PORT OF HOKITIKA.

West Coast Times, Issue 340, 25 October 1866, Page 2

PORT OF HOKITIKA.

High Water This Day.— -10.30 a.m ; 10.55 p.m.

ARRIVED. October 24 — Beautiful Star, s.s., Morwick, from Sydney. ' E. and J. Houghton, agents. Little Fred, brigantine, Champion from Manukau. Wn\. Dunlop, agent.

SAILED. October 24 — Alma, barque, Moore, for MclBourne. Beautiful Star, s.s., Morwick, for Wellington.

(ENTERED IN.

Beautiful Star, 125 ftms, H. Morwick, from Sydney, in ballast. Passengers— 3o steerage. Little Fred, 131 tons, W. Champion, from Onehunga, 5 passengers. Bruce, 95 tons, James Kerley, from Okarita, 38 passengers.

EXPROTKD ARRIVALS.

Taranaki, s.s., from Wellington, to-day. Alhambra, a.s., from Melbourne, to-morrow. Albion, s.s., from' Dunedin, via Nelson, tomorrow. Oineo, s.a., from Melbourne, 27*h inst. Francis, schooner, from Heathcote, early. Mary Van Every,' schooner, from Dunedin early. Win. Miskin, s.s., from Dunedin, to-day.

Frederic, barque, from Melbourne, early. - Mary Grunt, schooner, from Melbourne, early. Dancing Wave, schooner, from Melbourne, early. Florence, schooner, from Melbourne, early. Alexandra, schooner, from Melbourne, early. ' Moyne, schooner, from Melbourne, early. Sarah and Mary, brigantine, from Melbourne, early. Claud Hamilton, s.s., from Sydney, thisday. Susannah Booth, from Sydney, early. Tinonee, cs., from Sydney, 25th inst. Gothenburg, s.s., from Melbourne, 7th pros.

PROJECTED PKPAKTCUES

Bruce, for Grey, Pakihi, and Buller, to-day. Taranaki, for Melbourne, 26th inst Phoebe, for Bluff Harbor and Dunedin, 26fh inst. Alhambra, s.s., for Melbourne, 26th inst.

Albion, for Melbourne, 26th inst. Airedale, for Sydney, 26tli inst. Omeo, s.s., for Melbourne, 2'Jth inst,. Gothenburg, 5.8., for Melbourne, Nov. Bth. VESSELS *IN PORT. Brig — Clarendon. Brigantine — Hector. Schooners — Tona. Tiger, John Mitchell, Mary Anne, Qymraos, Emma Jane, Tain bo, Glengarry, Little Fred. C utters — Elizabeth, Volunteer. Steamers — Yawa,' Challenge, Persevere, Bruce. impouts. - Per Little Fred, from Onehunga — 100 casks stout, 5 cases hams, 5 cases bacon, 2 casks currants,' 4 cases sal id oil, 18 bales hay, 80,000 ' feet timber, 13,000 bricks, 18 bngs lime, 50 bags oats, 14^ hhds ale, 18 bdls buckets, 13 bdls broom handles, 4 hall-chests tea, W. Dunlop. n Per Bruce from Okarita— 2l3o 0z5.12 dwts. 12 grs. gold, Bank New South "Wales j 1000 ozs. do, Bank New Zealand.

Determined to keep up her reputation as pioneer of the West Coast, the p.s. Bruce" is about starting on an expedition to the northward, her former exploits having been chiefly confined to the southern seaboard. The late rather favorable accounts from the Pakihi diggings, which are situated on the river of that name, between the Buller and Greymouth, have induced her agent to lay the Bruce on for the Buller, and on her arrival there she willshould reports touching the navigation of the Pakihi render such a course prudent — proceed there and add another laurel to the many she has already earned by being the first steamer to cross the bar of that river. She is advertised to sail at 7 a.m. to-day, and most heartily do we wish her a safe, profitable voyage. We believe that she will carry away a considerable number of passengers.

The steady downpour of rain throughout .yesterday put an effectual stop to shipping business, as discharging cargo in such weather' wa^ not to be thought of. The river was in a state of high flood, and swept past the wharf a turbid stream, with a velocity that at low water was but little less than eight knots. In the morning the current was not so rapid, and at high water the Challenge towed out .the barque Alma, bound to Melbourne, and returned inside with the Litrle Fred behind her. The Yarra also left the river to tender the s.s. Beautiful Star, which was observed lying in the roadstead at daylight. Twenty-eight passengers were transhipped into the Yarra, which immediately returned; and, although the weather was so thick that the signal station could not be seen, she' hit the entrance fairly, and crossed the bnr without tou'ehingv ground. The' Challenge having a heavy schooner in tow ran a greater risk, but the local knowledge of her master was quite equal- to the emergency, and she also crossed without scraping.

