PORT OF BLUFF HARBOR.

Southland Times, Issue 652, 3 April 1867, Page 2

PORT OF BLUFF HARBOR.

ABBIVBD. March 31— -Flying Scud, 12 tons, Cross, from Stewart's Island. April 2— Tararua, 8.5., 700 tons, Hagley, commander, from Melbourne, with general cargo and passengers. T. G-. Tanton, agent. SAILED. March 30— Mary BriUiard, 20 tons, Hughes, for Port William, Stewart's Island. March 30— Why Not, 30 tons, Burko, for Inrercargill, with 47 bales wool. March 31— Hercules, 139 tons, G. Walker, for Newcastle, in ballast. J, Waddel, agent. March 31— Kate, 40 tons, Clarke, for Riverton "with cargo ex Leonidas and Phoebe. March 31— Dorcas, 8 tons, West, for Ruapuki IMPOSTS. Per Tararua, s.s.— lo kegs staples, Dalgety, Eftttray and Co; 1 pkg, 1 case. Gellatly i 40 cases kerosene, Morison, Law and Co; 20 bags flour, 1 qr-cask rum, 1 do brandy, 10 cases whisky, 1 bale raisins, 1 case oil, £ brl herrings, Waddel, 4 trusses, 2 bales, 1 case, J. L. M'Douald; 1 case, J. Austin ; 3 pkgs, Brown and Paterson ; Bpkga, W. P. Porter; 1 case, Ekensteen, and Hall; 3 cases, Gk Ott ; 1 case, Perkins ; 1 case, 1 bale leather, Colin Brown ; 1 buggy, 1 pkg, OaHer, Blacklock and Co ; 1 box, M'lntyre. PASSESTGER LIST. Per Tararua— For Bluff : Messrs Dobson, and Murray, Mrs Smith, Miss Kelly.— For Nor them ports, 73, including about 40 Chinese for Otago.

