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Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 255, 31 August 1867, Page 2

We learn from Hokitika that yesterday the Rangitpto and Omeo were still in the roadstead. The Persevere left the wharf on Thursday morning, but did hot get in again, aud the heavy sea was likely to keep her outside fdi day yesterday, and to prevent any --• ■■■— vessel from crossing the bar." The Omeo had not yet been tendered, neither have the "Rangitoto's mails been delivered.- Our informant j states that Lad a stranger gone on -Thursday night to look at the roadstead, he would have taken it for a township, in consequence of the many lights on the vessels outside/ The sea was very high yesterday morning; during a short stay on the beach, our informant saw fc\vo houses jyaghed down and smashed to pieces in a minute. Since Thursday night the crown of the beach is fully 1! 2 feet uearer Qsb,orne's . Hotol. In returning hpme by Osborne's right-of-way, our informant' calculated' tfie distance, and is of opinion that the surf is not more^tban 60 yards from Revell 'street. On Thursday night it was about 64 yards. The Lioness, Avith'the Rambler and Cymraes in tow, was still outside, unable to • enter. -•'•'"-••.•- -"The s.s. Claud Hamilton, which left Sydney at 5 p.in on the 21st instant, and ' after a run of five days two hours reached the Hokitika roadstead at 7 p.m. on the 26th, arrived off tliis port on Wednesday afternoon, but was not tendered tn til Thursday morniug. She landed a few passengers and some packages of cargo, and sailed again sfiortly afterwards for Nelson and Wellington. We are 'sorry to hear that the schooner Emma Eliza has become a complete wreck at . Hokitika. The W-C. Times says that not a ton of coal was saved from the cargo, for immediately after the gang of hands who had engaged to discharge it proceeded to work her starboard quarter washed away, and was soon followed'by the entire broadside, and then by the coaL The promptest measures'had been taken to save both vessel and cargo, but Hie sea was altogether too heavy, and would not be resisted. ;, We have to remind intending passengers by the Panama stejimer, that the branch steamer Airedale leaves this port on Monday for Wellington. The s.s. Keera from Dunedin arrived off Hokitika oii Wednesday night, and entered the river the following mofhing.' She brings 20 tons cargo for'this port, where her arrival , " may be expected to-day. The French Government has already paid the first instalment of 10,000,000 francs on the purchase of the American turret ship Dunderberg,' arid the French frigate Jean Bart is at New York to take charge of her. ; France has also made a contract for the purchase of a smaller American turret ship, the ■ Onondaga, paying L2oo|ooo for her. The Confederate'rani Stonewall, built in Great Britain', has been sold by the United States to Japan for 500,000 'dollars." ' ' "•'• The Panama Route. —The following letter is addressed to the editor of the Argus: — Sir—Since my return by the last Panama mail queries have been frequently put to me respecting the yellow fever that is supposed ':. .• to exist at the isthmus and the island of St. and as a considerable amount of ; "^rixieiy seems \to be felt by the friends of ' ■'"; .'.those who have availed themselves of the 1 route, I think it advisable, in' order to allay ".'•,' those feelings, to assure them that there is not the slightest danger on the journey. vßotb. on my homeward aiid outward passage I experienced ho inconvenience from it, andi «-.-.' can assure you that 'the epidemic is though c far less ©fiat the places where it is supposed ; the most; than'■'■ij; is here. On the

Isthmus of Panama it is almort unheard of, while at St Thomas it prevails mostly in the months '.of November and December, and is far more serious in some years than it is iv ( Qtherjj During the past season it was far i \ worse $han'it had been known for ten years : ( before ; its ravages, however, were confined to the crews of the steamers, which were detained for fourteen or fifteen Axys in 810 •_, small and overcrowded harbor, and who ha«J" most pro mbly given w.iy to excesses. In no cases were any of the passengers attacked, and tlie usual detention there is so slight that I think there is no possibility of their being so, unless they court danger by partaking t.oo freely of iced drinks, and exposing themselves to the weather should it prove wet. On the news. arriving in England, in November last, of the prevalence of yellow fever at St. Thomas, the Royal Mail Company made arrangements by which the calling a]t St. Thomas was obviated. The Atlantic steamers trai iferred their passen.gers, &c, into the intercolonial vessels at Peter Island, distant ■ tlr'rty miles from St. Thomas, and then proceeded on to Jamaica to coal, receiving passengers and mail at Peter Island on her homeward voyage from the various intercolonial vessels that run in connection with her. — I am, &c., D. Tallerman. 4 Lansdowne street, East Melbourne, July 23, IS6/.