On the 25th April, the fine barque Mary Catherine. Captain Howlett, 400 tons, left Auckland, for the Port of Kaipara, on the western coast, to take in a valuable cargo of spars for England. It is with regret we have to announce that advices were received last Sunday, overland, with account of the Mary Catherine having been driven on a sand-bank in the harbour of Kaipara, after parting from the chain and warps in that most tremendous gale which occurred during the night of Saturday, the 9th May.

It is most satisfactory to state, that no lives were lost, and that what cargo there was on board of copper, oil, flax, and kauri gum will be saved. The Mary Catherine arrived off the harbour of Kaipara, on the afternoon of the 5th May, when she lay to until the following morning, Wednesday, the 6th; when she entered the heads, with a north-east breeze, and worked in beautifully between the shoals. The Tory shoal was weathered at 5 p.m., and she anchored at 7 p.m., in nine fathoms water, off Point Dawson ; she remained at this anchorage until Saturday, the 9th, when, at 3 p.m., as the barometer was rapidly falling and the weather bore a very threatening aspect, the barque got under way, blowing hard at south-west, under double-reefed topsails; but at the first cast of the lead the water shoaled from six to two fathoms, and she immediately struck. However, the stream-anchor was immediately got out ahead, with 140 fathoms of good warps, and she was hove off into six fathoms water ; but the breeze increasing to a perfect gale, it was found impossible to get her into deep water, and the larboard chain was veered out, until her heel was in three fathoms water, and still holding on the warps.

The gale during the, night increased to a perfect hurricane, and continued until the following Wednesday, with increasing violence. On Monday, the 11th, the ship parted from both warps and chain, and was driven high on the sand-bank. It being then the full moon, the spring tides, added to the force of the gale, forced the vessel higher on the bank.

A survey has been held on board the vessel by the captains of the other ships in the harbour of Kaipara, and it has been found that the expense of getting her off and subsequent repairs in Kaipara, where there are so few facilities as well as inhabitants, will be so great, that it will be more to the interest of the underwriters and all parties concerned, that the vessel should be publicly sold as she now lies.

This unfortunate circumstance is certainly much to be lamented, inasmuch as it may, for a time obstruct the numerous shipments now in course of progress, at Kaipara, of spars for England and elsewhere. But, as regards the harbour of Kaipara itself, or of the facility of ingress or egress, this accident is no disparagement ; for, in such an awful night as that, between the 9th and 10th of this month, such casualty might be anticipated, especially in a harbour with its entrance directly open to the tremendous hurricane that blew for five successive days, without intermission. It will be remembered that about two years since, Lord Ingestrie moved an address, which, was carried, in the House of Commons, to Her Majesty, praying that she would be pleased to command the Lords of the Admiralty to survey the coasts and harbours of New Zealand, and her Majesty was graciously pleased to reply that it should be done, but no further notice was taken of the matter. The loss of H.M.B. Osprey, may awaken the Board of Admiralty, and convince them of the expediency and importance of such service, for if it had been performed some three years since, that beautiful man-of-war brig would have still graced her Majesty's navy. If the western harbours were properly surveyed, and official authenticated charts published of them, these casualties would not occur, and the maritime commerce of the colony would be greatly benefitted and much increased.-

New Zealander, 23 May, 1846.

Source: The Shipping Gazette & Sydney General Trade List, 1846 Page 170.

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