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Star (Christchurch), Issue 619, 17 May 1870, Page 2

The Sydney Morning Herald of April 28 repor's that the barque Joliba, bound for Lyttelton, was anchored in Watson's Bay, inside Sydney Heads, waiting for moderate weather in order to proceed to sea. The clipper schooner Cleopatra, from Lyttelton, with a enrgo of grain, has completed discharging, and will sail for Queen Charlotte's Sound to-day for a ' cargo of timber for Canterbury. — Wellington Independent, May 14. We are gad to observe thafc an improvement has taken place in the coaling of the steamers frequenting this port. The moorings of the hulk European have been lifted, and the vessel brought in much nearer to the Queen's wharf. Instead of vessels being compelled to get up steam to go to the hulk, they can either be warped off, or the hulk shifted to the wharf with the greatest ease. This will be a great saving both in time and expense, as vessels can now coal whilst they are di-charging or loading cargo at the whaTf. — Wellington Independent, May 14. The fine brigantine Hirt, Capt. D. H. McKenzie, arrived in harbour early yesterday morning, bringing a full cargo of wheat and oats, for Messrs Low and Motion. The Flirt left Lyttelton on Friday night, 29th April : had N.E. winds till Sunday afternoon, when the wind veered to the S.W., which carried the vessel as far as Hawke's Bay ; from thence to the East Cape had westerly winds, and was all day Wednesday becalmed off Cape Runaway. On Thursday morning the wind sprung up from the eastward, which increased to a strong breeze at night, arriving in harbour afc 1 o'clock nn Friday morning.— Auckland Herald May 7. All doubts as to the safety of the ps. Charles Edward were set at rest yesterday afternoon by the arrival of the s.s. Rangitoto, with news that she spoke the missing Mc; mer in Blind Bay, at 7 p.m. on the loth,

making for Nelson under sail. She transhipped one of the passengers, Mr James Wylde, who was landed here last night. Capt. Holmes of the Charles Edward, reported all well on board, and refused supplies offered by Capt. Mackie, as there wore plenty on board his own vessel. He said tliat au hour after leaving Westport on Tursday week, the crank-head of the engines broke, and she hore up for Nelson under sail, but the winds were light, which accounted for the delay iv hearing of her.— Grei/ River Argus, May 12. , _ Mr W. Jackson has invented an original arrangement in the construction of breakwaters. This consists of a sort of honeycomb, formed by fastening together in parallel lines a large number of cast iron tubes; the structure is so placed that the waves flow through the pipe 3, that is to say, the axes of the pipes are parallel to the direction of the most dangerous winds or currents. Mr Jackson has recently submitted to the War Office a scheme for the erection of a small breakwater, according to his system, in Seaford Bay. He is not the first inventor of metallic breakwaters. Capt Vetch. R.N., invented, some years ago, a system of iron caissons, which he proposed for the Plymouth breakwater ; and in 1857 Lieutenant Manico, R.N., patented an apparatus which he called also a caisson, though it would be more accurately defined as a crate, which he proposed to fill with stones, so as to form submarine blocks. Mr Jackson's breakwater is widely different, however, from C«ptain Vetch's and Lieutenant Manico's inventions. The latter are proposed to be used in the , body of a pier or sea defence; the former, i according to the inventor's ideas, should be placed at some distance outside. The inventor says he has erected a tubular breakwater at Odessa, and that it has answered very well.