash to defray his personal expenses; and being detained from proceeding to the gold fields of Otago. Defendant pleaded that he was not indebted: that he knew nothing whatever about the engagement of plaintiff as surgeon. Mr. Prendergast argued that the master of a vessel was liable for its responsibilities in every port she might enter: but that the principals or owners of the vessel would no doubt, see him identified in every legal transaction. The Court ruled that, under the articles, the defendant was liable; and gave judgment for plaintiff in the balance of his wages, L 3: awarding L 2 as compensation to Dr. Murphy for whatever inconvenience or damage he may have locally sustained.