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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 376, 14 October 1868, Page 2

The ball at Powell's wharf was halfmast high yesterday evening, denoting that it was dangerous for watermen to cross, and the boatmen were entitled to demand any fare they considered proportionate with the danger incurred by doing so. A rather heavy fresb in the river set in yesterday, and increased considerably at nightfall, after the tide had turned. The steamer, Waipara, after hanging on to the wharf all day, thought it prudent to cast off and % earn across to the Lagoon before it became dark. The brigantine, ceres, remained moored alongside the upper jetty, and appeared to be quite secure. The usefulness of the upper jetty as a protection to the lower part of the river bank was plainly shown yesterday, but the wing lately in course of construction immediately above appeared to be in rather a critical state, several of the piles swaying about in the strength of the current.

We have lately been shown some characteristic photographs of mining machinery, as exhibited in the'plants of some of the large claims in the Charleston district. They are interesting from a local poiut of view, and have been well executed by Mr Price, who is just now in Westport on a business visit. We understand this gentleman returns again to Charleston in another day or two, and that his studio here will be then closed for some time.

The present frightful weather is in itself sufficiently unpleasant. But other disagreeables and inconveniences follow in its train ; steamers become overdue, meat gets scarce, mails are detained, and telegraphic connection with the outer world is broken. All our coasting steamers are now in the North and as often happens we shall probably have several arriving here at the same timn ] /-.never the weather improves.

The steamer, AVaipara, was unable in consequence of the weather, to proceed yesterday to Hokitika and intermediate ' ports as announced by advertisement, but will leave this morning, weather permitting. It will be seen from the following 1 extract from a Dunediu paper, that a practical use is already being made of the water service laid throughout the ■ town : " Messrs A. and T. Burt, Princes street, have produced a new and improved high pressure water engine, which contains so mauy improvements, is so neat and compact, and so moderate in price, that it will doubtless come into favor and general use. One of three-horse power has been erected in their workshop, and is used in turning tho lathes. The oscillating cylinder is l.j in. diameter, with a stuffing box at the top for the piston to work through. The lower part of the cylinder is cast with flanges, bolting on to similar flanges on tho bottom cup, thus forming an eye to encircle the trunnion, being closely fitted, so as to be watertight. The trunnion is cast with an internal angular division, forming an isolated chamber, extending from end to end of the trunnion as an open thoroughfare in the line of the pipes (supply and exhaust), whilst it has two lateral apertures as ingress ports from the trunnion valves to the cylinder respectively. The remaining portion of the hollow in the trunnion forms a similarly continuous chamber for taking away the exhaust. The actuating water is supplied by a high pressure valve at the left side of the engine, which performs from sixty totwo hundred revolutions per minute The whole is fixed to a frame 2ft. Gin. high, with a fly-wheel on one end of the journal, the other end of the journal being made to suit any size of pulley. Provision is also made for fixing a tell-tale for measuring the water consumed, which saves the cost of a water meter. The cost of water will be from sixpence to a shilling an hour, according to the speed required. The whole eneine complete can stand in a i corner 3ft square. Messrs Burt have been experimenting for twelve months : with the engine now on view, which is the third manufactured by them.

Some statistical information about the Public Debts of the Australian Colonies is furnished by the Lanceston Examiner :—" At the close of ISG7 the actual debt of Tasmania was £1,018,900 or £lO 6s llfd per head of the whole population. In Victoria, at the end of 1866 the debt per head was £l3 14s B*d; New South Wales, £l6 12s 10d; South Australia, £1 2s s|d ; and Queensland, £23 7s 7d. The interest of the debt in Queensland is stated to have been at the rate of £1 10s 8d per head ; in Tasmania it was at the rate of 13s Id per head. In proportion to the extent of their respective territories, the debts of the different colonies stand thus, —Tasmania, Is 2|d per acre; Victoria, 3s 2\ ; New South Wales, 5i ; South Australia, fd : and Queensland, l^d.