PORT OF HOKITIKA.

West Coast Times, Issue 256, 18 July 1866, Page 2

PORT OF HOKITIKA.

ITigu Wathj Tiih Day.—l.43 a.m.; 5.14 p.m. • • - ; - - - AimiVrn. July 17 —Keera, a.*.| Joyce, from Dunedin, na Lyttelton. Pasj-ni-rers —Saloon : Mrs Han is ;infl four children.'Mesdaraes Monteith, 3-unn. Soloman, Madden, Peters, and Thomas, MissOediles, Messrs Macintosh, Glynn, Blyth, md 33 in tho steerage. Carey & Gilles, igents. , . SAILED. Nil. ENTERED IN. Keera, 145 tons, D. Joyce, from Dunedin. CLEARED OUT. Moyne, 92 tons, A. G. Marshall, for Dunedin, in ballast. EXPECTED \I{RIVAT.S. Florence, from Melbourne, e.-irly. Dv ledin, fro'n Ihinedin, early. Xi In-raw, from Melbourne, early. Wallaby, I'rOiU Ni'lsoii, curly. ritOJIXTKD DErAIITDUErf. I Lizzie Colixsoii, for Sv.hit*\\ thii day. X cm, for NoUdu an I Wellington, 19th instant. Lord AshW. fov Duff ir.u-bo'% Dmiedin, liyi.elton, and Wollin^ron, 21^>t inst. VESSELS IN TOltT. Brigantine —Lizzie Coleson. Schooners. —Cymraes, Moyne, Crest of the Steamers —Yarra, Challenge, Lioness, Keera. IN THE KOADSTEAD. Di-patch, briga itine, from Dunedin. IMPORTS. Per Keera, from Dunedin —6 qr-casks wino, 15 half-chests tea, 28 cases beer, order ; 3 do drapery, Isaacs ; 20 bales chaff, 1 chaff-cutter, Boyle "& Co.; 21 bales chaff, Mowa! t & Co.; 1 Ciue stationery, 1 box castirgs, Bank of New Zealand; 2 eases drapery, A. C. Prichard ; 59 do lobsters, 20 <lo salmon, 7 bags peas, order; 5 cases eutle'-y, A. Boyle & Co. ; 1 range, 1 case, Jl'Guire ; 2 cases, 11 trunks loots', 2 cases, 1 truss, 2 pkgs matting, 7 cases di-apcrv, 1 ense,' 1 bale, 2 eases drapery, 1 bale, 2 cases, S. &, 2f. F. Isaacs; 3 do drapery, Grrenve &Co ; 3do furniture, F. Luhning; 1 ,box apyiaivl oi\ler ; 3 cases glass, 1 parcel, J. Holme? ; 1 do, order ; 28 wheels, 28 rastings, 32 l:egs hard y. are, T, G-. Stone ; 1 bale leather, A. Be iver; 6 cases drapery, 1 truss, C. Higp'tns & Co.; 1 truss, 1 case, C. Brown ; 1 case, E. Glynn ; 20 do, Milk, Stanford, & Co.; 1 box npparel, J. Linlon; 30 boxes candles, Loutitt & Eeid; 4 c.ises ironmongery, John- ; ston & Co.; 3 crates, 2 casis bottles, 3 cases ; drugs, Prosser; 1 case drug 3, W. Binzer; 3 case*, 1 keg drugs, J. Williams ; 2 cases drapery, 1 truss do, Byrne & Co.; 3 cases drugs, Palmer & Co.; 20 bales chaff, Chesney & Co.; 1 case, P. Klein ; 2 bdls sheet irom, 1 parcel, order ; 2 bales, 1 coil, Gr. Moss; 25 bags oats, Blythe ; -1 cases 1 case varnish, 1 cask red lead, 1 pkg, J. Keir & Co.; 1 case drapery, Prichard; 1 do do, 1 truss, Thorn & BuJlon; 5 trunks boots, 2 pkgs drapery, H. Brown ; 1 bale drapery, 1 case boots, M'Beath & Co.; 3 pkg? saddlery, J. Kam?'iy ; 1 bag potato", A. Diion; 1 do do, H. B^athe; 1 pkg drapery, Thorn & Bullen ; 4 casks sugar, 15 cases bitters, 20 cases cordials, 4 casks blacking, 2 parcels, Eeeves &Co.; 1 trus3 drapery, S: & F. W. Isaacs ; 1 case opera glasses, order.

