Crossing the Bar.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 542, 6 July 1880, Page 2

Crossing the Bar.

.'The Patea steamship crossed the bar inwards during a galeycsterday morning.

The Patea left Wellington at 11 a.m. Suficlay, in calm weather, but the afternoon inj the Strait was squally, especially towards night. The wind freshened from the south-east during the night, and was blowing hard about daylight, with heavy rain. The steamer had overrun the river when daylight broke, and the" tide not being due , tjll.about half-past seven, she had to steam about in the teeth of the gale. ~ Sh.o ..crossed the bar just before high water, the wind having .chopped inore towards the south, and rode through a high surf into smooth water. The passage from; Kapiti had been very rough and Captain Gibbons was .on. deipk all night. There were two passengers,' Mrs Brown and Mr Joseph l>ess. This is the second steamer that has lately entered the Patea river in a gale, and this second passage was more difficult than the former. That the Patea river is now perfectly sate and accessible in all weathers to steamers is amply demonstrated. Sailing ships will now find the entrance comparatively easy even in a storm. The Clyde steamship entered the river at dead low tide on Sunday, a feat unique in its way.