SHIPPING.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1450, 25 March 1873, Page 2

SHIPPING.

PORT OP GREY.

HTGH WATBB. This Day— 6.24 a.m. j 7.25 p.m, ARRIVED. > March 24— Charles Edward, from HokiSAILED. March 24— Nil. EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Tararua, from Melbourne Albion, from Melbourne Kennedy, from Nelson VESSELS IN PORT. Dispatch, tug steamer Spray, from Lyttelton 10, from Melbourne Emma Jane, from Hobart Town Charles Edward, from Hckitika

The s.s. Albion, on her way to Melbourne Is due at this port on Wednesday. The Waipara makes a trip to-day from Hokitika to Okarito. The brigantine Aborigine sailed from Hokitika for Melbourne on Sunday, with a cargo of timber. In a leading article commenting upon the action taken by the recent Intercolonial Conference with reference to Ocean Beacon Lights, the Hobart Town Mercury says :— «' While our public men attended to the public interest and seek to have Tasmania relieved of more than its proper share of the cost of saving shipping, neither they nor the Colony have any desire to shirk responsibility where Tasmania's shipping interest requires that further precautions against disaster should be provided. Of this nature is the resolution of the Conference to the effect that the risk to life and property occasioned by the existence of dangerous groups of islands known aa * The Snares,' and the Auckland Islands, southward of New Zealand, render the erection and maintenance of a lighthouse in that vicinity eminently desirable, and that it be a recommendation to the Imperial Government, and to the several Colonial Governments, to contribute to the expense of such light in proportion to the tonnage of the stripping, inwards or outwards, in Great Britain, and in each Colony deriving benefit from the same. Tasmania would to Borne degree derive such benefit, therefore should she, while exacting her rights from others, be prepared to contribute Jier proportion of expenses incurred, even though at a distance from our shores." Northern Queensland is destined, at no very distant period, to be one of the richest pearl-yielding countries in the world. No less than from fifty to Bixty schooners — chiefly belonging to Sydney and Melbourne — are at present engaged in this trade. We hear of one schooner which, in six months, netted over L800O ; the captain's share, he being part owner, was L3OOO. The divers engaged yrere Wild Bay Blacks, who are considered preferable to the South Sea Islanders. About 150 pearls of large size and finest puritj, and £0 tons of shell, were the produce of the cruise. Tfaia valuable fishery is being worked ftp by Southern capitalists, and the whole proceeds go to the adjacent colonies. Thus Queensland is deprived of what ought to be a source of great profit to her. We hear that it is likely on the meeting of Parliament some scheme will be introduced by Mr Palmer for the purpose of making foreign intruders pay heavily, in this way, for a license for pearl-fishing in Queensland waters. No doubt this has been brought about by the late visit of his Excellency and Mr Palmer to the North, where the immense trade being — KJyes , aiiii, •Ss-cne-cnYei nstierie's are aTTwithiu the 60 miles of annexation boundaries, and jnany on the shores of the mainland, Queensland will soon reap some direct benefit from jbhe result of these foreign intruders. The trader Maid of Erin arrived in the Buller on Sunday, after a good run from Melbourne. Captain Cairns reports that on the 11th instant, at 2.15 p.m., when in latitude 40, and 159 east, those on board exjierienced a sharp shock of earthquake, last(ing for nearly a minute. The sensation, as .described by Captain Cairns, was precisely as if his craft had bumped upon and grated across a boulder bank. The weather at the time was fine, and a north-easterly Bwell prevailed. A similar shock, but of slighter effect, was experienced afterwards.