SHIPPING.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 153, 27 September 1876, Page 2

SHIPPING.

p OUT 0 F PAT EA. EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Agnes, schooner, from Waitapu, eerily. Pearl, ketch, from IVaitapu, daily. TIME OF HIGH WATER. This dav—2l.4l a in.. 4 20 pan. Thursday—s.B a.m , 0.1 pan. Friday—6.4o a.m., 7.28 p.m. The London Timex says :—“An interesting lecture on the utilisation of the homing or carrier-pigeon was given at the Zoological Gardens. Regent’s Park, recently by Mr. Tegetmeicr. After describing the origin of the pigeon voyagenrs, the methods of training for the long conconrs, or races, tlm powers of flight extending to upwards of 500 miles a day, the lecturer described the details of the pigeon post used during the siege of Paris, and stated that at the present time every fortress and fortified town in Germany "was provided with flights of trained pigeons, by which communications could be sent into the town, if invested by a hostile force, lie then proceeded to describe the latest application of the homing faculty of these birds, namely, the establishment of communication from lightships to the shore, so-that by the "use of the maritime code of signals two or three letters stamped on the wing would convey the intelligence that assistance of any kind was desired, and •would provide a means of communication when no other method was available. The experiment is being tried, first at Harwich, and as soon as a sufficient stock of birds lias been reared, it is proposed to keep relays on board the adjacent lightships, so that in case of a second wreck like that of the Deutschland, requests for assistance could be immediately conveyed to the authorities at Harwich.”