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Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 735, 4 October 1870, Page 2

The ketch Jane Elkin, from Kaiapoi, was towed to sea by the p.s. Dispatch on Saturday. The s.s. Murray sailed North on Saturday's tide. The schooner Wild Wave cleared out at Lyttelton for this port on the 58th ult., with a cargo of produce The schooner Aborigine, Captain Connor, from Melbourne, whose arrival in the roadstead we noticed in our last, was brought to the whirf by the p.s. Dispatch on Saturday afternoon. She cleared Port Phillip Heads on the 21st September, and had light westerly winds till the 23rd, then strong S.S.E. and N.N.E. breezes on the following day, and latterly light variable winds until her arrival in, tbia roadstead ou Friday morning. She left in company with the Zephyr, for Hokitika, and was clo3e alongside her three days out^ but arrived a day before her. The Aborigine bring 3 about 230 tons of general merchandise, in first-rate order, and is consigned to Messrs Glenn Brothers, to whom we are indebted for three days' later papers than those received by the Rangitoto. About 8 p.m. on Tuesday last, a serious accident occurred to Captain M'Lellan of the s.s. Gazelle. The vessel was lying at Messrs Birch and Co.'s wharf, Kaiapoi, and the captain, on walking along the deck, fell into the hold, which had been left open. He was so seriously hurt that he had to be carried to the Pier Hotel on a stretcher. We have received a communication from a nautical correspondent on the subject of the loss of the schooner Bertha on Cape Liptrap, which wa mistaken for the Heads. He says that as far as he could learn in conversation with Cullen, the sole survivor of the wreck, no one on board had any knowledge of charts or courae3, or navigation. The loss, he thinks, was entirely due to this ignorance, and he blames the Government for allowing life and property to be recklessly lost by the absence of any provision to secure the efficiency of those in charge. A large number of ships leaving Melbourne are, he affirms, sailed by men who hold no certificates, and their making a successful voyage is mainly dne to good luck. How often is it said, when the Navigation Board hold an enquiry into a wreck or other accident, that they would have suspended the captain's certificate if he had one, but as he holds no certifi-

cate he escapes punishment altogether. And so it happens, says onr correspondent, that men who have woYked hard to qualify themselves for the proper discharge of their duties are exposed to the unfair competition of these men, who can afford to offer their services to owners at a cheaper rate.— Argus. The wreck of the Victoria Tower has changed hands, together with the tents, tools, and all other appliances lately in use by the party employed in getting out the cargo. The purchaser is Mr Andrew White, of Bream Creek, and the price paid is said to be a very moderate one, considering that there are still in tho hold 30,000 slates and a large quantity of railway iron and water pipers. These, however, cannot be got at with safety to the divers until the wreck becomes further broken up, so as to let the ower deck fall down, and this is stated to be Messrs Warbnrtou and Co., the late owners', principal reason for selling. — Jb id.