The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1016, 23 July 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1879.

Tece following letter has been sent to the Otago Parly Times " Sir,—There has been of fate a great deal of talk about the bar at Otago Heads, and the effects of reclamation in the Upper Harbor. \\ fiether the Litter in any way affects the former or not, it is not my place to say, but certain it is that not only reclamation but reformation is urgently needed somewhere. It may be looked upon by some people as a matter of littte consequence that ordinary facilities are not provided for tlie better despatch of ship* trading to this port: but if the matter touched the pockets of those who are responsible for tiw existing state of your harbor arrangements, I believe their crossgrained actions would cease for ever, and probably a better state of things wmc into existence. One thing I do think, that they could r.ot be much worse. My ship, tlie Benares, brought here, I suppose, the largest cargo ever brought into this port, viz., 3(500 tajj3 weight and measurement, and during the progreiasof discharging I need not detail all the trouble, aunoyance. and expense to which I have been subjected: suffice it to say that while I have been in port my ship has had to be remoored no less than four times. What I now have to complain of is much more serious. My ship lias been ready for sea for a week, an.l from all that I can learn she might as well bt> at anchor in the reservoir, or alongside the training wall at Dunedin. Perhaps your readers may not be aware that the cost of detaining a ship like the Benares amounts to from L-0 to L'2s per da> to the owners, while the shippers of cargo have also a very great cause of complaint, considering that the value of their shipments is equal to about L 95.000, the interest upon which for one week means something considerable. When the Staad Haarlem arrived off the Heads ami could not enter, there was a great cry got np in some quarters about her havtnsr to pass this port. It now occurs t«> me that there is very tittle difference between my ship and this steamer, for while t tie one wad *hnt out the other is shut in: and, had I my choice of the circumstances. 1 would certainty prefer £he former. For the sake of what may be made tiie finest harbor in New Zealand, I have to express a sincere Uope that some steps will speedily be ?.aben to amend the existing state of affairs.—l am, &e. r I>. Jt. Incus, Master of the ship lienares." Wh.cn Captain Jnglis wrote this letter he, we should imagine, felt; grateful, thinking that he had at last bid his aJienx to a port as aadly mismanaged as he has so graphically represented it to be. Littte did' he think that a stilt more serious trouble awaited him. and that in a lev hours his beautiful s'.hip would bo stranded on one of the 'sandbanks at the entrance to the harbor. But that was his destiny. His vessel J has been stranded, and, although some consolation may be found in tiie fact that she has been got off without being j picked np in pieces and leaving her bonss to [ bleach on the sands of Port Chalmers bar. ' yet the disaster has, it would appear, proved serious. She has lieen got off, but in a crippled condition, and when she will again be able to make another attempt to clear the tUiials of Port Chalmers Heads is a problem that would tie difficult to solve. A survey wilt, of course, be necessary, as, if even the authorities could allow the vessel to leave the Port after the occurrence of tveh a disaster, and in a leaky condition, as ttff Insurance Companies would be relieved of all responsibility until a survey has been held ati'J she has been adjudged seaworthy, it is not improbable that she will keep Tort Clialmenr company for a month or two at least. Then there is the loss that will be suffered through the detention of the vessel-and so valuable a cargo, ft is a pretty mess, and one of the worst shipping casualties that have everoccurred at E'ort Chalmers. It will now be seen tliat we were not romancing when re-, viewing Air. J. U. Russell's nnfair comments on the Port of Oamamwepointedoutthatthat

official's representations as to its dangerous nature were more applicable to other ports of the Colony. We would ask that gentleman " What about the balloon now?' We wonder whether he would rather have tnwt-vl hj:.« v.-. ak m.TVc.a ;o the shreds of a

shall watch with some interest, i'or his version of the .ili'ciir. and his comments thereon. He has surmounted the Breakwater difficulty by implying that breakwaters should not be constructed, and this because they are not so safe as a bur3t balloons. Although we would not like to deprive him of honor and glory by anticipating the suggestions that will fit: contained in his next letter, fijriinjH he will there advocate the abolition of bar harbors, and the removal of the bottom of the sen, the bltiifa that have stupidly been considered to U; tli-.* bulwarks of harbors, and all b«:.v:h»-3. in order to preclude the possibility of vc.-iaels touching anything harder than water. It ia something entirely new for vc?cs< Is to strand, and the Colony may congratulate itself that it has in Mr. J. U. Kttsaell a man that is capable of writing so learnedly on the question. One thought here occurs to us. Will Mr. Russell in bis nest treatise confess that, bad as the If arbor of Oamarn is, he lias discovered that port Ctjalr/fcrs i-s worse ? Wc really think that he should do so. \ye havo loaded big ship 3 here for several years without the occurrence of a single casualty of any kind, and there i 3 every reason to suppose that if the ill-fated Benares had been a visitor to ouj- port instead of to Port Chalmers she would tiave been safe and sound now, instead of being in suoh a leaky condition as to make from six to seven inches of water per hour, and having to unload a cargo of the value of nearly LIOO,OOO, and go into dock for repairs.