THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2841, 23 March 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1878.

The Chairman of the Harbor Board yesterday received a communication by telegraph from the Premier (who is now in Wellington) in reply to his Jetter requesting that the services of Sir John Coode may bo secured for an examination of the Thames Harbor. The reply is to the effect that Sir George Grey will do what he can for the Board. This is so far satisfactory, but a definite promise of a visit of the engineer would have been more so. The date of Sir John Coode's arrival iv the Colony does not appear to have been fixed, nor has anything very definite been stated as to the length of his stay. Judging ,by the rate of his remuneration and stay in tho other colonies, ' however, it is probable that the visit of the eminent engineer will be a flying one. It would, therefore, be well for the Harbor Board to have prepared some data for Sir John's information regarding the depth of water at different parts of the channel, the influence of winds and tides in forming or removing backs, and other information, in fact, which the Harbor Master should be in a position to afford, and which" must necessarily be of service to an engineer coming to report on a harbor he sees for the first time. It cannot be expected that even a gentleman with such a reputation as Sir John Coode cari arrive dt facts in regard to what may be called ":local influences " intuitively. He will require to be fully instructed in regard to these things —about the bars, shifting channels, silting up of foreshore—in fact the history of the harbor for the past ten years, before he can bo expected to report and advise regarding permanent harbor works. The Chairman and members of the Board will, we hope, be fully prepared to render the assistance indicated when Sir John Coodo pays his visit to the district