PORT OF HOKITIKA.

West Coast Times, Issue 137, 26 February 1866, Page 2

PORT OF HOKITIKA.

BIOH WATBR. Monday .. 6 a.m. ... 6.24 p.m. ARRIVED. Feb. 24— Egmont, b.b., 650 tous, Hagloy, from Nelson. Passengers— Saloon : MrsSprofc aad three children, Mrs Hunkins and threo children, MriPearson and child, Messrs South, Tennant, Kelly, O'Donnel, Lockliarfc, Thornton, Howard, and Donald j Fore Cabin, 61. F. Greer, agent. Feb. 26— Claud Hamilton, b.s., 800 tonß, Gordon Ponsonby, from Dunedin and Bluff Harbor. Passengers — Mesira Young, Coote, M'Vicar, Cohen, Hayman, and 30 in tho eteerage. F. Greer, agent. Bruce, p.s., Korley, from Okarita « BAILED. Feb. 25 — Egmont, for Nelson ENTERED INWARDS Egmont, b.s.. Hagley, from Nelson^ CLEARED OUT. ™ John Mitoholl, M'Lellan, for Okarita. IMPORTS. Per Egmont— Transhipped at Nelson ex Phoebe, from Southern Ports : Freo and duty paid- 1 ps, 1 ck, Biuzor j 1 cs, Drummond ; 1 pel, Millinrd ; 1 do, Bank of N.S.W. } Ido Jonei ; 7 cks •hoese, Bain and Co ; 1 pkg, Eamsay; 1 box, Louisson and Co; 7 pkgs cheese, Ching and Co j 7 do do, Brougham ; 29 pkgs luggnge, Sprot. Shipped at Nelson — 10 bags potatoes, 8 cs fruit, order. BXPORTS. Per John Mitchell — Duty paid nnd free : 411 T and Gr boards, 100 shelving do, Throckmorfrm ; 3 cs brandy, 15 do sundries, 6 boilers, 1 bdl buckets, 3 cs sundries, 2 oks portoi 1 , 20 bagi flour, 2 bags salt, 6 cs and 1 ck sundries, 140 bags flour, 2 bales shovols, Marks ; 200 battens, Simpson ; 184 pcs hardwood, Nohr ; 1 ton potatoes, half do onions, Marks ; 8 bags sugar, order. EXPECTED ABRIYALB. Lloyd'B Herald, ketch, from Duuedin. Auckland, s.s., from Sydney eitrly Thane, b.s. , from Nelson via Grey. William Miskin, e.s., fiom Dunedin. Isabella, from Dunedin. Dispatch, from Dunedin. Pearl, from Dunedin. \ Alma, from Melbourne William, brigantine, from Sydney, daily Spray, schooner, from Gbristchurch Otago, s 8, from Nelson, 2nd March. Storm Bird, 8 s, from Nelson, daily Kennedy, s.s., from Grey., this day Persevere, ps, from Melbourne, early Gothenbuig, s s, from Melbourne, Ist Mar. South Australian, from Melbourne, via Dunedin and intermediate ports, 26th Feb. PROJECTED DEPARTURES. Jans Lockhart, for Sydney early Otago, s s, for Sydney, 3rd March Claud Hamilton, ss, for Nelson and Northern Ml Southern Ports, 27th Feb, Storm Bird, s s, for Nelson, early John Mitchell, for Okarita, early . • Lapwing, for Grey, early Bruce, for Okarita, this day Kate, for Okarita, this day Colonist, for Sydney, early Amy Robsart, for Sydney, early Emma Eliza, for Okarita, early Tiger, for Groy, early ] VESSBLSjIN PORT. v Brig — Cosmopolito "Brigantines— Jane Lockhart, Colonist, Amy Robsart. Schooners— Caroline, Meteor, Emma, Eliza, John Mitchell, Kate, Lady Darling. Cutter— Lapwing Steamers — Yarra, Lioness. The s.s. Claud Hamilton, Gordon Ponsonby, Commander, arrived off tho Port last evening, Feb. 25th, after a rapid passago from Dunedin and Bluff 1 ,- of 48 hours. Fine wenther has been experienced on the passago. Much rain had fallen South', if full waterfalls and the surface wator of tho ocean nearly fresh be a criterion. She brings forty passengers mostly for Okarita. Since leaving this port on tho 16th instant, the Claud Hamilton has been to Nelson, "Wellington, Lytteltou, Dunodin, and Bluff, landing and receiving passengers for each successive port. She leaves this Port early for Nelson, from which place she will return hither en route for Melbourno, und keep regular dates of failing. Passed Okarita at noon and Showed number, &o. By tho great regularity of tho Claud Hamilton's passages sho has proved herself oue of tho fastest, as well as ono of the most comfortable steamships, now employed in Neiv Zealand waters. Wo watched with some interest the steamer Yarra enter tho river on Saturday las', with a load of passengers on board from the s.s. Egmont. Through a longer dotention in tho roadstead thau sho anticipated it was past high water when tho bar was crossed, and as by that time tho freshet had considerably increased it was a matter of some doubt whether eho would be able to overcome it. Over tho bar she came, howover in good stylo breasting the current most gallantly, but on arriving at the " Pinch" her progress was completely arrested by the rush of water pouring through tho narrow channel between tho two spits. Desperately did sho etrugglo to force her way through, now advancing a foot <jr two, and again stopping, her escape-pipe all the time belching forth clouds of steam, and her funnel black smoko, showing how busy were the demons below keeping up full power. Situated as she was every moment's delay was fraught with peril, as tho river was vapidly rising and the force of the Btreani increasing, and had she been compelled to have turned round and ran out again tho chances aro tho South Spit would have brought her" up. Luckily, however, the breeze freshened and canvas was at once set, which extra force enabled her to surmount the " hill " and got fairly into the river. But even horo the progress she made was very slow, and on her arrival abreast of the wharf, after twonty minutes hard steaming, so much had the freshet increased that her way through tho water was barely perceptible. Had she been twenty minutes later on tide a detontion of fortyeight hours in the roadstead would have been the result.

