BLUFF HARBOR.

Southland Times, Issue 3311, 30 January 1879, Page 2

BLUFF HARBOR.

.ARRIVED.' " •Januarys-Alarm, .cutter, West,-from Stewarts Island. . 4.. _ •' - ' EXPECTED. ARRIVALS. From the North—Albion,-Tararua. ' The brigantine Circe hauled up to" the -wharf yesterday morning and -began discharging coal at once. „ - , , , A relic of tne olden times, when Tasmania was a penal'settlement, in the shape of an anchor supposed to havebelonged to the old prison ship, Lady Franklin, waa,fifebed up last week in the Derwentby the'anchor of a ketch which was preparing to get undei:- 1 way. —Australian Shipping News. '*'-' ■' ' - ':' „ . •-'Great complaint''is-made' by.the shipping papers in America of ( the ruinously low freights inling there j they'quote 11-32 d per lb for cotton to Europe," and 3s 6d per barrel for kerosene, and ask how a living is'to be made out'of suchi-ates. One cause of this noTdoubtis the prevailing dulses* bf tradeaUoverthe ™i*JL^__SS_£^ 'IBr"Baiflng7 vessels to all trades, causing- the latter-to far more than supply the- demand, and' hence prices fall. —lbid. „r, , . ". ' The following remarks, extracted from a San .Francisco paper, might hav,e been addressed to shipowners in these colo'iiies :—" In mariy cases shipowners paytoo little attention to the fitness .of the men employed to~command their vessels, and are veiy prone to employ a cheap captain' rather than a more able officer at a higher price. Ships aie also too frequently placed under charge . of individuals who happen to be relatives of the owners, or are held Jn personal favor by them,, without proper regard to their qualifications." Not an insurance company here but has had to' pay heavily for casualties which would never have happened but for the improper appointment of an unsuitable captain, and many a life has been sacrificed to the sinful economy of the owner. " ' - i ' 'In order to Save the illustrious and royal passengers jWho jailed by the Sarmatian, s.s., on : Nov. 14, for Halifax, from as many as possible j ' of the' usual inconveniences of sea travel, a | 'newly-invented .system of .self-adjusting berths was fitted up for her. Royal Highness^ Princess • Louise and the. Marquis of Lome, which are .thus described.:—The .berth is'in. tl^e form of, a domestic bedstead, the 7 woodwork being Spanish . mahogany, and the upholstering is done m blue silk lined with white^silk.' Over the bed is" a canopy, and a movable back-rest and table are fitted, so that the occupant can sit up and read, and take his or her meals.. The external metal work is silvet-mountcd. The'berths are orna-mented'-with a sflver'shield bearing the arms of the Princess, quartered with those of the house of Argyll-and the Dominion _of Canada. The bed.. remains quite, steady, however much the vessel may pitch and roll: in cases where.the vessel pitches to an exceptional degree, a longitudinal spring/ rising aiid falling about 10 in., counteracts tne unusual motion.