The Oil Country of Poverty Bay.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1095, 4 July 1882, Page 2

The Oil Country of Poverty Bay.

(From the “ Lyttelton Times.”) A veby large amount of interest has been felt lately in connection with the petroleum oil producing part of the Colony, which has been brought before the notice of the public by the two Companies that have been formed to work so rich a deposit —the Southern Cross Petroleum Company and the South Pacific Company, the former Company has been the object of much interest and comment of late, consequent upon the very decided remarks thereon made by Sir Charles M'Mahon, one of the Melbourne shareholders, who visited New Zealand for the purpose of reporting upon the Company’s property to the remainder of the Victorian shareholders. His remarks caused a feeling of great distrust amongst many of those interested in the Company, who were completely at a loss to understand in whom they should place credence —the Directors of the Company, who had said that the properly was a valuable one, or Sir Charles McMahon, who said it was not. Several persons in Canterbury being interested in tke Company, and wishing to ascertain the real position of affairs, the writer was asked to make a visit of inspection, having had some experience in oil workings in Pennsylvania, and Canada, and at the invitation of the Directors consented to do so. Gisborne was duly reached, where I was met by Mr Win. Clarke, the managing Director of the Company, and others. Arrangements were made to leave for the Southern Cross Oil Springs, which are situated about 75 miles north of Gisborne, and a short

distance from the coast, by the s.s. Rosina, a steamer of 21 tons register, on the following Tuesday night, [pid as the weather had cleared up, a speedy trip was predicted. The predication, however, was not fulfilled, as the sequel will show. Accompanied by Mr Clarke I left Gisborne at 10 p.m. on Tuesday in the little steamer, and as cargo some rams had been shipped for landing in Tologa Bay, about 30 miles north of Gisborne, the understanding being that they should he landed by boat, so as to avoid the risk of the steamer being detained by the bar should she enter the river.

Tologa Bay was reached at 5 a.m. on the Wednesday morning, Queen’s birthday. About 10 the anchor was lifted, and to the surprise of all the steamer went over the bar and anchored in the Uawa river. No effort was made to get away on the same tide, and to this fact was attributable a delay of six days, through the steamer being bar bound, a heavy easterly sea having rolled in. Tologa Bay is a Government township, the principal part of the residents being Natives, who live on either side of the river, which divides it and gives it its native name, Uawa. There are three hotels in the place, Mr J. Allanach’s Tologa Bay Hotel being a very comfortable and well kept bouse, and the monotony of the delay was much relieved by the kindness shewn by our host, and his wife. There is a police station in the bay where one constable is stationed, but, strange to say, no proper Courthouse ; a store, the property of Mr Mullooly, one of the hotelkeepers, being used for the purpose. There is ajsehool, two Native churches, and an excellent general store, kept by Mr W. W. Brown. The country round Tologa Buy is very picturesque, and the land magnificently rich. Advantage was taken of our stay to visit Cook’s Cove, a spot situated at the south head of the bay where Captain Cook anchored his ship, and came ashore in search of water. The Cove is usually reached by boat, but as there was a tremendous sea running into the Bay, we crossed the river and walked over the hills ; and a most lovely walk it was. The track lies along the top of a ridge of hills, on either side of which are valleys, covered with bush, tree ferns, etc., the whole forming a most enchanting view. The ferns along the track are splendid, and of many varieties ; the maiden hair being found in immense banks in the shaded spots in the bush. Shortly before reaching the Cove, Cook’s well is passed. This is on the hillside, and is a basin formed in the rock, on which are cut a large number of names, but now so indistinct as to be illegible. The name of the great navigator, however, is plainly to be seen, the Natives having been careful to preserve it. The Cove is a very romantic spot, formed by a very large insulated reek, which abounds in eaves, and a short distance North of the Cove is Hannah’s Hole, an immense arch worn out of the narrow part of the cliffs by the action of the sea and wind. The roof and sides of tho arch show the different strain of the sandstone rock very distinctly, and some large fossil heads of fish are to he seen projecting from the sides and centre of the roof, which is very lofty. Having inspected the various points of interest a start was made for home, which was reached after another most enjoyable and exhilarating walk. Anyone who has to stay a few days at Tologa should not miss the opportunity of visiting this very interesting spot. The country to the north of Tologa is very fine and rich, and is occupied by a few Europeans as sheep runs, at one of which, the Delta station, Mangaheia, on block No. 2, the property of Mr 8. R. Stewart, I spent the Sunday. It is a delightful place, and in the heart of a most rich and fertile country ; in fact it would be difficult to find finer land anywhere. There is an abundance of timber and water everywhere, nature seeming to have provided just sufficient bush while leaving-large tracts of clear land. Tologa Bay was quite busy during our stay there, the gaieties having commenced with the arrival of a chief, Henry Potae, and his bride. This event was celebrated by the Natives in due form, and feasts and hakas were the order of the day. The party left on the day of our arrival for Tokomaru, Potae’s settlement, and as that day was Queen’s Birthday, various sports had been arranged, in which the Natives took part with great zest. The sports consisted of boat races and shore sports of all descriptions. There was a large gathering of Natives from all parts of the surrounding country, who made business at the different hotels very brisk indeed. The day’s festivities were hrouglit to a close by a negro minstrel entertainment, which was given in the." Courthouse !” The sitting of the Magistrate’s Court followed the sports after a day or two, and as there were some GO or 70 cases set down for hearing, the result was a large gathering of suitors, defendants, witnesses, etc. The Licensing Court followed the R.M. Court, which was attended by all the publicans north of Gisborne as far as the East Cape.

