SHIPPING.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 398, 9 November 1868, Page 2

SHIPPING.

wESTPOirr. man water. Tliis Vv.y ... 5.11 :i.m., 5.11 p.m. ARRTVAI.S. Waipara, ss., Bnscand, from HoHtiktL' J. C. Paton, agent. Ottawa, schooner ; put back. Lyttelton, .p.s., Scott, from Blenheim. N. Edwards and Co., agents. DEPARTURES. Wallabi, s.s., for Wanganui. IMPORTS. Per Lyttelton, from Blenheim—2so sheep, N. Edwards and Co.

' The steamer Waipara was the first of three arrivals at this port yesterday. She left Hokitika at 2 p.m on-Saturday, and on the same nifjht she called at Brighton. She came into the Butter.ori the morning tide, towing the schooner Ottawa. The Ottawa, having been towed in by the steamer Waipara, was naturally the second vessel to arrive in port yesterday. Her misadventures have apparently riot yet ceased. It will be remembered that, after discharging her Launceston cargo at Charleston, she received some damage there by breaking from moorings and knocking off part of her false keel. After proceeding to sea, she was found to be leaking, and Captain Anthon ran for the Butters but in attempting to enter the river, the vessel grounded on the South Spit. From that position she was fortunately get off without much difficulty, and some necessary repairs were effected while she lay in the Lagoon. Thus repaired she put to sea on Saturday afternoon, and. the manner in which she went over the bar was admired by the usual crowd of observers at the street corners. Her satisfactory crossing of the bar was, however, more apparent than real. When well clear of the beach, she was seen brought to an anchor, and most of her canvas was taken in. A signal —the ensign half-mast —high was hoisted, but was soon hauled down again. This was accepted as meaning that matters were not so bad as was expected, but there was no means of ascertaining particulars, as the vessel happens to be unprovided with a code of signals. It was supposed that she had unshipped her rudder in crossing the bar, as the rudder was several inches below the keel, in consecpience of the loss of her false keel, and it would very probably be unshipped by the vessel oven slightly touching the ground. The supposition, we° believe, was verified this morning, when she was towed in by the Waipara, which happens now to have found the Ottawa off the Buller, for (ho second time in distress. She was towed in safely, and again moored in the Lagoon, where the necessary repairs will soon be accomplished. It appears that, by striking a snag, the rudder was knocked out of position. That substantial, if not elegant, steamer, the Lyttelton, arrived in port yesterday afternoon. She left Blenheim on Thursday, her cargo consisting of 250 sheep, and she has made a good passage, considering she has experienced, during greater part of the time, strong westerly winds. The Alhambra is expected at Hokitika, direct from Melbourne, on Thursday next.

A preliminary meeting lias been held in Wellington, to consider llio question of the foundation of a new steam company, should the N.Z.S.N. Company wind up. Home papers contain accounts of another disaster through the explosion of petroleum. The s't'-iniship Coniston, of Liverpool, left that port lor Lancaster, amongst her cargo being a considerable quantity of petroleum, naptha, and other comb The hapless vessel was blown up at sea by the explosion of the combustibles in question, and all hands have perished. The bodies of two men, fearfully blackened and charred, were picked up in the river, and were identified as 'those of two of the firemen.