. The 8.8. Tararua, left the Sandridge Railway j Pier on the afternoon of Thursday, 28th ult., clearing Port Phillip Heads at about 6 p.m. same evening. Experienced fresh -westerly and northwesterly winds, withJfine weather throughout the passage. "Was off the Solander at 10 o'clock on Monday night— weather very thick, and night excessively dark. Steamed on slowly, to make the Bluff at daylight. Came alongside the wharf »t 8 a.m. on Tuesday. The Tararua is a full »hip this trip, having a heavy freight, and a large number of passengers, besides 12 horses on deck, the latter have reached this length without an accident. We find that the schooner Swordfish has n-g arrived at Stewart's Island, as announced in our last. Mr Pilot Bray has just returned from Port William, and informs us that the only vessel in that harbor when he went over was the .schooner lady Emma. The Swordfish being daily expected, the Lady Emma seems to have been mistaken for her — hence the report. The Ella Gladstone, brig, J. T. Rogers, ILioufe. ENR.from London tn IToWfc Town and InTercargSl, New Zealand, arrived at Hobart Town, on Thursday, 14th March. Captain Rogers re- ' ports that he left London on the 12th November, and the Lizard on the 23rd of that month, and experienced very heavy S.W. gales in the channel. The Ella Gladstone is consigned to Messrs MTherson and Co., and brings with a large quantity of general cargo for Hobart Town, cargo for Invercargill, New Zealand, for which place she Trill sail after discharging that portion of her loading consigned to this port, and filling up. The Ella Gladstone first arrived here exactly yesterday three years from Liverpool, and •was employed in the colonial trade, principally between Melbourne and New Zealand, until April last, when she loaded home with wool from Invercargill. The brig has 10 tons powder also on board.— "Launceston Chronicle," 20th March. The schooner Swordfish, Captain JSTapper, Cleared out for InvercargiU, Now Zealand yesterday -with piles arid sheep hurdles. The schooner, which will call in at Taylor's Bay to take in timber, sailed yesterday evening. After taking in timber at Taylor's Bay she will come up to town to fill up for Invercargill. — From the " Hobarfc Town Mercury " of Wednesday, 20th March. The steamer Southland, which was lately purchased from the Southland Government by Messrs Spence Brothers. Hokitika, sails this day for that port, having, during a stay of three weeks at Port Chalmers and Dunedin, undergone extensive modifications adapting her more completely for the trade in which she is to be placed. The alterations have been carried out under the personal supervision of Mr Fisher, agent for the vessel, and of Captain Kirkpatrick, who has been appointed her commander j and they have been effected with an attention to the requirements of her trade which should ensure for her successful a career, if she have anything like an average share of immunity from the risks which have to be borne by the owners of steamers on the West Coast. The Southland was originally — that is, scarcely three years ago — a fine paddle steamer built at Newcastle-upon-Tyne for the Southland Government, with the intention of being employed as a tender to shipping at the Bluff and New River, or in the local coasting trade. She was a vessel much superior, in dimensions, power, and outfit, to any vessel of her class in New Zealand, being 130 feet in length, with engines and boilers of 80 nominal, and 120 actual horsepower j and her deck and cabin fittings were superlatively complete. On her arrival in the Colony. further additions were made ; extensive deckhouses weie erected, and an amount of work executed which has now to be undone, as unfitting her for river or bar-harbor trade, if not always of doubtful utility. On-coming to this port, she received her first overhaul on Mr Isbister's slip at Port Chalmers, and, on its completion, the carpenter and blacksmith effected a considerable alteration in her outward appearance. Her heavy side houses were removed, the galley placed amidships, her gponsons cut open in the form of gratings, and her paddle-boxes so altered as to permit the free egress of the water, while they were so strengthened with iron girders as to enable the vessel to bear with impunity the weight of a sea on a bar, or the rough work of transhipment in the roadstead. By these alterations the vessel has been lightened of nearly, five tons of superfluous and very badly situated deck weight. She was further lightened by the removal of about fifteen tons of stone ballast, placed in the head of the vessel, and about the B&me quantity from the after compartment. By this' removal of dead weight fore and aft, and of the extra weight on her wings, the vessel will naturally act iiiore freely in a sea-way, or under any circumstances, than she could possibly have done previous. ly. <,With a heavy cargo in, she is now only drawing six feet six inches, and on the Weast Coast it is not often that she is likely to draw more water, the supply of coal carried being usually light. One material advantage whioh-ifee-Seuthland has for crossing bars, is the fact that she is fitted with engines which are disconnecting, as well as powerful j and her boiler is a very superior one ; the whole being the manufacture of Thomson, Boyd and Co., Spring Garden Engine Works, Newcastle. On deck she is fitted with an unusually powerful steam-winch ; but this, like some of her Other heavy fittings, will probably be dispensed with. For greater safety in a sea-way, her enginehouse has been' strengthened by cross bars of oak and iron straps j and she is fitted with two wheels, and separate steering gear — one on the bridge, which has been extended, and the other in the usual situation aft. Below decks, her accommodation consists of a chief cabin, more spacious than those of vessels of much larger sizej and a fine, roomy fore-cabin. To the former are attached the captain's cabin, and a small cabin for ladies ; and in the latter there are twelve passengers' berths, and very considerable floor space. Both cabins have been very tastefully painted and decorated, and no small amount of painters' and gilders' work has been expended upon the deckfittings and upon the 6croll-work of the hull. Altogether the alterations made have beea well designed, and effectively carried out j and on the West Coast, there has not been, nor is there likely to be for some time, a more efficient steam- vessel ilian the Southland. The Bruce, which was also )flte\f refitted at this port, is understood to have

some advantage as to her draught of water, but the Southland has more thau one equivalent advantage, and, with two such vessels, the requirements of the West Coast, iv the. matter of facili-. ties for passenger and goods traffic, are likely to be much more adequately accommodated than by the fleet' of small sailing craft, and the occasional coasting trips of ocean steamers, upon which the trado has hitherto been mainly dependent, lhe. Southland is joined by Mr Davidson, as chiet engineer, and her chief officer is Mr Larkms, formerly of the Gothenburg and other Melbourne steamers.— " Otago Daily Tunes."