SHIPPING SUMMARY.

West Coast Times, Issue 233, 18 June 1866, Page 4

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

As compared with the month April — Hay, there has been a slight falling off in he shipping trade of this port during the nonth immediately passed. This is to be done, attributed to the fact— that the requirements of Westland markets are so veil understood by consignors that goods ire no longer " rushed 1 ' to the port, gluting the market, and resulting in auction isles at ruinous discounts to all interested lave the auctioneer and the agent 5 but U9tead, a steady supply is kept up, which employs only a moderate number of vessels, which by their constant re-appear-ince are now regarded as regular traders. By a reference to the monthly list of shipping, it will be seen that the bulk of our supplies is drawn from Melbourne, eight vessels being marked down as having arrived from that port. Of this, number six are Bteamers, that, besides passengers, all car-, ried more or less cargo for Hokitika. These boats are most regular in their arrival, and depart with equal punctuality, save when unavoidably detained by the state of the weather or bar. Their trips are monthly : the Gothenburg, Albion, and Rangitoto (or another of the Panama Company's boats) putting in an appearance between the Ist and 7th, whilst the South Australian and Star of the Evening are looked for about the 28th or3oth. The Gothenburg, which arrived on the Ist inst., brought, as usual, a large cargo, consisting of between two hundred and three hundred tons of miscellaneous goods, and fortunately succeeded in landing it in excellent condition, and without delay. The Rangitoto and Albion, however, were not equally lucky; for after waiting some clays, they were compelled to proceed to Nelson with " part of original cargo." The direct departures for Melbourne are less than the arrivals from .it, as steamers usually make the round of the coast, and take tneir final leave of the j Middle Island at Bluff Harbor. Our Syd- ; ney, friends, never particularly demonstra- 1 tive or favorably inclined to Hokitika and j its belongings, 'have fought rather "Shyer j than usual, two brigantines, which were once regular traders, having been taken off the berth. We allude to the Colonist and Amy Robsar\ The firm of W. S. Lockhart, however, still find profitable employment, for their vessels in West Coast waters, and two of the fleet, the Jane Lockhart and the Lizzie Coleson, have been told off to especially trade here during the winter. Direct communication by steam with Sydney takes place about once a month, for which we may thank tho Panama Company. With Dunedin we have but little direct communication, the s.s. William Miskin, once a constant visitor, having been taken off the berth ; so the s.s. Keera has the trade entirely to herself. One sailing vessel during the month has arrived from that port, and we have returned the compliment with the like number " in ballast." The Lyttleton traders J. B. Russel, Crest of the 'Wave, and Isabella Jackson arrived, and departed with their wonted punctuality, and we are glad to see communication by water so well kept up with our eastern brethren. No vessel depending on canvas alone now runs between Nelson and Westland, the trado having been monopolised by the two coasting steamers Kennedy and Wallibi, and the ocean boats which make both places a port-of call. We have, however, seen the Kennedy and Wallibi but once only this month. In the >' •ih Island, the one port with two names (Manakau and Onehunga) still supplies us with large quantities of produce, which is conveyed hither by several small craftr, whose bottoms are well acquainted with the Hokitika river. Their trips have been usually made with regularity and despatch, and their cargoes lnnded in excellent condition. There is a slight dcci ease in the Westland coasting trade during the month, which in a great measure may be