On the sixth day after our arrival, the sea having gone down considerably in the bay, it was decided to make another start, and in the afternoon we left the river and dressed the bar in safety. On clearing the bay, however we found a heavy easterly roll that did not look promising for landing on the coast. The wind freshened from the eastward, and heavy rain fell, making tilings anything but pleasant on board as the cabin was very small, and immediately adjoining the engine-room.

The steamer arrived off Awanui at 11 o’clock at night, and we had to be content with describing a circle about a mile off shore until next morning, a tremendous sea rolling in from the eastward and heavy rain falling. Seeing there was no chance of landing at Awanui, we steamed south for Waipiro, about 50 miles north of Gisborne, where the steamer brought up under the South Head in perfectly smooth water. We at once landed, and made our way round the beach to the ac commodation house, where we obtained two Native horses and set out for the oilspriugs. From Waipiro the road lies along the beach for some distance; thence the track leads into the hills through a large Native settlemens aud splendid country, the scenery being grand in the extreme. After a long climb to the summit of these hills, some 2000 ft, a very sharp decline leads down to Tuparoa, the next bay to Waipiro, and from there the road is very good indeed being almost level. The distance from Tuparoa to the Waiau River—the eastern boundary of the company’s property—being four-and-a-quarter miles. So few are the engineering difficulties that would require to be overcome that the Cook County Council have undertaken to form a dray-road for the four-and-a-quarter miles for £2OO, of which sum they will contribute £5O. From Tuparoa the track leads up the bed of a creek for some distance, when a slight ascent is made, and then you descend on the magnificent Waiapu Valley, some of the grandest country in the world. A sharp trot over the springy turf of this beautiful plain brings you to a Native settlement close to the banks of the Waiapu River. Here, as daylight was gone, we applied for the services of a Native to show us the ford over the Waiapu. The Natives nt once acceded to our request, and in a very few minutes oue of them had his horse saddled and piloted us over the river, which was up to our saddle flaps, and about five or six chains in width. Getting out of tho river, we at once came on the Rotokautuku block, the Southern Cross Company’s property. The block is bounded by the Waiapu River on the east side, the Mangaopara River on the north-east, and the Tapuaroa River on tho southwest side, the whole block containing about 5,600 acres, 1,450 of which are in the hands of the Company at present. The block, it may be stated, is divided, and belongs to two distinct .Native tribes.

