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Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 271, 8 October 1867, Page 2

' Thes.s. Gothenburg leftDuuedin onPriday afternoon via northern ports for the West Coast, with over 100 passengers and a large pargo. The Clarendon and Mary Stewart are still detained outside, owing to. the heavy we; - ther and the freshet in the river. The s.s. Egmont passed this port yesterday morning without calling, but her mails and passengers were landed by the p.s. Tas-maniau-Maid, as mentioned elsewhere. — '. The result of the official enquiry into the stranding of the Mountain jSiaid on the Buller Bar, has been the recommendation by the Court that the master's certificate be cancelled. The s.s. Airedale passed. this port on Saturday evening without calling. She puglib^to have taken on with her the Greymputh portion of the English mail via Panama, 10,000 punces of gold for England, and many passengers, but although she was detained oft the Hokitika bar from Mpnday to Saturday evening, she did npt wait a single tide here, while the gold -and passengers were on board the Persevere at '5 o'clock on' Sunday morning, and that vessel lay with steam up ready to goout on the Airedale beine; signalled. For days the bar was 'in workable condition, and with the slightest amount of attention to this port the gold, mails, and passengers could have been shipped, but she was detained by the Hokitika agent till the last moment, and then ordered to proceed direct on her voyage to Nelsoi., to the entire ueglect of the requirements of this port. We have referred at length to this matter in another column ; but while reflecting, as we have done, upon the conduct of -Mr White, the Hokitika agent, in this matter, in a spirit of fairness to him we subjoin his excuse, / which appears as a letter in the West Coast Times of Saturday last, and leave our readers . to judge as to its sufficiency. He says: — 41 At 11.25 a.m. I received a telegram frpm the Company's agent at Greymouth that the ' Dispatch would tender Airedale if bar not worse, and she leaves at once.' Without one moments delay 1 repaired to the Signal Station pri the North Spit, in order to signal the Airedale to proceed forthwith to Greymouth. It must be borne in mind that, for the last week -.or more' the signalling has been done almost entirely from this station. On arriving there, I/f pus d no signalman. As time was of the utmpst importance, I, in order to attract the attention of the signalman, com- ■ menced hauling the black ball (suspended from the luasc) from side to side. This bad ihe desired effect, for in about twenty minutes lisajKiSome^ge ascending th c ladder

of the southern flagstaff, and a few minutes later a flag was hoisted, which I interpreted to mean that the signalman wanted a boat to bring him over. Shortly afterwards the Harbor. Master's boat, which was in the lagoon at the time, set sail ami steered towards the southern flagstaff, Avhenee I coi r eluded that it had gone t« fetch the signalman. ..Knowing ' that half an hour mv fc elapse before the signalnjan could reach the station, I left to reply to my telegram., la less than a quarter of an hour I was back again at the station, and remained there until ten minutes past one ; but nu signalman or any one else came. A few minutes later, the Harbor Master's boat returned from her cruise, and Captain TurnbuU offered to signal whatever was wanted. It was then, however, tqo late, for my- telegram, received 11.20 a.m., made the Airedale's being ten ; dnrecl at Greymouth conditional qn her leaving at once. The Taiwan, 299. tons, 72 horse-power, built by Hall and Co, of Aberdeen, aud owned by her builders, was totally lost on 20th June, while on a voyage from Foo-chow-foo for London, laden with tea. Nothing is said regarding the f a^e of the crew. She was commanded by Captain A. Roper. The s.r. Kennedy, Captain Carey, arrived in the river early yesterday morning. She left Nelson on Wednesday, the 2nd inst, about noon, and got in to Totaranui Harbor about 5 p.m. the same afternoon, after experiencing strong northerly weather with a heavy sea on the run up. Left again at 7 a.m . on the 3rd, and found a strong south-westei ly sea running down the coast, with thick weather and. heavy rain. She arrived at the Buller at 6 a. in. on the 4th, where she discharged about forty tons of cargo and a number of passengers. Left that port on the afternoon of Saturday, the sth, about 1 p.m., and arrived at Mokihinui at 3.30.the same day. Here more cargo and passengers were landed,' and the Kennedy left that pert on Sunday morning at 5 a.m., and, running back to the Buller, she again came to an anchor off that bar at 8 a.m., being top late on the tide to enter. There she found the s.s. Airedale, and from her s.he transhipped 16 passengers for Westport and the Grey. About 1. 