DEPARTURE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 650, 14 March 1879, Page 2

DEPARTURE.

MARCH. 14— Albert Victor, schooner. 287 tons, Armstrong, master, for Newcastle m ballast. ■ _ 14— Telegraph, schooner, Doughty, master,' for Auckland, via the Awanui.

The Rosina will not go to Napier tomorrow as advertised, but as will be seen by advertisement, will start for the East Coast usual trip' on Tuesday morning next.

The Pretty Jane leaves the wharf this evening at 9 o'clock. She will carry a full deck cargo of persons bound for Monday's races at Napier.

The docking of the iron ship Margaret Galbraith, 841 tons, attracted a crowd of spectators m the Auckland dock on Thursday. She is the largest vessel that has entered the dock. And it was not without some uneasiness the operation was performed. However, the ship with 300 tons of ballast aboard, only drew 11 feet 2 inches of water, and as the register over the sill of the dock showed 14 feet, owing to the high spring tide, the vessel was safely and easily floated m. It would be dangerous, however, to allow her to remain m more than three days, the depth on the sill of the dock at high water neaps averaging only about eleven feet. The average of spring tides is about thirteen feet. The gross and irreparable blunder committed m not making the dock a few feet deeper is every day becoming more apparent. We believe that no other dock m the colonies, of equal length, and that has cost such an amount of money, is as shallow. However, it is some satisfaction to see a vessel so large as the Margaret Galbraith safely docked, and the. condition of her bottom affords ample proof of the necessity for such facilities m our port. The benefit that will arise to owners from the ability to get their vessels effectively cleaned at a minimum of risk and expense, before entering on a new voyage, should induce them to avail themselves regularly of the dock.-rAueklaml Star.