After leaving the river bed, a short ride through the bush and then up a slight gradient on clear ground brought us in view of the Company’s works, the derrick standing out in clear relief in the bright moonlight. The ride from Waipiro to the Company’s works occupied exactly four hours, including a short halt at Tuparoa and a few minutes’ wait on the bank of the Waiapu. After having had some tea I took advantage of the very bright moonlight to have a look over tho block, in company with Mr Knox, the Company’s manager, a very able and intelligent man, The block contains a largo extent of flat land of the richest possible descriplion, with a terrace rising to a height of about 150 feet above the level of the river, and it is in a depression of this terrace which forms a small creek that the works of the Company are situated, and at the point where petroleum was discovered by a Government exploration party some ten years since. The derrick, which is a prominent mark for the eye over a considerable extent of country to the north-east, is sixty-two feet in height and is constructed in the usual American fashion—2o feet square at the bottom tapering to 6 feet at the top. Its use is for raising the long column of tools used in the A merican process of boring, and which consists chiefly of a cutting chisel, a sinker bar, a pair of jars, a tool to prevent jarring, and a rope socket. These make a column of about 30 feet in length, with a weight of some 15 or 20 cwt., and when boring are raised four feet by the walking beam, and then dropped on to the rock with great force. After working for some time in chopping out the rock the boring tools are raised in the derrick, and the sand pump, a long iron tube, six feet long, and three or four inches in diameter, is lowered down the bore. The debris at the bottom of the bore fills up the tube, which is closed by a ball and socket valve, and the tube is raised and emptied, the operation being repeated until the bore is cleared out, when the cutting tools are again set to work. Motive power is supplied by a very powerful engine and boiler. Tho whole of tho plant, together with buildings, etc., is very complete, and reflects t he highest possible credit upon the energy and management of the Company. Some difficulty was experienced by the contractor for the erection of the machinery in getting the boiler on the ground, but it was speedily overcome by the friendly aid of Major Ropata (whose pah, Wai-o-inatatini, is only a few miles distant), who went to his assistance with a large number of tho Natives and sopn had the boiler put in position. The bull wheel, which is used for rocking the walking beam, is 7ft. in diameter, built of American oak, the walking beam is 24ft. long, 18in. by 12in. in the centrb, tapering to 12 by 12 at the ends, which are iron fitted. Both the wheel and beom with its fittings were obtained from Titusville, Pennsylvania. Three holes have been put down, the first to a depth ef 6Sft., when it was abandoned, bein g found to be about two feet out of pliipib. The second, 141 ft., was abandoned in con-

sequence of the lowest of the borings having having telescoped. The was abandoned on tube two inches in d broken in trying to exl mass of mullock forced tube by the pressure of below. These three holes the circumference of a in diameter now sinking, was 71 feet down on the our visit. As the shaft is suwPWB different tubes are recovered. The™ sinking of the shaft was recommenced by Mr William Tatley, now manager of the Brunner coal mines, at Greymouth, who considered that the best way would be to sink in about 200 ft., recover the tubes and then either continue sinking or recommeuce boring. The latter course will, no doubt, be adopted, and the work will be able to be pushed forward very rapidly. It should be stated that presuming the ground will permit cf sinking the shaft, a small pilot bore can alxiays bo kept ahead to test the strata and to relieve the gas pressure when the gas becomes too strong. The boring from the new depth can then be prosecuted the column of tubes being stayed perfectly plumb from the surface. The quantity of gas emitted from the bottom of the shaft is now found very in- j convenient, and should it increase, as J no doubt it will, a blowing engine ready on tho ground will bo erected," and drive a column of air down the shaft through a nine-inch tube, which will force the gas to the surface, and and enable the miners to work in comfort. At first sight it does not appear why the boring should not be carried on to any reasonable depth ; but when we join the experiences of the Southern Cross Company with those of the South Pacific Petroleum Company, the former having put down 3 holes, and the lattter 5, all of which have had to be abandoned, we must naturally expect the reason for tho failures to be pretty well demonstrated ; and tho fact is that tho strata passed through are alternating papa —a very fl recent and soft shale—sandstone and g clay. The exposure to air causes the 1 clay to swell, and it grasps the tubes 1 with such adhesiveness, that it is found impossible, with the thickness of iron (Jths) hitherto used, to drive them down without accident. Tho South Pacific Company will shortly have to hand half-inch iron tubes, by which they hope to reach increased depths ; while (the Southern Cross are endeavoring to obtain their end by means of their shaft and ordinary thickness of tubing, of which they have about 1400 feet available. Should either Company reach solid rock that will‘d stand without tubing, there will theiifl be no difficulty whatever in any depth. The greater the taint’d so the show of petroleum creases, and the remark.iblo of gas, which took place some since at the works, should iudicat near approach to an old stratum. ~Li America, when hindrance is met with from excessive pressure of gas. it is frequently obviated by putting down twin bores, which, by alternate working, relievo the pressure. The paraffin mineral is a very rich deposit, and is found over a large area of the Company’s block. The soil varies in richness, but is all impregnated with this very valuable deposit, which here and there is found almost pure. The paraffin has been found at a depth of 31ft, so that there is every reason to believe that an almost inexhaustible supply exists, which, apart from the oil, makes the property a very valuable one. All over the ground, which is very springy, are to be found pools of water, from which the gas bubbles up, and is easily ignited on a match being applied, and on all these pools may be seen traces of oil.

