PORT OF LYTTELTON.

Southland Times, Issue 749, 13 November 1867, Page 2

PORT OF LYTTELTON.

bahodj. Nov 10, 1 p.m- — Tararaa, s.s., for Dunedin. Nov 10, 1 pjn. — Taranaki, s.s., for Dunedin.

» i Our old acquaintance, the barque Prospector, from London, entered the river yesterday afternoon, and was brought to anchor in the lower pool; she will, no doubt, draw alongside the Jetty at the first faVorable opportunity. We understand she brings a full cargo of general merchandize for this port. Tint Pacific Matt. S.S. Chuta.— The P.M.S.S. Co.'s steamer China, the second of the fleet now in course of construction for service in the line between San Francisco, China, and Japan, arrived at Panama, from Wow York, on the 30th of August. Tho China is described as in all respects one of the finest steamers that has ever Bailed from New York. Her hull is from the yard of Mr H. Webb, and of the following dimensions : — Length, between perpendiculars S6oft j do over tJ] v" ■• T ; breadth of beam, 46ft 9in; moulded c i outer planking, 49ft lOin j depth of n She has three complete decks and .._ ;ck. She has also four water-tight biu- . :•- » forward and aft. Her floors are of white oak, 15 inches by 18 inches, and 14 inches at the head, solid and coaged. She is ironstrapped on the inside of the frame and outside of the inner course of planking, is double planked from her keels to tho wales and is edgewise bolted in the most thorough manner; her deck planks art 1 inchas thick ; she is barque-rigged, having fore and main sails, and top sails and top gallant sails. Her machinery is from the Novelty Iron Works. She has a steam engine, 105-inch cylinder and 12 feet stroke, is 1500 nominal horse power, with Allen's cut off, surface condenser; four tubular boilers and a horizontal tubeß, heated by twenty -four furnaces. She is supplied with an independent circulating pump, driven by two inverted engines of 18-inoh cylinder and 18-inch stroke ; an Andrew's centrifugal pump and two 15-inch suction valves to take the water out of the ship when leaking, besides two 10-inch bilge pumps driven by the main engine, and one 12-inch injection. She has three No. 7 donkey pumps, with two independent boilers ; these pumps can be used for pumping out the ship or in ca9e of fire, and in the latter case she can throw twentyfour streams of water at once if necessary. In addition to this she has steam pipes to put out fire in every part of the lower hold. The boilers are entirely cased in iron. She is ventilated forward, the air passing through the entirt ship, discharging itself aft through the pipes. She Has accomodation for 500 first and second class, and 800 steerage passengers; is provided with 1500 life-preservers, 12 metallic life-boats, and 2 life-rafts. Her capacity is 3886 tons government measurement, or 5000 tons carpenter's measurement. On the main deck are sheep and poultry pens, and accomodation for fifty head of cattle ; pantries, kitchens, storerooms, and officers' messrooms, and rooms for the butcher and barber. A Valuable Appabatxjs pob Reepixg and SiTUHft Sahs. — The Brooklyn Press says : — " A new apparatus for reefing and furling sails from the deck of a vessel, thus dispensing with the necessity and danger of going aloft, is now atattracting considerable attention of those interested in marine improvements. It is a very •imple invention, the more valuable however on that account, and reduces the number of ropes sow used in the operation of furling and spreading iail to two — namely, the sheets and clewlines. These are attached to two booms, one at each clew at the bottom of the sails upon which, in furling, it revolves, being, as it were, rolled Tip. In sstting sail, all that is necessary to do so is to slack ths clew-lines and haul in the sheets, when the sail is let down, assisted by its own weight. In furling, the press of the wind upon the sail aids in rolling it up, besides which it is all the time taut, thus enabling it to be carried to the vary last minute in bad weather. A great saving is made here both in canvas and rope, it being wall known that the friction of the many ropes used in the old style of rigging is very destructive. The invention i» the property of Charles Peterson, a practical seaman of many yoaro experience, by whom it was conceived and Brought into working operation some few months since in California. It is now being applied to the clipper ahip Guardian, of Comstock's line of San Francisco packets, shortly to sail from Pier 31, East Eiver, New York."