PORT OF GREY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2048, 2 March 1875, Page 2

PORT OF GREY.

HIGH WATEE. This Day— 3.46 a. m. ; 4.14 p.m. ARRIVED. Marcn I— Nil SAILED. March I— Nil EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Charles Edward, from Nelson. Wanganui, from Oamaru and Dunedin. Spray, from Lyttolton. Sarah and Mary, from Lyttelton. Emerald, from Lyttelt^n. Edith Reid, from I unedin. Granitp Ci'y from Danedin. Lizzie Guy, from Lyttelton VESSELS TN TORT. Dispatch, tug steamer. Samuel Merritt, from Newcastle Isahella Anderson, from Oamaru. St. Kilda, from Melbourne Experiment, from Hobart Town Star of the Sea. from Wellington. Eichard and Mary, from Wellington.

There were no arrivals or departures at this port yesterday. The "rhooner St. Kilda is announced to leave this day for Melbourne rlirpct Th* 3 p.B Titan remains in port in order to tow her to sea the first opportunity. The action commenced against Captain Casey, of Auckland, owner of the steamer Lily, for T. 1500 damages, arose this wise : — The plaintiff. Mrs Clarke, with her infant, was Bitting near tho boilpr on the st"amer. when two tubes burst, and th* "casing warer poured over her and the child Boh hav> been laid up for sorcn wee' j s. but are now recovered Damages for the injury are 'air? at LI OOO and loss of h^r services at. LHOO Captain Casey offered to com-romise tho matter at a low fieure but fhe declined The following description of a long oc p an race is from the Melbourne " Argus :"- "The ships City of Hankow and Thomas Stevens, from London, left on the sa^e day, tho 17th November, and arrived at Port Philip Hea-Is wi f hin fifteen hours of each other, the City of Hankow being in advance. She arrived on the 30th ult.. t>>e Thomas Stevens next day — the length of their passages being respectively 75 days and 76 days from Tondon. nnri 70 days from the Lizard, the Cit\ clearing the land on the 2lßt and the Thomas Stevens on the 22nrl. They were within fight of each other several times during the run out. The race was almost exceptional ia its closeness so far as voyages to the Colonies are concerned " The "Shipping Gaz-tte" states that the Bessemer saloon steamer went down the Humber recently, but. in consequence of the fog. and a heavy fall of pnow, was unable to'make a regular trial over the measured mile. Her performance was, however, satisfactory in every respect. With only two thirds pressure of steam, and only 20 revolutions per second— instead of 30 as was expend— she steamed at the rate of 16 miles an hour against a head wind, and with considerable sea on. She steered admirably, the low bow acting well, and the separate set of paddle wheeiß working in unison most effectively. The preparations for the s rctic expedition are being actively pushed forwar ', and the dockyard laborers are at work niebt and day on the ships selected, in order that they may be rea^y by May. Old Arctic voyagf va say that the expedition should not leave later than the beginning of May, otherwise the eastern coast of Davis's Straits will be closed by the ice, snd the western passage, which is dangerous and difficult, will be the only route left open Captain Nares, who has been in command of H M.S. Challenger in her scientific voyage, has been appointed to the command of the expedition. In his monthly contributions to the "European Mail," Anglo- Australian gives an account of the sailing of the ship Earl of Dalhouaie from London to Adelaide with immigrants, and describes a " new patented system." introduced for the first time, iv berthing, the married people. From the description given, it is evident that the plan is elaborate and ingenious, but, as the writer says, "it is a'moat impossible to convey a clf-ar idea of the arrangement without the aid of a plan and sections ; but we may arid that, the object sought seems perfectly attained by the new arrangement— viz., that each couple shall have a dressing and mess compartment communicating with th*ir berth, the whole accommodation in each case being perfectly separate from the remainder of the passen> ers, thus ensuring thorough privacy, and this wLhout adding to the space already allowed. The Earl of Dalhousie is the first ship fitt-d in this way." We are delighted to h-ar that so decided a step has been made in the above direction, and hope that if the new system proves a practical success, it will be adopted in all immigrant ships trading to the Colonies. The same writer conveys a valuable hint taken from the "Lancet," re the exportation of hides fmm the Colonies. He says —" It appears that at a recent meeting of the A caden>y at Paris Mr Jaccond refem d to an "pio'emic oftyihua which te r-itnes c ed on board the packet Gironde, from Rio de Janeiro to Bordeaux. Twenty-four persons were attacked, of whom five died The disease arose from a cargo of ha'f-tauned hides coming from La Plata, where, for the last few months, a severe cattle plague ha<l been prevailing. The author concluded that very serious fevers may be engend rcl from hides coming from animals stricken with the plague. He entered into the pathology and the therapeutics of the case he had seen. anH considered that the authorities should step in No cargo ought to be allowed to si I which doeß not bear the strictest hygienic investigation, and the carefulness ought especially to be extended to passenger boats The importance of this suggestion will be Been at once The practice here id. I believe, to destroy the skins with the carcase, and it would be as well that it should prevail in our Colonies, as one diseased skin might imperil the lives of a whole ship's company, to Bay nothing of those of the passengers."