The P. N. Z. A .R. Co.'b b.s. Egmont, James Hagley, commander, left Nelson with light variable breezes and fine weather at 2 a.m., on tho 23rd inst. When abreast of the Grey the wind settled into the N.E., accompanied by a thick mist and rain. She came to an anchor o'i Hokitika at 11 a.m., on the 24th. The Egmont brings a small cargo and 76 passengers, of whom a small portion were transhipped out of the b.s. Tararua, from Sydney, and tho remainder are out of the s.s. Phoebe, just arrived at Nelson from tbo Southern Ports.

The p.s. Bruce arrived from Okarita last night. She left this port on the 23rd, at 6 p.m. with the John Mitchell in tow, and arrived off Okarita at 7 a.m. next morning. Whilst oroasing the bar the tow rope parted and the ketcn was placed in some peril, but favored by a breeze from the land she wore round ana reached the roadstead, the Bruce continuing her course up the rivorand reaohed her mooring place safely. In the evening she steamed outside for her oharge which she con» veyed cleverly to the landing place. Next day at 8 a.m. she left Okarita and reaohin ; Hokitika wbavf at 6 p.m. yesterday bringing fowitU hey the pnurngm from toeOfcui*

Hamilton and tho passongers luggage from tho b.s. Egmont. Tho Bruco roports tho Matilda schoonor high and dry on tho South Spit of (ho Okarita river, also that tho lona had safely arrived at that port. A small ship's boat was found yesterday morning, bottom upwards, buried in the sand of tho beach, near tho Montezuma. Four or five men, after taking somo little trouble, succeeded in placing it above high water mark, where it now lies in a rather dilapidated condition.

We aro glad to learn that tho p.s. Challenge lias been safely removed from her porilous position on tho Grey bar. No damago has resulted to her. She is expected to arrive here on Wednesday noxt.