ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 46, 22 February 1864, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

' WEynß ! *NOT^HOLD • OI^EIjTOS^SFpNaiBI^ •:•-.. ii^A^j^^TsiQ^kAm^mmsx-Bi^^ q^j, corespondents. '-;VvY- ■* v*££<MAfl;jJ&Wbfts4A^ Sjn,--*f hinii^begs ihrough the rmedUnn H&f Jyb^wifumns, tb| express %|ew itimavk* -upon' a totter* which- appeared in^hb'dbl&nma ; j3i;*i;]ie^s^^ "Consignee" jin^whiqh^e^ishesvto^wf tho atteiition pf ri<Kculpus /arid,"^ which the ' 'Harbor j, relation's : , apeA carried.' biit, Jfco, „ | iNow^ambhg the r dhargeVw)iich ".Coni|f^re^^ . thih% propel which were V recently "^bi^^ Master 5 of '"the \ %Ad^^^iA,'^^^^^o^i and* another/ for -hot exhibiting thefrnight I light. ' I -quite differ ih. opinion with "Cdv« isignee" in "considering. ? this breach of the i Harbor regulations trifling ; for instance, take the William'^^MisMn- steamer as an example : suppose that .-vessel to be steaming noiselessly upy'JthefCchannel .of the New River at nigEtprathbut. lights, and a boat going doA%^^;tlieA.contrary- direction fancying.,, themselyes -approaching- jthe , ■ steamer lying* at' v aiicjiort iarid mider this delusion a collision takes placed ending with loss of life, kc, then probably " Consignee" woxdd bet he yery first ..'to ; complaih of* 4he -waafcpf . attention on the part, of the Harbor master in not carrying out the h'arbpr regulations with more V; severity; Vl thmki-great credit-is 'due to, the Harbor department-for- their vigilance and determinatipn on .^carrying ouktMstimpOrtant i portion of theii* ? i*egidatibnsf mo^e pijticularlyf when neglected hy' ' "steamers when 'under steam. I am sori^itha,t'/'iC6iisighfee'Vd(jesnot 'personally, -.know--: .the. resident j^gistoate of Inyercargilii if lie ydid, : lic ,r wq3^\'.npt fiieliere ■ any ' party ' who" might" "say tliat^ the case brought by the Harbor master ,'., against j Capt. Jarvey,'bf ithe "VKtama;' 5 -for ?;breach ' of the. , ; Harbor | ; L r,egiilatipns,,. had . been previously arranged __ against - him,. ; .Captain Jaryey. _Next " Consignee" .wishesytp^eall attention' to the^facty' that -the Titama arrived with a . full j-cargo of merchandise, ka., on S unday, i.4th iustant, , .but. instead. oL being . . berthed alongside as usual,; she had to lay outside of a large vessel^ the This clever " Consignee '- JU naufieal matters now falls into a gross error,.-wlicnjhe states that the Restless on that day was drawing less water than the..- .Titania. •, 2STpw, , the ;fact ( isjthat at that time the ' Restless was drawing 8 feet 6 inches, and the Titania - ;at -most 7 feet -2 or 3 inches ; yet, this fact is what " Consignee " terms framing t an excusejfor Hot removing thie' j Restless,-r4-as a-party »hfid informed him '-that 1 the Harbor Master, was afraid to, offend the master of tlie' Restless.' : : H " Cbiisighee" goes •about .with, -Vhis . .-mputh; : open tp:;catch. : flies, he niight by mistake ; catch a stinging ; wasp, which woiddVi probably not improve. .. his . relish „, for- , . : scandal . -in The Sunday alluded to was rather of ~a boisteroxis nature,^ ;9Yhieh,'-:;ihi. my ;• :Opinioii, would make it a wprk of considerable labor to remove aiiy vessel upon such a dayj yet the Depiity-Harbor-Mastcr. was inj attendance to superintend the necessary operations of practicable removals, &c. A "Consignee "seems, to f question- .the- , Harbor- Master's V- ability .-tb] remove the Restless. In one sense- he is correct, as that t vessel ,w-asjfar -from being afloat. Shoidd the Harbdr^Master's ' nautical experience ever fail. in any emergency, I am*! .afraid he would gain nothing- new by consult*' ing / " Consignee.''- He • further. /states that through eithei* neglect vpr incompetency ''.pf the , harbor department, the Restless had sustained considerable damage; .k'cA VjJow, • sh*, ; lIA person here alluded to, . is Mr. , Bi-ay,. Cliier Pilot; New' River- Heads (as 'he' piloted hi the Restless).- • ; Mr. ,Bray_ has; been.; a cling in that capacity now about thrs*. years, and : when: ; he..- , was jr appointea,; the New. -Riyer; : ppiijld :. only^^ boast of one jfloathig buoy betweed! tlip ; Heads .and Invercargill' Jetty, \ which was known as the Red Buoy, the oidy other; guides to indicate the channel Avere branches, of, trees stuck here and there near the edges , : of •; the, channel, yet, during these dayspof ; ;jdiffieulty this officer managed to perform his duties to. the satisfaction of those with whom his services brought him , ; in i contact. V - /The :. Jiarbbr n-has^- imder* gone gl*eat . ■; improvemerits ; thi-bnghbui;, 5 sinci9 Mr. .Bray's appointnienti' and^ his: * genei-al career as a pilot does. r :honor toi himself, and reflects credit, on the, department .which Le represents, as one of its competent- pfficer-, H; and he is'abvays ready,! ableand^villing to R execute his dioties wherever his services may H] be required: VfThejshghfr damage. done;to the KJ Restless was neither caiised by. neglect, pr ; iii*-'B* competency, ; but/ ; oiily , one. of .theihaiiy iui* B| avoidable accidents." to shipping, in A shallow B| Avaters. Trusting that you wiU ; pardon raj .K intrusion upon yoiu* valuable time and space, H| I am, &c, . M; '„"''.'■V An bi£p. Tdentitt. Hi 20th February, -1864. ; •. ;- -v m