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Grey River Argus, Issue 54, 17 May 1866, Page 2

i % S , tc'iooner Emma Jane, which arrived s a J2g port yesterday morning and cleared S^^Au- Hokifcika. the same day, left the , I^^Aau on the 28th April with a favorable wind. > -She had an excellent run to^tne scmth-west, when she was from S.W. which lasted five By a high sea. She afterljght S.S.E. winds and rived at the Grey early yesterwhere she was obliged to put The Captain reports hayschooner Caledonia off Wanbeen 21 days from Dunand the schooner Little forManukau. of the Murray to leave was compelled, on account at the time, to ami Mrbjlo dt.in'g so, when touched upon the of the breeze at \er. Her Captain at tp put U>ack, and, as we have former issues, did so, and Jiad t-qiaiccd. . A\ soon as these neces- > 7 Cpairs Ivor's competed, Captain HolloHailed far thitsvport on the 3rd, and here on 'the afternoon of Sunday (, n ly light and variable all ln.s downward trip. • His lam! to- laud thus occupied after rqm'ainiw** »<•■ author

the Grey liar. present^JWch ; as it did^ 8i Tuesday. ■ Scarcely a ripple disturVed>#Kesurface, and < the sea was SQ)ioioth^»<B§pugh to allow even ; \a small boat to "cross without risk. 'The ; entrance of the channel is now very narrow, i the soush spit having xnajle considerably during the iasfc few w,eeks. in fact it is tolerably certain that but for the .occasional freshets the River Grey would so#n be inaccessible to any but the smallest craft. As it is every fresli sweeps away what the sea current throws up, and thus keejg open a channel. ■ ? The Harbor-master, Captain Turnbull, and assistants, have had their leisure fully employed during the past few days in making observations and surveys in order to arrive at the accurate time of tides at the various parts of the West Coast. -^Weat Coast Times, J.sth hist. The p.s., Nelson arrived at Nelson on Friday at ten a.m., making the passage in twenty<-seven hours. Captain Leech reports passing a steamer, believed to be the Gothenburg, on Thursday afternoon, ten miles off Steeples. — Colonial, 15th inst. The s.s. Kennedy left the Grey on Thursday morning at seven o'clock, called at the Buller and landed from outside in a boat about twenty passengers ; and arrived shortly before noon on Friday. — Ibid. The s,s. Keera arrived at Nelson on the 14th. and was to sail for Dunedin the following day. Sad Accident. — We regret to announce that a fatal accident occurred at Pallistr Bay on Monday last. The particulars, as furnished by Captain Croucher, of the schooner Bee, are as follows : — The Bee was lying in Palliser Bay on Monday, and the deceased, William Henry Meecb, the sou of Mr Henry Meech, shipwright, in this city, who was temporarily employed on board, was engaged with three other men in landing cargo. The ship's boat, which was used for* the purpose, was at the time of the accident laden with bricks, There wajg a high sea running at the time, and before the boat reached the shore a eea, struck her, «uid she j capsi?ei},' precipitekfas foe crew hiio bhe water. The surf ran high, bulb all the men except the unfortunate deceased were excellent swimmers, and succeeded in forcing their way through the breakers and kelp to tie shore. Tho boat drifted on shove, and t^Uen picked up was discovered to be stove +V^FkftJx>dy of- poor Meech was subsetrade ««J [e; TO a fine y° uu S man ° f LiFE-k™— The melan^^"" t(/ x n whijh attended the foundering of the tfoaife steamer in the Bay of Biscay, and which has resulted from the many shipwrecks on our coasts during the Lite storms, has produced numerous suggestions for the improvement of existing means of saving life at sea. Among the many plans which have been put forward there is not one which commends itself so strongly to our minds as likely to achieve the desired result as a life-raft, designed l>y Captain Hurst, whr> has \em many years engaged in the mercantilsmarine, and who, consequently, brings to bear upon any proposal of the kind he may submit the benefits of long and practical experience. This gentleman proposes a raft, formed of two light metal pontoons, braced together by iron rods, and supporting a light Hush deck, the sides are protected by cloth or tarpaulin fijeed to light moveable stanchions. The pontoons are constructed in compartments, and may be made available for a moderate amount of stcwage. The raft can be worked with ten banks, or any less number of oars, and light masts for a felluca sail and jib can be readily set. The launching of the raft fpom the deck or sides of a ship appears to be a comparatively easy matter, much more so, indeed, than that of any other process of boat lowering. The construction of the raft, being broad and flat, would appear to possess great advantages in a heavy sea ; its chances of upsetting arc reduced to a minimum. It cannot be swamped with any amount of seas, as, like the decks of the Monitor turret ships of America, there are no gunwales, and there are no bulkheads or cabins to fill. When on the sea it can be- readily handled and steered, either on a wind or before it. A raft of thirty feet in length would be sufficiently large to carry seventy people, with a good , supply of stores. Another advantage whicli the raft possesses is its portability and facility of stowage on board, and it may even, if necessary, be hung Hat against the aide of a ship, from which position it can be readily lowered. The raft has been submitted to the principal members of Lloyd's, and other seamen, and no adverse opinion has been pronounced respecting its merits. — Observer.