The contract for refitting the p.s. Persevere has be^-n accepted by Mr Grindly, who tindertakes to have her ready for sea in ten days. We should be glad to see this usefut vessel once more at work.

The three-masted schooner Little Fred sailed from Manukau bound to this port on the 12th instant, with moderate N.E. breezes and thick rainy weather. Next day the wind shifted to the S.W., and steadily increased, the sea also rising rapidly. For a few hours it was blowing a whole gale, and the vessel was brought down to double reefed canvas, making very bad weather, and shipping much water overall. On the 14 th Cape Farewell was sighted, and as there was no chance of getting round it in the teeth of such a gale, it was determined to run#for shelter to Port Hardy. Bore up accordingly, and came to an anchor in that haven at 5 p.m. Remained there fpr three day?, and in meantime filled up wood and water. The weather having moderated, sail was made on tlie 17th, I ' and the following day the schooner was well to the southward of Cape Farewell, but the breeze failing her, she drifted about in the vieir.ity of the Cape for two days, when, a light sou'wester springing up, she worked down to the coast abreast of Grey River. Then a sudden shift of wind to the N.E. carried her to the roadstead, where she anchored at daylight on the 24th, and was towed inside by the Challenge at 9 a.m. The Little Fred brings a full cargo. In a former issue we stated that she put in to Port Hardy in a leaky condition. This is to a certain extent, confirmed by the captain, who, however, affirms that the leak -was not serious, ns she never made more than two inches of water an hour. It was bad weather which drove her to shelter.

The s.s. Beautiful Star arrived in the roadstead from Sydney yesterday morning, having left that port on the 17th inst. Light N.-E. "weather prevailed during the first four days, aitor which light airs all round the compass, and calma characterised the remainder of the passage. She brings no cargo, but merely called off the port to land passengers, 28 in number, which at tide time were transhipped by^ the Yarra, and conveyed inside. The Star then up anchor, and steamed away for Wellington. By the courtesy of Messrs Houghton, her agents, we have received Sydney files to the 17th inst. They contain but littie news of interest. Happily the fears entertained for the safety .of the William Miskin are uniounded, as her' agents, Messrs Royse, Mudie & Co., received a telegram from the Bluff yesterday morning, worded as follows : — " Miskin reported by Ashley off Caswell Sound. Should be in Hokitika to-day." Caswell Sound is about 150 miles to the 6OutKward, arid as the Ashley left Hokitika at midday on the 23rd, we

