PILOTAGE OF THE HARBOUR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 707, 17 August 1859, Page 4

PILOTAGE OF THE HARBOUR.

TotheMditoroftheLytteltonTimes. 'Sik,---IsluLll Teel obliged'".if you will allow me through youivctilumnslto state any opinion, as the ■master of a large ship, of thejwautsof suclia ship >in making your peart. ■'■- ; When I m^Ue}|his part of the coast, on Tuesday the "2n*d instant,'it was '[ thick and dirty weather, •witfd ;'fvesh'.%6m ;S.S;W., %hicli at midnight, mccr< eased ito: aiErisk:gale, with squalls. By qccasionally'seeing;theiafid andl.thebeanngsaHd soundings !I ■had.'jl ;was 'tbish some ftve^miles off Cachalot Head, theentrance to tile harbour. I hove the ship toj^and :showed. lights m the liope that a pilot might'eome off and takeineih.-But nothing was seen ofhim norof thelanditill 8^ at.'ih.; when it cleared and^inoderateftjiand, to my (disgust -1 found I had drifted, to Table Island, :30 imiles to the-northward, 'frpm; which .pbirit, the wind, being "S.S.W:, it took m 6 ■ ffiirfcy• six -hours to wdi'k JbaeK to, the entrance ■iof tire port.; ','"; ' :.;.::' '"'".':"\': '"' T dm sorry^tp say tliat there is nb assistance whatever given to strangers eriteiang this port, as there •is'lh other parts of New 'Zealand which, I have visited! j But!trust tire time \ is not for distant when-the Provincial Government will take steps to ;have such'assistance rendered to vessels'as the Mary Ann and others like her, ■arriving with numerous souls on boards so much require. At a very small expense this port could Ye very, easily made out at any time, either by day. or night.' The difficulty at present is that there are no less than three bays within five, miles of the'port, between which and Poit Cooper.the only difference is that the former run; South, and the latter S^W; by W. ; The object therefore is Jo establish a' distinguishing mark on one of the heads-rsay Cachalot Head, as it is called in the charts. A: flagstaff alone would serve for day, but a small light woiiTd serve by night as well. Ships could then make out the port at any time, and could in confidence anchor if a gale was apprPaching, instead of being driven to sea again to avoid funning any' chances, as I wW. An additional, ad vantage1 of such an arrangement. would .be that the, news, of the arrival of a. ship; in, the offing (name and all) could be commumonted to 'Christchuirchi and elsewhere with great rapidity. The Mary' Ann was visible from the plains all the day before she anchored Jin the harbour; but her name was 'not known at Christchurch till late ub night."". :;iy v ;';: .;■■•'■;'; ;. r . ' '■■-''" ' ''*', "' I ,afn cdnstrained to remark also, that there ia great need' of a better pilot service for this port. A pilot'residing in the centre of the town, entirely ignorant.of a ship's neighbourhood'during the whole'time that:she is most in'vraht of his services, and boarding her only when she is half way tp the harbour, does: not deserve; his name. To" do hi* iduty prbperly' he should be stationed at or near the heads with a small cutter. I trust the good people of Canterbury do not forget1 the loss of the' ship Dunbar at Sydnf}' Heads,: in" the month of August, 1857, with 110 souls on board, who. all ineta watery grave, thro'igH trying to make 'her port on a dark night without proper assistiance. ' ! ;'" '. ;Jn the hope that the evil I speak of may sooa be removed, , r ; • ; • ■;''■'■■""' :I am, yours, &c., ,;;:,': . : vwilliam ashbt, 'Commander of the ship Mary Ann.