IMPORTS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 626, 22 January 1870, Page 2

IMPORTS.

Per Murray, from Nelson :11 tramway wheels, D Maclean and Co ; 1 truss leather, 1 box grindery, Grant; 1 bale leather, 1 package, O'Brien ; 31 cases fruit, 16 do eggs, Cohen ; 1 bag, Mif fin j 1 case hoots, White j 10 do fruit, S ensas eggs, Magoffin ; 4do do, 1 bag vegetables, Woolcock and Co ; 8 sheep, 24 pigs, 1 cow, 4 lambs, 4 cases fruit, Scott; 10 packages furniture, Bryant; 4 oars, Oon^ way ; 5 do, Wilkiu ; I case, Nancarrow ; 38 cases fruit, Drane,

The 8.8. Kennedy is expected in a day or two from the North, and is announced to Fail for Westport, Nelson, Wanganui, Toranaki and the Manukau on Tuesday next. The smaH coasting steamer Murray, Capt, M 'Gillivary, arrived from Nelson. Westport aud. Hokitika. yesterday afternoon, and crossed the bar at half-ebb, although the signal did not invite her to do so. By her Captaiu's report she left Nelson on Wednesday last,, at 10 a,m., experiencing fine ■weather to Westport, where she arrived at 4 o'clock next morning, but could not enter till half-.past ten. After discharging passengers and cargo she sailed for Hokitika the same evening, arriving there at 9 o'clock yesterday morning, crossing the bar at 11 30 a.m., landing passengers, and goods aud leaving for Greymouth abont twenty minutes. past one o'clock. On orqssing the bar, the captain reports ten feet aa the lowest depth, far less surf running here than at Hokitika;, where several very heavy seas struck the vessel as she came out. Here, however, the bar is in splendid condition, with plenty of water at full tide, as is unmistakeably proved by the Murray finding so much at the late stage of tho ebb. She comes in ample time to carry out her pronosed trip to the Flying Squadron, for which we understand several passengers are already waiting for her departure. She leaves at noon this day. Could, not something, be done with the fast-increasing Nelson Spit so as to ensure a deep channel in either of the guts, that are designated by that name ? We fancy if the Harbor Master were to try and throw the body of water into one channel a greater depth would be secured, and vessels drawing over 10ft would uot be compelled to discharge part of their c rgoes before arrival at the wharf. These two channels are both narrow, and something could be done with them w rere a Kttle expenditure of money authorised. Tbe whole of the work could be carried out tinder the supervision of the Harbor Master. The ketch Brothers and Sisters, Captain Perkins, crossed the bar on Thursday in tow of the whaleboat belonging to H. Bowie. Had the vessel been provided with sweeps she could have very easily and with all safety gone out otherwise unaided, but through not being so provided four men iv the whaleboat took her quickly out and returned with perfect safety. Our old friend the p.s. Pers.sve.re has at last come to serious grief at Hokitika. While entering that river with t! >c passengers from 8.8. Cland Hamilton on Wednesday evening at right o'clock she took the gronnd as there was not enough water in the channel. -' s the tide made Captain Robertson endeavored to get her afloat again, keeping the paddles going continually, and at last he. was success-. ful in backing her off, but was unable to get head round to seaward. Under these circumstances, the Persevere gradually "sageefl" to the northward, aud again took the ground on the extensive flat shoal which extends along the n< rih beach. Here she stuck hard and fast until the tide made, and in spite of the paddle wheels going round under a firil pressure of steam, she commenced to thump over the bank, and at last' became a pile-up on thft beach. Lines wore got out and passed ashore, and these w«re seized hold of by hundreds of willing hands, who endeavored to get her backed into deep water, but all efforts proved unavailing, and the attempt was abandoned, The vessel was shortly after this hove up high on the beach by a heavier sea than usual, anil the passengers with their luggage were landed in express waggons.. During the ni^ht she was much injured. It was, however, thought that she was not beyond repair, and for that purpose, the neci»3ary material for raising her oa ways was sent down to the beach. The flood tide of Thursday, however, caused more damage to the little boat, and when the tide bad ebbed sum'ciently-to aDow of an examination, it was found she was badly bilged oa both sides, and that the boiler had shifted from its bed. A survey was held, which resulted in the vessel being recommended far sale, and on. Friday the wreck was sold on account of whom it may concern. This will be the last of the Persevere, aait appears she is so much injured as to be beyond repair. Captain G. A. Phillips, of the barque Glencoe, which arrived in port f vom Dunedin, on 16th Dec, reported that o.u the evening of the 2nd, while running through Foveaux Straits with a light N .E. breeze, struck on a reef not marked down on the qhart, and remained iground abaft for about half an hour, there being deep water forward. Fortunately the barque was not in ai,y way injure" d— Iloburt Toicn Mercury. A Queenatown paper of October last says } —One of the smallest screw steamer 3 that ever crossed the English Channel at this season of the year arrived in harbor- on Friday morning, from Cowes. She is named the Cuckco, and manned by Captain Wakley, John Groves, engineer, and Frederick Vincent, seaman. She was built by Mr White, Cowes, for Lord Lennox, and is now the property of Mr Smith Barry, M-P-.i Foaty. She is an open screw steamboat of about two and a half tons, has a temporary covering over the coal locker, and a email saloon astern, capable of admitting only, four persons to sit in, has no cooking accommodation, nor any berths. Thn crew were obliged to take such stock of prer-aied fund as was necessary for the voyage, and they did not change clothes since they left Cowes. It appeare from the log that they left Cawes at 7.30 am. on the 7th September, bound to Queenstown, with a strong wind from the westward, which considerably increased, aiid they were obliged to put into Yarmouth. At iiine o'clock a.m. on the 9th they again provctdtd to s^a with a mode-rale south->ycst

