TWO NEW OIL TANKERS.

Two new oil tankers, which are to be named the "Voco and tho Yarraville, aro at present being built in England for tbc Vacuum Oil Company for the American, Australian, and New Zealand trade. It is expected that the Voec will be in commission next February, and the Yarraville about four months later. Both vessels are specially designed for the trade, and are sister-ships to the Plume and the Pulpit Point. The Pulpit Point is due at Wellington to-day from San Francisco, via Auckland. Sho is a single screw steamer of 8600 tons gross, and is 459.6 feet long. BLUFF'S NEW TUG. The Bluff Harbour Board's new tug, passenger, and salvage vessel, the Southland,arrived at Bluff shortly after midday on Monday, after a voyage of 142 days from Home. She left Dublin on May 11th, and made the trip to Bluff via Gibraltar, Port Said,' Suez, Perim, Colombo, Batavia, and Fremantle. The actual, sailing time was 52 days, the remainder. of the time, some 90 days,- being spent in port. The voyage out was made in fair weather, and was uneventful. The first touch of bad weather wa's experienced in the Arabian Sea, but the tug proved an excellent seaboat. The highest speed recorded was on the run from Pcrim to Colombo, when she averaged 11.0 knots.

The chief officer remarked that there was one experience of a rather unprecedented nature. When the ship was leaving the wharf at Dublin on one of her trials the signal was given for "slow ahead,'* but she went astern, and collided with another vessel. the stern of which was dented. As there, was no guarantee that damages would he paid by the Bluff Harbour Board the Southland was placed under arrest by the Admiralty authorities until the guarantee was forthcoming. The service which the will undertake is somewhat unique in shipping circles. She will be utilised as an excursion vessel for about six months of the year, running from Bluff to Stewart Island, accommodating up to DBS passengers. The length of the trip is 24 milos, so that ample seating arrangements are practically all that is necessary. When the seasort is. at an end, the Southland will be withdrawn from passenger service, and will act as a tug and ' pilot vessel. . Her third form of activity will be an occasional salvage undertaking, for which purpose she is equipped with suitable heavy gear, including, a centrifugal pump with a maximum capacity of 70,000 gallons an hour. LYTTELTON NEWS. ♦ • ■ Methodist Church. " At the Methodist Church to-morrow special flower services will take place. The anthems, solos,' and hymns will be appropriate to'.the occasion, and an address will be given by the Rev. B. Dudley. Seamen's Institute. A very enjoyable concert, arranged by Mrs G. j. Smith, of the Opawa Guild, was given in the Seamen's Institute on ThurS-. day evening. Items were given as Pianoforte solos, Mrs J. E. 'Russell; songs and duets, Misses Myra Edmonds and Free-man-Brown; recitations, Miss Myra Edmonds; accompanist, Mrs «T. E. Russell. Hearty, ap; plauso greeted all the items, and at the conclusion of the . programme the superintendent briefly expressed thanks. Twentyfive men were present.