OUR LITERARY CORNER.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 136099, 25 April 1908, Page 7

OUR LITERARY CORNER.

CROSSING THE BAR. Br Seatahe-"-. (greCIAIXT WRITTEN" FOB "THE I-F.ESS.") V_ lie at anchor in twelve fathoms of water. Two other are / anchored inshore ot us. and two more Z fdcdßinS "on and off." Thesout ,- west gale against which wo bad. with m _ch jumping and occasional rolling, riii-recd down tlio night bciorc, only Wfind the "bar dangero-,,** linht show- ; _r bright and clear on the flartrtaff. h« died out. The sea in the offing has fallen. Still, a-s the skippe-r quaintly put it-Thoio .., a five barfence across the entrance.'* It is dead )o~- water, and though our «hip is rolling only gently as tho incoming orean swells sweep lazily past her. yet „ ran see them gather force as they approach the shoal water, curling over , and smashing up into surf and loam which dashes airainM. the breakwaters, leaps up the limestone blocks, and puts "a white fringe across the entrance, which augurs badly for our chanco of (retting in. The scene around us. if faithfully delineated on canvas, might bo well "called "A Study in Grey.'' To the north, dark grey clouds lie lowon the land, covering tho high ranges " in tlie interior, but allowing the greenish-grey, flat, narrow top, and the vertical declivity of Point Perpendicular—or Razor-back, as the diggers named it—to stand out in bold relief, forming an exact right-angle with the water-line. Sweeping tho eyes along" the beach, Barry-town, j where the reddish bare faces of tho hills indicate that the earth's crust has been sluiced away and blown up in March of gold, comes in view; and then in panoramic sequence appears 'The Seven Mile*' and the sloping contour of Point Elizabeth with its lighter greon and grey tints and the white limestone rocks at its baso standing sentinel-like out of the sea. Extending south tho nubbly-peaky range of hills behind Cohrlen., with its saw-toothed irregularities, called "The Twelve Apostles,- striKe the imagination as indicative of the stupendous convulsions of Nature which must have taken place in remote geological ages; and their delicato variances of green and grey grow lighter till they terminate in the dull white face of tho northern edge of the gorge. Tlio snn has risen above the mountain ranges, and its beams glint between the fleecy clouds above the gorge, dividing the mellow greyness of the northern sky from the clear azure blue of the -south and west. Brightly they play across the brighter green of the low terraco-land towards, and past, Hokitika, which symmetrically slopes and sweeps in beautiful crescent shape till .it joins the snow-clad mountain tops which extend seaward till they sink below the distant horizon. Right in front of us the open-mouthed gorge, with the long white breakwaters like tusks protruding seaward from it, vividly suggests that the name of tho placo is now more appropriate than when in response to the stirred imagin- ! ations of the Maoris it was called I Mawhera (mouth), subsequently Angli- ! rised by the early pioneers .into Greymouth.

After breakfast, passengers troop on deck. Eyes aro directed to the . fiag&taff on tho breakwater, on which tho "Wait for highwater' , signal is hoisted. On this particular morning* however, the two balls over one in triangular form. • like a pawnbroker's sign, appear in view of tho swell still breaking on the bar, to indicate that it is two to ono whether wo cross the bar to-day. Suddenly a jittlo mild excitement is raised by the sight of a string of brightly coloured flags being run up to the top of tho flagstaff. Glasses are levelled at'them from the bridge, tho red and trhite-answering pennant is hoisted in reply and it is known throughout tho ■ship that wo are to cross the bar at. •11 o'clock. Passengers go below to pack up ready for disembarkation. Tho captain climbs tho bridge ladder, tho ".Stand-by" ring of tho telegraph is beard and the ''dickity-cKck' , of tho etearn windlass, accompanied by tho rumbling noise- made by the chain as it descends into the lockers, announces that the anchor is being hove up. Soon wo aro under weigh, passing and crossing tho other steamers as they steam in to look at the bar and then stand out again. On© of them takes np a position in a line with tho .wading beacons, but as wo approach gracefully gives way in a manner /which appears to indicate "Oh certainly! Try it first, if you like." Wo shift a Httle to tho south, and lio stopped, head on to tho southern breakwater, with tho leading beacons shut in. Then just as the skipper glances at his watch, up go the four balls, "Take the bar."

