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Grey River Argus, Issue 103, 8 September 1866, Page 2

The B.S. Thane arrived yesterday with a . . cai"go of sheep, cattle, and pigs from Wan- - ganui. We understand that this vessel is " to be withdrawn from the New Zealand and placed on the Melbourne and'Gippa Land . trade. On her arrival at. Melbourne, to , which port she takes her departure from . hence, she is to undergo a thorough overhaul, and to- receive several ; improvements in her machinery. • " . '.'- The schoorierg Murray and Christina Thompson, both from Melbourne, are outside, and will it is to.be hoped be towed in to-day. The p.s. Persevere" went out yesterday lnorniug to bring in the Christina Thompson, but" when in*the break some accident occurred to her exhaust pipe, "and. she was compelled to return. The*.damage however admits of being easily repaired, and the Persevere' will be ready to resume work as usual this jnorning, s . . .; The steam tug. Lioness is reported in yesterday's Hokitika papers to be in a less critical positionthan she was on the previous day, aud more sanguine hopes are entertained of launching her. A large number of hands is engaged in the work of lifting and preparing her for launching, which operation is expected to take place in a day or two. The steamer-is said to have received only trifling injury as yet ; and should the efforts, to float her prove successful she Mill be sent round to Dunedin to undergo extensive repairs. JHokitika Bab. — There were thirteen vessels lying at. the wharf last night, and, excepting a collier from Greymouth, all were clear of cargo and outward bound. Seyeral would have left the river days ago, had the bar been passable, amongst which we may iuclude the Cosmopolite, J. B. Russell^ and . 8.8. Keera, The entrance, however, con* • tinues in a wretched condition, as the tail of the, South Spit projects into the channel towards ; the North Spit, leaving a 1 narrow, shallow, gutway, through which novesßel can pass with, any degree of safety. Even the Yarra, p.s., with her light draught, refused to attempt it last night, and in consequence, the s.s. Gothenburg sustains a further'delay of at least twelve hours. ' That regular* Lvtfclton trader, the Spray, is also lying in the roadstead, waiting- for a chance to get inside. Last nisjht there was'every appearance of a change m the weather, and a , heavy down pour of rain is n.uch to be deBired, as that alone, by ribing the river, will clear the channel, We have never seen the entrance in a worse state. — Yesterday's W. Q. Times. ' - Defence of Port Phillip. — The latest' rumor in connexiou with the defence of our harbor and shipping is, that the-Victoria is to be used as a survey boat, but is to keep toer guns, and be held ready for use, the only delay being that required tofetch her off the .coast when she is wanted. It is also stated, . but we do not know with how much trntl 1 , that the lighthouse steamer. Pharos, which has cost so much money, which can; only steam nbput seven and a half knots per hour to the eleven and a half of the Victoria, f and which has to tow the buoys its decks are not big enough to take, is to be mounted with a gun, and called a naval defence. — Ar'gw, The Ocean Race from Chinj* — The great ocean race of the tea ships is now being" run from China to ■ London. The following, we learn from Hong Kong, is a list of the competitors :— Fiery Cross, Serica, Ariel, ■ Taitsing' which were to start first ; and Sir Lancelot,. Taepjng, Chinaman, Ziba,. Black . Prince, Mjn, and Young Lochjnvar, which ". \irefe to sail a f ew days after the others. The ;, betting at-HongKong runs very high. Ariel, • a new : ship is t^e favorite ;t Taeping ■ has also Boine sanguine supporters"; and not a few think thai Fiery. Cross will- be- again the winner. -Last year Fiery -Cross and Serica raced side by side the whole way till they entered the Channel abivast, when the wind failed, and Fiery Cross, obtaining the aid of a tug, won by a few hours, the entire voyage ... been- accomplished; in eighty-nine ;. days. The Serica won in.-1864. ; A : , prize of about 'Llooo is giveato the clipperSwhich . .brings the first new tea .to England, :L1 a ton being subscribed by the London tea merchants for the purpose. • Of the above clippers - the following were built by Messrs Robert Steelc arid Cd, of ' Greenock, viz., ;S<iJric*» owned by -Mr Finlay, of Beith ; Arielfowned by Messrs. Shaw,. Maxton and Co, of London j Sir Lancelot, owned by Mr John M 'Ciinn, of Greenock y Taking, and Mm, both owned by ' Messrs' A , -Rodger and Co, Glasgow ; Young"Lochmvar, owned by a Liverpool firm:. The Taitsing was built by Messrs Conncllnud Co. , of Glasgow, for " Mr' 'T. , Finlay, of Leitli. The' Fiery Cross' was built by Messrs Ch«illoner and Co, Liverpooli There ip a good deal of local betting on "tlio issrie ofthe race. It has since transpired that the Young . Lodjinvar was totally lost, on the 9th -May, , on Haitan Island. The master and part; of Jhe crew h.id reached Foo Chow Foo -in a . boat, and five of the men were missing,-^. Glasyow Mail, ..■:.- f ■;, ■ „