Shipping News.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 583, 5 June 1858, Page 4

Shipping News.

ARRIVED,

June 4th, Dart brig, 154 tons, Jenkins, from Sydney May 13 and Wellington June 1, with several passengers.

The Dart, having called at Wellington is 22 days out from Sydney. She met severe easterly weather all the way across, and has lost some canvas. The Mary Thomson left Wellington for this port on the 28th and the Canterbury, with the March mail, on the 31st ultimo. Nothing has been heard of the Ocean Queen schooner. The Ambrosine left Deal for Wellington on the 27th February. The Maori and Harkaway were loading for Wellington and this port. The Elizabeth, schooner, 127 tons, Ramage, master, cleared from Melbourne for this port on the 12th May. . _ The James Daly arrived from Auckland last night. She brings papers to the 14th Instant, m which we find nothing worthy of note.

The following extract from the "Whalemen's. Shipping List," of January 19, gives a very important feature of the rapid improvements of the age in acquiring all manner of power for propelling vessels, but who could ever expect the dead water resistance at the bow to become available for such purpose? What next? After this we shall not be in the least astonished if head wind be transformed into useful motive power!

An important discovery has just been made in reference to the propulsion of vessels. It is now found that the immense amount of resistance encountered at the head of ships and steamers, -which increases at a ratio approaching to the square of the velocity can be converted inta useful power, instead of being as at present, all sustained as doad loss. A method for achieving this has been patented by Mr. Robert Griffiths, Engineer, London, inventor of the screw propeller which bears his name, and consists in forming the lower part of the head of the vessel with a revolving cone, around which are wound spiral flanges. By this arrangement the resisting water, instead of falling upon the ordinary bow, infringes when the ship is in motion upon the screw flanges, and this causes the cone forcibly to revolve. The power thus obtained from the cone is transmitted by shafting and multiplying gear to work a screw at the stern of a sailing vessel, or to go in aid of the engine of a steamer. We understand that a series of experiments have been made in connection with this invention by a gentleman in Manchester, who has intimate knowledge of shipping, combined with a competent acquaintance with mechanics, and that he found the theory thus stated to be fully borne out in practice—that a very large proportion of the resistance can be counteracted with a screw turned with this costless power, while no difficulty occurs in applying it! Confinence is ontertained that not only will the speed of steamers be greatly increased by this mode of dealing with resistance, but that the invention must lead to the creation of a class of profitable self-acting screw clippers whose speed will far exceed the best modern built ships.

BIRTHS.

On Tuesday, June I, the wife of the Eev. G. Cotterill of a son. On Tuesday, June 1, at Rangiora, the wife of Captain Charles d'Auvergne of a son.