The s.s. Pukaki, Captain A. Anderson, from Mel bourne direct, arrived f.t Port Chalmers at 1 p.m. yesterday and steamed direct to Dunedin. Mr H. C. Seigel, her purser, reports leiving Melbourne, in ballast, at 1.30 p.m. of the 13th inst.,passed Williarr.s town at 2.25 p.m., and cleared the headsat6.3o p.m.; passed Swan Isiand at 5.35 p.m. of tbe 14th, breasted the Solandere at 5.20 p.m. of the 18th, and entered Taiaroa Heads at noon yesterday. She experieaced fresh S.W. and S.S.W. winds with moderate and heavy sea, with cloudy weather and heavy rain, throughout the passage. The steamer Brunner, from - tha West Coast, arrived at 4 p.m. yesterday and steamed up to Dun edin. ' A barque eight mile 3 north -was reported from Taiaroa Heads yesterday forenoon. She reached the beads in llw afternoon, and proved to bs the Mabel, from New York. A great many disputes have arisen from time to time aa to the most rapid passages that have been performed between Australia and Bug land, but it sssms to be generally con ceded now that although the X.M.S. Orinuz has made thn fastest passage on the outward voyage from England, the record of the Orizaba, on the homeward voyage has not yet beeu broken, for steady and continuous steaming, not to Naples only, where the mails are despatched overland to London, but all the way round by (iibralter to Plymouth. The record, which Captain Conlan, of the Orizaba, has had printed, is a very interesting one, and we give it below:— , Left Adelaide II p m., 6th February, 1888, Arrived Plymouth 5.15 p.m., 9th March, 1888. Days. Hr. Mm. Total time, Adelaide to Plymouth 31 18 15 Long. 142.40 = mean. Lime 9hr : 30min ... ... ... 0 9 30 Total time (including longitude) 32 3 45 Stoppages ... ... ... 1 -.2 10 Total steaming time ... ... 31 1 35 DISTANCB MADE. STOPPAGES. Miles. Days. Hr. Mm. Adelaide to Albany 2 025 Albany 0 1 60 Albany to Aden ... 5144 Aden... 0 6 30 Aden to Suez ... VAi Suez... 0 1 10 Suez to Port Said... 90 Port Said 0 8 '0 Port Said to Naples 1112 NapU-s 0 3 20 Naples to Gibraltar 975 Gibraltar 0 2 50 Gibraltar to Ply mouth ... 