SHIPPING TELEGRAMS. WELLINGTON.

Colonist, Volume XI, Issue 786, 10 December 1867, Page 2

SHIPPING TELEGRAMS. WELLINGTON.

Arrived.—-December 6. —Steamer Rakaia, from Sydney. 7. —Steamer Airedale, from Nelson ; steamer: Tararua, from Lyttelton ; steamer Taranaki, from Pictoa. B.—Steamer Gothenburg, from Lyttelton. Sailed. —December 8. —Steamer Rakaia, for Sydney; steamer Taranaki, for Lyttelton. 9.— Steamer Gothenburg, for Nelson; steamer Airedale, for Picton. . The p.s. Lyttelton left Blenheim at 12 o'clock on 7th, and arrived here at 3.30 a.m. on the Bth. She experienced fine weather on the passage. The s.s. Nelson got into the Buller on Thursday morning. The N.Z.S.N. Co's s.s. Stormbird left Nelson for Westport on Wednesday afternoon, and arrived at her destination on Thursday afternoon, and succeeded in the face of a heavy fr,esh in the river in crossing the bar at 4 p.m. It was as much as she could accomplish. The Wallaby and Kennedy were lying off outside at the time. The Stormbird left the Buller for Nelson on Saturday night, at 7 o'clock, and arrived herejon Sunday, at 2.30 p.m. She again loaded with cattle, and left for Westport last night, at 8 o'clock. The Stormbird is goiug out of the direct Nelson trade for, a short time, being chartered by Mr. Croker, of Wanganui, to carry, at least, two cargoes of cattle from thnt pore to Westport. The Stormbird which is one of the staunchest and best paying of the New Zealand Company's boats, has been, during the lust eleven months, trading between NeUon and West Coast ports, chiefly in the cattle and sheep trade, although, in numerous trips, taking cargo alone. During that tim* she has carried 700 head of cattle and over 3000 sheep, and without the loss of either a hoof or horn. The Channel at Hokitika.—The West Coast Times of the 6th instant says:—"The entrance to the port has undergone a most unfavorable change since we published our last issue, for, swelled by the rain of Wednesday, the river burst through the North Spit yesterday morning, astern of the old Gratitude, forming a third channel, as the eddy created by the wreck threw up a sandbank under her lee, intersecting that which, but for the obstruction of the wreck would have been an unbroken sheet of water.. The unity of the bar is maintained, it is only the outlet between the Spits that is so , much broken up, and there '.he river .is fully half a mile wideband, we fear, correspondingly shallow. The flood now rolling dowu the river will very likely clear the mouth again, but until the Spit re-forms and so reduces the immense width of the entrance, we fear that a; proper channel will be denied the port. We expect to see a startling change this morning, as the river commenced rising last night, and has since discharged'a, tremendous volume of water that will not be without effect upon the entrance.. Just as we expected she would be, the Gratitude has become a dangerous obstruction in the channel, and beiag three parts filled -with sand her removal will be a very difficult undertaking. No time, however, should be lost in attempting to effect it, and we hope that this last example of the dangerous effects that may arise from permitting old wrecks to lumber the beach will cause the strict enforcement of that section of the harbor regulations we quoted in our issue of the 21st ult,