■It is not a nice bar to-day. Our okl friend Dick Uollins. tho.signalman, Arould term it "treaclteror.s." There ere periods of ton. or twelve minuter when the bar is clear of '"break," and then the sea comes in "in rakes r ' or nest* and the .confers break and sweep right across tho ont-ra-noo on to the north wall. It is a day when risks have to be* taken and a good deal depends upon luck a/nd perhaps a little upon good management. Slowly we move ah rod. the origin* , * String dead slow. We. are apparently heading for the wrong side of tJio wtith hrcsakwnter, and "many of the passengers, clustering on the fore-part of_ the lower bridge, wonder what tho skipper i« doing;, lie evidently knows Wniseif. for as we draw nearer, to a twso olkserver i*t is evident that the Jessei is being bodily set to the north Jjy a_ eurrenit. Stili going slow, still wading for the south tip-wmi, we. within a, few hnrdreJ? yards of it. when t-lin skippor. wl;o l:a-s boon glancing astern, puts the telegraph to '•Stop," and three curling seas that have been gathering astern sweep past us a.nil break upon th? bar. The* ship yaws TikL'y. but almost bci-ore they havo beared our bow the shorn "full-speed" ring of the telegraph is heard, and Je are tearing "Tit full spoed after wiem. As we enter the flattened fonm tna.de by their break-trn, and <iro within almost a st-one's throw nf tlv-> south breakwater, swed is reduced, ftnd with gentle yawing itntl swayiry? *o sweep c-lose vv.-.-t it l-I;<1o on to i-he line of Inaconft. ui:d s'*am smoothly n P fne river. Some of us look hack at •'hw dangers we liave ]v;i«od. ju'--t in timfi to s<m> thrro wjiite-tcppul '"coiub- , •rs" roJH'ig in and breaking right '• across. W<. shake ha.nds witii our-

ORIGINAL AND SELECTED MATTER.

NOTES ON BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

.selves and feel f'n better heart tihan we did an hour a{ro.

'You had a lovely start to get in," said the harbourmaster, as tho skipper and I meet him ou tho wharf. 'There's nothing like coming in slow on tho back of a 'nest. , We dropped one. ball after yen crossed." ho added. "I'm keeping "those other lellows out for twenty minutes, tho sea is dropping all the time, and they'll have more water." As we saunter down towards the tipend lie tells us of the qualities and behaviour of the various regular traders, on tho bar. "Tho twin-screws are very good. But if a vessel gets driven down near tho north wall there's nothing liko a good kick ahead from a large single screw against the helm ; hard a starboard.' for .straightening them up. All our troubles take place on the north tip. We haven't had any serious accident on tho south since tho Wallace landed on top of the apron." The fourth ball u> now hoisted, and tho vessels outside shape towards the entrance. There are long smooths on the bar now. We tako a seat and watch thorn. The longer and deeper vessels come in with gei.tlo- and regular swayings. and iseem less inclined to .'•run' - on tho eea than the

shorter, shallow draft . ou> .>. Safely and witiicut v.sk_ they all pass between tho tip-heads and take up their berths. Ink is not always the case, as on « similar day some years ago I remember tho lrwt vessel, a email steamer of about 100 tons, getting into difiiculties. As is often "tho way of tho sea." it makes a despairing but malignant effort to work some mischief nofore all its power is spent. When within fifty yards of the (south tip the last large rake, of seas tor that day overtook tiie little vessel. Fp went her stern, down went her head, and tho firci ecu. struck and p-rieses her, t-ho, mad© a straight run for the north wall. Tho eocond one caught her and drove her further over. From our prx-.itioai she looked as though nothing could save her. ".She'll bo on tho wall,' , cried a bystander excitedly.