Tho main object of my visit was to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the statements made regarding the Company by Sir Charles McMahon, who visited New Zealand on behalf of the Victorian shareholders. He was accompanied by Mr Michel Benies, an expert m paraffin manufacture, and in the distillation of oils. Mr Benies's credentials as a chemist in Vienna fully warranted the Board of the Southern Cross Company in endeavoring to avail themselves of his services, after his report on the property, subsequent to his first visit. Mr Jack, of Melbourne, was also one of the party. The statements made by Sir Charles McMahon were as follows :— 1. That there was no title to the land. The Company have a lease of the land from the Natives, paying for the same £SO a year, and a royalty of |d per gallon on every gallon of oil refined. Tho block is owned by some 155 Natives, all of whom with the exception of 15, have signed the lease, and matters are in train for having the lease certified by the Land Court that next sits in the district, there having been no such Court held there for the past three years. The completion of the lease has been left in the hands of Caftaiii Porter, who will have no difficulty in closing up this part of the business. 2. That the Natives had taken possession of the ground. During the arrangement of the date for the payment of rent, two Natives were sent up to the works by Major Ropata, the chief of the Ngatiporous, to warn any maliciously inclined Natives off the ground. The matter under dispute at the time was consequent upon the lease being incorrectly dated, but was very speedily arranged, and the Company’s manager was never out of possession of the property. The

only Native on the ground when Sir Charles McMahon visited it was the guide for the party. Major Ropata, chief of the Ngatiporous, bearing of these two statements, sent a letter to the shareholders and to the Poverty J3ay Herald in March last, contradicting them. In his letter he stated that the lease was perfectly good and valid. A difference existed at one i.itne between the Natives and the Company regarding the date from which payment became due, but this wasatoicably settled, and Major Ropata stated that the Natives were quite prepared to adhere to their first agreement, which was embodied tn the lease. He also stated that the Company had always had peaceful occupation of the property, even during the time the difference regarding dates existed, as it was to the advantage of both Natives and Europeans that the riches of the land should be developed. 3 That there was no road from Tuparoa, and, that the distance to that place had been grossly mis-stated. There is a good track from Tuparoa to the Waiapu river, the distance being 4} miles. The track for the first part of the distance lies up the bed of a creek, and the latter part is along the magnificent flat of the Waiapu valley. No tunnelling is needed, or would be I possible along the track. The creek L to be crossed is a very narrow one in--9 deed, and is not four chains in width, If a tramway should be required, a bridge of some 50ft span would pro- . bably be sufficient, but as the Cook County Council estimate that £2OO will be sufficient to make a good dray road there will be no necessity for heavy expenditure till there is produce to export, when the paraffin or petroleum will well bear any outlay for constructing a pipe line, tramway, or jetty at the place of shipment. 4. That there was no paraffin mineral to be seen. This statement is dealt with already. The paraffin mineral sent to Melbourre was taken from a patch situated about F one and a half chains distant from the engine-house, aud was not a picked sample. 5. That there was no petroleum. Petroleum is not only to be seen and burnt on the surface of the soil, but is •een at the bottom of the shaft, and at the top of one of the pipes, which is choked up and rendered useless for further sinking. An oil drum full was sent to Melbourne, and some small quantity has been saved in bottles at the works, in addition to a quantity of samples sent to different parts of this Colony. There does not appear to be difficulty in obtaining an excellent ■ show nt any time. <L -That at the place named for the IBrt it was impossible for any vessel to ■d except by whaleboats. I The bay at Tuparoa is open, as are Jharly ali the parts on the East Coast, Hit ar the soufjh-west side a long reef >f rocks juts out for a considerab'e <1 stance. Ar this place there would be no difficulty in constructing a jetty, ■which would protect shipping from the sea coining from any direction. A jet y could be constructed on this reef, it is