wind, but subsequently fell iv with a heavy sea and increased wind, which compelled them to bear up for Plymouth As soon as the weather moderatoil they put out to sea again. On account of the heavy gales and seas they were obliged to put into tho latter port three times, and left on the 22nd, and at 9 30 p.m. on that day put into Dait ■ onth. On the 26th left the latter por-, and in conscquenco of tho very heavy seas nui'>hv. r .vul being short of coals bore up for Plymouth. On the Ist October they proceeded thence, and when off Dead Man, it coin.nien.ced to blow strong, with a very heavy sea on, ami the little craft rode remarkably well, soarcely having shipped two buckets of water. On the 4th she put into Plymouth, and subsequently inio Penzance, which port she left at 5 p.m. on the sth October, a galo blowing E.S.E. with a heavy sea, which she wethered remarkably well, and arrived at this port on Friday morning. She ia a credit to hor builder fron^ the inanier in which she behaved in strong gales and heavy seas, and great praise- is duo to her commander and crew for the skilful manner in which she was navigated. Intelligence has beon received in Dundee announcing the total loss of the Alexander, (s.) which left that port on the 4th May for the purpose of prosecuting the Davis' Straits whale fishing. On the 18th July, when about the middle of Melville Bay— the lat. bsing 75,©^. 42sec. N., lon. (10. leg. W.— a heavy gale from tlie south was experienced. In going through a narrow neck, the ice closed in on her. The continuance of the gale increased the perilous situation of tlie vessel. The ice was gradually becoming more strongly packed around her, and the position looked singularly threatening. The pressure seemed greatest afb, where the vessel was least able to bear it ; and the yiel ling planks were, ever and anon creaking, as if ready to give way. The ice floes were high above the deck of the ship, and she was looked in on all sides. On Saturday night, the 17th July, the steamer was so severelynipped that it was feaied she would not recover. All night the ship continued to quiver and start as the vast masses of ice were being driven with groat force against her sides, already much shattered and weakened. The water was found to be coming in rapidly, and tho pumps were immediately s.et in motion. But the morning disclosed an aspect of affairs by no means cheering. Tho planks appeared torn from the stem-post, and openings large enough to admit a man's arm were apparent. The crew by this time had been warned to leave the ship, although a lingering hope wa a cherished that she might still right. The boats were got out on the iue, allliougli not without some difficulty, and the crew had all their clothes stowed iv them. To provide against any emergency, an ample supply of provisions w s taken out. Nothing could now be done. The crew had just to remain on the ice to see what was to happen. The position of the Alexauder was every hour becoming more and more inextricable, and her sinking seemed absolutely inevitable. The pumps being utterly overpowered, the water increased every minute, and ultimately the ship gave a lurch, subsiding considerably at the same time. Shortly after the vessel sank 6'era foremost, the a^en**, ps described by the crew, resembling somewhat a launch. From the time the vessel was Irst caught iv the ice to the time of her sinking only ten hours elapsed. The hands (55 in all) were taken on board the Ravenscraig, Esquimaux, and Erik, anl were lauded at thj Dani h settlement at Lievely.