•\Xo! sho's all right," impassively replied the harbourmaster. And I saw the-ri as her stern sank in tho hollow of tho sea that she was answering her helm. Tho third sea struck her on the starboard quarter, half smothering her and knocking her round across the channel. She then made a swift rush for tho .south wall, but tho helm, which was being spun round hard-a-starboard, caught her in time, and shearing off the protruding stone apron with about twenty feet to spore, she gained smooth water, end Hteamod up the river with iuo water pouring out through her- deck ports and scuppers.

The bar at Greymouth has been the .sceno of many stirring and exciting incidents, some of -which clearly show that madness and folly are by no means confined to folks -who livo»on shore. Take the case of the barque Mersey. There is considerable eea on the bar, a strong fresh is running out, and the, tido is half-ebb. The. signal-, man sights a largo four-masted eailing vessel running un from the south under easy canvas, with her foresail and top-gallant-sails furled. Beyond being ready to answer any signals, he takes no interest in her. Suddenly, to his dismay, sho alters her course, and steers straight in for tho wrong sido of tlie south breakwater. Swiftly the 'Bar Dangerous ,, signal is hoisted, but tha skipper is evidently "a law unto himself,-' and sails serenely on. Out goee the semaphore arm '•Keep to tho North," the vessel shears away, the right entrance is perceived, mwi yawing on tno sea ho runs in between tho two walls. -There she meets the strong fresh running out, ■which drives back the eea, but against which sho can make no hcadwav. Locked between tho two walls, embayed oy the sea on the bar. unablo to stem the fresh, and with tho tide falling fast, she is in a perilous position. Excited crowds gathec on the breakwater, and shout to tlio skipper to make more sail., Quickly thus is done. She forges ahead a hundred yards. At somo risk tho harbourmaster is put on board, by a boat. More sail is crowded on her; she is sailed up to the wharf with only a few inches of water under her, and is berthed amidst tho ehoors of the crowd.

! The ca£e of tho schooner Clyde, jammed On a lee slioro by a, westerJy gale and taking the bar in a tremendously heavy sea, with a flood running out, as the only possibility of saving tho vessel and tho lives of thoso on board, is. perhaps, one which more- deservedly merits admiration. Under full sail, battened down, tho skipper lashed at the helm, the crew securing themselves against being washed overboard, or up in tho rigging, sho makes a bold dash through tho curling breakers. Swept by the seas that break over her fitern, she is skilfully steered acrces the bar and between the threatening wave-dashed breakwaters. Chocked and almost stopped by the out-running flood, wreck and disaster and death seem imminent, but <iown come fierce squalls of wind and drive her swiftly up tho river beyond all danger. Another incident in this vessel's lucky career is worth relating. The tug is laid up for repairs, no other steamer is available. Tempted by a fresh and favourable wind the skipper attempts to sail in. On tho bar tho wind dies away light, and fails him. Dallying in tho 4GO feet space of navigable waters between the walls, with rough limestone rocks threatening her on both sides, no friendly squalls now come to her aid. But human ingenuity rises to the occasion. A locomotive engine is rushed to the end of tho breakwater, a lino thrown on board tho Clyde, and soon, with a light hawser attached to tho locomotive, she is triumphantly towed up to the wharf.