imagine that the meeting of the vessels took place at early dawn on the following morniug. Presuming that the Miskin's machinery is not broken dowii, or her coals exhausted, sho shoul'l h ive reached the roadstead yesterday and in ml probability did arrive, off the port but in consequence of the exceeding thiel > weather, made no attempt to run in, deeming it, more prudent to keep a good offing until a fair landfall could be made. As, however, it is considered just possible that some mishap may hive occurred to her, the steamer Yarra is under orders to be in readiness, and ns soon as fcho is sighted run outside and prollcr her services to tow the Miskin across the bar. We trust they will not be needed, and that the Miskin will steam into the river in her usual style. "TThe General Steam Navigation Company's steamer Bruiser, from Hull for London, was sun"k about half-pnst two in the morning of August 19 oft' Alclborough from collision with the screw steamer Haswell, from London for Sunderland. The Bruiser had on board 128 persons. She sank in less > than a quarter of an hour, but tho captain of the Haswell had time to take on board his vessel VI) passengers. Three others were picked up by the schooner Perseverance, and landed tit Yarmouth. The scene among the passengers when the collision occurred was heartrending. There was a frantic rush to gain the Haswell, whose bows remained buried in the Bruiser's hull. Frightful screams fillod the air from the poor creaturos who were crushed amid the, broken woodwork. The passengers were got up as fast sis possible on the bridge of the steamer, whence they were hauled up hand over hand by the crew of the Haswell on board their vessel, while others pulled themselves up by ropes that were thrown to thrm. The number who perished is computed at 24 or 20. As usual the accounts of the oause of the accident are conflicting. It was a beautiful starlight night, and the sea calm. Both vessels had their signal lights burning, and were pursuing their usual course some few miles off the land. We regret to learn that a serious mishap occurred on Tuesday in Porirua Bay, by which a small cutter was wrecked, and a young man named Frederick Bowles lost his life. It appears that the vessel, nanied the Aurora Queen, has just been built at Porirua by a man named Rover, And she was in the course of leaving the Bay on a trial to Otaki, when she got on a lee shore, and was totally wrecked. Bowles, a young man the son of a settler in the district, and another, besides the owner and builder (Rover), were on board, and when they saw the danger the two former took to the dingy, which was upset in the breakers, and Bowles was drowned. The body had not been recovered up to yesterday morning. — " Now Zealand Advertiser," October 5. Nahbow Escape of the Steamer Wateree from beixg Blown Up. — The United States steamer Wateree narrowly ebcaped total destruction in the harbor of Callao. . They "■"picked up a launch loacle 1 with coal shortly after the bombardment, and after having it in tow two days, Captain Paulding ordered the coal to be taken on board, directing that if any enquiries should be made after the lost launch, the owner, when found, should be paid. There were about sixteen tons of English compressed coal, a kind of fuel made from coal dust and tar into square blocks from eight to twelve inches in diameter. After the Wateree had taken this coal on board, and a quantity of it had been thrown into the fur- 1 naces, one of the firemen happened to break open a block, and found in- it a loaded six pounder shell. Other blocks were opened with similar result, and the fires were immediately extinguished. In the coal wjiich had been put in the furnace were four loaded shells, all of which when taken out were so hot that they could not be handled except on a shovel. There were also found in the coal, in addition to a great number of shells, several soda-water bottles filled with fulminating mercury. But for the timely discovery made by one of the firemen, the boilers of the Wateree would have been torn out and her magazine undoubtedly exploded, ' destroying every one on board. L T pon investigation it was found that the coal had been fixed up when the Spaniards were here in the winter of 1864 and 1865, and that it had been set adrift, to be picked up by some of the frigates, all of which by this time must be short of fuel. — " London Evening Sun." Crossing the Atlantic. — A post-office return just issued shows that in the year 1864 the City of New York steamer and the China both made the passage from Queenstown to New York on one occasion in 8 days 16 hours, and the Scotia in 15 minutes less ; and in the same year the Scotia made the passage from New^York to Queenstown in 8 days 15 hours 38 minutes ; and the China from Boston to - Queenstown in 8 days 14 hours 50 minutes. In 1665 the China went from Queenstown io Boston in 8 drys 22 hours, and the Scotia from Queenstown to New York in 8 days 19 hours 33 minutes ; and in that year the Scotia made the passage from New York to Queenstown in 8 days 15 hours 15 minutes, and the China from Boston to Queenstown in 8 days 11 hours. In the two years theavbrage time of the Scoti.i from Queenstown to New York was 9 days 14 hours 26 miuutes ; of the Persia, 9 days 19 hours 12 minutes ; of the China, 12 days 13 hours 7 minutes, but to Boston only 9 days 22 hours 31 minutes. In the converse voyage, the Scotia from New York to Q.ueenstown averaged 8 days 23 hours 49 minutes ; the Java, 9 days 46 minutes ; tho China, 9 days 22 hours 42 minutes ; but from Boston 8 days 20 hours 5 minutes. — " Times." We (" Southern Cross," Sept. 28) were yesterday informed by an eye-witness of the wreck of a small cousting schooner during the gale on Sunday. The vessel was seen by our informant running before the wind, between Taylor's Island' and Wniheki, ami was observed to capsize. Four persons were on deck atthe time, alLof whom must have perished. Updn c lquiry we are led to believe that the vessel was the Maori schooner George, belonging to the' Thames, which was last seen loaded, with pigs and kauri gum for Auckland on Friday last. The George was a small schooner of 16 tons register, built at Mr Derrick's yard, Mahurangi, some eight or ten years ago, and has been a constant trader amongst the- natives. She wns worked by a Maori crew, and invariably had several native passengers on,, board when coming 1 up to Auckland. Portions of the wreck have been picked up at the east head of the Tamaki, which leave very little doubt as to the identity of the vessel. A number of dead pigs and a quantity of women's apparel were also , washed ashore. It is impossible to tell the number- of souls^n board at the time. The master's iiame was Ngakirikiri.