Untitled

Grey River Argus, Issue 154, 8 January 1867, Page 2

The Rambler, from Melbourne, is outside. She was taken in tow by the Lioness on Saturday, but owing bo the heavy bar it was not deemed wise to attempt to bring her into the river. The schooner put again out to sea, and the Lioness came into port. . The p.s. Dispatch has been hove up on the top of the bank, at the entrance of the lagoon, on the Noitli Beach, for the purpose of undergoing a thorough repair. She Mill not be ready for work again for piobably a fortnight. The Great Eastern and thk Pauls Exhibition.— There is a report from France that the Great Eastern lias been chartered by M. Despcches for the purpose of transporting visitors from Now York to Brest during the Paris Exhibition . The great ship can accommodate thirty-five hundred passengers, and the speculation would probably be remunerative. An excursion to Paris and back, at reduced rates, which could be afonled in a vessel of the carrying capacity of the Great Eastern, would be popular.— Panama Star and. Herald, The s.g,.Keera is progressing towards the river at a very fair rate, and is now on the bank and out of danger from tides or weather. At the time of commencing operations she had thirty tons of sand which had to he cleared out, and she had to be lifted by the stern full six feet before getting on the ways. It is estimated that the gross weight of the , craft as she then lay was three hundred tons, no bad lift at starting. As we have previously stated, considerable difficulties were encountered at the outset of the undertaking but tliese have boon surmounted, and rather over 150 feet has been traversed on the way * to relaunch. About another hundred feet, or rather less, has to be gone over, when the vessel will be slewed to the river, and be put in just astern of the wreck of the Eclipse. tJhless something unexpected oconrs to pre-. vent it, the Keera will be by the river side ■in a fortnight. She will then lie refitted, as far as her engines go, thoroughly, and will be patched up in the hull, so aa to enable her to make the trip to Dunedin. Mr Akcrley Is superintending the launch, and is unmittin" in his exertions, as well as show, iim hnWf thoroughly capable of carrying k out the task he has undertaken, -r West-port times, Jau::s;-

Tue Great Republic— This splendid steamship was launched recently at New York, and is the first vessel built expressly for the new line between San Francisco and China. The dimensions of the Great Republic are as follows : Extreme length, 380 jeet ; breadth of beam, 50 feet; depth, 31 foet 6 inches. Her Custom-house measure » meut 4(jUO tons, aud her carpenters' measurcu.e it about 53000 tons. She is planked over her timbers, and diagonally strapped wiih iron bands on the outside, as well as on the inside with baidts of five inches wide. She is also doubly planked over the straps outside, and is the strongest as well as the largest wooden vessel anoat. She is to have an upright beam engine, with a cylinder 105 inches in diameter and 12 feet stroke of piston. Her wheels are 40 feet in diameter. The vessel will be ready for sea next spring. The Adriatic was the next largest American vessel, Her carpenters' measurement was, we believe, four thousand eight hundred tons,--^Panama Star and Herald. The Kaikoura,— This pioneer ship of the Pauama line has now completed her second voyage from Wellington to Panama and back with the same.satjsfaetory result as attended the first trip, On the upward passage to Panama in October a slight aceidedt hapto the machinery, of a character not easily repaired while at sea, and this fact impeded considerably her rate of progress, while demanding a 'consumption of fuel beyond the average. Consequently the aid of canvas had to be resorted to, to a larger extent than usual, and the Kaikoura, having nearly exhausted the coal and other supplies of fuel on board, sailed into Panama anchorage, and was there reported as a large brig no signs of her steam power being visible. Notwithstanding this nrawback the contract time was faithfullp kept, and the October mails, from these colonies, were duly forwarded to Europe by the West India mail steamer appointed for that purpose, The Kaikoura left Panama on the return trip about midnight on the 84th. There was but a short supply of coal to be had, and though some was brought, at great expense, over the isthmus itself, the ship would have had to go to Payta or some other South American port for a supply, but for the fortunate arrival of a much over-due collier ship from England, which had managed to escape the storm whose violence had destroyed several of her companion vessels similarly laden. The machinery did not work quite as it ought on the ret»rn voyage, and the Kaikoura arrived at Wellington about 24 hours behind time. She had called in on the way at Opara, an island, whose position pointi it out as a suitable depot fop ooal between Panama and Wellington, if only an accessible harbor is found to exist ; and on this point Captain Maohin of the Kaikoura reports favorably. A special survey of the island will, we are informed, be at once made by the Company, and steps taken to form a coal depot at Opara, if ciroumstances are found to be as favorable as they appear. The Kaikoura brought to Wellington a heavy mail, containing about 19,000 letters and a large number of newspapers. Her passengers numbered about 35 adults in all, of whom nev.eraKare old colonists returning to this province. The mails, cargo, and passengers were forwarded to their rcsi)eetive destinations in New Zealand, on the day following the arrival of the Kaikoura, and on the fame day, the mail steamer herself sailed for Sydney. The advantages of the Panama line are on this occasion fully appreciated, as the mail by that route has been delivered even in Canterbury befure that by the way of Suez, though the latter left England fully seven days earlier. — Xciv Zealand Advertiser.