■Similar cases have occurred with smaller .sailing vessels in which crowds of willing helpers took tho place of the locomotive, and strained manfully to tow vessels out of danger; and sailing over tho bar in heavy weather as a matter of dire necessity has in the past lie J been infrequent. .Narrow <*cnpce now and then tako place. Steering gear has broken down on the bar, and tlie vessel sera-ped mirnculrmsiv past- the north-wall, denting a pkite. ajid tearing a.way a boat'e dar-t. on the overhanging piung. Propeller blades have been broken off on tlifc aprons, ruid other lititJe mishaps, ocourrcd. Tot.al losses naid wrecks have taken place, as in tho cose of the Gerda and tho Heskcrh to the north. a.!id the Lioness and Wailnire on t.!)-> srmnh wall: but since the stranding of the Mapourika tJiero ha.s been a remarkable immunity from f-eri&'.ts casualty. This is strongly accc>nrt:uatt?d an J more wort-hy of comment whon the increased size and tonna?« of th.? vessels working the port during receipt years is considered. It may be attributed to a variety of cause;, the principal of which aro the strenuous and persistent enorjry which the Harbour Board display in endeavouring to wake their port safe, jii ii:-a*t. notable fea.t-uro taeins ths> fonuatiwi of aai outer ami extended north wall: tho care ard good judgment displayed Iry t.h<v hnrjjourmasje-r and iii.s exi>erieiice"l in working

tho bar trader reasanoihly safe_ conditions; and tho oaiitkm awl ability of tHo shipmasters trading to the port. No bar in thfe Dominion is better watclxy.l, and in ro otJier harbour staff is so much cemfidenea rep«>T-d by soafajere, wlio conficoTrlly obey their mc-ioI, a,t 'naghii or day, to cross t'ho bar.

Ths bar harbours of tfco "West Coc?t havo been a greai handicap to the- couipo of settlement, and industry, trade, and commerce hare Ixmjii so vitally affected by the i state- of the bar that it is not "surprising tliat the. "West Coasters manifest a keener interest in harbour mattori than the inhabitants of any other part of New Zealand. For those who are fortunately located in proximity to good natural harbours, it may be difficult to imagine the. far-reaching effects of " a block "on tho West Const. With eight or ten vessels rolling about in a mountainous sea in the offing, in full view of thn town, while curling rollers aro deshing over the breakwaters and tiij-ho.ntls, and smashing the shin.crle and sand on to tho bar with a dull-bounding but monotonous roar: the river in flood, with an eight knot enrront running, carrying out. logs, snags, and so motin, , cs ill-secured waterside property, rattling the travelling shinglo under tho bottoms of tho chain-hound vessels lying at the- wharves, and frequently raiding banks under them, on which they ground, business communications interrupted, tho railway lines blocked with loaded coal and timlwM , tnu-ks, and tho mines stopped for tiic want of empty one*, labour idle., and capital going to waste, trade dull through restricted expenditure* (and in the early days, provisions frequently ecant and rising in price), whik> discontented commercial travellers and other intending voyagers moon about town in the. rain and wind, cursing the weather and anathematising " tho bar." "When j theso conditions have been onco ox-j perieneed by the casual visitor ho will neadily understand why "the bai - " is I always such a livo subject with West Coasters, and why harbour facilities and improvements take precedence, in the local mind, and overshadow questions of what ho may consider moro general importance.

