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Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 404, 15 August 1868, Page 2

Notwithstanding the past week of fine dry weather, and the consequent fall in the level of the river, the channel continues in good working order, with plenty of water. It is narrow, and runs close along the South Spit. The Panama Go's s.s. Auckland is expected to arrive from Sydney on Monday, and will be despatched the same day, taking passengers f r all New Zealand ports and Sydney. The schooner Crest of the Wave, CaptaiuBlack, frrm Punedin, aniyed in the road : ■tead on Wednesday evening, and was brought to the wharf by tbp p.s. Despatch last night. She left Dunedin on Funday, the 2nd instant, and hod strong IS. W. breezes up the coast, and through the Straits to Cape Farewell, \rhich she made a few days after sailing. From thence to the Buller and Cape Tarewell she carried S. and S.W. winds, but from thence li^ht airs to this roadstead, where she anchored as stated abpve. She would have been brought in on Thursday evening, had not the Lyttelton <;one asLore on that, tide. She brings a large cargo of flour, pats, bran, &c, and is' consigned to Messrs D. Maclean and Co. The p.s. Lyttelton, from Westport, anived pT the liar on Thursday afternoon, but in making for the channel she was kept too far north. The master soon saw his mistake, and did all he could to rectify it, but the vessel was then inside the outer break, broad.eide on, steering badly, and with little power, she went to leeward until she took thtground, on the shingle hank running out from tl c North Spit, where she remained hard and fast. The surf was very light, and did scarcely any damage. Yesterday she was high and dry at low water. As the tides are making fast, and the weather and sea calir, it is expected she will be got off $o-da; . The condition of the Hokitika bar has not improved, V>ut on the contrary seems to be getting worse. All the little Persevere could dn on TMirsday morning was to get over with much difficulty, as she grounded and dragged tlii ouch the sand for some distance. The West Coast Times of yesterday says :— A small fleet of vessels, one or two of them being sometime overdue, arrived in the roadstead yesterday, and there they will have to remaiu, until the configuration of the port's entrance undergoes a material change for the better, for we do not think that the spring tides, which commence on Monday next, will render the place much more accessible than it is at present. Nothing but a freshet of sufficient pow<r to sweep away the tail of the South Spit will giye us an open pott again. We neyer remember the bar to be in mwh Worse condition than it is just now. This month last year the shipping business of the port wa* g»?atly hindered by bad bars, for then tbe Bi>u,tl> channel was open, whilst the north outlet of the riyer consisted of three channels, which rar through %he semi-circular bank of sand that extended from the North Spit to the middle bank. But towards the end of the month an unexpected and— for the season— an uncommonly heavy flood came down, and put the entrance, to rights again. May it.be so tbis month. Such a, y.isita.tion Would be indeed welcome.