stated, giving 20ft of water within a quarter of a mile from the shore. The construction of these works would, of course require a considerable outlay, but when oil is found in quantity the work could soon be done. Messrs G. Stubbs and ft. 11. Motley, of Napier, .and J. H. Stubbs, of Gisborne, accompanied Sir Charles M’Mahon and party to Rotokautuku, the party travelling party overland, and when Tuparoa was reached Sir Charles ■desired them not to proceed any further, as he had then seen enough to know that the Company would never pay. He was overruled in this, and reached the ground, where he stayed about half-an-hour, never going beyond the dernck, engine-house, and manager’s house. One of the party dug up a spadeful of the paraffin earth, ■and asked Sir Charles to look at it, but he turned his back on it, and when another gentleman dipped his hand into a bucket of petroleum, and called his attention to it, he said that he did not believe it was petroleum. The gas was lighted, which sent up a flame about two feet in height, and at this Sir Charles expressed some surprise, and then immediately left the ground. On Mr Benies’ first trip to the Company’s property ho expressed himself astonished at the richness of the soil, stating that land with such prospects was worth £2OOO per acre in ftallicia. On his return to Gisborne he met the shareholders of the Company, and reported in the most glowing terms of the wealth of the property and the prospects of the Company, and stated that the waxy paraffin earth was worth £5 per cubic yard. The proposition made by Mr. Benies, at a meeting of shareholders held in Gisborne on August 13, last year —when he went into figures on the matter-to develop the resources of the Company was most carefully considered by the Directors, and Mr. *®eniA returned to Melbourne with the idea that he would be engaged by the Company to obtain and erect plant and take the management of the works. Mr Benies stated in his report that he was prepared to form a company himself, to erect plant, and work the paraffin mineral, if the Southern Cross Company would supply the mineral for 25 per cent of the nett profits arising from their sale. He also said that he "would have no hesitation in investing £20,000 in the grounds. The Company, wishing Mr Benies to demonstrate the value of the earth, in November last sent 9821bs to Melbourne, where it was tested

most thoroughly. The experiments were conducted under the supervision of Sir C. McMahon, Messrs J. H. Stubbs, W. H. Fehon, and W. McLean, who reported that they were satisfied as to the value of the crude material, and the results produced by Mr. Benies’ mode of treatment. The products extracted from the crude material were as follows : Light Oils, viz— Petroleum, tether, gasoline, mineral turpentine ... ... ... ... 54 Kerosene 132 Lubricating oil 40 Paraffin ... ... ... ... ... 30-1 The following is Mr Benies’ report on the test: —“ The yield, therefore, amounts to 31 percent, of commercial products, having a value of £l5 Bs. per ton of raw material. The paraffin butter sent over for this experiment was of a very inferior quality, being the surface stuff, and containing a large percentage of roots, stones, loam, Ac. On my prospecting visit I found the paraffin butter very much superior at a depth of four to five feet from the surface, and the above results must therefore be considered very satisfactory. In treating this paraffin butter the deeper layers will, I believe, yield 75 per cent, on the raw material, which would be equal to £37s. ss. per ton commercially.’ On tha completion of this test as to the quality of the material, the Directors Bought to obtain Mr Benies’ services to eome orer and lest the quantity, but it seems that he had been previously engaged by Sir Charles McMahon. After visiting the ground with Sir Charles McMahon, and previous to leaving Gisborne, Mr Benies assured Mr Clarke and the Directors that everything was all right at the works, and the ground having been cleared more since his first visit confirmed him in its first impression as to its value. Still he was silent when Sir Charles McMahon denounced the whole affair as a gigantic swindle, and that there was neither paraffin or oil. Certainly his course of action was, to say the least, very remarkable, and cannot easily be understood. There appears to be a very clearly defined oil line from Kawa Kawa, in the Bay of Plenty, through Rotokautuku, the Southern Cross property, to Pakeka o Whirikoka (South Pacific Company), a distance of 80 miles ; and lately a block of laud, 20 miles south of the South Pacific Company, situated at Patutahi, and 11 miles from Gisborne, has been applied for, in order to prospect for oil, where it is said that the film of oil is found on water, and a strong and satisfactory odour of the mineral is obtained on the surface of the soil. The country where there are indications of oil is nearly all Maori land, about half of it being under Crown titles to Natives, some of it Government laud, and the remainder native land, pure and simple, and titleless. The development of the demonstrated oil line should be one of the most popular subjects for speculation of the present time ; from end to end of the line rich hydrocarbon gas can be obtained in different places. At otie place, south-west of Rotokautuku, is a spot called Te Ate o te atua, or the Fire of the Gods, where the gas, when lighted from the ground, keeps alight for months, according to the nature of the weather ; the flame being extinguished only by a very strong breeze. Undoubtedly there are no such prospects open to view in the United States or Canada, as all places where a trace or smell of oil could be seen have in those countries been long since utilised ; and it is a question of doubt whether there has ever been known a natural surface show where a payable oil was not found with very little labour. The geological formation of the country is different to that of the United States or Canada, where the solid rock is found at a reasonable depth, the average, perhaps, being less than 100 ft in depth ; but in this country the rock seems to be in process of formation, being so soft as to be easily cut with an axe, and the argillaceous strata absorb atmospheric air, and swell after exposure. The difficulty to be got over is only a technical one. The failures in the borings at present have not been valueless, as experience has been gained, and the first well that is put down successfully will show the public how the difficulties can be overcome, and numbers of others will then be speedily follow. It would be well if there were several other enterprises of the same nature as the South Pacific and Southern Cross Companies’, as oil is sure to be obtained sooner or later, and different points being tried at the same time would, no doubt, materially minimise the risk of failure, and shorten the time for fruitful development. It may be interesting to our readers to learn that the activity in the direction of the discovery of a payable oil field has been a result of the Sydney Exhibition, at which some samples were exhibited in the New Zealand Court. Immediately after seeing these Mr Clarke, an old Australian colonist, who had just seen the Pennsylvanian and Canadian old fields, and appreciated the enormous amount of wealth poured out by Nature in those countries, turned his attention to the subject, and has since then made it his sole occupation. He first started the South Pacific Petroleum Company in Sydney, which was supplemented by New Zealand capital. After this had commenced work, he formed the Southern Cross Company, which has the bulk of its shareholders in New Zealand. >lr Clarke is understood to

