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Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 171, 16 February 1867, Page 2

T|ep.s. Despatch left the river at 430 "■> p.m. on AVednesday, and arrived at Woodpecker Bay at C.45. Discharged 10 tons - '; carg(» and Ifl passengers, and left at 1 p.m. on Thursday with 20 passengers, and arrived in the river at 4 o'clock, Sho sails again thjs morning Avith 15 tons of cargo and pas/ sengerg for Fox's The schooner Daucing Wave left Melb/'unie' on the 30t;h ult. ; remained at William^tpn for a fe\v(|ays until tlje 2nd {ngt., bnt did not leav^e the Heads jjntil the pth. Had fine weather alLt'ie passage. Sighted Mount Cook on the morning of the 13th, and arrived oif the river yesterday morning, and Avas toAved in by the Despatch. THJ3 Parinija orßluk River.-- HoAvever jpucli ihe.fteeassibilifcy of the Pai:in^a or Blue River to vessels of light draught might have been doubted, the question has been decided by the p.s, Bruce, which pn Saturday last ran in there for shelter from the heavy S. W. gale then blp.wing, and came to an anchor under the lee of the South Head, which is a long nanow rocky point. Tlk. Paringa is a bar river, but excepting in N.W\ weather is easily entered befng Ayell gheltered froiri as far nmnd as "\V. by N. AVhen, however, the winds get north oj that point a sea goQti gets i;p and clqses tlje entr-ancej and renders the anchorage outside unten<able; The valley of the Paringa does n t run at right angles Avith the coxst. but upwards tends Very considerably tq the south', the direction of the stream l»eirig nearly N.W. and S.JO. f J3he entrance is Avide, and flanked by a long north spitj and inside the banks recede foi-im'ug a somewhat extensive basin about 100 yards across. •So far as Aye can ajscertain, the Brucg is the iirst vessftl tliat over ventured so close in, and the character pf th.c bar nqt be^ng knpwn, Captain Kerley.very prudently refrainedf rom crossing it, but came to outside fjudsenta boat in p,ii the first of the ebb tjde. 6ix feet of water wjvs found on the bq,r and in the i)asin, the depth increasing to fifteen above it where the riyer narroAved. The best . mooriug place \s alongside the' south bank where A ? essels may lie comfortably an any Ayeather. Outside the b,ar, iind right in the fair Ayay there' Js ayery ugly otjstructioii in th,e shape of a large snag, which at loav Avater is just aAva§li. It js, however, easily avoided, and at high tide is covered Ayith about four feet of water. The Baringa River is, situated pleyen miles south of BniCi Bay. The steamer Lady of the Lake, which, when first constructed, plied betAveen Dunedin, Port Chalmers, and Waikouaiti, and Ayhich^ was fortunate to return safely from her expedition to Jhe West CJoast, is now being transformed into a A-0.35el pf. much Lirger dimensions and improved appeaiur.ee, at Wilson's' Otago Poxuulry, Cuinberlanci §trec^ Tb,e hull, which was constructed at homo, and fitted up here, has been cut in j iwq, and is now lengthened to the extent of thirty fflet, and raised two feet amidshirr^ and about three feet at each end. She is uoav a vessel about 103 feet in length, Avith. a iieaw oi \^ feet, so that she is not only much more proportionate than at first, but $s capable of cwrying a very large, cargo, us much, probably, a 5 .15.0 ton's. Iv fact, the amount o.f new material used in/her reconr struction is in excess of the portipusof the pld hull Avhich have been made available, ' and, ,when launch,ed, as sfye is. expected to. be jn fyfa or §ix weeks, i| AyiU. no| be easy to. recognise the flue lengthy vessel whiclV Mr Wilson -will turn out, as being in any part reconstructed from the rather uniinposing luill of the Lady of the Lake. Being now of considerable.iength, and having now a finely rounded floor, she \yill draAV less n'ater than when half the size, and will be more suitable for the purposes of a steam lighter, as which she Avill ply between Dimedin an<f Port Chalmers, although perfectly adapted for short c.qastal trips. She was at first fitted: Avi^h good engines, and these' have been' altered so as to give them greater capacity to drive the enlarged paddles which, of conrse, had become necessary. She is to have only one funnel instead of the two she originally; • had, and Avill haye open bul\varks similar to.; the (iolxlen Age. She belougs to Messrs; Cargills and and is intended -to. Avom in cpnjuction Avith the iron fighters be-: longing tp that firm. Th,e work of con-, structioii is'corisiderably advancecl t the deck -being now nearly completed, and it is being well execute^ in every p^rt by the contractor, finder the 'supervisioirof Mr Kobert -Mason. -^ Oiago':J>aily Times: