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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1476, 28 April 1873, Page 2

The s.s. Claud Hamilton, from Melbourne direct, arrived off Hokitika on Saturday morn-, ing, and was then tendered by the s.s. Waipara, which made two trips to her, first landing the passengers and mails, and in the evening the cargo. Acting under instructions from the agent here, the passengers', mails, and cargo for this port were landed at Hokitika, and "will be brought up here by the Waipara this morning. The Claud passed this port at dead low water on Saturday, and could not possibly be attended to then, unless the Dispatch had. gone, out' in the morning and lain in the roadstead for twentyfour hours, as, owing to the crooked state of the bar, it cannot, with any degree of safety, be worked at night. The agent here was assured that if the steamer waited here until Sunday morning an attempt would be made to tender her, which, as it proved, would"have—been -awuuuisd nl, __ seeing that- thelpß Charles Edward ran in safely yesterday morning, but the delay was considered by the Captain of the Claud' too much, although it would not have delayed the steamer's arrival in Nelson harbor by an hour. The consequence is that some eight passengers, two of them members pf the Nelson Provincial Council, have been left behind, and that there is much dissatisfaction that a better understanding cannot be come to between agents of ocean-going steamers and their tenders. The schooner Elizabeth Curie, from Lyttelton, arrived in the roadstead on Thursday, and was towed to the wharf by the Dispatch on Saturday morning. A little anxiety is . expressed as to the whereabouts of the Lizzie Guy, Avhich left Melbourne on the 3lst of last month for Westport, clearing the heads on the 3rd instant. She shoiUd ere this have made her appearance. Mr D. MJLeodhas commenced operations for the construction of a new wharf at* the f l inies, will- be removed, and the remaining portion, with a new superstructure, will form, with the addition now commenced, an elongated wharf, extending ' a less distance into the stream than the , wharves higher up the river; and thus all the more safe for vessels moored alongside when the river is flooded. The Wcmganui Ghronide thus refers to the s.s. St. Kilda, lately ipurchased by Seaton and Co., for the cattle: trade between Wanganui andthe West Coast :— " This steamer will not return to this port before the end bf July* or the beginning of August, as she p'rbceeds to Auckland after delivering her present freight at Onehunga. At Auckland she will be dismantled cut in two ; and lengthened 24ft; have extensive improvements made in her machinery, by which an increase of speed will be secured ; and be put in such" a state of thorough repair as. to make her nearly as good as new in some respects and infinitely better in others. Her owners will have to expend about L4OOO on her to effect these alterations and repairs, besides foregoing the use of her for four months. We trust, when she once more resumes her work as a cattle boat, she will prove as profitable to her present owners as to the W.S.N. Company, whose affairs would not have worn so roseate a hue had the St. Kilda been purchased by the firm now owning her, at the sale she was knocked down to the W. S. N. Company. Captain Flowerclay will continue his command, and.the alterations and repairs to her machinery and.the iron .work will be carried out under the supervision of Mr Cimdan, her engineer, whose plans for both repairs and alterations have been adopted by her owners." : . ■ On the voyage put of the Calcutta from London to this port, Captain King reports having fallen in with an abandoned vessel bn December 2G, in lat. 49deg. 24min. N., and long. Bdeg. 7min. W. • She appeared to be a vessel of about 1000 tons, a poop ship, with all her bulwarks gone fore and aft; and with large quantities of gear hanging over the poop. She was evidently a British vessel, and was in a sinking state. She had no signals df distress flying, and no boats were seen. , Her appearance aloft is thus described by Captain King— Foremast jibs adrift, foresail and foretop^ail blown away ; stump foretopgallant mast, mainmast, lee yardarm mainsail adrift, weather side of- mainsail blown aAvay, upper maintopsail yard hanging, vertical, maintopgallant sail adrift ; mainroyal mast aloft with a pole pn it ; mizenmast crossjack yard vertical ; mizen topsail blowing adrift ; stump mizen topgallant mast, spanker, and gaff gone.— A rgns, 19th inst.