PORT OF HOKITIKA.

West Coast Times, Issue 642, 15 October 1867, Page 2

PORT OF HOKITIKA.

High Watbb, This Day. — 10.45 a.nu; 11.10 p.m. Oct. 14.— 6 a.m.,wind S.W.,light ; barometer 29.83; thermometer 50. 1 p.m., wind S.W., strong; barometer 29.86 ; thermometer, 68. 6 p.m., -wind S. W., strong ; barometer 29.90 ; thermometer 60. Weather during day — fine but cloudy. AEEITED. October 14.— Nil. BAItED. Oct. 14. — Bruce, p.s., Kerley, for Buller. CLEABED OUT. Standard, 10 tons, R. Morgan, for Brighton EXPECTED ABBIVALS. Jane Lockhart, brigantine, from Sydney, early. Beautiful Star, s.s., from Dunedin, early. Lloyd's Herald, ketch, from Dunedin, early. Alhambra, s.s. from Melbourne, early. 10, schooner, from Melbourne, daily. Mary Anne, schr., from Melbourne, early. Valiant, brig, from Melbourne, early. Ceres, schr., from Melbourne, early. Favourite, p.s., from Dunedin, early. Excelsior, schr., from Dunedin, early. PROJECTED DEPASTURES.. Egmont, b.s., for Sydney, to-day. Alice, schr., for Fox's early. lona, schr., for Fakihi, early. Alhambra, b.s., for Melbourne, early. Gothenburg, s.s., for Melbourne, to-day. Tasmanian Maid, p.s., for Buller, to-day. VESSELS IK POBT. Brigs — Nil De&perandum. Schooners — lona, Star of Tasmania, Sea Ripple, William and Julia, Matilda, Flying Cloud, Nile, Alice, aud Three Friends. Cutter — Hope. Ketches — Marj Anne, Brother! and Sister, Standard, and Cymracs. Simmers— Challenge, Golden Land, Yarra, Huntress. IX TUB EOADSIBAD AID OSSVXGt. John Bullock, schr., from Melbourne. Isabella, lighter. Bungaree, schooner, from "Wollonga. Lizzie Oolesou, brgtn., from Sydney. Gothenburg, s.s., from Nelson. Ocean Wave, schr., from Melbourne. Day Dawn, schooner, from tho North. Sarah, brig, from Melbourne. Mary Cumming, schooner, from Melbourne. Esperanza, brig, from Melbourne. Elizabeth, brigantine, from Sydney. Pilot, brgtn., from Melbourne. Christina Thompson, schr., from Melbourne. Egmont, s.s., from Nelson. • Percy, schooner, from Sydney. BXPOBTS. Per Standard, for Brighton — 4 cases, 2 casks glassware, 5 cases kerosene, Weir Bros ; 60 bags potatoes, 20 bags bran, 20 bags oats, Boyle and Co. ; 10 bale 3 chaff, 1000 palingt, 500 feet timber, Parkin 3 and Garsides.

The Bteamer Bruce cleared the river yesterday, bound to Buller and other coast ports. She carried twenty-five tons of cargo under hatches, 180 sheep upon deck, whilst her passenger list contained about forty names. The p.s. Tasmanian Maid steamed np from the northward yesterday forenoon, but being late on tide she gave the bar a wide berth, and came to an anchor outside, and apparently close to the Gothenburg, with which she seemed to be in communication. She afterwards dropped astern, and took up a position clear of the rest of the fleet. Captain Souter having on more than one occasion displayed a great deal of dash, and smart seamanship to boot, we quite expect to see him rush his smart little vessel at the bar this morning, and think it not all unlikely she will bring in the Egmont's mails and passengers, who, we feel assured, must be heartily weary of the long . and enforced sojourn in the roadstead. We have little or no improvement to report in shipping matters, for although the bar was workable yesterday, as proved by the very dasbing exit made by the Bruce, steamers with vessels in tow, or inward bound with passengers, would not have been justified in crossing it, as a very bad surf ran in, and the channels moreover were both narrow and intricate. We say " channels," for tho entrance is again faced by a semi-circular ridge of sand that well nigh extends from spit to spit, and through which the river has cut two well defined outlets. This ridge is the very essence of the bai, and, to us, seems to Lave come to the surface for the set purpose of " poking fun " at the many sea captains whose vessels are imprisoned in the river, and ■who daily haunt the spit, aud ruefully speculate upon the probabilities of that long wished for change in the weather occuring that will bring then* term of idleness to a close. It is an ugly obstruction truly, and yet promises good to the port by forming the much needed South Spit, that will confine the river to legitimate bounds whore it joins the sea, and so tend to the creation of a substantial channel that will stand good during periods of heavy surf and freshet. The above ridge all but joins the south beach, as a very shallow and narrow gutway alone separates them, and wo believe that a Btiff S.W. surf of a few days continuance would be sufficient to close this gap and make up the ridge to the respectable proportions of a bona Jtde south spit. Concerning the two channels which intersect it, we believe that the one running north is alone navigable, the centre one being very narrow, and overlapped besides by the north end of the Bouth section of the ridgaThe Bruce, as wehavo already staked slipped out yesterday, and her departure was watched with a great deal of interest by several hundred people on shore. She, however, performed no extraordinary feat being favored by a beautiful " smooth" that enabled her to clear the break without shiping any water, and bo far as we could Bee without touching ground. Strangely enough no cast of the lead was taken on board the Bruce until she was quite clear of the bar, and therefore the depth of water in the shallowest part of the channel was not ascertained. The Bruce steamed alongside the Egmont, and shipped a few Buller passengers and then proceeded on her way north. We are informed by the "Grey Argus" that the Grey River Steam Tug Company held a general meeting on Thursday last, to receive the secretary's statement, balancesheet, &c. The accounts embraced only eight months' actual work, and were very satisfactory, as a dividend of twenty per cent, was declared. Tho sets of rocket apparatus for the assistance of shipwrecked vessels on the coast hare been imported in the ship Red Rover by the Canterbury Provincial Government. One it for use on the West Coast and the other for Timaru. — " Grey Argus." Papet Boats.— George A. Watery of Troy, New York,has demonstrated that paper makei the best material for shell boats, by constructing one thirty feet long, which weigliß only forty pounds, and is in every respect superior to boats made of wood. It is quite thin, lighter than a wooden boat, is rendered impervious to water by a coating of oil and other compounds, and it is asserted that it is more durable, and that it will stand sbocki which would destroy a wooden shell. — Ibid.