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Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 166, 5 February 1867, Page 2

The paddle-steamer Huntress arrived in the ! river on Saturday morning, and is we understand to be laid on for the coast trade should sufficient inducement offer. It was with no little satisfaction that we saw the Dispatch once more afloat on Saturday morning, the tide having quietly moved her from her position on the lagoon bank. She steamed up to the qnay in the evening and on Sunday evening she went out to tlie offing, expecting* to pick up a tow, but not meeting with any vessel requiring her services she returned to the river yesterday ■morning. To-day she makes a trip to Woodlooker Bay. She is now perfectly watertight, and in tirsWate order and condition. The Tasmania.n Maid arrived from the Buller and iuterniediate ports last night, and will leave~as. advertised for Haast River, this morning. Recent Voyages Fijoai England— The' S.s. Great Britain anp the ship 'Superb — The late passages of these two fine ships from England to this port have excited considerable atteutiori in nautical circles— an interest not lessened by a statement made ou the arrival of the Superb, that the new Bkckwall clipper had beaten the renowned old Liverpool Lner by four days in the run from the equator to the parallel of the Capo of good hope. It was also given "as an instance of her sailing capabilities, that from the equator to Hobson's Bay, the Superb has beaten the steamship Great Britain fully two days— sxe latter vessel haying crossed the equator on the Jjjtb November, and the Superb on the 17th of the same month ; the one arriving at Port; Phillip Heads on the i night of the 25th December, and -the other in Hobspu's Bay on the forenoon of the 27th December." These statements as fa the performauces of the Superb occasioned some surprise, .'seeing that, though an able ship, she was very deeply laden ; while the Great , ■ Britain has. aiwaya been noted for her capa-i Gity tQ make good running before the strong " winds" usually me t with in high southern latitudes. We have takeusome pains to enquire into the exact facts of the case, and iind that they sufficiently vindicate the fauie of thcold Great Britain, the time at .which the Superb crossed the line having been misstated (accidentally, no doubt) by ten days. i^-W^flnd on examination of the logs of the T^twifohips— abstracts, of which aje appended V^^hat the Superb sailed from London on the v/i. 11th /October; ' and ; was off the Eddyston?,with a northeast; breeze, on the 13th that -month. The ' Great Britain sailed from Liyerpool on the-27th October, with afiivorable wind; which, however, lasted for one day /only. ; -TJie Superb : crQS§etl the equator, in ■ v27deg.' Cmin. W., on. the 7th November, ; with a spanking south-east trade wind ■iiwhioh, enabled her to do her 255 knots in 24 Jiour? . The Great Britain crossed the line m the^3th November, in 20deg. 43iniu. W,, witl|^.&;-by -E. wind, in which she. only diil i^^»fß<fß? ; 'iiv.the"daY. v The meridian of , Gr^rcich/ :was crossed by tli6 Superb on the 2<jtfi>s^i3iffljer, in |odeg, S.yand ■oii : >tlie.: i fpßowiiig : ti[iy.by the Great Eritainj in 40deg, .. * ; 41min\ south^the latter haraig thus -pained ill; least &i¥^'<li?ysipn tu 0 Superb from the tquatpr.' :T|je iucri(|i^ ofthe Capcof Good

Hope was crossed by the^Supsrb on the 2nd ! of Oeccmber, in SSdeg. l!)min. S., and on I, the same day by the Great Britain, m 44deg. : 12iniu, t the latter vessel having thus made 3(50 uantical miles farther southing, From tliat paiallei the run to Hobsou's Bay was closo, the victory lying with the Great Britain by about thivty.three or thirty-four hours, as she entereel the Heads on the evening of the 25'tbT December. Tlie farthest southing made by the Great Britain was 47deg. llmin., and by the superb 44deg, 42miu. The Great Britai i went so far south I in the expectation of iiuding strong westerly winds'; ■■'■but. whilo the Superb, iii 39deg. 47min., fell in with strong westerly winds on the 3rd December (the day after passing the Cape), and' carried them with her to Hobsou's Bay — her lowest day's running being 153 knots~-the Great Britain experienced easterly, north-easterly, and variable winds (excepting on the 4th December, when she had a south wind, and. the Sth, when she had a south-west, breeze), till the 14th December, wnen she obtained a northerly wind, having enjoyed a W.S. W. breeze only on the 23rd and 24th ult. On the 19th ult. the Superb was in latitude 44deg. 24niin., long, j 104deg.29uiiu,, ane made 305 knots (her highest day's scoring), with aN.W. wind. On the same day the Great Britain Avas lat. 44deg. lOmin,, long. llOdeg. 43min., and Avith a N.. by E. Aviiul .make 317 knots (her bast day's running. On the 23rd, Avith a wind ■at W., in 41deg. 49miu. hit., and 128deg. long,, the Superb made 260 knots. On the" same day, in 41deg. 32niin., and 133deg. 32miu^ the Great Britain' with her first day ofW.S.W. wind, made 30!). knots, Had Captain Gray had. the good fortune to keep the higher- parallel which he usuallj' follows, and in which Captain Jones made such excellent running, he would have ac» coinplished, for the second time, a fif ty-tive days' run; but, endeavoring to keep a great circle'course, in the hope of making a very fast passage, he had the ill-luck of strong easterly winds — on one day, indeed, in 43ileg. 48n.in,, only scoring ninety- tAVO knots, having been foroed to lie to. On the other hand, Captain Jones made his first and very excellent passage in the Superb, in a tine ship but loaded far too heavily. The story of the performances of the tSvo shiys will be read with interest by all Avho take an interest ia nautical affairs. — Aryus.