It was in lSli-l tlia.t tho late Captain Leech, afterwards harbourmaster at- W<y-ti)ort, was instructed by the Xebon Provincial Government to ojkmi the navigation of the Hokitika river. Ho procodrd overland, marked out a channel acres* the- bailout up Wacons, returned, ami stiortlv afterwards succiviifully crcs.:rd tho bar with the skvimor Nelson, wliicli -was tho first vessel to ontrr Hokitika. The steamer AVaUibi—Captain Whitwell— now made a trip from Nelson to Hokitika. Gold was commencing to bo freely discovered, tho rush took place, and like magic the town cf Hokitika, with its eighty puolichouses. it* dance houses, and gambling dens, aad all tho concomitants of a mushroom digging township sprang into existence. It blossomed and boomed. In a short time :t -was a shipping port of importance. Crowded nassenger steamers lay off tho bar waiting to be tendered, sailing vessels in abundance, loaded with produce, waited to bo towed, or frequently attempted to sail in. and L Clr tim '** rs to rot upon the beach. Fortunes were made and lost. Fabulous sums of money we.ro made by^tow-boats an<l tenders*in one t:do. Freights were r?o high that it j almost payed to put vessels on the beach a.s long as their cargoes could he saved. Tho work of cramine tho bar was carried on with, a dash ajid reckles-snos? on the part of tho seafarers of thofo timee which has never sinco neon eonalled. 'llie.ro was the brigantine John Bullock. seven mouth? out from Dun-odin. loaded with produce. baffled and driven back by sto-rn:sa.ndg;i.!ostoNp.!&3(n twice. Finally when taking the bar in tow of the Despatch cut came Cant. Curley m tho renowned Bruce. They met on tho- bar, in the .heaviest of tho break, and m trying to avoid collision nil three vessels were swept up on the beach. Tho John Bullock left her bones there. What did it matter? She was insured. Her freight was at £10 a ton, and after paying generaiaverago charges tho consignees of her cargo niado a net profit of between £3000 and £«00. Tho s.s. Omeo camo crowded with passengers and full of cargo; tho captain went ashore with tho first tender, the sea mado on the bar. and the vessel was driven off for twelve days, tho hospitable folks on shoro treated him royally, and combined, with tho kindly natured digger passengers, when the ship returned, in presenting him -with an address and a testimonial to enable him to smooth matters with liis owners. Vessels bumped over- tho bar, struggled over shingle spits, wero swept by "the sea over shoals and sand-banks, were hovo along beaches, skidded and or abandoned and broken mc same scenes -were enacted at tfreymouth. The channel over tho bar was hero to-day and next week had broken out a mile further north. A flood swept down tho shingle, and you could walk where there was previously ten feet of water. There were no wharves, vessels discharged their cargoes on tho banks of tho river. Sometimes they were swept from their moorings out over tho bar. Mr Ar.derson. a Customhouse officer on board a vessel containing bonded goods, found the skipper and crow vainly endeavouring with anchors and kedges to hold her against tho flood. "Let her go," said ho, "I'm going to bed; she'll fetch up on tho beach." They battened her down, and went comfortably below. She was swept out over the bar. and the next morning was comfortably high and dry a milealong the north beach.

It is Christmas Eve, six vesseJs lie outside, the onJy available tug-boafc has broken down, the peoplo of tho district—Booo in number—badly want provisions, the wind is light from tho sea. and there is a swell on the bar. Daringly one email vessel attempts to sail in. The wind fails her after crossing the bar, but her crew aro matte of tho mettle which fights to the last. With lor.g sweeps, ami the skippers wife at tho helm, they slowly swrop her into the river's bank, where hundreds of willing hands grasp the line and tea , lior up the river. There upon tho spot starts an impromptu auction sale—geese- £1 per head, potatoes £20 a ton, onions 2e 6d a ib, hams 4s a ib. bacon l> a Ib, brandy and whisky £10 n case. The- West Coast bars have all been the scones of stirring adventure ami strenuous human effort. At low-water crowds of men with loitg-4:>audled shcrels have c ften vigorously attacked tho shingle Kipit- thrown up by th.s 6ea in order to cut an opening wKVh the lies*, sw.iif.t-uowv.ng tide migM TTro-.iden in.to a navigable channel. Sometimes snerass has rewa.rcl-ed their efforts, and at oi-lrnrs their labours wero like tucee r<f Sisyphus, the imcr-min.*; Kca filling, in a few minutes, the breaches they had made. Tlieir fight with Xmture wiaii such a clcva struggle, and the disability their norts laboured under sr» pn'ipo.blv evident, that the West Confers of t.Vea periods niay he paTdonwl during life for having* bar "on tlv> bra™." cr, as it once hnpponed, wten. called up after death by spirit n>?diuins_ fre-xn cii»her of tho plaoe* wire re West Coasters fo. for asking ti'ae momentous question'of '"How's the bar?"

