BRUCE BAY, ON THE WEST COAST.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 793, 15 May 1865, Page 2

BRUCE BAY, ON THE WEST COAST.

Oaptain M__~-l_n, of the &_. Albion, has been __brmed by Captain Gibson that himself and Mr. Boddbrt, the Government Surveyor, had just retamed from surveying the coast to the southward, where they had been in search of a good harbor, baring chartered the 8.8. Bruce for that purpose. They found an excellent bay, which they called Bruce Bay, of which the following is a description, copied from Captain Gibson _ official report:— "Brueeßay is situated in latitude 43deg. 36min. sooth. Mount Cook bears 71deg. east (magnetic). I*. m tho bay shown on the Admiralty chart between Ifakariko and Parpara Point. Good anchorage at tinee %«*"■— i a quarter of a mile off the rocks. The bay ia quite dear, and extends a mile and a-half in _ SB. westerly direction, and is quite sheltered, ex_f_S_£. Vessels can anchor, according to _-*___! and c_____t__ces, at a quarter of a mile *____«•." C_ptain Gibson consider- this harbor fin* superior to«___aru, Oainaru, or Moeraki, and if an inexpensive jetty was erected in a N.N. -westerly direction from Sandy Beach, at the bottom of the bay, he is eon-dent that boat communication would be uninterrupted. Some of the Natives informed Mr. Rochfbrt mlit periodicaDy each year they have observed smoke ____tg down the gorge which is situated immediately to the eastward of Bruce Bay, leaving the on that a pass most exist between the * M--suae Country and the West Coast The smoke \ thus perceived is believed to be caused by squatters \ burning their runs. Brace Bay is marked on the _«ew Zealand -haft No. 13, bat on that survey it doeanot appear to be of the depth as reported above, j JMjk Boc-Jort and Oaptain Gibson state that a butt; ]iaad is placed five mfles to the southward of its j aeto—l pos_ioi— Mr. Rod_Eb_t has surveyed the coast from the Grey river. The error in Captain fifeo-e-* position is accounted for by the feet that that | part of the coast was a running surrey.

"■:sßm fine A 1 iron dipper-built ship Berar, 902 _» register, WflKam Hall, Esq., commander, from Tendon direct, arrived in this harbor at 5 o'clock yesterday evening. The Berar is almost a new dun owned by Messrs. Tycer Brothers and Parker, and chartered by Messrs. Shaw, S *v_le and Co. She left the Downs on the sth February, had a fair run down the Channel, and finally left the land on the 9&JFebru_ry. Erom the time the Berar left the liuardshe experienced favorable breezes and fine weather until she crossed the Equator on the Ist March, which was an unusually quick run. The Gape was pamrd in latitude 40_eg. south, on the Ist April, Irom thence to Tasmania she was urged on by strong westerly winds. ____ania was rounded on the 29th April in latitude __ieg. 30__i- south. The coast of Hew TiniltmH was made on Sunday, the 7th instant. In the -traits the Berar was baulked by light variable airs and calms. On Tuesday evening last Oaptain Hall saw the schooner Buby enter the Heads, upon which be hauled off the shore under easy sail t_l dayCab-. Captain Hall, to whose courtesy we are indebted for tbe foregoing account of his ship's passage, fwfe»Fin# us that nothing of importance occurred during t_* Toyage. There were three births, and four deaths daring the run oat; three of the latter were ____£*,__£ one that of an adult female- Since the arrival of the Ofiver Laing no vessel has arrived in _us barbor with such a large number of passengers, two hundred and three in aiL—Wellington Jn- # V _-__- t M_y-l.