The s.s. Keera, — Joyce, commander, left Dunedin at 5 p .m. June 27th, bound to Hokitika, via Cook's Straits. On the following day, v hen about forty miles south of the Peninsula, her main shaft broke, which compelled her, in the teeth of a stiff head breeze, .to work up into Leßon's Bay under canvas. There she brought to, and forwarded intelligence to the agents (Messrs Ritchie k Co.) at Lyttelton, of her nrshap, who at once despatched the p.s. Wf.ipora to tow her to that port. She arrived there without further mishap, and arrangements were made with Mr Anderson to effect the necessary repairs. Fortunately ho had just completed a new and powerful blast furnace, which enabled him to undertake the work, otherwise the shaft must have been sent to Dunedin. The Keera was delayed a fortnight in Lyttelton, but in the meantime her shaft waa welded in a most creditable manner ; and being once more replaced, the smart little steamer took her departure for Hokitika on the 14th instant, and arrived safely at the wharf at 1 p.m. on the 17th. The Keera brings a general cargo and forty-five passengers, all of 3vhom speak in the highest terms of Captain Joyco aud (notwithstanding her long passage) the vessel under bis command. At present the entrance to Hokitika river is in a very sad state, aud promises to remain so unless a fi'C3hct comes down to clear the bar. There are r.o-.v three channels — one running round the jvint of the South epit in nearly a S.W. direction, another nearly due -west, whilst the third is cut through the bar to the If.W. The two last are navigable, although, that to the westward was alone, worked yesterday, and in it was found ten feet of water I at high tide. At low water the entrance presents a somewhat strange appearance, intersected as it is by sandbanks, between which the river current runs rapidly outwards. One large bank extends from near the old Mnria several hundred yards in a S.W. direction, formiug, with the end of the north spit, a deep bight within which the water is perfectly smooth, which contrasts strangely with (lie seething surf on the one hand and the rapidly flowing river on the other. Round the point of this bank the N.W. channel vuns, and even at low water looks deep but rather narrow ; •nd on the other side of it is the middle bank, a mere patch of sand forming, however, with another pat«h which lies off the point of the south spit, the weat channel. Between the patch hst named and the spit is a narrow gutway, by courtesy called the S.W. channel, for it is not navigable, although a considerable quantity of the river water finds a passage through it. Through the west channel tho s.s. Keera safely entered the river at 1 p.m. \e3terday, but it was careful pilotage, bucked by a thorough knowledge of the lay of the banks that alone brought her in. We are sorry that as much cannot be said of the p.s. Lioness, which, after taking Captain Turnbull outside to the Keera, ran down to the brigantine Dispatch, then Bom« miles in the offing, and brought her up abreast the bar - f - but as by this time the tide was considerably out, and the tow-line parted, the Dispatch came to for the night, preferring to wait for this day- 181 8 tide than run unnecessary wlr. The Lioness, however, made for the' river, as her draught was light compared with that of the brigantiiie's, but keeping a litt !e too far north, she grounded on the t>oufch side of ihe middle bank, from which positionshe th -i fiiK-d to extricate^ herself. At low water she was yearly high and dry, but not by auy means dangerously placed, as there was deep water on both sides and ahead. Last night, Captain TurubuU, the Deputy Harbor Master, Captain M'Gill, and Mr Gilles, of the firm of Carey arid Gilles, the agents, proceeded to the Spit, "attended by a large party of men, who were engaged for the night to render the vessel the necessary assistance. A warp was run out to the south spit, and preparations made to clear away the sand from Under her bows ; and as the night was fine, and fortunately continued ao, the efforts made to float this most serviceable boat were happily successful. At about a quarter to one this morning, she found

hw^lf cnet! more iv her o.vn element, and now, we aro glad to s:ty, lies at her u»ual mooring place tit tho wharf, having sustained no damage whatever to interfere with or delay for a day her valuable services to the port.