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Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 515, 6 May 1869, Page 2

During the last two days the weather has pontinued very bad. A strcmg south-westerly gale has prevailed, accompanied by heavy squalls of wind, rain and hail, which have driven home a tremendous surf on the bar. putting °ah effectual strip to all shipping business. The sufferers by this spell of bad weather are the brigantine Pilot, from Melbourne, which has ridden to her anchors since Monday last, and held her groxiud well against the gale, and the p.s. Varra, and a few coasters, which have been compelled to remain at their moorings in the river. The heavy fall of rain very slightly affected the river, and as last night there was every appearance of the gale breaking, and the sea going down, it is probable that business may be resumed to ? day, when a large number pf steamers are expected to arrive. Two of Messrs M'Meckan, Blackwood and Co.'s steamers are expected here to-day — the Alhambra, from Melbourne direct, and the Gothenburg from Melbourne via New Zealand ports. The former will take passengers for Nelson, Wellington, Southern ports, and Melbourne, and the latter will ship passengers for Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney, in addition to 8000oz. of gold, shipped by the Banks. ■ Messrs M'Meckan, Blackwood and Co. have placed the fine steamer Claud Hamilton, lately belonging to the Panama Company, on the berth for Fiji, to sail on the Ist prox. A number of excursionists intend to avail them; selves of this opportunity for a pleasant tropical trip of a few weeks' duration. At this time there will be an additional attraction in the visit of Prince Alfred in the Galatea, with her Majesty's Pacific Squadron, under the command of Commodore Lambert. — Argus, April 12. Intelligence reached Liverpool the other day of the arrival at St. Helena of the barque Euphrosyne. Captain Christie reports that when in lat. 26 deg. 3b* mm. S., long. 52 deg. 32 mm. E., he experienced strong gales and squalls, with a tremendous confused sea running, with thunder and lightning from N. W. , the barometer rising and falling two-thirds of an inch at each squall, the lowest drop being at 29.20. The topgallant yards and masts were sent down, and the vessel hove-to for twenty, hours under mizen staysail, which was afterwards blown away. Captain Christie then bore' away, and scudded under bare poles for four hours, the wind changing from — w&tber mocierarefi, themastffanclyarasweTr sent up, sail set, and the vessel put on her voyage. At midnight, on the Bth and flth of November, in latitude about 16 de<y. 40 mm. S , long. 4 deg. W., the sky suddenly became pvercast with dense black-looking clouds, and in all directions was heard a noise like distant cannonading, while the sea was very confused. The com,pass vibrated very much, and almost lost its polarity. ' Several large meteors shot out from the heavens, and the fish jumped out of the sea and struck against the sides of the ship, whica trembled so that the rumbling could be distinctly felt as well as heard. The volcanic action of the sea continued during the night until surrise, when tie weather became clear and settled. There was a slight breeze all the time of the rumbling from b S.E , but there was no perceptible variation in either barometer. Captain Christie is of opiuion that the vessel at the time of the noise was passing over some fearful submarine convulsion. The Veil-known China clipper, Coral Nymph, Captain Winchester, which reached Snnderland a few days since from China, had a very disastrous voyage. Before leaving China the chief officer was drowned ; and after the ship had been for some days at sea a chain fell from the top rigging, and nearly killed the second officer, totally disabling him from, duty. On the coast of China she experienced a typhoon, during which the topmasts had to be cut away. Captain Winchester, while superintending the replacing of the spars, received a sun-stroke, and was rendered for the greater part of the voypge almost blind from: the effects of the stroke. Whilst coining up the channel, the Coral Nymph went ashore near Dungeness ; and her last disaster during this voyage was that after being placed in the dock at Sunderland for repairs, she managed to capsize. Eoi ? innately no lives were lost when she canted pyer. The Young Australian, from New Caler donia to, Sydney, has been wrecked oh the coast of New South "Wales. Efforts are now being made in the Clutha district to establish a public company for the ?urchase of. the steamers Tuapeka and airoa. * Shares are being taken up pretty freely by the business residents at Balclutha, Port Molyneux, and intervening districts. Mr Darhng, the. Chief Engineer of the Otago Harbor Steam Company, is now preparing a model and. specifications of a new steamer, to be built for that coim>any. Unlike the Wallace, she will be specially adapted for the river trade, and for the traffic round the Peninsula,, via Macandrew's Bay and Portobello. The openiue of the Pacific Kailway, which is announced to take place on the 4th July, and which will connect New York -with San Francisco, will give Australia the means of a more speedy communication with Europe than even by the Isthmus of Suez. From Melbourne to Fiji is 2231 miles, and from Fiji to San Francisco 4719, so that the whole distance coujd be traversed by full pawer ocean steamers sailing at the rate of twelve knots per hour, in 24 (lays. The journey across the continent of America would occupy live days, while from New York to Liverpool is frequently performed in nine, making the time occupied between Melbourne and 38 days, while from Sydney it would be two days less. In practice, however, the* passage would probably occupy a somewhat longer time, as the mail steamers might go a few hundred miles out of their" way in order to touch at Honolulu. We understand that this route h;is recently been brought under the notice of the Colonial Office, and that there is some probability of the question of accepting the protectorate of Fiji being reconsidered, as it is not considered desirable that all the coaling stations ia the Pacific should he under the control of foreign powers. " This may be taken as the solution of the question, why was his" Royal Highness, Prince Alfred, instructed to curtail his stay in New Zealand, and visit the ifijia.'-rJllelbQUnic Uerald.