The dkcorery of coal probably opened up the- minds of the inhabitants of the Coast more fulh- ,to the importance of improving their harbours. The fin-t finding; of outcrops in th-o Grey district is now popularly credited to" Matthew Batty, an old miner, whose statements at tho time were received with incredulity and derieion. Tho biibsequcnt discoveries

by Captain Brunner in the Gorge now bearing his nanio proved tbo oliS miner £ assertions, and though tho yl amour of gold prevented proper importance being attached to tho discovery of coal, yet the initial stages of an" industry which is now tho mainstay and Hope- of tho commenced. For eouie years but little was exported, it was first brought d-owii tho Grey river in canoes and afterwards in "-oata and barges carrying from six to Twonty-four tons, and was mainly used for local consumption and bunkering steamefST The passage dov. - n the swift-running rivr-r. over rapitlo and 'twist snags

r::rni oi.lu.*r sur.ikru dangois, was pro-c-arkms and fiv?quc--niily attended with disiiAior. Sd siowlv did the ecal miiiinci dovo'jDj) (oven-'iiodowed as i-i wjg by poi-d discoveries at Greenstone, liciii, Kum.'ira. tlwn at. Nelson Crock, where cno Iwmd red weight of go id wa.? taken out of eight cubic tent of p.romnd, and iiv> opc-nnng up of Maori Gul'y, lla-!f Cftm-re. Calligbaa, Duffers and Ur-d Jacks), and tin* possibilities of an export trado 5/>enr?d co remote tlvjt- it hm nob until IS7-1 that the firrt sum ot moncv was vcted for h.irbnur improvement at GreynvouiTi. West-Drtrt w;s already 0:1 xh-> move i.n t!:o sninc direction, and i-o keenly have tho Wo.vt Coast prople prosecuted tho policy of hnrbr,-ur imp-rovenM-nt t.hat in a comparatively brief neried tboy have> achieved an almost unparalleled victory over the irot.t turbiilo:it of Nature's forces. West port, with its £reat na-tural advantage c-f protection i:o:n the- south-west eon Ivy Cape Foulwind, and its liberal harbour endowiim'.s. has been enabled to acoom-j'lit-h more than tlio less-iavourcd po-rt of Grcyir.outh. and cannot l>e denied "tile hcjicur of first p!»c<» as a- coast coal portj and frequently at> a ha-rbour of rcfu™ie. but when t.h-.-> natural disrbilitics of the Grey arc considered, ecual honour trust- ho to the I\cp!o of t}:st dittrict for the determination tbry have shown, and the tr.irvols they haw accomplished. in 18(0 the largest cargo of coal taken out of the Grey "was about 180 tons, ar:<l the water on the bar ranged from eight to twelve feet; now, 27C0 tons cf cargo has bren carriei:l cut in one vrsrsc.l. and the bar may I>n w-fply <Tos.Jodj uud'or favcura.b?o conditions, by vessels drawing 12ft 9in <>f water. Wtvstport e-hews to greaior adv,ai:t.ngo in cow.c the la.rjrrtt cc»al carp.o ever carried out being be- , twern 0000 and 0000 tons. Iliodepth of water new on tbo bnr h 22ft, and tho amount of sliipain'? in and out for the year ICO7 \v:\s 2310 veeae'e of a total tonna-jip of 1.202.8(jS tons rerritrter. Rot!i ports are still coii-timiins "tihtjir forward policy. Tihc cutting of docfvi> for rcrfch to bo sa-faly incorotl and lnadfrd in still water, out of danger of the ttorAsj has already been ~comir«nc«l. A now aivrl nowerful drrrlgo has Loon ordered for "VYestport. a:nd It is intended to extend the breakwater GOOffc further eoaward.

•Making comparisons between the state- of tiboso harbours in th« early ficven.ti<« and tho present time Uw \\oet Crlisters may view with honest prido th.o successes they jhnvo. achieve/I, and flatter themselves that they struck the right lino of acition when they devoted their energies to tiro task of reducing the dangers and delays in "crossing the bar."