THE WEATHER AND BAR.

West Coast Times, Issue 359, 16 November 1866, Page 4

THE WEATHER AND BAR.

The weather during the month has been decidedly unfavorable, much rain having fallen, and the coast was visited by heavy N.W. gales which closed the port for days. From October 22nd to the 26th the weather was wol and the river high. The bar, however continued workable, and no detention resulted to shipping, save in the case of the p.s.' Bruce, which delayed her departure to the Pakihi as there was every appearance of a heavy N.W. blow. From October 26 to the 2nd inst, the weather kept " moderate, and the bar worked to much advantage, but on the latter date a north-west gale accompanied by heavy rain set in. Towards evening it slightly moderated, but the next day blew up agam with increased violence, and continued during that day and the next. Several vessels were detained outside, amongst which were the steamers Alhambra, Claud Hamilton, and Tinonee, the barques Bella Vista, and Frederic, and the briganliues Northern Light and Jane Lockhart. The weather moderating on the sth, allowed the Yarra to tender the Alhambra, the Tinonee in the meantime having bore up for Nelson, but it was not until the Bth, that the Alhambra and Claud Hamilton were despatched, as the bar was quite closed up by the heavy sea on the 6th and 7th. In the midst of this spell of bad weather the s.s. Tararua arrived from Melbourne, bufc being j under mail contract was compelled to leavo ! for Nelson without landing her passengers. I They wore afterwards brought down by the I s.s. Lord Ashley. From the Bth to the 11th j fair weathei^anda goodchannelfavored theporfc, and then northwesterly weather again set in on the 12th, one of the heaviest gales of the season, blew home on the coast, and as it came 1 on very suddenly, the three harbor boats were 1 caught outside, and compelled to ride it out in [ the offing that night. The s.s. Otago, which I should have left that day, suffered a delay of eighteen* hours thereby, as Captain Clayton nobly refused to leave the smaller steamers in such peril. This gale was accompanied with such a deluge of rain that the town was flooded to an extent hitherto unpai'alled.