30 p. m. the same day she ran into the Buller, lauded what passengers she had, then steamed outside again and towed in the brigdntine Susannah Booth, from Sydney. At 5 p.m. the same afternoon she again ran out pf the Bailer bound for this port. On the run down she experienced strong north-westerly weather, with heavy rain and sea. About la. in. yesterday morning she arrived off this bar andcimetoan auchor, entering the river as stated above. Sha brings a large cargo for this port, and she has alsp a considerable quantity for Hokitika, for which place she is expected to take her departure this morning. The P..N.Z, and A.11.M. Co's steamer Claujl Hamilton arrived off the bar about 11 p.m. on Saturday night, and was tendered by the p.s. Persevere on Sunday afternoon. Owing to the non-arrival of the Airedale at this port the Claud -picked up a good consignment of over 12, 000. >z of gold. She also took away from this port abqut 20 passengers for Sydney. :^ The. p.s. Dispatch, which wail-blocked out by the fresh at the date of our last issue, made for the bar on Saturday aftepnoon, and crossed it while a heavy sea was running. She had spent a rough night of it outside, as appeared by tlje smashqd state of her bulwarks and the covering of her engine room. This damage was, done by an immense sea which broke onboard, smashed in one of the paddle boxes, Ijcpke the liuge beam over the engine house, and carried away much of the woi dwrk, while tons pi water poured down into the engine room. With his vessel iv this condition Captain Deare had to exercise great caution in bringing her into port. Workmen were immediately set to rtpair damages, which it is expected will be completed to-day, when the Dispatch will be ready to resume work, Tiie p. s. Bruce, Captain Kerley, arrived at the wharf on. Saturday afternoon from the Buller aud Mokihinui. During the entire trip she met with veiy heavy weather, encountering storms of wind, hail,' rain, and fearful seas, but' through it' all the little craft came out unharmed. During Saturday evening she shipped hor usual weekly allowance of coal, but did not start as intended on Sunclay morning, owing to the bad state of the Hokitika bar. Fully two hours before tide on Sunday the Bruce cast off her moorings and headed for the bar, in the wake of the p. p. Persevere, but although the latter passed out easily, being in the .channel with plenty pf water, the Bruce did not chose to follow, her captain evidently thinking he could find a better channel further south, or wishing to cut out the Persevere, shaved the scuth spit too close, and was brought up all standing. She was backed off into deep water, and her head slued to the northward, bub not withput some difficulty,. owing to the tide aud the fresh running out. After a time her head was got wtll round, "and she passed out at the proper channel, where she ought to have goile at first/ We learn that three hours afterwards she ran the Hokitika bar safely. The p.s. Tasmanian Maid, Captain Souter, steamed into the river early yesterday morning, witfi nearly 100 passengeis transhipped from the Egmont and' Airedale, in the Hokitika roadstead. The Maid has done a very plucky thing, and her captain deserves special commendation for it. At Hokitika, on Saturday, when the last chance had arrived for tendering the Airedale and saving the Panama mail, the skippers of the tug steamers refused to face the bar, but the agent for the steamers made au arrangement with Captain Souter to dp it, and well did the little boat execute the dangerous mission entrusted to her. She cleared the bar without damage, although she touched heavily, and tendered the Airedale, which proceeded on hei voyage. The Maid then transhipped the passengers from the Egmont, and as it was -then too late, and there was too heavy a fresh running in the river, she anchored for the night. On Sunday she saw the p.s. Lioness nearly wrecked and pompletely driven back while attempting to take the Hokitika bar, so she steamed for this port and anchored off the bar about 10 p.m., and at G i yesterday morning she crossed the bar and landed her passengers, whp must have spent a most miserable time of it, as the weather has been very wet and boisterous during their detention in the roadstead. \