NAUTICAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1242, 18 September 1875, Page 11

NAUTICAL ITEMS.

At Cardigan Police Court, on the 9th June, Captain John Evans, of New Quay, was proceeded against by Mr Morgan, Collector of Customs, for lending his master's certificate of competency to William Hughes, master of the Frederick Stronord, of Lancaster. The Magistrates convicted him in a fine of £30, and costs, or, in default, ihree months' imprisonment, with hard labour. Hughes had been previously convicted and fined in £25 for using the certificate.

A gunboat, so termed, was launched in June last from the yard of Messrs Rennie, of Greenwich. She was built to the order of the Government of the Argsntine Republic, and was the first of a class designed to carry a 20£ tons H-inch COO-pounder Armstrong gun. The gun platform is lifted and lowered by hydraulic machinery, which also loads and rams the gun. The boat was named the Bermegi. The Messrs Rennie are constructing two vessels— the Arrow and Bonnetta-of a similar type for the British navy. Private information from Wellington advises us that on the evening of last Tuesday, one of the seamen belonging to the ship Rodney fell from the topgallant yard, and received injuries that resulted in death three hours afterwards.

A much larger quantity of ice is found this year in the Atlantic on the steamship routes to America than is tuual in June. On the sth June, at noon, the Wyoming passed six icebergs of various sizes, some being 300 ft. above the surface of the water and about double as long.- At 7 o'clock the same evening the sea was strewn with a quantity of ice, which had evidently been detached from the larger masses on their journey, south. An hour later the ship passed eight miles off one huge berg, probably 500 ft. high, and coverin" an area of three acres. On the afternoon of the 6th navfcntion wa3 rendered b.ith difficult and dangerous by the number of bergs dotting the horizon, threatening in every direction, and accompanied and followed by a large qu intity of surface ice.

The steamer Memphis, 1236 tons register, 10 years old, and of 150 horse-power, built by Messrs Pile aud Co., of Sunderland, was sold by auction, at Hull on the 15th June, for £11,800, Her original cost was £40,000.