I attributed to the season, and also that no ' new goldfields have been discovered iitely, cither to tho north or south. With Okarita a steady trade is kept up by the p.s. Bruce, which can find her way across either bar at all hours ; whilst Greymouth is attended to by the sieamers Yarra and Persevere, which visit that port chiofly for the purpose of lowing vessels in and out. We still draw large supplies of coal from thence, tho trade employing two or three small schooners. Referring to shipping disasters on the coast, which havo been imsually few, aud unattended, save in two instances, with serious result?, we will revert to the stranding of the tchooner Maria, of which a full account was given in last month s Summary. The " oflieial enquiry," hoA'ever, was not concluded until a fortnight later, and from" tho evidence addiced, we believe that hor loss was caused through taking the bar too late on tide. No blame, however, is merited by cither the Pilot, or Muster of the Steam Tug as it is almost impossible to depend upon the regularity of the ebb and flow here, the tides being so much influenced by gales outside, which, rolling up a heavy sea, cause them to " overrun," or in other words, keep the tide at its highest some time after it should commence ebbing. This causo removed, and a corresponding reaction takes place, so that the most experienced of our river men are often deceived in their estimation of the time of high water. We regret to state that the Maria I) as since become a total wreck, nnd that very shortly hardly a vestige of her will remain. Tho ketch Lloyd's Herald, which unfortunately grounded at tho same time, afterwards made the overland passage, and now lies safe in the river. During that portion of the month between the date of the Maria's catastrophe, the 6th instant, no mishap occurred ; but on that day the Yarra, p.s., having on board sixty or seventy passengers, got into difficulties on tho bur, and very seriously endangered the lives of the whole of her living freight, of which one was washed overboard and drowned. This sad occurrence is solely to be attributed to the unusually heavy surf, which broke in six fathoms' vvater outside, so that there was a strip of white water half a milo wide to be crossed. For some days, the weather had been exceedingly unfavorable for | the landing of either passengers or freight, but on the day in question it cleared up a little ; and as tho Rangitoto had arrived from Melbourne that morning, the Persevere crossed the bar at early tide, when the sea was not quite so heavy, shipped a few passengers from her, and steamed for the Groy. Some two hours ' later, the Yavra also left the river, and ran alongside the Rangitoto, transhipped passengers, and thon steamed for the bar, the tide by this time having commenced to ebb, and which raised a terrible sea. The Yarra, however, crossed the outer break, and so long as she kept end on to the sea all went well ; but being obliged, at last, to sheer to the south, it brought her broadside to the surf, when she was struck by a succession of monstrous rollers, which smashed in her bulwarks, partly tore away the cabin skylight, and so completely deadened her way that for a few minutes she was tmmanageable, nnd it was feared she would fill and go down. Fortunately, however, no water penetrated to the engine-room, and a lull ensuing, way was once more got on her, and the river entered just as daylight was departing. It was the first sea which struck her that washed away one of the .passengers — a gentleman uamdd Dalton, redding in New South Wales, and who had run across in the Rangitoto to receive certain moneys due him on cattle sent over in the Benjamin Heape. For a few minutes he was seen .struggling in tho surf, when he sank, as it was quite impossible to render any assistance, The body has not yet been cast ashore. One other disaster we have to chronicle, which, although it resulted in the total wreck of a small schooner, was unattended with loss of life. The vessel wo allude to, named the 1 Maid of the Mill, was inward-bound from tho Grey, with a cargo of coal. The p.s. Lioness took her in tow, but wheir just on the bar, with her charge astern, tho warp parted, and an attempt to make a second fast, failing, tho little hooker drifted through the surf into a blind channel that runs parallel to the beach, and let go her anchor. The chain, however, not strong enough to resist the heavy jerks upon it, snapped, and the schooner was cast upon the beach, where she became a total wreck during the night. She was not by any means a valuable vessel, and was certainly a most unsuitable vessel for Westland seas. The ports of Greymouth and Okarita have .been free from shipping casualties during the month.' The entrance to our own port, durinjr the same period, has, .on the whole, been favorable, although several times the bar has been very scant of water. At the same time vessels of ordinary draught find no difficulty in crossing, and since the beginning of June heavy rains, by flooding the river, havo kept it clear of silt, scoured the channel deeper, and given it a straighter run outside. At present it contains fourteen feet, of water, and the two powerful tug-boats, Lioness and Challenge, attend exclusively to this port. Vessels bound in may depend upon receiving prompt attention. The river and harbor works, which we fondly hoped would long ere this havo been .completed, have made but little progress during the past month, That portion of the wharf (so much required, not only for the sufo mooring of vessels, but for the protection of certain parts of the town), which our sluggish rulers decided upon constructing is not yet finished, whilst, lacking protection, the river bank lower down has gradually melted away, leaving no pathway whatever in front of the buildings. Above the Custom House piles have been driven and interlaced with scrub, which, if not washed away, will he a very effective protection to that part of Gibson's Quay. In concluding this resume we would most strongly advise masters of vessels on no consideration to attempt the bar under canvas.