SHIPPING SUMMARY.

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

SHIPPING SUMMARY.

The shipping trade of tho port during, tho month was considerably above tho average, and shows a marked increase upon the transactions which took placo during several months which preceded it. The foreign trade especially is looking up, our Molbourne friends having despatched no less than fourteen vessels, of which number seven wove sailing craft fully laden with valuable cargoes. Tho remaining half comprise those steamers (belonging to the Panama, Melbourno and Adelaide, and New Zealand Companies) which seldom allow a month to elapse without visiting this port. The trade with Sydney has also very considerably increased, as the arrivals from that port during the past four weeks were seven in number, against four which arrived during the six weeks that were covered fey.our last Summary. Four out of '.he above number were sailing vessels, and three steamers, one of the latter (the Tinonee) belonging to the Australian Steam Navigation Company, the remaining two being the Beautiful Star and Claud Hamilton. The departures to foreign ports were not so numerous, as only six sailing^ vessels and five steamers left this port for* Melbourne, and but two sailing craft and two steamers departed for Sydney . The coastwise trade has also increased, us against fortyfive vessels which ai-rived during the six weeks in September-October, forty crossed the bar inwards during the four weeks just expired. The departures coastwise from Hokitika were forty-five during October-November, against forty-three in September-October. A considerable falling off in the Dunedin trade is, however, perceptible, only four vessels under canvas and the two coasting steamers, Keera and Wm, Miskiu, were despatched from that port for the West Coast. The return trade was better, as four steamers and three sailing vessels cleai'ed out at the Custom House for Duuedin. Trade with Lyltelton is barely up to the average, four vessels only having arrived here from that port, and two departed for it. From Manukau we have received the usual number of vessels, produce laden, and have sent back two in return. Trade with Nelson and Wellington is still carried on by the ocean steauers. and those smart little boats, Kennedy and Nelson, which belong to Messrs Edwards and Co. The Westland coasting trade received a slight impetus during the month, owing to tho recent gold discoveries in the vicinity of tho Pakihi river. Several vessels left Hokitika and Greymouth for the new rush, the way being pioneered by the p.s. Bruce, which with a full freight of cargo and passengers cleared out on the 26th ult, and after a smart and successful trip returned on the 29th. According to her description of tho place, the Pakihi port is a mere cove situated about nine miles to tho southward of the Steeples, and immediately under and to the northward of Robinson's Point, which forms one side of the entrance to it. To the north the entrance is bounded by another bluff point, but of a less altitude than Robinson's. The passage between the two is not more than 50 feet wide and 120 yards long. The cove is in shape nearly a perfect oval, bufc of no extent, not being more than 300 jards in length from north to south, by about 150 yards in its widest part, which faces the entrance. It is surrounded by a sandy beach, and at low ■water is quits dry. There is, however, a rise and fall of 'between five and six feet, so that small vessels can enter, but, of course, lie high and dry when the tide is out. At the mouth of a small creek, which -runs into tho cove on its southern side, is a large rock, the only one it contains. As we have before observed, the entrance is oxtromely narrow, and afc low water is not navigable, excepting to boats, a3 two rocks jut out from cither side and nearly overlap each other. These are covered at high water to a depth of about five feet. A huge mass of rock, which at a former period must have been detached from Robinson's Point, lies at the foot of it, but separated from the main land by a narrow channel. Outside this rock is good anchorage in five fathoms, and there the Bruce lay during her few hours' slay off this place. Of ! course it is merely an open roadstead, fully exposed to gales from S.W. to N.N.E. The cove is sheltered from all bufc a westerly blow, j a nasty swell, however, rolls round the point during heavy S.W. weather. The coast to the northward of the cove is low and sandy, I as a beach extends for neai'ty nine miles ' towards the Steeples. To the Southward the : coast is bold and rock bound. It is said that a good sized river navigable to a vessel of a light draught of water, joins the sea about three miles North of the cove. The Bruce was followed by the p.s. Challenge, which, with the Tambo schooner in tow, left on October 31st, and returned on the 2nd inst. The account she gave of the place was even more unfavorable than that rendered bj' the Bruce, as she considers the cove inaccessible to boats during half the tide. Moreover, an ugly ridge of rocks — which, at low water arc barely covered — run across the entrance, and the slightest send home from the westward is suflicient to raise a very nasty break upon them. From the above it is very evident that the Pakihi will never become a port of entrj , and even in fair weather can only be approached at a considerable risk. SItIPPIXGr DISASTERS. The month has been singulai'ly free from shipping casualties, so far as Westland is concerned, two vessels only having stranded,, of which one came to grief at Ilokitika, the other at Greymouth. On the 12th instant the Tarabo, schooner, when in tow of the Challenge, was washed by the heavy freshet which then swelled the river on to the South Spit, and being heavily laden with coals, and an old vessel to boot, was unable to withstand the force-"of the sea, and went to pieces during the night. The Challenge narrowly escaped, as she also grounded ; bufc shortly afterwards washed off, and succeeded in gaining the roadstead agaiu. The steamers Yarra and Persevere also took the ground whilst trying to enter the river on the same day, bufc fared no worse tlian the Challenge — as the tremendous current fairly washed them out to sea again. We give clsuwhere a detailed account of the events which transpired on that memorable day. Tho other casualty to which wo refer happened at Greymouth on the Bth instant, when that smart schooner the Maid of Erin, in attempting to enter the river under canvas, went ashore on the North Spit, and was washed up high and dry. Fortunately she received no material damage, but heavy outlay must be incurred to remove her overland into the river. Tho great casuaUy of the month was the stranding of the s.s. Keera at the Buller river on tho 3rd inst. This fine steamer, so long and favorably known in the New Zealand trade was lost, we understand, through a blunder on the part of the pilot, who mistaking the channel ran the Keera ashore on tho North Spit. She was washed up by the sea and received such damage that there i 3 but a very remote probability of her ever going to sea again. In another column we publish a full account of tho disaster, as supplied us by the purser, Mr Gillia, who, with several of the shipwrecked crew, arrived in Hokitika by tho p.s. Nelson. In our last Summary we noticed the stranding of the p.s. Persevere on the South Spit, and h.er subsequent narrow escape from total wreck. Since then she has, we are happy to say, been relaunched and repaired, and on the 9th instant made her trial trip down and up tho river. She is once more in good working order, and has since made several successful ' trips to the roadstead. Great anxiety was felt at the non-arrival of the s.s. William Miskin, which left Dunedin

on the 9th instant and failed to make her appearance until the 29th. It was once feared that sho had met with tho samo fato as tho City of Dunedin, although many believed that sho had cither run short of fuel or that her machinery had broken down in tho severe weather which prevailed on tho S.W. coast immediately after her doparturc from Dunedin. Happily tho least of thoso disasters befel her, und sho was in consequence compelled to run into several of thjs lulots in tho neighborhood of the West Capo to obtain wood, and also to Book shelter from heavy westerly gales. We give elsewhere a detailed account of her pussago round the coast.