be the largest shareholder in both Companies, and is certainly deserving of the success that, from all appearances, is within reach in a reasonable time. The difficulties that have been met with are those which are inevitable in all new and unsettled countries. For instance, when iron rings for the shaft are required they have to be obtained from Auckland, from which port a steamer arrives weekly in Gisborne. They are then transshipped into the s.s. Rosina, which mav make the trip in a few hours to Awanui, the present landing-place for goods for Port Rotokautuku, but has several times taken 10 days doing the distance owing to bad weather, so that sometimes a year or more may elapse before goods ordered from Auckland can be delivered. Other steamers are, however, to be placed on the Coast shortly, and this should prove the means of obviating the very vexatious delays in the means of transit that the Company has had to contend with lately. Some splendid winding gear has been obtained from Auckland for the works, and is by this time doubtless on the ground. A large gang of men were also engaged by the contractor to go up to the works by the first steamer, and the services of a thoroughly competent mining overseer have been obtained, so that no time should now be lost in completing the work of sinking the shaft to its proposed depth. It behoves the management of the Company to see that this work is prosecuted without any delay whatever, so that the work of boring may be recommenced. There is every appliance now on the ground for carrying out the work, so that no time need be lost by the contractor in finishing the work. The property, it will be seen, is a very valuable one, and when developed must prove of immense benefit not only to the district of Poverty Bay, but to the whole of the Colony. It may not be out of place to remark here on the great want of better means of communication between the shore of Gisborne and the steamers that call in there. At present the Union Company’s steamers call regularly once a week, going North and South, the former on Sundays and the latter on Fridays ; so long as the weather is fine things go on smoothly, and passengers can land and embark without much difficulty, but when the weather is bad and the sea high matters are by no means pleasant, and passengers are occasionally carried past the port, while those ashore have to put up with the annoyance of seeing the steamer leave them behind for another week. An instance of this occurred on Friday, June 9 ; the Ringarooma on that day called in at Gisborne on her way South from Auckland, and anchored in the bay at 4 p.m. Several passengers were in the town waiting to travel South, and many of these went down! to the beach to ascertain at what time the steamer would be tendered. The tide was low at the time, and the heavy fresh of the previous days in the river had not improved the condition of the bar to all appearances, although there was not much sea on. ’To the great astonishment of all no signal of any kind was made to the steamer, although it was stated that a boat would probably go out to her about 9 p.m., and later that the steamer would not leave before 7 o’clock next morning, The steamer remained at anchor until midnight, but no signal being made to her to stop or any communication held with her up to that time, her master no doubt thought that it was impossible to work the port and left for the next port, Napier, carrying on several persons who were bound to Gisborne, aud leaving behind a number for the South, all of whom were very much disgusted with matters generally.